A power system comprises a converter including an inductor core defining a gap, and a separator spanning the gap and contacting the core. The power system also includes a controller programmed to, responsive to a decrease in current ripple amplitude output by the converter to less than a first threshold, decrease power supplied by the converter. The first threshold is indicative of an inductance change through the core due to a temperature driven decrease in size of the separator.

A voltage conversion apparatus is provided. A leakage inductance energy recovery circuit is coupled to a primary side auxiliary winding and a control circuit, and recovers leakage inductance energy of a transformer circuit to supply an operating power to the control circuit. Before a main switch is turned on the next time, leakage inductance energy recovered previously is used to lower a cross-voltage of the main switch, so that transient loss of conduction of the main switch is eliminated or reduced, and circuit efficiency is improved.

A DC-DC converter providing adaptive peak current control is disclosed. A DC-DC converter includes an inductor having first and second terminals coupled to a voltage source and a transistor, respectively. The DC-DC circuit further includes a control circuit configured to control activation of the transistor. A first control block of the control circuit controls the transistor (and thus the inductor peak current) using pulse frequency modulation (PFM). A second control block controls the transistor using pulse width modulation (PWM) and PFM. In a first mode of operation, the control circuit activates the transistor, using PFM, such that the peak-to-peak current through the inductor has a fixed value. In a second mode of operation, the control circuit activates the transistor such that the peak-to-peak current through the inductor is modulated, using both PWM and PFM.

In a charging control apparatus, a supply power requestor requests an external power source to output supply power having a constant voltage and a constant current. A voltage conversion instructor instructs a voltage conversion device to perform voltage conversion of the supply power from the external power source such that converted supply power has a charging voltage and a charging current that are respectively within allowable charging-voltage range and allowable charging-current range. The voltage conversion instructor instructs the voltage conversion device to output the converted supply power to the power storage to thereby charge the power storage.

A hybrid power converter and a method with low power losses over an extended conversion range are presented. The converter maintains low conversion losses associated with reduced inductor ripples not only for a single conversion ratio, but over a wide range of conversion ratios. The power converter has a ground terminal, an input terminal for receiving an input voltage and an output terminal for providing an output voltage with a target conversion ratio. The power converter has an inductor; a first flying capacitor selectively coupled to the inductor; a second flying capacitor selectively coupled to the inductor; a network of switches; and a driver adapted to operate the converter in a first mode associated with a first range of conversion ratios.

A hybrid power converter and a method with low power losses over an extended conversion range are presented. The converter maintains low conversion losses associated with reduced inductor ripples not only for a single conversion ratio, but over a wide range of conversion ratios. The power converter has a ground terminal, an input terminal for receiving an input voltage and an output terminal for providing an output voltage with a target conversion ratio. The power converter has an inductor; a first flying capacitor selectively coupled to the inductor; a second flying capacitor selectively coupled to the inductor; a network of switches; and a driver adapted to operate the converter in a first mode associated with a first range of conversion ratios.

This power output device is provided with: a field winding; a motor having a plurality of star-connected motor windings composed of three or more phases; a capacitor; an inverter circuit configured to perform power conversion on the power supplied from the capacitor and to supply the converted power to the motor windings; a battery connected to the field winding; and a control unit. The inverter circuit has a plurality of switching element pairs that correspond to the respective motor windings. The capacitor is connected to a positive bus bar and a negative bus bar. The field winding is connected to the positive or negative bus bar and to a neutral point of the motor. The control unit is configured to control the switching element pairs so as to charge the capacitor by boosting the voltage of the battery and to supply a direct current to the field winding.

To provide a power supply apparatus that can boost input voltage from a low-power input source. A power supply apparatus is provided, including: an inductor connected to an input terminal to which input voltage is applied; a first switch connected between a point between the inductor and an output terminal, and a ground terminal; a drive unit operating the first switch using a signal having amplitude corresponding to the input voltage; and a control unit controlling operation of the first switch and/or outputting of output voltage from the output terminal, according to the output voltage output at the output terminal, wherein the control unit has a first hysteresis comparator, for controlling operation of the first switch, detecting the output voltage output at the output terminal, and/or a second hysteresis comparator, for controlling outputting of the output voltage, detecting the output voltage output at the output terminal.

A multi-input charging system and method using a motor driving system can prevent relay fusing or cutting in a motor and damage of a neutral point capacitor provided in a charging power input stage in a process of receiving external charging power through a neutral point of the motor and charging a battery.

ADC-to-DC converter which is configured to provide a main DC supply and an auxiliary DC supply from a single energy source such as a fuel cell. The main supply voltage may be greater than the voltage provided by the energy source, and the auxiliary supply voltage may be less than the voltage provided by the energy source. In some embodiments boost and buck conversion are provided by a single switching bridge, such as an inverter. Such an inverter may comprise three-legs connected between a main output voltage and a reference or ground voltage. Each leg of such an inverter may comprise two switches connected in series. These legs may share a common DC voltage link, for example a common ground and positive rail.