SWITCHING MODE POWER AMPLIFIER WITH LOAD ISOLATION

Abstract

A power amplifier device includes first and second pairs of semiconductor switches, transformers, and a zero-crossing detection circuit for detecting a zero voltage crossing of an analog input signal. The switches of the first pair receive a respective positive and negative component of the input signal. The transformers store energy from the positive and negative components, respectively. Each transformer releases accumulated energy when the respective switch of the first pair turns off The switches of the second pair have opposite switching states and are connected between a respective transformer and a load, e.g., a transducer, speak, or motor. Each switch receives released energy from the respective transformer. A switching state of each switch of the second pair changes in response to a detected zero voltage crossing of the input signal to transfer the released energy to the load. A system includes the device and the load.

Claims

1. A switching mode power amplifier device for delivering power to a load, the switching mode power amplifier device comprising: a first pair of semiconductor switches, including first and second semiconductor switches each configured to receive a respective positive and negative component of a modulated input signal, wherein a switching rate of the first and second semiconductor switches equals or exceeds a carrier frequency of the modulated input signal; first and second transformers respectively connected to the first and second semiconductor switches; a second pair of semiconductor switches, including third and fourth semiconductor switches having opposite switching states, wherein the third and fourth semiconductor switches are electrically connected between a respective one of the first and second transformers and the load, and are operable for receiving released energy from the respective transformer, wherein a switching state of the third and fourth semiconductor switches changes in response to a detected zero voltage crossing of the modulated input signal, and wherein a closed/conducting switching state of the third and fourth semiconductor switches transfers the released energy to the load to thereby isolate the load from a switching function of the first pair of semiconductor switches; and a zero crossing detection circuit in communication with the second pair of switches and operable for detecting the zero voltage crossing of the input signal.

2. The switching mode power amplifier device of claim 1, wherein the load has a power factor not exceeding 0.65.

3. The switching mode power amplifier device of claim 1, wherein the first and second semiconductor switches are metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors and the third and fourth semiconductor switches are insulated gate bipolar transistors.

4. The switching mode power amplifier device of claim 1, wherein the first and second transformers are operable for releasing the accumulated energy only when the respective first or second semiconductor switch is turned off.

5. The switching mode power amplifier device of claim 1, further comprising a modulation circuit configured to generate the modulated input signal from an analog input signal using a ternary modulation technique.

6. The switching mode power amplifier device of claim 5, wherein the ternary modulation technique is pulse width modulation.

7. The switching mode power amplifier device of claim 5, wherein the ternary modulation technique is pulse density modulation.

8. The switching mode power amplifier device of claim 1, further comprising a first diode positioned in series between the first transformer and the third semiconductor switch, and a second diode positioned in series between the second transformer and the fourth semiconductor switch.

9. The switching mode power supply of claim 1, wherein the first and second transformers are uncoupled inductors.

10. The switching mode power supply of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second transformers has concentrically-wound primary and secondary windings.

11. A method for delivering power to a load using a switching mode power amplifier device having first, second, third, and fourth semiconductor switches and first and second transformers, the method comprising: receiving a modulated input signal having separate positive and negative voltage components, wherein the modulated input signal is comprised of an analog input signal and a carrier signal having a carrier frequency; directing the positive and negative voltage components to the first and second semiconductor switches, respectively; switching the first and second semiconductor switches at a rate that equals or exceeds the carrier frequency to thereby deliver energy from the respective first and second transformers to the respective third and fourth semiconductor switches; detecting a zero voltage crossing of the modulated input signal using a zero-crossing detector circuit; and selectively opening one of the third and fourth semiconductor switches and closing the other of the third and fourth semiconductor switches to thereby deliver the released energy to the load in response to detection of the zero voltage crossing, thereby isolating the load from a switching function of the first and second semiconductor switches.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the load is a transducer, an audio speaker, or a motor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the load is the transducer, and the transducer is a sonobuoy transducer.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising accumulating energy from the positive and negative voltage components of the modulated input signal via the first and second transformers, and then releasing the accumulated energy only when the respective first or second semiconductor switch is turned off

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating the modulated input signal via a ternary modulation technique using a modulation circuit.

16. A system comprising: a modulation circuit operable for generating a modulated input signal from a carrier signal and an analog input signal using a ternary modulation technique; a load; and a switching mode power amplifier device configured to deliver power to the load, the switching mode power amplifier device including: a first pair of semiconductor switches, including first and second semiconductor switches each receiving a respective positive and negative component of the modulated input signal, wherein a switching rate of the first and second semiconductor switches equals or exceeds a frequency of the carrier signal; first and second transformers electrically connected to the first and second semiconductor switch, respectively, and operable for accumulating energy from the respective positive and negative voltage components, wherein each of the transformers is operable for releasing the accumulated energy only when the respective first or second semiconductor switch is turned off; a second pair of semiconductor switches, including third and fourth semiconductor switches having opposite switching states, each switch of the second pair being electrically connected between a respective one of the first and second transformers and the load, and each being operable for receiving the released energy from the respective first or second transformer, wherein a switching state of the third and fourth semiconductor switches changes in response to a detected zero voltage crossing of the modulated input signal, and wherein a closed/conducting switching state of the third and fourth semiconductor switches transfers the released energy to the load to thereby isolate the load from a switching function of the first pair of semiconductor switches; and a zero-crossing detection circuit in communication with the second pair of semiconductor switches and operable for detecting the zero voltage crossing.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the load is a transducer, an audio speaker, or a motor.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the load is the transducer, and wherein the transducer is a sonobuoy transducer.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second transformers each have concentrically-wound primary and secondary windings.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the ternary modulation technique includes pulse width modulation or pulse density modulation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of an example embodiment of a switching mode power amplifier as described herein.

[0021] FIG. 1A is a schematic circuit diagram of an alternative embodiment of the switching mode power amplifier shown in FIG. 1.

[0022] FIG. 2 depicts an example modulation pulse train and resultant integrated signal having positive and negative components.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a time plot of an example input signal having zero voltage crossing points used to control switch timing of a portion of the circuit shown in FIG. 1.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic flow chart describing an example method for using the switching mode power amplifier shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like components, a system 50 is depicted that includes a switching mode power amplifier device 10 and an example load 30 represented schematically as a resistor R.sub.L. The power amplifier device 10 is operable for amplifying a received modulated signal, and for ultimately powering the load 30 within the system 50 using energy released from the amplified modulated signal. The system 50 also includes a modulation circuit 16A, 16B operable for receiving an input signal 40, e.g., information encoded as a periodic or other time-varying signal, modulating the received input signal 40 using a carrier signal (arrow C), and outputting separate first and second modulated voltage signals (V.sub.M.sup.+, V.sub.M.sup.) as respective positive and negative voltage components. While shown as separate elements 16A (MOD.sup.+) and 16B (MOD) to indicate separate processing of positive and negative cycles of a waveform defining the input signal 40, the modulation circuit 16A, 16B may be embodied as a single integrated circuit outputting the separate first and second modulated voltage signals (V.sub.M.sup.+, V.sub.M.sup.) via different pins (not shown), as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0026] Within the system 50 of FIG. 1, the power amplifier device 10 includes first and second pairs of solid-state/semiconductor switches, i.e., a first switching pair formed respectively of a first and second semiconductor switch S1 and S2, and a second switching pair formed respectively of a third and fourth solid-state semiconductor switches S3 and S4, as well as a pair of transformers 18 formed from a first and second transformer T1 and T2 and a pair of steering diodes 19 formed from a respective first and second steering diode D1 and D2, all of which are described in further detail below. FIG. 1A depicts alternative transformers 180 in an uncoupled inductor alternative embodiment, with the battery 12 and input signal 40 omitted from FIG. 1A for simplicity. Additionally, all switches S1, S2, S3, and S4 of FIG. 1A are depicted schematically as boxes to indicate that any combination of suitable semiconductor switches may be used, such as the IGBTs and MOSFETs of FIG. 1 or other configurations as set forth herein. A zero-crossing detection (ZCD) circuit 20 in the form of an integrated circuit or other suitable structure is also used as part of the power amplifier device 10, receiving the input signal 40 as an input voltage VIN and providing separate outputs ZC+ and ZC to respective solid-state switches S3 and S4 of the type described below. In some designs, the modulation circuit 16A, 16B may be positioned separately from the power amplifier device 10 without departing from the intended inventive scope.

[0027] With respect to the structure and intended function of each component of the power amplifier device 10 or the larger system 50 within which the power amplifier device 10 is used, a direct current (DC) battery (B) 12 may be embodied as a multi-cell battery of the type known in the art. The battery 12 has a calibrated DC voltage output level, e.g., approximately 120-150 VDC in an application-specific example embodiment in which the load 30 is a high-voltage transducer, e.g., for a sonobuoy or other device. As noted above, the modulation circuit 16A, 16B may be embodied as a single integrated chip or other circuit device although shown as separate elements for illustrative clarity.

[0028] The modulation circuit 16A, 16B is operable for modulating the received input signal 40 using the carrier signal (arrow C), e.g., via application of a periodic triangle wave, a square pulse wave, or other typical periodic or repeating modulation waveform. The terms modulation and modulating as used herein refer to any suitable ternary modulation technique, such as but not limited to pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse density modulation (PDM). The term ternary as used herein means that the modulated signal has only three possible states, i.e., positive, zero, and negative voltage states. The modulation circuit 16A, 16B of FIG. 1 outputs the separate first and second modulated voltage signals (V.sub.M.sup., V.sub.M.sup.+), with a zero voltage crossing between the first and second modulated voltage signals (V.sub.M.sup.+, V.sub.M.sup.) being automatically detected via operation of the zero-crossing detection circuit 20 and used in timing of the power switching control of the second pair of semiconductor switches S3 and S4 as explained below.

[0029] Referring briefly to FIG. 2, ternary modulation used herein can be described via the example use of center-sampled modulation pulses 25 shown as progressively wider modulation pulses numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4. A waveform 35 demarcated by the same pulse numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 depicts an integrated voltage (V) delivered over time (t) by the successive modulation pulses 25, and also depicts the ternary aspect of modulation noted above, i.e., with separate positive (+), negative (), and zero (0) voltage levels. The modulation circuit 16A, 16B of FIG. 1 separates the positive (+) and negative () components, which respectively correspond to the first and second modulated voltage signals (V.sub.M.sup.+, V.sub.M.sup.) described above. The modulated voltage signal (V.sub.M.sup.+) is then delivered to the primary windings of the first transformer T1 of FIG. 1 while the first semiconductor switch S1 is on/conducting. Similarly, the modulated voltage signal (V.sub.M.sup.) is delivered to the primary windings of the second transformer T2 of FIG. 1 when the second semiconductor switch S2 is on/conducting.

[0030] The term transformer as used herein with reference to the example first and second transformers T1 and T2 refers to a set of primary and secondary inductor windings, whether configured as an optional coupled inductor as shown in FIG. 1 or as a forward converter, or as an uncoupled inductor as shown in FIG. 1A. As is known in the art, coupled inductors such as flyback converters store electrical energy from a power source in a primary winding whenever a semiconductor switch supplying power to the coupled inductor is turned on/conducting, but does not transfer stored energy to a secondary winding until the same switch is turned off. In a forward converter as typically used in a distributed power architecture, energy is transferred from the primary to the secondary winding while the switch supplying the primary winding is on/conducting. Of the various types of transformers in use, coupled inductors are specifically designed and intended to store energy, and therefore may provide certain performance advantages when used within the system 50 depicted in FIG. 1. However, coupled inductors are just one possible way to implement the disclosure.

[0031] In one of the possible embodiments, energy can be stored via the transformers T1 and T2 only when electrical current flows in the primary windings of the transformers T1 and T2. With power defined as energy delivered per unit time, power delivered to the load 30 is thus dependent on the rapid transfer of energy through the power amplifier device 10. In other words, if electrical current can be pushed more quickly through the primary windings of the transformers T1 and T2 of FIG. 1, more energy is ultimately produced as a function of energy (E), inductance (L), and electrical current (i), with this function represented mathematically as E=1/2Li.sup.2.

[0032] As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the equation noted above is a solution to an integral, and thus establishes that an inductor acts an integrator of current. The integration time is much longer than the transition time of a semiconductor switch. That is, voltage across an inductor is expressed as

[00001]$V=L.Math.\frac{i}{t}.$

The increase of energy over time is expressed as dE (joules)=Lidi. Thus, the energy stored in an inductor is expressed as

[00002]$E=E=L.Math.\stackrel{i}{\underset{0}{}}.Math.i.Math.i=\frac{1}{2}.Math.{\mathrm{LI}}^2,$

with the time associated with overall switching function being a function of inductor switching. This in turn illustrates the linearity benefit of the present approach, as the ratio of the semiconductor transition time to the inductor current integration time is a very small number, and therefore contributes very little to distortion. In addition, at low power, in a PWM system small pulse widths are needed, with wider pulse widths needed at high power. This means that static losses accumulate only as a function of power storage. The fact the load is isolated during this interval means that the only load during the charge interval is the inductor current.

[0033] The power amplifier device 10 of FIG. 1 is thus scalable to larger or smaller loads 30, with isolation of the load 30 provided in two different manners: via switching isolation due to the control of the second set of switches S3 and S4 only at the zero-crossing of the input signal 40, and via low levels of leakage inductance provided by the transformers T1 and T2.

[0034] Referring again to FIG. 1, the switches S1 and S2 respectively receive the corresponding voltage signals V.sub.M.sup.+ and V.sub.M.sup., and then transfer the voltage signals V.sub.M.sup.+ and V.sub.M.sup. to the respective first and second transformers T1 and T2. The semiconductor switches S3 and S4 are electrically connected to an output side of the first and second transformers T1 and T2, respectively, and thus are powered by the transformers T1 and T2 according to a particular switching control sequence as set forth below with reference to FIG. 4. The diode D1 in this embodiment is serially connected, i.e., connected in electrical series, between the first transformer T1 and the third semiconductor switch S3, while the diode D2 is serially connected between transformer T2 and the fourth semiconductor switch S4.

[0035] In the example embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the first pair of semiconductor switches S1, S2 may be optionally embodied in a non-limiting application as metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) of the type known in the art, with the second pair of semiconductor switches S3, S4 may be optionally embodied as insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). As is known in the art, IGBTs have designated gate (G), emitter (E), and collector (C), each of which is labeled as such in FIG. 1. However, other solid-state switch configurations may be used depending on the intended application, including using only MOSFETs, only IGBTs, or using other gate-controlled solid-state switches. For instance, high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) using gallium nitride (GaN) or other suitable materials may be used in lieu of MOSFETS and IGBTs. In general, the switching rate and thus the design of the first pair of semiconductor switches S1, S2 depends on the modulation encoding scheme used by the modulation circuit 16A, 16B.

[0036] As a design consideration, within the scope of the present disclosure the first pair of semiconductor switches S1, S2 has a high switching speed requirement in that the first pair of semiconductor switches S1, S2 must always switch at the or above the frequency of the carrier (C), i.e., the carrier frequency. By contrast, the switches of the second pair of semiconductor switches S3, S4 change their respective switching states at a substantially slower rate than that of the first pair of semiconductor switches S1, S2, i.e., switching only at the zero-crossing rate of the input signal 40, with the carrier frequency expected herein to be substantially higher than the zero-crossing rate.

[0037] To illustrate the latter point, FIG. 3 depicts the input signal 40 as a time-varying signal, i.e., having a voltage magnitude V, that changes over time (t). The input signal 40 has positive (+) and negative () components as shown. The input signal 40 crosses through zero volts whenever the input signal 40 changes its sign, with each zero-crossing demarcated in FIG. 3 by a corresponding zero-crossing point 42. The zero-crossing detection circuit 20 of FIG. 1, for instance an operational amplifier or other suitable comparator circuit or other integrated circuit, detects each zero-crossing point 42 and, in response to such detection, activates a designated one of the third or fourth semiconductor switches S3 or S4 and simultaneously deactivates the other semiconductor switch S3 or S4 in the same pair, with the identity of the activated switch changing with the detection of each successive zero-crossing point 42.

[0038] That is, when the third semiconductor switch S3 of FIG. 1 is actively conducting, the fourth semiconductor switch S4 is not conducting, and vice versa. In this manner, the switching function of the first pair of semiconductor switches S1, S2 is temporally separated from any downstream switching used to deliver stored energy from the transformers T1 or T2 to the load 30, i.e., the switching function in the switching mode power amplifier device 10 is isolated from its load function via targeted low-frequency/zero-crossing control of the second pair of semiconductor switches S3, S4 and diodes D1, D2.

[0039] As part of the power amplifier device 10, the steering diodes D1 and D2 direct the energy released by the transformers T1, T2 to the second pair of switches S3, S4. The diodes D1, D2 are thus an important part of the load isolation functionality enabled by the present disclosure, and for that reason should be constructed from materials of sufficiently high-speed and high-energy density, such as silicon carbide, gallium nitride, or other high-mobility semiconductor materials. With respect to the transformers T1 and T2 of FIG. 1, these devices may be embodied as suitable energy storage devices, such as those having a linear output as a function of pulse density or pulse width. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, energy is stored in the primary winding of each of the transformers T1 and T2 when the corresponding semiconductor switch S1 or S2 is on/conducting, and is transferred to the secondary winding only when the corresponding semiconductor switch S1 or S2 is turned off, i.e., is not conducting.

[0040] The transformers T1, T2 should be constructed in such a manner as to provide high-quality inductive coupling between the primary and secondary windings and thereby provide low levels of leakage inductance. As used herein, low leakage inductance refers to levels of less than about 1/80.sup.th to 1/100.sup.th of a primary inductance of the primary windings. In another optional embodiment, the primary and secondary windings of each of the transformers T1 and T2 may be concentrically wound, i.e., the primary winding of the first transformer T1 is wound concentrically with the secondary winding of the second transformer T1, with the same arrangement in the second transformer T2. Additionally, the transformers T1 and T2 are electrically connected in reverse polarity with respect to each other.

[0041] The identity of the load 30 shown schematically in FIG. 1 may vary with the particular application. In general, in order to benefit fully from the present disclosure, the load 30 may be a high impedance reactive load having a power factor not exceeding 0.65 for high-power applications. Example embodiments of the load 30 may include a transducer, an antenna, an audio speaker, or an electric motor. In a particular embodiment, the load 30 may be a sonobuoy transducer used as part of a sonobuoy assembly, for instance to deploy or actuate directional hydrophones or other aquatic acoustic sensors and/or signal transmitters, without in any way limiting applications to such a field of art.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 4, an example embodiment of the method 100 begins with step S102, which may be executed offboard with respect to the remaining steps of the method 100. At step S102, the input signal 40 of FIG. 1 is modulated. The input signal 40 may be transmitted from a remote location such as a transmission tower or antenna and communicated to the modulation circuit 16A, 16B as is well known in the art. The modulation circuit 16A, 16B itself may be separate from the switching mode power amplifier device 10. Step S102 may entail modulating the input signal 40 via a carrier signal (arrow C) using ternary PWM, ternary PDM, or other conventional ternary modulation techniques, doing so via operation of the modulation circuit 16A, 16B of FIG. 1. The method 100 proceeds to step S104 once the input signal 40 has been modulated.

[0043] At step S104, the modulated signal that is output by the modulation circuit 16A, 16B is separated into its positive and negative voltage components (V.sub.M.sup.+, V.sub.M.sup.) as shown in FIG. 2. In practice, the modulation circuit 16A, 16B may be designed to output separate positive and negative voltage components (V.sub.M.sup.+, V.sub.M.sup.) as opposed to separating a modulated signal into the different components. The positive voltage component (V.sub.M.sup.+) is then electrically conducted or transmitted to the gate (G) of the first semiconductor switch S1 shown in FIG. 1. Likewise, the negative voltage component (V.sub.M.sup.) is delivered to the gate (G) of the second semiconductor switch S2. The method 100 then proceeds to step S106.

[0044] Step S106 entails switching the first set of semiconductor switches S1, S2 at a rate that is equal to or greater than the carrier frequency (f.sub.C). For example, if the carrier frequency is 30-40 kHz, the switching frequency of the first pair of semiconductor switches S1, S2 may be at least 30-40 kHz, or approximately 350-400 kHz or about 10 times the carrier frequency in other embodiments. Only when the first or second semiconductor switch S1 or S2 is commanded to an on/conducting state will energy be stored in the primary windings of the transformers T1 or T2, respectively. The method 100 then proceeds to step S108.

[0045] Step S108 entails detecting a zero voltage crossing of the input signal 40 via the zero-crossing detector 20 of FIG. 1, with example zero-crossing points 42 depicted in FIG. 3. Step S108 may include using an operational amplifier or other suitable comparator circuit to detect the zero voltage crossing. The method 100 proceeds to step S110 when a zero voltage crossing is not detected, and to step S112 when a zero voltage crossing is detected.

[0046] At step S110, the present switching state of the second pair of semiconductor switches S3, S4 is maintained, i.e., not changed. For instance, if the third semiconductor switch S3 is on/conducting and the fourth semiconductor switch S4 is off/not conducting, then switch S3 remains on and switch S4 remains off. The method 100 proceeds to step S114.

[0047] Step S112 includes changing the switching state of the semiconductor switches S3, S4 from a state that existed just prior to the detection of a zero voltage crossing at step S110. For example, if the third semiconductor switch S3 was on/conducting and the fourth semiconductor switch S4 was off/not conducting, the detection of a zero voltage crossing at step S108 results in the third semiconductor switch S3 turning off and the fourth semiconductor switch S4 turning on, for instance via a change of voltage delivered to the gates (G) shown in FIG. 1. The method 100 then proceeds to step S114.

[0048] At step S114, electrical power or energy is delivered to the load 30 through the on/conducting semiconductor switch S3 or S4, whichever of the two is in a conducting state.

[0049] As set forth above, the power amplifier device 10 provides for signal conversion and amplification via the use of the transformers T1, T2 and targeted low-frequency switching control of the second pair of semiconductor switches S3, S4 downstream of the transformers T1, T2. This occurs only at detected zero voltage crossing points of an input signal, such as the zero voltage crossing points 42 and input signal 40 of FIG. 3, to allow the load 30 and its associated impedance to be isolated from the high-speed switching function of the first pair of semiconductor switches S1, S2. As a result, the first pair of semiconductor switches S1, S2 is able to work more efficiently than would ordinarily occur in existing designs, with gains of 30% in efficiency or more being possible relative to the typical efficiency levels available via the conventional art. Also, the power amplifier device 10 allows for a fully scalable power output, with the high-efficiency control technique of the method 100 minimizing internal dissipation of heat within the power amplifier device 10. Such benefits may be desirable in many applications, including but not limited to transducer systems of the type used for coupling acoustic pulse energy into water, e.g., sonobuoy applications, audio applications in which modulated waves are transmitted to an antenna for playback via a set of speakers, and the like.

[0050] The detailed description and drawings are supportive and descriptive of the disclosure, but the scope of the invention is defined solely by the claims. While some of the best modes and other embodiments for carrying out the disclosure have been described in detail, various alternative designs and embodiments exist for practicing the disclosure as defined in the appended claims.