A method for discontinuous conduction mode operation of a multi-phase DC-to-DC converter includes (a) forward biasing a first inductor being magnetically coupled to a second inductor, (b) reverse biasing the first inductor after forward biasing the first inductor, (c) while reverse biasing the first inductor and before magnitude of current through the first inductor falls to zero, forward biasing the second inductor.

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 charging control method for an electric vehicle is configured to boost a charging voltage by using a motor and an inverter, and includes steps of determining whether a current imbalance control is normally operated based on currents input from the motor to three-phase inputs of the inverter during charging, determining whether a current sensor is deteriorated based on a result of an internal temperature sensing of the inverter when the current imbalance control is in a normal operation, and adjusting a scale of the current sensor to maintain the charging, when a deterioration of the current sensor is detected, as a result of the determination.

An apparatus includes a voltage converter to convert an input voltage to an output voltage. The voltage converter includes an inductor. The voltage converter further includes a controller to control a current flowing through the inductor using a peak inductor-current derived from the input voltage of the voltage converter.

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 power factor correction device for an AC voltage supply system includes a transformer which is interconnected, on the secondary side, to form a star point circuit and which has a secondary-side connection for each phase. A module series circuit with at least two switching modules, which are connected in series and each of which has at least four switches and a capacitor, is respectively connected between each of the secondary-side connections of the transformer and the star point of the star circuit. There is provided a transformer which is a high-leakage-reactance transformer.

A current fed active clamp forward boost (CAFB) converter can include a primary coil coupled to an input voltage and a main switch, an input choke serially coupled with the primary coil, and a clamp switch coupled to the primary coil, input choke, and a clamp capacitor. The main switch may operate to regulate an output voltage of the converter. The clamp switch may operate alternately with respect to the main switch, and the auxiliary switch may selectively couple a DC bus voltage to the primary coil. The converter can be operated in a CAFB mode if the input voltage is greater than the boost voltage threshold or in a current fed active clamp forward (CAF) mode if the input voltage is not greater than the boost voltage threshold.

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.

Methods for operation of a phase-shifted full-bridge topology power converter in a true soft-switching mode, regardless of the value of the leakage inductance of the converter. To achieve this, a process of discharge of the parasitic capacitances across the switching elements from a part of the resonant leg starts after the entire, total energy in the leakage inductance is used, and the voltage across the primary switching elements reaches the specific lower level.

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.