Operating a DC-DC converter including a coupled inductor formed of a magnetic core and a conductive sheet

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The field of the invention is power conversion, or, more specifically, methods operating a DC-DC converter and coupled inductors for use in a DC-DC converter.

2. Description of Related Art

Computer system technology is continually advancing. Data centers, for example, now include hundreds or thousands of servers. Given the number of servers in a data center, decreasing the physical size or ‘footprint’ of the servers is a top priority for server system and server component designers. One area of focus, for example, is in reducing the size of Direct Current (‘DC’)-DC converters that distribute DC power amongst components of servers and the like.

In current art, reducing the size of such DC-DC converters is limited, at least in part, by the need for a plurality of output inductors and a filter capacitor. Some DC-DC converters of the prior art have implemented designs to somewhat reduce the physical footprint of the inductors and the capacitor by utilizing a single magnetic core for multiple inductors—an implementation of an indirectly coupled inductor. FIG. 1, for example, sets forth a prior art DC-DC converter that includes an indirectly coupled inductor.

The example DC-DC converter (100) of FIG. 1 includes two power-switching phases (132, 134). Each phase includes two switches: a high-side switch (102, 106), and a low-side switch (104, 108). Each high-side switch (102, 106) includes a control input (110, 114) to activate the switch. Upon activation, each high-side switch (102, 106) couples a voltage source (V_IN) to an indirectly coupled inductor (118). Each low-side switch (104, 108) also includes a control input (112, 116) to activate the switch. Upon activation, each low-side switch (104, 108) couples one coil of indirectly coupled inductor (118) to a ground voltage.

Coupled inductors come in two forms: indirectly coupled and directly coupled. The dots depicted in the example of FIG. 1 indicate the coupled inductor (118) is an indirectly coupled inductor. The dot convention specifies the flow of current in a coupled inductor as: when current flows ‘into’ one dot, current is induced in the alternate coil of the coupled inductor and flows ‘out of’ the other dot. Thus, in an indirectly coupled inductor, current generally flows in the same direction in both coils of the coupled inductor.

The example prior art DC-DC converter (100) of FIG. 1 also includes an output capacitor (120) that operates as a filter and a load, represented by a resistor (122).

FIG. 2 sets forth an example timing diagram (130) of activating the switches (102, 112, 106, 116) of the prior art DC-DC converter (100) of FIG. 1. In the example timing diagram of FIG. 2, switch (102) is activated between time T₀ and T₁, then deactivated from T₁ through T₃. Switch (112) is not activated from time T₀ and T₁, but is activated at time T₁ through T₃. Switch (114) is only activated between time T₂ to T₃. Switch (116) is activated from time T₀ to T₂ and activated again at time T₃.

The timing diagram (130) in the example of FIG. 2 specifies that activation of the high-side switch and low-side switch in a single phase of the prior art DC-DC converter (100) of FIG. 1 is asynchronous. Further, during any one given time period, two of the switches are activated at the same time. Although the indirectly coupled inductor in the example prior art DC-DC converter (100) of FIG. 1 represents a reduction in size relative to two, discrete inductors, operating the indirectly coupled prior art DC-DC converter (100) in accordance with the timing diagram of FIG. 2 limits any further inductor and capacitance reduction due to many factors, including for example: efficiency, current ripple, and so on.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Coupled inductors, DC-DC converters, and methods of operating such DC-DC converter are described in this specification. The DC-DC converter includes a plurality a power-switching phases. Each phase includes a high-side switch and a low-side switch, where the high-side switch is electrically coupled to the low-side switch at a connection node of the power-switching phase. The high-side switch of each power-switching phase is configured, when activated, to couple a voltage source to the phase's single loop coil and the low-side switch of each phase is configured, when activated, to couple the phase's single loop coil to a ground voltage. The DC-DC converter also includes a coupled inductor. The coupled inductor includes a magnetic core having a front, back, and bottom side, the bottom side including an air gap. The magnetic core is formed to define a slot extending through the magnetic core from the front to the back side. The coupled inductor also includes a conductive sheet formed of a comb structure having a tab and a plurality of parallel teeth extending from the tab. The conductive sheet is inserted into the slot of the magnetic core such that the conductive sheet extends through the magnetic core from the back to the front side. A portion of the tab protrudes from the back side and a portion of each of the plurality of teeth protrudes from the front side of the magnetic core. Each of the teeth is configured to be coupled to a connection node of a power-switching phase. The tab extending through the magnetic core forms, for each power-switching phase, a toroidal inductor with a single loop coil, and forms, for the plurality of power-switching phases, a directly coupled inductor. The tab is also electrically coupled to a filter and a load and each switch is alternatively activated and no two switches of any phase are activated at the same time.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generally represent like parts of exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 sets forth a prior art DC-DC converter that includes an indirectly coupled inductor.

FIG. 2 sets forth an example timing diagram of activating the switches of the prior art DC-DC converter of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 sets forth sets forth an identity switching DC-DC converter that includes a directly coupled inductor, operated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 sets forth an example timing diagram of activating switches of the identity switching DC-DC converter of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 depicts an identity switching DC-DC converter operated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention that includes a plurality of power-switching phases.

FIG. 6 sets forth a birds eye diagram of an example conductive sheet of a coupled inductor for use in a DC-DC converter operated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 sets forth a line cross sectional diagram of an example magnetic core for use in DC-DC converters operated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 depicts a perspective view of the front side of an example coupled inductor for use in DC-DC converters operated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of the back of the example coupled inductor of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 depicts a perspective view of the bottom of the example coupled inductor of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 sets forth a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for operating a DC-DC converter according to embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary methods and apparatus for operating a DC-DC converter in accordance with embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, beginning with FIG. 3. FIG. 3 sets forth sets forth an identity switching DC-DC converter that includes a directly coupled inductor, operated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

The example identity switching DC-DC converter (200) of FIG. 3 includes a directly coupled inductor (218) that includes a first coil element and a second coil element. The first coil element and second coil element are coupled to an output filter—the capacitor (220)—and a load represented by a resistor (222). Unlike the prior art indirectly coupled inductor (118) of FIG. 1, in the directly coupled inductor (218) in the example of FIG. 3, current generally flows in the opposite direction in the coils of the coupled inductor. That is, when current enters one dot, current is induced to exit the other dot.

The example identity switching DC-DC converter (200) of FIG. 3 also includes two power-switching phases (232, 234). A first power-switching phase (232) includes a high-side switch (202) and a low-side switch (204). The high-side switch (202) is configured, when activated by a control input (210), to couple a voltage source (V_IN) to the first coil element of the directly coupled inductor (218). The low-side switch (204) is configured, when activated by a control input (212), to couple the first coil element to a ground voltage.

The second power-switching phase (234) of the example identity switching DC-DC converter (200) of FIG. 3 includes a high-side switch (206) and a low-side switch (208). The high-side switch (206) of the second power-switching phase (234) is configured, when activated by a control input (214), to couple the voltage source (V_IN) to the second coil element of the directly coupled inductor (218). The low-side switch (208) of the second power-switching phase (234) is configured, when activated by a control input (216), to couple the second coil element to the ground voltage.

As will occur to readers of skill in the art, each of the switches (202, 204, 206, 208) in the example of FIG. 3 may be implemented as a Field Effect Transistor (‘FET’) or the like.

The identity switching DC-DC converter (200) of FIG. 3 is operated by alternatively activating each switch, where no two switches are activated at the same time. For further explanation, FIG. 4 sets forth an example timing diagram of activating switches of the identity switching DC-DC converter of FIG. 3.

The DC-DC converter of FIG. 3 is described as an ‘identity switching’ converter due to the pattern of activating switches when viewed in a matrix or table. The example table below describes the timing of the switch activations as seen in the example timing diagram of FIG. 4:

In the example Table 1 above, it can be seen that the control input and associated switches are alternatively activated (represented by a ‘1’ in the table) in a manner that forms an identity of the table. Further, no two switches are activated at the same time. As depicted in Table 1 and the example timing diagram (230) of FIG. 4: from time T₀-T₁, only the high-side switch (202) of the first power-switching phase (232) is activated; from time T₁-T₂, only the low-side switch (204) of the first power-switching phase (232) is activated; from time T₂-T₃, only the high-side switch (206) of the second power-switching phase (234) is activated; and from time T₃-T₄, only the low-side switch (208) of the second power-switching phase (234) is activated.

In this way, each phase is utilized at a 180 degree offset and each high-side switch for a period of time according to:

D N ,
where D represents a duty cycle and N represents the number of power-switching phases. Each low-side switch is therefore activated for a period of time according to:

( 1 - D ) N .

In this way, the number of phases is inversely proportional to the duty cycle of activating the switches—that is, the ‘effective’ duty cycle—and thereby is inversely proportional to the inductance of the directly coupled inductor. Increasing the number of phases, therefore, decreases the inductance.

And the transfer function of the identity switching DC-DC converter (200) of FIG. 3, when operated in accordance with the identity switching scheme in Table 1 and the timing diagram (230) of FIG. 4 is:

V OUT V IN = D N

Operating the example identity switching DC-DC converter (200) of FIG. 3 in accordance with the identity switching scheme in Table 1 and the timing diagram of FIG. 4 enables energy to be stored between deactivating the low-side switch (212) of the first power-switching phase (232) and activation of the high-side switch of the second power-switching phase (234), thus increasing overall system efficiency and reducing current ripple. That is, current ripple experienced by the magnetic core of the directly coupled inductor (218) and the output capacitor (220) is reduced, relative to circuits of the prior art, due in part to the effective reduced duty cycle of the switch activations. The current ripple experienced by the output filter capacitor (220) and the load (222) may be calculated as:

1 f ⋆ L OL ⋆ ( 1 - V OUT V IN ) ⋆ V OUT N ,
where f represents the frequency of alternatively activating each switch, L_OL represents the open loop inductance of the directly coupled inductor, N represents the number of power-switching phases, V_IN represents the voltage of the voltage source and V_OUT represents the voltage experienced at the filter and load.

FIGS. 3 and 4 generally depict an identity switching DC-DC converter configured with two phases and operation thereof, but readers of skill in the art will recognize that an identity switching DC-DC converter operated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may have any number of phases. For further explanation, therefore, FIG. 5 depicts an identity switching DC-DC converter (300) operated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention that includes a plurality of power-switching phases. The example DC-DC converter (300) of FIG. 5 includes four power-switching phases:

• • a first power-switching phase that includes a high-side switch (302) and a low-side switch (304);
  • a second power-switching phase that includes a high-side switch (306) and a low-side switch (308);
  • a third power-switching phase that includes a high-side switch (310) and a low-side switch (312); and
  • a fourth power-switching phase that includes a high-side switch (314) and a low-side switch (316).

Each high-side switch (302, 306, 310, 314) includes a control input (326, 330, 334, 338) for activating the switch. Each low-side switch (304, 308, 312, 316) includes a control input (328, 332, 336, 340) for activating the switch. Each pair of phases is connected to a directly coupled inductor (350, 352), an output filter capacitor (356), and a load (358).

The switches in the example identity switching DC-DC converter (300) of FIG. 5 are alternatively activated and no two switches are activated concurrently. The following table sets forth the timing of switch activations in the example DC_DC converter (300) of FIG. 5:

In the example Table 2 above, no two switches are activated concurrently. The second power-switching phase operates an offset of 180 degrees from the first power-switching phase. The fourth power-switching phase operates at an offset of 180 degrees from the third power-switching phase.

Also in the example of FIG. 5, the mutually coupled inductors are implemented as a single magnetic core (514) having a front, back, and bottom side (not shown). The bottom side includes an air gap. The magnetic core is formed to define a slot extending through the magnetic core (514) from the front to the back side. The mutually coupled inductor also includes a conductive sheet. The conductive sheet is formed in a comb structure having a tab (516) and a plurality of parallel teeth (512) extending from the tab. The conductive sheet in the example of FIG. 5 has been inserted into the slot of the magnetic core (514) such that the conductive sheet extends through the magnetic core from the back to the front side, a portion of the tab protrudes from the back side, and a portion of each of teeth protrudes from the front side. In the example of FIG. 5, each of the teeth (512) is coupled to a connection node (502, 504, 506, 508) of a power-switching phase.

For further explanation, FIG. 6 sets forth a birds eye diagram of an example conductive sheet of a coupled inductor for use in a DC-DC converter operated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The example conductive sheet (602) of FIG. 6 may be formed of a variety of materials such as, for example, aluminum sheet metal.

In the example of FIG. 6 the conductive sheet is a comb structure having a tab (604) and a plurality of parallel teeth (606). The tab forms the upper portion of the conductive sheet (602) in the example of FIG. 6 and the teeth form the lower portion of the conductive sheet as depicted in the example of FIG. 6.

Each of the plurality of parallel teeth (606) extends from the tab (604). The teeth may be formed through etching or other machining of the conductive sheet such that adjacent teeth have a predefined amount of space between them. The conductive sheet in the example of FIG. 6 may be configured for insertion into a slot formed by the magnetic core according to embodiments of the present invention.

To that end, FIG. 7 sets forth a line cross sectional diagram of an example magnetic core (702) for use in DC-DC converters operated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. A magnetic core is a piece of magnetic material with a high permeability used to confine and guide magnetic fields in electrical, electromechanical, and magnetic devices such as electromagnets, transformers, electric motors, generators, inductors, magnetic recording heads, and magnetic assemblies. Such a magnetic core may be made of a ferromagnetic metal such as iron, or ferromagnetic compounds such as ferrites. The high permeability, relative to the surrounding area, causes the magnetic field lines to be concentrated in the core material. The use of a magnetic core may enormously concentrate the strength and increase the effect of magnetic fields produced by electric currents and permanent magnets. The properties of such a device may depend on the following factors:

• • the geometry of the magnetic core;
  • the amount of air gap in the magnetic circuit;
  • the properties of the core material (especially permeability and hysteresis)1
  • the operating temperature of the core' and
  • whether the core is laminated to reduce eddy currents.

The magnetic core (702) in the example of FIG. 7 has a front, back and bottom side. The view depicted in the example of FIG. 7 may represent either the front or back side. The bottom side of the example magnetic core of FIG. 7 includes an air gap (706). The open loop response of the magnetic core (702) of FIG. 7 is determined by the width of the air gap.

The example magnetic core (702) of FIG. 7 is formed to define a slot (702) extending through the magnetic core from the front to the back side. The slot is configured to accept insertion of a conductive sheet formed of a comb structure with a tab and a plurality of parallel teeth extending from the tab similar to the example conductive sheet of FIG. 6.

For further explanation, FIG. 8 depicts a perspective view of the front side of an example coupled inductor for use in DC-DC converters operated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of the back of the example coupled inductor, and FIG. 10 depicts a perspective view of the bottom of the example coupled inductor. The coupled inductor (802) in the example of FIGS. 8-10 includes a magnetic core (806) similar to the magnetic core in the example of FIG. 7. The magnetic core of the example of FIGS. 8-10 includes a front (808) side, back side (908), and a bottom side (1008). The bottom side (1008) includes an air gap (1004). The magnetic core (806) of FIGS. 8-10 is formed to define a slot (view blocked by conductive sheet described below) extending through the magnetic core (806) from the front (808) to the back side (908).

The example coupled inductor (802) of FIGS. 8-10 also includes a conductive sheet that includes a comb structure having a tab (904) and a plurality of parallel teeth (804) extending from the tab. In the example of FIGS. 8-10, the conductive sheet has been inserted into and through the slot defined by the forming of the magnetic core (806) such that the conductive sheet extends through the magnetic core from the back (908) to the front side (808) of the magnetic core (806). A portion of the tab (904) protrudes from the back side (908) and a portion of each of the plurality of teeth (804) protrudes from the front side (808) of the magnetic core. Each of the teeth is configured to be coupled to a connection node of a power-switching phase.

The tab (904) includes an end portion that, as seen in FIG. 10 may be bent around the back side (908) of the magnetic core (806) and under a portion of the bottom side (904) of the magnetic core. In a similar manner, each of the plurality of teeth (804) may include an end portion that is bent around the front side (808) and under a portion of the bottom side (1008) of the magnetic core. The end portions of the teeth (804) and the tab (904), once bent under the bottom side (1008) of the magnetic core (806) provide an efficient means of soldering the coupled inductor to a printed circuit board or other structure.

For further explanation, FIG. 11 sets forth a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for operating a DC-DC converter according to embodiments of the present invention. In the method of FIG. 11, the DC-DC converter may be similar to the DC-DC converters described above, including a plurality a power-switching phases, with each phase including a high-side switch and a low-side switch. The high-side switch may be electrically coupled to the low-side switch at a connection node of the power-switching phase. The high-side switch of each power-switching phase may be configured, when activated, to couple a voltage source to the phase's single loop coil. Each low-side switch of each phase is configured, when activated, to couple the phase's single loop coil to a ground voltage.

The DC-DC converter may also include a coupled inductor that includes a magnetic core having a front, back, and bottom side. The bottom side may include an air gap. The magnetic core may also be formed to define a slot extending through the magnetic core from the front to the back side.

The DC-DC converter may also include a conductive sheet formed of a comb structure having a tab and a plurality of parallel teeth extending from the tab. The conductive sheet may be inserted into the slot such that the conductive sheet extends through the magnetic core from the back to the front side, a portion of the tab protruding from the back side and a portion of each of the plurality of teeth protruding from the front side. Each of the teeth may be configured to be coupled to a connection node of a power-switching phase. The tab extending through the magnetic core forms, for each power-switching phase, a toroidal inductor with a single loop coil, and forms, for the plurality of power-switching phases, a directly coupled inductor. The tab may also be electrically coupled to a filter and a load.

With such a DC-DC converter, the method of FIG. 11 includes

alternatively activating (1102) each switch, where no two switches of any phase are activated at the same time. In the method of FIG. 11 alternatively activating (1102) each switch is carried out by activating (1104) the high-side switch of a first power-switching phase, including coupling the voltage source to the phase's single loop coil, energizing the magnetic material around the single loop coil, and providing, via the single loop coil, output current to the filter and load; activating (1104) the low-side switch of the first power-switching phase, including coupling the phase's single loop coil to the ground voltage and providing, via a second power-switching phase's single loop coil and the energized magnetic material, output current to the filter and load; activating (1106) the high-side switch of the second power-switching phase, including coupling the voltage source to the second power-switching phase's single loop coil, re-energizing the magnetic material around the first power-switching phase's single coil element, and providing, via the second power-switching phase's single coil element, output current to the filter and load; and activating (1108) the low-side switch of the second power-switching phase, including coupling the second power-switching phase's single loop coil to the ground voltage and providing, via the first power-switching phase's single loop coil and the energized magnetic material, output current to the filter and load.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that modifications and changes may be made in various embodiments of the present invention without departing from its true spirit. The descriptions in this specification are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the language of the following claims.