High efficiency, parallel, power conversion system with adaptive dynamic efficiency optimization

Abstract

A system for controlling a plurality of power converters in a power system so as to turn each of the plurality of power converters into an ON state or an OFF state as a function of a sensed input power and a sensed output power such that one or more of the plurality of power converters in the ON state are operating in an optimal power efficiency range.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A system for controlling a plurality of power converters in a power system for supplying power to a load, comprising
 a plurality of switched capacitor type power converters forming an array for converting power between a first power level and a second power level when operating, wherein the plurality of switched capacitor type power converters are arranged in parallel relative to each other and wherein each of the switched capacitor type power converters has a plurality of capacitors for storing power,   an input power line coupled to an input of each of the plurality of power converters on an input side for providing input power at the first power level,   an output power line coupled to an output of each of the plurality of power converters on an output side for providing output power to a the load at the second power level,   a controller coupled to the outputs of the plurality of power converters for controlling a power output of the plurality of power converters,   an input sensing circuit coupled to the input power line and to the controller for sensing the input power on the input power line and transmitting an input power signal to the controller, and   an output sensing circuit coupled to the output power line and to the controller for sensing the output power on the output power line and transmitting an output power signal to the controller,   wherein the controller is configured to control each of the plurality of power converters so as to selectively turn one or more of the plurality of power converters between
 an ON state at a first clock frequency so as to supply power to the load, and 
 an OFF state at a second lower clock frequency where the power converter does not transmit power to the load and remains operative so as to charge the plurality of capacitors associated therewith, 
   wherein the plurality of power converters are controlled as a function of the sensed input power and the sensed output power such that one or more of the plurality of power converters in the ON state are operating in an optimal power efficiency range,   wherein the controller comprises a processor, a look up table, and a memory for storing instructions for controlling the plurality of switched capacitor type power converters such that when received by the processor, instructs the processor to:
 determine the power across one or more of the plurality of power converters, and 
 based on the power of the one or more power converters, accessing the look up table and determining therefrom which of the plurality of power converters the controller places in the ON state and the OFF state, and 
   wherein the look-up table is configured for storing information associated with a plurality of power levels across at least one of the plurality of power converters correlated to a plurality of power converters to be placed in the ON state or the OFF state, wherein the information in the look-up table includes the number of the power converters of the plurality of power converters to be placed in the ON state based on a plurality of different power levels associated with the load while operating the plurality of power converters in the ON state in the optimal power efficiency range.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of switched capacitor type power converters comprises a switched capacitor type DC-DC step-down power converter for converting the power from the first power level to the second power level, where the second power level is lower than the first power level. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of switched capacitor type power converters comprises a DC-DC power converter, a DC-AC power converter, or a AC-DC power converter. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of capacitors are electrically connected in a parallel arrangement, a serial arrangement, a parallel-serial arrangement, or a series-parallel arrangement. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises
 a signal conditioner for conditioning the input power signal and the output power signal and generating a conditioned output power signal representative of the instantaneous input power and output power, and   an AC-DC converter for converting the conditioned output power signal to a DC conditioned output power signal,   wherein the processor is configured for processing the DC conditioned output power signal and for generating based on the stored instructions controller output signals for controlling one or more of the plurality of switched capacitor type power converters so as to turn the plurality of switched capacitor type power converters into the ON state and the OFF state, wherein the input power signal has an input voltage component and an input current component and the output power signal has an output voltage component and an output current component, and   wherein the signal conditioner further includes
 a voltage conditioning unit for buffering the input voltage component and the output voltage component to remove noise therefrom and to scale the input voltage component and the output voltage component to a selected voltage level for use by the controller, and 
 a current conditioning unit for filtering the input current component and the output current component. 
   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the conditioned output power signal has a conditioned output voltage component and a conditioned output current component, and wherein the processor comprises
 a filter unit for averaging the conditioned output voltage component and the conditioned output current component of the conditioned output power signal,   a power determination unit for determining the power across one or more of the plurality of power converters based on an average of the conditioned output voltage component and the conditioned output current component and generating a power determination output signal, and   a hysteresis unit for reducing noise in the power determination output signal and for passing the power determination output signal to the look-up table only when the power changes by more than a hysteresis amount.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller generates one or more output control signals for turning a selected one or more of the plurality of switched capacitor type power converters into the ON state and the OFF state based on the power requirements of the load as correlated to the plurality of switched capacitor type power converters and associated power levels in the look-up table, and based on operating the plurality of switched capacitor type power converters in the ON state in the optimal efficiency range. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the power levels across at least one of the plurality of power converters correspond to the power requirements of the load. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the current conditioning unit comprises a low pass filter for filtering the input and output current components. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising
 a clock selection unit coupled to the controller and to the plurality of power converters for varying a frequency of one or more of the plurality of power converters between the first clock frequency for placing the power converter in the ON state and the second clock frequency for placing the power converter in the OFF state, and   a comparison unit coupled to the controller and to the clock selection unit for receiving the conditioned output power signal and the power determination output signal generated by the power determination unit.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first selected clock frequency for placing the power converter in the ON state is 100 kHz or 200 kHz and the second selected clock frequency for placing the power converter in the OFF state is 50 kHz.