Insulated DC/DC converter with magnetic component including primary part and secondary part separateed by electrical insulation barrier

1. An insulated DC/DC converter comprising:

a magnetic component having a primary part and a secondary part separated by an electrical insulation barrier;

switches, referred to as primary side switches, linked to the primary part of the magnetic component such that the switching of the primary side switches with a duty cycle over modulation periods allows the magnetic component to transfer energy from the primary part to the secondary part and to store energy at the primary part, to convert an input voltage of the insulated DC/DC converter into an output voltage; and

in which the secondary part of the magnetic component comprises a first arm and a second arm, each arm comprising a first switch, a secondary winding and a second switch in series, with the secondary winding between the first switch and the second switch; an intermediate point of the secondary winding of the first arm, referred to as first secondary winding, being connected to an intermediate point of the secondary winding of the second arm, referred to as second secondary winding, and

in which said primary side switches are arranged in a first primary side arm connected to the primary part of said magnetic component, said first primary side arm comprising two switches (QA 1 , QA 2 ) in series, a middle point between said two switches (QA 1 , QA 2 ) of the primary side arm (A) being connected to an end of an arm which comprises the primary part ( 110 ) of the magnetic component ( 100 ), said insulated DC/DC converter further comprising a second primary side arm (D) including two switches (QD 1 , QD 2 ) which are in series, an inductance (L 3 ) having a first terminal connected to a middle point of said second primary side arm (D), and a second terminal connected to the middle point of the first primary side arm, and a capacity (C) being connected between the end terminals of the first primary side arm (A)

wherein the primary side arm is configured to function with a substantially constant duty cycle; and the secondary side arm is configured to control the output voltage of the insulated DC/DC converter by controlling the voltage delivered by said primary side switches of said primary side arm.

2. The converter according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic component transfers energy to one of the two secondary windings according to the input voltage applied at the level of the primary part.

3. The converter according to claim 2 , wherein the magnetic component is configured such that:

over a first part of the modulation period, a first part of the primary part transfers an energy to the first secondary winding, and a second part of the primary part produces an inductance storing energy;

over a second part of the modulation period, the second part of the primary part transfers an energy to the second secondary winding, and the first part of the primary part produces an inductance storing energy.

4. The converter according to claim 3 , wherein:

the switches of the first arm are configured to be looped over the first part of the modulation period and open over the second part of the modulation period; and

the switches of the second arm are configured to be looped over the second part of the modulation period and open over the first part of the modulation period.

5. The converter according to claim 1 , wherein in each arm of the secondary part, the switches are configured to be simultaneously in a same state and to be in a different state from that of the switches of the other arm.

6. The converter according to claim 1 , wherein the ends of the arms of the secondary part are linked to each other, a first end being configured to be connected to the ground of the secondary part, a second end being configured to be connected to the output of the converter.

7. The converter according to claim 1 , wherein said secondary windings of the magnetic component are not magnetically coupled to each other, said secondary windings being magnetically coupled to the primary part.

8. The converter according to claim 1 , wherein the primary side switches are configured to function with a substantially constant duty cycle; said converter comprising at least one other switch configured to control the output voltage of the insulated DC/DC converter by controlling the voltage delivered by said primary side switches.

9. The converter according to claim 8 , wherein the primary side switches are configured such that the duty cycle thereof is substantially equal to 50%.

10. The converter according to claim 1 , further comprising a short-circuit detector, configured to:

detect a short-circuit in one of said secondary side switches in the secondary part;

open the other switch of the secondary side arm to which the short-circuit switch belongs so as to neutralise this short-circuit.

11. The converter according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic component is configured such that:

over a first part of the modulation period, a first part of the primary part transfers an energy to the first secondary winding, and a second part of the primary part produces an inductance storing energy;

over a second part of the modulation period, the second part of the primary part transfers an energy to the second secondary winding, and the first part of the primary part produces an inductance storing energy.

12. The converter according to claim 11 , wherein:

the switches of the first arm are configured to be looped over the first part of the modulation period and open over the second part of the modulation period; and

the switches of the second arm are configured to be looped over the second part of the modulation period and open over the first part of the modulation period.

13. The converter according to claim 12 , wherein in each arm of the secondary part, the switches are configured to be simultaneously in a same state and to be in a different state from that of the switches of the other arm.

14. The converter according to claim 13 , wherein the ends of the arms of the secondary part are linked to each other, a first end being configured to be connected to the ground of the secondary part, a second end being configured to be connected to the output of the converter.

15. The converter according to claim 14 , wherein said secondary windings of the magnetic component are not magnetically coupled to each other, said secondary windings being magnetically coupled to the primary part.

16. The converter according to claim 1 , wherein the primary side switches are configured such that the duty cycle thereof is substantially equal to 50%.

17. The converter according to claim 2 , further comprising a short-circuit detector, configured to:

detect a short-circuit in one of said secondary side switches in the secondary part;

open the other switch of the secondary side arm to which the short-circuit switch belongs so as to neutralise this short-circuit.

18. The converter according to claim 11 , further comprising a short-circuit detector, configured to:

detect a short-circuit in one of said secondary side switches in the secondary part;

open the other switch of the secondary side arm to which the short-circuit switch belongs so as to neutralise this short-circuit.

19. The converter according to claim 2 , wherein said secondary windings of the magnetic component are not magnetically coupled to each other, said secondary windings being magnetically coupled to the primary part.