System and method for power converter interfacing with multiple series-stacked voltage domains
According to various embodiments, a power conversion circuit is disclosed. The power conversion circuit includes at least one DC bus. The power conversion circuit further includes a plurality of DC-AC conversion units coupled to the DC bus and configured to convert a DC voltage into an AC voltage. The power conversion circuit also includes a multi-winding transformer comprising a magnetic core and a plurality of windings, where each DC-AC conversion unit is coupled to a corresponding winding of the multi-winding transformer.
1. A power conversion circuit comprising:
a common DC bus;
a plurality of DC-AC conversion units coupled to the common DC bus, the plurality of DC-AC conversion units connected to each other in series;
at least one other DC-AC conversion unit coupled to the common DC bus; and
a multi-winding transformer comprising a magnetic core and a plurality of windings, each of the plurality of DC-AC conversion units being coupled to a corresponding winding on a first side of the multi-winding transformer and the at least one other DC-AC conversion unit being coupled to a corresponding winding on a second side of the multi-winding transformer, the second side being opposite the first side.
2. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the series connected DC-AC conversion units evenly divide a voltage of the DC bus.
3. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the DC-AC conversion units are each connected to one or more devices.
4. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the at least one other DC-AC conversion unit is standalone.
5. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is a half-bridge inverter comprising at least two switches and one capacitor.
6. The power conversion circuit of claim 5 wherein each half-bridge inverter operates at about a 50% duty ratio.
7. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is a full-bridge inverter comprising at least four switches.
8. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the multi-winding transformer is a printed circuit board (PCB) transformer comprising a plurality of layers of conductors in planar shapes.
9. The power conversion circuit of claim 8 wherein each layer is a single turn layer.
10. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the windings of the multi-winding transformer have identical turns.
11. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is operated at about the same frequency.
12. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is phase-shifted against each other DC-AC conversion unit.
13. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 further comprising a controller configured to regulate a voltage of each DC-AC conversion unit.
14. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is connected to one or more of a data center server, a battery, a solar panel, and a computer hard drive.
15. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is configured to interface with a DC voltage of one of 5V, 12V, 24V, or 48V.
16. A method for operating a power conversion circuit, the circuit including a plurality of DC-AC conversion units coupled to a common DC bus, the plurality of DC-AC conversion units connected to each other in series, at least one other DC-AC conversion unit coupled to the common DC bus, and a multi-winding transformer including a magnetic core and a plurality of windings, each of the plurality of DC-AC conversion units being coupled to a corresponding winding on a first side of the multi-winding transformer and the at least one other DC-AC conversion unit being coupled to a corresponding winding on a second side of the multi-winding transformer, the second side being opposite the first side, the method comprising:
measuring a voltage of one or more intermediate nodes between the DC-AC conversion units of the plurality of DC-AC conversion units; and
adjusting a gate signal of switches of the plurality of DC-AC conversion units to regulate the voltage of the intermediate nodes.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the series-connected DC-AC conversion units evenly divide a voltage of the DC bus.
18. The method of claim 16 further comprising operating each of the plurality of DC-AC conversion units at about a 50% duty ratio.
19. The method of claim 16 further comprising operating each DC-AC conversion unit at about the same frequency.
20. The method of claim 16 further comprising phase-shifting each DC-AC conversion unit against each other DC-AC conversion unit.
21. The method of claim 16 further comprising regulating the voltage of each DC-AC conversion unit via a controller.
22. A power conversion circuit comprising:
a common DC bus;
a plurality of DC-AC conversion units coupled to the common DC bus, the plurality of DC-AC conversion units connected to each other in series;
at least one other DC-AC conversion unit coupled to the common DC bus;
a multi-winding transformer comprising a magnetic core and a plurality of windings, each of the plurality of DC-AC conversion units being coupled to a corresponding winding on a first side of the multi-winding transformer and the at least one other DC-AC conversion unit being coupled to a corresponding winding on a second side of the multi-winding transformer, the second side being opposite the first side; and
a controller configured to:
measure a voltage of one or more intermediate nodes, each intermediate node being operably coupled to two adjacent DC-AC conversion units of the plurality of DC-AC conversion units, the two adjacent DC-AC conversion units both being on either the first side or the second side of the multi-winding transformer; and
adjust a gate signal of switches of the plurality of DC-AC conversion units to regulate the voltage of the one or more intermediate nodes.
23. The power conversion circuit of claim 22 wherein the series-connected DC-AC conversion units evenly divide a voltage of the DC bus.
24. The power conversion circuit of claim 22 wherein the DC-AC conversion units are each connected to one or more devices.
25. The power conversion circuit of claim 22 wherein the at least one other DC-AC conversion unit is standalone.
26. The power conversion circuit of claim 22 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is a half-bridge inverter comprising at least two switches and one capacitor.
27. The power conversion circuit of claim 26 wherein the controller is further configured to operate each half-bridge inverter at about a 50% duty ratio.
28. The power conversion circuit of claim 22 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is a full-bridge inverter comprising at least four switches.
29. The power conversion circuit of claim 22 wherein the multi-winding transformer is a printed circuit board (PCB) transformer comprising a plurality of layers of conductors in planar shapes.
30. The power conversion circuit of claim 29 wherein each layer is a single turn layer.
31. The power conversion circuit of claim 22 wherein the windings of the multi-winding transformer have identical turns.
32. The power conversion circuit of claim 22 wherein the controller is further configured to operate each DC-AC conversion unit at about the same frequency.
33. The power conversion circuit of claim 22 wherein the controller is further configured to phase-shift each DC-AC conversion unit against each other DC-AC conversion unit.
34. The power conversion circuit of claim 22 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is connected to one or more of a data center server, a battery, a solar panel, and a computer hard drive.
35. The power conversion circuit of claim 22 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is configured to interface with a DC voltage of one of 5V, 12V, 24V, or 48V.
36. A multi-input multi-output (MIMO) power conversion circuit comprising:
a plurality of DC buses;
a plurality of DC-AC conversion units coupled to a first DC bus of the plurality of DC buses, the plurality of DC-AC conversion units connected to each other in series;
at least one other DC-AC conversion unit coupled to a second DC bus of the plurality of DC buses; and
a multi-port wireless-coupled transformer comprising a magnetic core and a plurality of ports, each of the plurality of DC-AC conversion units being coupled to a corresponding port on a first side of the multi-port wireless-coupled transformer and the at least one other DC-AC conversion unit being coupled to a corresponding port on a second side of the multi-port wireless-coupled transformer, the second side being opposite the first side.
37. The MIMO power conversion circuit of claim 36 wherein the series connected DC-AC conversion units evenly divide a voltage each DC bus.
38. The MIMO power conversion circuit of claim 36 wherein the DC-AC conversion units are each connected to one or more devices.
39. The MIMO power conversion circuit of claim 36 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is a half-bridge inverter comprising at least two switches and one capacitor.
40. The MIMO power conversion circuit of claim 39 wherein each half-bridge inverter operates at about a 50% duty ratio.
41. The MIMO power conversion circuit of claim 36 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is a full-bridge inverter comprising at least four switches.
42. The MIMO power conversion circuit of claim 36 further comprising a controller configured to regulate a voltage of each DC-AC conversion unit.
43. The MIMO power conversion circuit of claim 36 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is connected to one or more of a data center server, a battery, a solar panel, and a computer hard drive.
44. The MIMO power conversion circuit of claim 36 wherein each DC-AC conversion unit is configured to interface with a DC voltage of one of 5V, 12V, 24V, or 48V.