Apparatuses and methods involving power conversion using multiple rectifier circuits
An apparatus including direct-current (DC)-alternating-current (AC) inverter circuitry, first and second circuits, and output circuitry. The DC-AC inverter circuitry inverts a DC input signal corresponding to an input voltage to an AC signal. The first circuit and second circuits respectively include inductive isolation circuits driven in response to power from the at least one AC signal, and rectifier circuits that responds to the inductive isolation circuits by outputting first and second rectified signals, where at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits characterized as being limited by a voltage breakdown rating. The output circuitry provides a DC output voltage signal and to cascade a plurality of signals, including the first and second rectified signals, to provide a voltage source that is dependent on the first and second rectified signals and greater than voltage breakdown rating.
1. An apparatus comprising:
DC-AC inverter circuitry configured to invert at least one direct-current (DC) input signal corresponding to an input voltage to at least one alternating-current (AC) signal;
a first circuit including a first inductive isolation circuit to be driven in response to power from the at least one AC signal, and including a first rectifier circuit to respond to the first inductive isolation circuit by outputting a first rectified signal at a first pair of output terminals;
a second circuit including a second inductive isolation circuit to be driven in response to power from the at least one AC signal, and including a second rectifier circuit to respond to the second inductive isolation circuit by outputting a second rectified signal at a second pair of output terminals, and at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits characterized as being limited by a voltage breakdown rating; and
output circuitry configured and arranged to provide a DC output voltage signal between voltage source terminals and to cascade a plurality of signals, including the first and second rectified signals, by one of the output terminals of one of the pairs of output terminals being a source of supply to one of the output terminals of the other of the pairs of output terminals, with the voltage source terminals to provide a voltage source that is dependent on the first and second rectified signals and greater than the voltage breakdown rating of the at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second inductive isolation circuits is associated with another voltage breakdown rating which is greater than the voltage breakdown rating of the at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits is configured and arranged to deliver in the associated rectified signal, a DC output voltage signal that is greater than twice the voltage breakdown rating of the at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second inductive isolation circuits includes an air-core transformer having an associated voltage breakdown rating that:
is greater than the voltage breakdown rating of said at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits, and
defines a minimum overall voltage breakdown rating for circuitry included in the first and second inductive isolation circuits.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the voltage breakdown rating is defined by a DC-blocking capacitor used in a signal path in one of the first and second circuits, between an output terminal of the inductive isolation circuit and a diode in the rectifier circuit.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second rectifier circuits includes or is configured as a Class DE rectifier.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including additional rectifier circuits having outputs cascaded with the first and second rectifier circuits, and wherein each of the rectifier circuits includes or is configured as a Class DE rectifier, is dc-isolated from the input voltage and is rated at not less than 300 volts.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including at least one additional circuit including a third circuit having a third inductive isolation circuit to be driven in response to power from the at least one AC signal, and including a third rectifier circuit to respond to the third inductive isolation circuit by outputting a third rectified signal at a third pair of output terminals; and
wherein the output circuitry is further configured and arranged to provide a DC output voltage signal between voltage source terminals and to cascade a plurality of signals, including the first, second and third rectified signals, by coupling selected ones of the output terminals of the first, second and third pairs of output terminals as being a cascaded source of supply, with the voltage source terminals collectively arranged to provide a voltage source that is dependent on the first, second and third rectified signals and that is greater than the voltage breakdown rating.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second rectifier circuits is one of multiple rectifier stages connected in parallel.
10. A method comprising:
providing from a direct-current (DC) voltage input signal, at least one alternating-current (AC) signal;
using a first circuit and a second circuit in parallel, each providing inductive isolation and each driven in response to power from the at least one AC signal, and each rectifying in response to the inductive isolation by outputting a rectified signal at an associated pair of output terminals, wherein the rectifying associated with at least one of the first circuit and second circuits is associated with circuitry characterized as being limited by a voltage breakdown rating; and
providing a DC output voltage signal between voltage source terminals by cascading a plurality of signals, including the rectified signals, with the DC output voltage signal being dependent on the second rectified signals and greater than the voltage breakdown rating.
11. A direct-current (DC) power source for providing a DC voltage in response to at least one alternating-current (AC) signal associated with an input voltage signal, the DC power source comprising:
a first circuit including a first inductive isolation circuit to be driven in response to power from the at least one AC signal, and including a first rectifier circuit to respond to the first inductive isolation circuit by outputting a first rectified signal at a first pair of output terminals;
a second circuit including a second inductive isolation circuit to be driven in response to power from the at least one AC signal, and including a second rectifier circuit to respond to the second inductive isolation circuit by outputting a second rectified signal at a second pair of output terminals, and at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits characterized as being limited by a voltage breakdown rating; and
output circuitry configured and arranged to provide a DC output voltage signal between voltage source terminals and to cascade a plurality of signals, including the first and second rectified signals, by one of the output terminals of one of the pairs of output terminals being a source of supply to one of the output terminals of the other of the pairs of output terminals, with the voltage source terminals to provide a voltage source that is dependent on the first and second rectified signals and greater than the voltage breakdown rating of the at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits.
12. The DC power source of claim 11 , further including front-end driver circuitry configured and arranged to provides the at least one AC signal to the first inductive isolation circuit and the second inductive isolation circuit.
13. The DC power source of claim 12 , wherein the front-end driver circuitry includes one or more DC-AC inverter circuits configured and arranged to invert at least one DC input signal corresponding to the input voltage signal to the at least one AC signal and to drive the first inductive isolation circuit and the second inductive isolation circuit via the at least one AC signal.
14. The DC power source of claim 12 , wherein the front-end driver circuitry includes one or more AC-AC inverter circuits configured and arranged to invert at least one AC input signal corresponding to the input voltage signal and a first frequency to the at least one AC signal corresponding to a second frequency and to drive the first inductive isolation circuit and the second inductive isolation circuit via the at least one AC signal at the second frequency.
15. The DC power source of claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second inductive isolation circuits includes an air-core transformer having another voltage breakdown rating associated with material between the windings of the air-core transformer and that is greater than the voltage breakdown rating of said at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits.
16. The DC power source of claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits includes a DC-blocking capacitor used in a signal path in one of the first and second circuits, between an output terminal of the inductive isolation circuit and a diode in the rectifier circuit, the DC-blocking capacitor characterized as being limited by the voltage breakdown rating.
17. The DC power source of claim 11 , further including a plurality of circuits, including the first and second circuits, cascaded in an arrangement between voltage rails, and the at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits is respectively situated closet to one of the voltage rails.
18. The DC power source of claim 11 , wherein input terminals of the first and second rectifier circuits are connected in parallel and the output terminals of the pairs of output terminals are connected in series via the output circuitry.