A method of optimizing the number of output stages of a switched mode power supply features a dynamically-updated lookup table (LUT) storing historic output stage configuration data per system operating performance point (OPP). Upon entering an OPP, a margin is added to the historic optimal configuration. During operation at the OPP, the current drawn by the load is periodically monitored, and the number of output stages is dynamically adjusted, as needed (with low pass filtering to ensure stability). When the system exits the OPP, a running average of the optimal number of output stages for the OPP is updated with the actual number of output stages enabled in this iteration of the OPP. A running average of the deviation, or change in number of output stages enabled, is also maintained. The updated values are written to the LUT, for use in setting the initial output stage configuration the next time the same OPP is invoked. This methodology is adaptive and self-learning, and automatically accounts for variations such as temperature, aging, process variation, software changes, and the like.

Provided is a switching power supply unit that includes a pair of input terminals, a pair of output terminals, two transformers, two inverter circuits, a rectifying smoothing circuit, and a driver. The rectifying smoothing circuit includes eight rectifying devices, a first choke coil, a second choke coil, and a capacitance. In the rectifying smoothing circuit, two full-bridge rectifying circuits are provided that each include a first arm and a second arm. The first arm and the second arm each have two of the eight rectifying devices. Secondary windings of the respective two transformers are each coupled to corresponding one of the two full-bridge rectifying circuits to form an H-bridge coupling. Coupling relation of the first arm, the second arm, the first choke coil, the second choke coil, and the capacitance is appropriately defined.

A power converter includes a first and a second transformers having different auxiliary winding voltage levels. A bias voltage supply circuit generates a bias supply voltage of an integrated circuit used to control the power converter, and includes a first and a second bias supply branches jointly coupled to a supply capacitor to provide the bias supply voltage. When the bias supply voltage is higher than a threshold voltage, the first bias supply branch to receive the one with lower level of the two auxiliary winding voltages is switched from a deactivation state to an activation state to provide the bias supply voltage, when the bias supply voltage is less than the threshold voltage, the second bias supply branch to receive the one with larger level of the two auxiliary winding voltages is switched from the deactivation state to the activation state to provide the bias supply voltage.

A power supply device includes a power conversion circuit configured to generate an output voltage from an input voltage, and a controller coupled to the power conversion circuit and configured to control the power conversion circuit to generate the output voltage for causing or enhancing coalescence of a multi-phase liquid mixture when the output voltage is applied to the multi-phase liquid mixture. The controller is configured to control generation of the output voltage in accordance with a synchronization signal. The controller is further configured to generate the synchronization signal and transmit the synchronization signal to another power supply device, or receive the synchronization signal from another power supply device.

A switch-mode DC-DC power converter includes one or more input terminals and output terminals, and a transformer coupled between the input and output terminals. The transformer includes a plurality of winding sets. Each winding set includes a primary winding and a secondary winding magnetically coupled with one another. The primary winding and the secondary winding include the same number of turns. The primary windings of the plurality of winding sets are connected in series and the secondary windings of the plurality of winding sets are connected in parallel. The power converter also includes at least one spacer positioned to separate an adjacent pair of the plurality of winding sets. A magnetic coupling between the adjacent pair of the plurality of winding sets is less than the magnetic coupling between the primary winding and the secondary winding within each winding set.

A flux-corrected switching power converter includes a first transformer, a first switching stage, a controller, and a flux correction current source. The first transformer includes a first magnetic core, a first primary winding, and a first secondary winding, and the first switching stage is electrically coupled to the first secondary winding. The controller is configured to control switching of at least the first switching stage. The flux correction current source is electrically coupled to the first primary winding, and the flux correction current source is configured to inject current into the first primary winding to at least partially cancel magnetic flux in the first magnetic core that is generated by current flowing through the first secondary winding.

A multiphase current-sharing configuration may include at least two power supplies providing respective output-currents in the current-sharing configuration. One or more of the power supplies may itself be a multiphase power supply. A first power supply of the current-sharing configuration may detect a phase difference between an external control signal provided to the first power supply to control the output voltage of the first power supply, and an internal control signal provided by a VCO of the first power supply. The phase difference may be provided to an integrator to cause the internal control signal to track the external control signal when the external control signal is available, and maintain a present operating frequency of the internal control signal in case the external control signal is lost, in which case the internal control signal may be used to uninterruptedly control the output voltage of the first power supply.

A power supply for an LED lighting unit. The power supply comprises two power converters, either of which may provide the power to be drawn by components of the LED lighting unit. In particular, a controller of the power supply controls which power converter converts a mains power supply to a power level for a connected LED lighting unit. The two power converters are designed to be efficient when providing different power levels.

A voltage supply system and a power source that, in a voltage supply system in which a plurality of power sources (e.g., DC-DC converters) are connected in parallel, enable each power source to be set at a desired load ratio. The power source is used in a voltage supply system including a power source configured to output a voltage in a constant voltage mode on the basis of a first target voltage, and is connected in parallel to the constant voltage power source, the power source including a voltage generation unit configured to output a voltage switchably between a constant voltage mode based on a second target voltage greater than the first target voltage and a constant current mode based on a current limit value.

An apparatus for charging a battery for a vehicle, includes a PFC circuit including a rectifier for rectifying an AC power to a DC power, and a link capacitor for smoothing the rectified DC power, a bidirectional DC-DC converter including a first switch for converting the DC power of the PFC circuit to an AC power, a transformer for boosting or reducing a voltage of the AC power converted at the first switch, and a second switch for rectifying an AC power from the transformer to a DC power, and a controller configured to control a phase of a PWM signal applied to the second switch such that the link capacitor is charged by an electrical power from the battery, when a voltage of the link capacitor is below a predetermined voltage prior to entering the battery charging mode.