JP4193606B2 - DC / DC converter - Google Patents

Description

つまり、（１）式は、主スイッチング素子２０のターンオフ時までに、還流用スイッチング素子３３のソフトスイッチングに必要なエネルギーを共振用リアクトル４１に蓄えるために必要な時間ｔ３を求めるものである。同様に（２）式は、還流用スイッチング素子３３のターンオフ時までに、主スイッチング素子２０のソフトスイッチングに必要なエネルギーを共振用リアクトル４１に蓄えるために必要な時間ｔ５を求めるものである。
【００５３】
なお、ここでは、ＰＷＭ制御値設定処理とソフトスイッチング制御値設定処理とを、別々の処理として行っているが、これらを一つの処理として行ってもよい。また、一方の処理の起動周期が短い場合には、その処理で検出された入力電圧Ｖinを、他方の処理でも使用するように構成してもよい。
【００５４】
次に、スイッチング制御処理を、図３に示すフローチャート、及び図４に示すタイミング図に沿って説明する。
本処理が起動すると、まず、制御信号Ｇ１，Ｇ３をオン、制御信号Ｇ２をオフに初期化し（図４のタイミングＴ７を参照）、制御信号Ｇ１〜Ｇ３のスイッチングタイミングを計時するためのタイマーをスタートさせる（Ｓ３１０）。
【００５５】
この時、還流用スイッチング素子３３及び補助スイッチング素子４２がオフされ、主スイッチング素子２０がオンされた状態となるため、共振用コンデンサ４３は、コンデンサ１１の両端電圧により約＋ＶＣ１に充電された状態となる。但し、共振用コンデンサ４３の極性は、接続点Ａの電位を基準として接続点Ｂ側の極性を示すものとする。
【００５６】
そして、タイマーを監視することにより、設定時間ｔ１，ｔ３から算出される時間ｔ１−ｔ３が経過するまで待機し（Ｓ３２０）、時間ｔ１−ｔ３が経過すると（図４のタイミングＴ１を参照）、制御信号Ｇ３をオンすることにより、補助スイッチング素子４２をターンオンさせる（Ｓ３３０）。
【００５７】
すると、共振用リアクトル４１を介して接続点Ａに流入する方向に電流（以下「リアクトル電流」と称する。）Ｉｒが流れ始め、時間の経過と共に、リアクトル電流の絶対値｜Ｉｒ｜は直線的に増大する。
その後、タイマーを監視することにより、制御信号Ｇ１がオンされてから設定時間ｔ１が経過したか否かを判断し（Ｓ３４０）、設定時間ｔ１が経過していなければ、そのまま待機する。
【００５８】
設定時間ｔ１が経過すると（タイミングＴ２）、制御信号Ｇ１をオフすることにより、主スイッチング素子２０をターンオフさせる（Ｓ３５０）。すると、共振回路４０が共振を起こし、共振用コンデンサ４３が放電され、接続点Ｂの電位が急激に低下することにより、還流用スイッチング素子３３のＤＳ間電圧Ｖ２も急激に低下する。
【００５９】
このため、検出部５０にて検出されるＤＳ間電圧Ｖ２がゼロになるまで待機し（Ｓ３６０）、ＤＳ間電圧Ｖ２がゼロになると（タイミングＴ３）、制御信号Ｇ２をオンすることにより、還流用スイッチング素子３３をターンオンさせると共に、タイマーをリスタートする（Ｓ３７０）。
【００６０】
なお、還流用スイッチング素子３３は、図６（ａ）に示すように、実際には、ＤＳ間電圧Ｖ２がゼロになるタイミングＴ３ではターンオンせず、少し遅れたタイミングＴ３’でターンオンするため、この遅れにより、ＤＳ間電圧Ｖ２はゼロ電圧を超えてマイナスになる。しかし、この時、還流用スイッチング素子３３に付随する逆並列ダイオードが導通し、ＤＳ間電圧Ｖ２を逆並列ダイオードの順電圧（約−０．７Ｖ）の大きさにクランプする。つまり、還流用スイッチング素子３３は、必ずしもＤＳ間電圧Ｖ２がゼロになった瞬間にターンオンさせる必要がなく、この逆並列ダイオードがオンしている期間ｔ７内であれば、大きなＤＳ間電圧｜Ｖ２｜が印加されることがないため、いわゆるソフトスイッチング（ゼロ電圧スイッチング）が実現されることになる。
【００６１】
このように、還流用スイッチング素子３３がターンオンすると、共振回路４０ではリアクトル電流の絶対値｜Ｉｒ｜が直線的に減少し始めるため、検出部５０にて検出されるリアクトル電流Ｉｒがゼロになるまで待機し（Ｓ３８０）、リアクトル電流Ｉｒがゼロになると（タイミングＴ４）、制御信号Ｇ３をオフすることにより、補助スイッチング素子４２をターンオフする（Ｓ３９０）。つまり、補助スイッチング素子４２は、ソフトスイッチング（ここではゼロ電流スイッチング）されることになる。
【００６２】
この時、主スイッチング素子２０，補助スイッチング素子４２がオフされ、還流用スイッチング素子３３がオンされた状態となるため、共振用コンデンサ４３は、コンデンサ１２の両端電圧により約−ＶＣ２に充電されることになる。
以下、Ｓ４００〜Ｓ４７０では、Ｓ３２０〜Ｓ２９０と同様の処理を、ｔ１→ｔ２，ｔ３→ｔ５，Ｇ１→Ｇ２，Ｇ２→Ｇ１に置き換えて実行する。
【００６３】
即ち、タイマーを監視することにより、設定時間ｔ２，ｔ５から算出される時間ｔ２−ｔ５が経過するまで待機し（Ｓ４００）、時間ｔ２−ｔ５が経過すると（タイミングＴ５）、制御信号Ｇ３をオンすることにより、補助スイッチング素子４２をターンオンさせる（Ｓ４１０）。
【００６４】
すると、共振用リアクトル４１を介して接続点Ａから流出する方向にリアクトル電流Ｉｒが流れ始め、時間の経過と共に、リアクトル電流の絶対値｜Ｉｒ｜は直線的に増大する。
その後、タイマーを監視することにより、制御信号Ｇ２がオンされてから設定時間ｔ２が経過したか否かを判断し（Ｓ４２０）、設定時間ｔ２が経過していなければ、そのまま待機する。
【００６５】
設定時間ｔ２が経過すると（タイミングＴ６）、制御信号Ｇ２をオフすることにより、還流用スイッチング素子３３をターンオフさせる（Ｓ４３０）。すると、共振回路４０が共振を起こし、共振用コンデンサ４３が放電され、接続点Ｂの電位が急激に上昇することにより、主スイッチング素子２０のＤＳ間電圧Ｖ１が急激に低下する。
【００６６】
このため、検出部５０にて検出されるＤＳ間電圧Ｖ１がゼロになるまで待機し（Ｓ４４０）、ＤＳ間電圧Ｖ１がゼロになると（タイミングＴ７）、制御信号Ｇ１をオンすることにより、主スイッチング素子２０をターンオンさせると共に、タイマーをリスタートする（Ｓ４５０）。
【００６７】
なお、主スイッチング素子２０は、図６（ｂ）に示すように、実際には、ＤＳ間電圧Ｖ１がゼロになるタイミングＴ７ではターンオンせず、少し遅れたタイミングＴ７’でターンオンするため、この遅れにより、ＤＳ間電圧Ｖ１はゼロ電圧を超えてマイナスになる。しかし、この時、主スイッチング素子２０に付随する逆並列ダイオードが導通し、ＤＳ間電圧Ｖ１を逆並列ダイオードの順電圧（約−０．７Ｖ）の大きさにクランプする。つまり、主スイッチング素子２０は、必ずしもＤＳ間電圧Ｖ１がゼロになった瞬間にターンオンさせる必要がなく、この逆並列ダイオードがオンしている期間ｔ８内であれば、大きなＤＳ間電圧｜Ｖ１｜が印加されることはないため、いわゆるソフトスイッチング（ゼロ電圧スイッチング）が実現されることになる。
【００６８】
このように、主スイッチング素子２０がターンオンすると、共振回路４０ではリアクトル電流の絶対値｜Ｉｒ｜が直線的に減少し始めるため、検出部５０にて検出されるリアクトル電流Ｉｒがゼロになるまで待機し（Ｓ４６０）、リアクトル電流Ｉｒがゼロになると（タイミングＴ８）、制御信号Ｇ３をオフすることにより、補助スイッチング素子４２をターンオフして（Ｓ４７０）、Ｓ３２０に戻る。
【００６９】
この時、補助スイッチング素子４２は、ソフトスイッチング（ここではゼロ電流スイッチング）されることになる。また、この時、還流用スイッチング素子３３，補助スイッチング素子４２がオフされ、主スイッチング素子２０がオンされた状態となるため、共振用コンデンサ４３は、コンデンサ１１により＋ＶＣ１に充電されることになり、Ｓ３１０が実行された時と同じ状態に戻る。
【００７０】
なお、本実施形態において、ＰＷＭ制御値設定処理、及びスイッチング制御処理のＳ３４０〜Ｓ３７０，Ｓ４２０〜Ｓ４５０が出力制御手段に相当し、ソフトスイッチング制御値設定処理、及びスイッチング制御処理のＳ３２０〜Ｓ３３０，Ｓ３８０〜Ｓ４００，Ｓ４６０〜Ｓ４７０がソフトスイッチング制御手段に相当する。また、検出部５０において、ＤＳ間電圧Ｖ１を検出するための構成が第１電圧検出手段、ＤＳ間電圧Ｖ２を検出するための構成が第２電圧検出手段、負荷電流ＩＬ及び入力電圧Ｖin，基準電圧ＶＡを検出するための各構成が各検出手段、リアクトル電流Ｉｒを検出するための構成がリアクトル電流検出手段に相当する。
【００７１】
以上説明したように、本実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ１では、主スイッチング素子２０のターンオン時のソフトスイッチング（ゼロ電圧スイッチング）のために、共振回路４０を作動させると、電源部１０を構成するコンデンサ１１，１２の接続点Ａから共振用リアクトル４１，補助スイッチング素子４２を介して電流が流出し、一方、還流用スイッチング素子３３のターンオン時のソフトスイッチング（ゼロ電圧スイッチング）のために、共振回路４０を作動させると、逆に、接続点Ａには補助スイッチング素子４２、共振用リアクトル４１を介して電流が流入する。
【００７２】
従って、本実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ１によれば、接続点Ａの電位が一定に保持されるため、共振回路４０の動作を精度よく制御することができ、その結果、主スイッチング素子２０及び還流用スイッチング素子３３のソフトスイッチング（ゼロ電圧スイッチング）を精度よく行うことができる。
【００７３】
また、本実施形態では、主スイッチング素子２０及び還流用スイッチング素子３３は、逆並列ダイオードを有しており、この逆並列ダイオードが導通している間であればＤＳ間電圧｜Ｖ１｜，｜Ｖ２｜が小さい状態でのターンオン、即ちソフトスイッチングが可能である。つまり、主スイッチング素子２０及び還流用スイッチング素子３３をターンオンさせるタイミングの許容範囲が広いため、簡単かつ確実にソフトスイッチングを実現できる。
【００７４】
ところで、共振用リアクトル４１のインダクタンスＬrは、（３）（４）式を満たすように設定することが望ましい。
【００７５】
【数２】

但し、Ｉａは、補助スイッチング素子４２のターンオン後、主スイッチング素子２０のターンオフ時に共振用リアクトル４１に流れているべき電流、Ｉｂは、補助スイッチング素子４２のターンオン後、還流用スイッチング素子３３のターンオフ時に共振用リアクトル４１に流れているべき電流、ｔ1minは、主スイッチング素子２０のオン期間ｔ１の最小値、ｔ2minは、還流用スイッチング素子３３のオン期間ｔ２の最小値である。また、負荷電流ＩＬの許容範囲の上限値をＩＬmax として、｜Ｉａ｜，｜Ｉｂ｜＞ＩＬmax であるものとする。
【００７６】
このようにして共振用リアクトル４１のインダクタンスＬrを設定した場合、ＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ１が最悪の動作条件、即ち、ＩＬ＝ＩＬmax であり、且つ、主スイッチング素子２０又は還流用スイッチング素子３３のオン期間ｔ１，ｔ２のいずれか一方が、その最小値Ｔ1min，Ｔ2minに設定されたとしても、その最小値に設定されたオン期間内に、ソフトスイッチングのために必要な大きさＩａ，Ｉｂまでリアクトル電流Ｉｒを確実に変化させることができる。
【００７７】
なお、上述のようにインダクタンスＬｒを算出する際に、コンデンサ１１，１２の両端電圧ＶＣ１，ＶＣ２としては、一般的には、その許容電圧範囲の中心値を用いればよいが、より信頼性を高めるために、その許容電圧範囲の下限値を用いてもよい。
【００７８】
ところで、本実施形態において、図１中の接続点Ａの電位が所定電位（＝Ｃ１・Ｖｉｎ／（Ｃ１＋Ｃ２））から変動した場合、［接続点Ａの電位］＞［所定電圧］であれば、［接続点Ａへの流入電荷量］＜［接続点Ａからの流出電荷量］となり、［接続点Ａの電位］＜［所定電位］であれば、［接続点Ａへの流入電荷量］＞［接続点Ａからの流出電荷量］となる。
［第２実施形態］
次に、第２実施形態について説明する。
【００７９】
本実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ３は、第１実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ１に、構成を追加したものであるため、同じ構成については、同一符号を付して説明を省略し、構成の追加部分を中心に説明する。
本実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ３は、図７に示すように、主スイッチング素子２０，共振回路４０，チョークコイル３１，還流用スイッチング素子３３からなる部分を変換部７０ａとし、これと全く同様に構成された変換部７０ｂを、変換部７０ａと並列に接続することで構成されている。
【００８０】
そして、検出部５１は、入力電圧Ｖin、出力電圧Ｖｏ、基準電圧ＶＡを検出する他、変換部７０ａ，７０ｂ毎に、ＤＳ間電圧Ｖ１，Ｖ２、リアクトル電流Ｉｒ、負荷電流（チョークコイル電流）ＩＬのいずれかを検出するように構成されている。
【００８１】
また、制御部６１は、変換部７０ａ，７０ｂ毎に制御信号Ｇ１〜Ｇ３を生成し、しかも、両変換部７０ａ，７０ｂでは、例えば、互いに１８０°位相が異なった制御信号Ｇ１〜Ｇ３を生成するように構成されている。
このように構成された本実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ３では、各変換部７０ａ，７０ｂは、それぞれ、第１実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ１と同様に動作する。このため、各変換部７０ａ，７０ｂから出力される負荷電流ＩＬのリップルは、互いに同様の形状を有し、且つ位相が異なったものとなり、両負荷電流ＩＬを重ね合わせることで得られる電流、即ち平滑用コンデンサ３２が平滑化すべき電圧のリップルは、第１実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ１と比較して低減されたものとなる。しかも、各変換部７０ａ，７０ｂでは、第１実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ１の変換部に相当する構成と比較して、１／２の電力を供給できればよい。
【００８２】
従って、本実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ３によれば、第１実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ１と同様の効果が得られるだけでなく、体格（電流容量，耐圧，サイズ）の小さい部品を用いて構成することができるため、装置を安価に構成することができる。
【００８３】
以上、本発明のいくつかの実施形態について説明したが、本発明は上記実施形態に限定されるものではなく、様々な態様にて実施することが可能である。
例えば、補助スイッチング素子４２は、必ずしも単一の素子にて構成する必要はなく、例えば、逆並列ダイオードを備えた一対のトランジスタを用いて構成してもよい。具体的には、図８（ａ）に示すように、逆並列ダイオードが互いに逆方向を向くようにして直列接続すればよい。
【００８４】
そして、図８（ｂ）に示すように、両トランジスタを別々の制御信号Ｇ３１，Ｇ３２を用いて、いずれか一方のみがオンするように制御すれば、いずれをオンした場合でも、オフされたトランジスタに付随する逆並列ダイオード、共振用リアクトル、オンされたトランジスタを介して電流が流れ、トランジスタのオンオフ状態を反転させることにより、電流が流れる方向を反転させることができる。また補助スイッチング素子４２の電流がゼロになった後に補助スイッチング素子４２のゲートにオフ信号を与えても、逆並列ダイオードにより電流が遮断され、補助スイッチング素子４２のゼロ電流スイッチングが実現される。ターンオフは図４のＴ４からＴ５の間に行なわれればよく、厳密なタイミングが要求されないメリットがある。
【００８５】
但し、逆並列ダイオードに電流を流すより、トランジスタをオンさせて電流を流した方が消費電力は小さいため、トランジスタとして双方向に電流を流すことができるものを用いた場合には、これら両トランジスタを、図８（ｃ）に示すように、同一の制御信号を用いて同時にオン／オフするように構成してもよい。
【００８６】
また、上記実施形態では、コンデンサ１１，１２の容量をＣ１＝Ｃ２として、ＶＡ＝Ｖin／２となるように設定したが、Ｖｏ＞Ｖin／２である場合はＣ１＞Ｃ２として、ＶＡ＞Ｖin／２となるように設定し、逆にＶｏ＜Ｖin／２である場合はＣ１＜Ｃ２として、ＶＡ＜Ｖin／２となるように設定してもよい。
【００８７】
即ち、Ｖｏ＞Ｖin／２の場合は還流用スイッチング素子３３のオン期間が、制御信号Ｇ１，Ｇ２のスイッチング周期の１／２より短くなり、同様に、Ｖｏ＜Ｖin／２の場合は主スイッチング素子２０のオン期間が、制御信号Ｇ１，Ｇ２のスイッチング周期の１／２より短くなる。
【００８８】
そして、Ｃ１＞Ｃ２に設定すると、還流用スイッチング素子３３のオン期間に共振回路４０に印加される電圧ＶＣ２（＝ＶＡ）が大きくなることにより、還流用スイッチング素子３３のオン期間と重なる補助スイッチング素子４２のオン期間ｔ４，ｔ５が短縮されるため、還流用スイッチング素子３３のオン期間が短くても、補助スイッチング素子４２のターンオン、ターンオフ時と主スイッチング素子２０のターンオン時のソフトスイッチングを確実に実現することができる。
【００８９】
一方、Ｃ１＜Ｃ２に設定すると、主スイッチング素子２０のオン期間に共振回路４０に印加される電圧ＶＣ１（＝Ｖin−ＶＡ）が大きくなることにより、主スイッチング素子２０のオン期間と重なる補助スイッチング素子４２のオン期間ｔ３，ｔ６が短縮されるため、主スイッチング素子２０のオン期間が短くても、補助スイッチング素子４２のターンオン、ターンオフ時と還流用スイッチング素子３３のターンオン時のソフトスイッチングを確実に実現することができる。
【００９０】
また、上記実施形態では、コンデンサ１１，１２の両端電圧ＶＣ１，ＶＣ２と負荷電流ＩＬとに基づき、（１）（２）式を用いて設定期間ｔ３，ｔ５を求めているが、この設定期間ｔ３，ｔ５は、コンデンサ１１，１２の両端電圧ＶＣ１，ＶＣ２を固定値とみて、負荷電流ＩＬのみを変数として求めてもよいし、逆に負荷電流ＩＬを固定値とみて、コンデンサ１１，１２の両端電圧ＶＣ１，ＶＣ２のみを変数として求めてもよい。また、コンデンサ１１，１２の両端電圧ＶＣ１，ＶＣ２、及び負荷電流ＩＬの変動がいずれも小さい場合には、設定期間ｔ３，ｔ５自体を固定値としてもよい。
【００９１】
更に、上記実施形態では、バッテリＢＴから直接電源供給を受けるようにされているが、バッテリＢＴと電源部１０との間に、リアクトルとコンデンサとからなるローパスフィルタを挿入してもよい。この場合、バッテリＢＴに接続された他の機器にて発生したノイズが、ＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ１，３に影響を与えたり、逆に、ＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ１，３で発生したノイズが、バッテリＢＴに接続された他の機器に影響を与えてしまうことを防止できる。
【００９２】
また、上記実施形態では、検出部５０，５１での検出結果に基づいて、各スイッチング素子２０，３３，４２を制御しているが、検出部５０，５１を省略して、オープンループ制御にて、各スイッチング素子２０，３３，４２を制御するように構成してもよい。この場合、制御部６０，６１における制御アルゴリズムを簡略化でき、更なる低コスト化を図ることができる。
【００９３】
ところで、各スイッチング素子２０，３３，４２は、耐圧，最大電流定格がすべて同じものを用いてもよいし、補助スイッチング素子４２に関しては、他のスイッチング素子２０，３３より耐圧や最大電流定格の小さいものを用いて構成してもよい。前者の場合、全てのスイッチング素子２０、３３，４２を同一チップ上に形成できるため加工を容易化でき、後者の場合、補助スイッチング素子４２での導通損失を低減することができる。
【００９４】
また、上記実施形態では、バッテリＢＴ側から負荷Ｘ側に電力を送る場合について説明したが、逆に、負荷Ｘ側からバッテリＢＴ側に電力を送る場合（即ち、図１の負荷電流ＩＬの向きが逆）でも同様に成立する。
【図面の簡単な説明】
【図１】 第１実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータの構成を示す回路図である。
【図２】 制御部が実行するＰＷＭ制御値設定処理、及びソフトスイッチング制御値設定処理の内容を示すフローチャートである。
【図３】 制御部が実行するスイッチング制御処理の内容を示すフローチャートである。
【図４】 ＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータの各部の動作を示すタイミング図である。
【図５】 ＰＷＭ制御値の設定方法を示す説明図である。
【図６】 主スイッチング素子、及び還流用スイッチング素子のターンオン時の動作を示すタイミング図である。
【図７】 第２実施形態のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータの構成を示す回路図である。
【図８】 補助スイッチング素子の具体例、及び動作を示す説明図である。
【図９】 従来のＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータの構成を示す回路図である。
【符号の説明】
１，３…ＤＣ／ＤＣコンバータ、１０…電源部、１１，１２…コンデンサ、２０…主スイッチング素子、３０…平滑回路、３１…チョークコイル、３２…平滑用コンデンサ、３３…還流用スイッチング素子、４０…共振回路、４１…共振用リアクトル、４２…補助スイッチング素子、４３…共振用コンデンサ、５０，５１…検出部、６０，６１…制御部、７０ａ，７０ｂ…変換部、Ａ，Ｂ…接続点、ＢＴ…バッテリ、Ｘ…負荷。[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a DC / DC converter that performs soft switching.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in vehicle equipment, as a DC / DC converter for converting a DC voltage supplied from a battery into a desired DC voltage, a switching element connected to a power supply path is controlled by PWM (pulse width modulation), and this switching is performed. Non-insulated and step-down DC / DC converters that obtain a desired DC voltage by smoothing electric power supplied through an element by a smoothing circuit are widely used.
[0003]
In this type of DC / DC converter, as a technique for reducing loss and noise generated during switching by the switching element, the resonance phenomenon of the resonance circuit is used and the voltage across the switching element becomes zero, or switching A so-called soft switching is known in which a state in which a current flowing through an element is zero is generated and switching is performed in that state.
[0004]
Here, FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a DC / DC converter that performs such soft switching.
As shown in FIG. 9, the DC / DC converter 101 includes a power supply unit 110 including a pair of DC power supplies 111 and 112 (both are set to voltage E / 2) connected in series, and a power supply path from the power supply unit 110. The main switching element 120 that is intermittent, the smoothing circuit 130 that smoothes the power supplied via the main switching element 120, one end is connected to the connection point A of the DC power sources 111 and 112, and the other end is the main switching element 120. When the main switching element 120 is turned on while the main switching element 120 is PWM-controlled so that the output voltage of the resonance circuit 140 connected to the connection point B of the smoothing circuit 130 and the smoothing circuit 130 is constant. A control unit 150 that controls the operation of the resonance circuit 140 so as to generate a voltage equal to the power supply voltage on the output side of the switching element 120. It is equipped with a.
[0005]
The main switching element 120 is formed of a transistor, and the smoothing circuit 130 has a known configuration including a choke coil 131, a smoothing capacitor 132, and a reflux diode 133.
The resonance circuit 140 is configured by connecting a capacitor 143 in parallel to a series circuit including a reactor 141 and an auxiliary switching element 142. However, as the auxiliary switching element 142, a thyristor that is turned on in accordance with a drive signal from the control unit 150 and connected to flow current from the reactor toward the connection point B is used.
[0006]
That is, when the auxiliary switching element 142 is turned off, the capacitor 143 constituting the resonance circuit 140 is charged to + E / 2 by the DC power source 111 when the main switching element 120 is turned off, and when the main switching element 120 is turned on, It is charged to -E / 2 by the DC power source 112.
[0007]
Then, when the auxiliary switching element 142 is turned on while the capacitor 143 is charged to + E / 2 (the main switching element 120 is off), a current flows through the reactor 141 and the auxiliary switching element 142 to return to the reflux. After the current flowing through the diode 133 becomes zero, the charge charged in the capacitor 143 is discharged, and a resonance current flows in the resonance circuit 140. As a result, the potential at the connection point B gradually increases, and the voltage at the connection point B rapidly rises to the power supply voltage E due to the resonance phenomenon of the resonance circuit 140 after the return diode 133 is turned off.
[0008]
Accordingly, by monitoring the voltage across the main switching element 120 and making the main switching element 120 conductive when the voltage across the main switching element 120 becomes zero voltage, soft switching (here, zero voltage switching) is realized (for example, a patent). Reference 1).
[0009]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-06-269166 (paragraph [0010], FIG. 1)
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in order to control soft switching with high accuracy, it is required that the potential at the connection point A is stable.
In the above circuit, a pair of DC power supplies 111 and 112 are used to provide the connection point A for supplying the reference voltage to the resonance circuit 140. Generally, these DC power supplies are used for cost reduction. 111 and 112 are composed of capacitors.
[0011]
However, when the DC power supplies 111 and 112 are configured with capacitors as described above, since current is flowing out from the connection point A, the potential at the connection point A is lowered, and as a result, the accuracy of soft switching is deteriorated. There is a problem that loss and noise generated in the main switching element 120 cannot be sufficiently reduced.
[0012]
In order to solve the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a DC / DC converter that can be configured at low cost and can obtain stable soft switching accuracy.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the DC / DC converter of the present invention made to achieve the above object, the smoothing circuit smoothes the power supplied from the DC power supply via the main switching element. Then, the output control means performs PWM control on the main switching element so that the output voltage from the smoothing circuit becomes a constant voltage.
[0014]
In addition, a voltage dividing circuit composed of a plurality of capacitors or secondary batteries connected in series generates a reference voltage obtained by dividing the power supply voltage of the DC power supply, and a voltage dividing point for extracting the reference voltage and the output of the main switching element A resonant circuit is connected between the two sides. The resonance circuit is formed by connecting a resonance capacitor in parallel to a series circuit including a resonance reactor and an auxiliary switching element, and the auxiliary switching element is configured by an element that allows current to flow in both directions.
[0015]
The soft switching control means is configured such that when the main switching element is turned on, the resonance circuit resonates and a first voltage signal for zero voltage switching of the main switching element is applied to the output side of the main switching element. In addition, the auxiliary switching element is controlled.
[0016]
At this time, a current flows out from the voltage dividing point through the auxiliary switching element. However, the soft switching control means does not generate the electric charge corresponding to the electric charge until the first voltage signal is generated again. The auxiliary switching element is controlled to flow into the voltage dividing point.
[0017]
That is, in the DC / DC converter according to the present invention, when the first voltage signal is generated, the current flowing out from the voltage dividing point through the switching element is generated until the next first voltage signal is generated. The same auxiliary switching element is used for replenishment. Therefore, according to the present invention, since the reference voltage (potential at the voltage dividing point) can be kept constant, the operation of the resonance circuit can be controlled with high accuracy, and as a result, soft switching can be performed with high accuracy. it can.
[0018]
By the way, in the conventional apparatus, a diode is used as the switching element for reflux. However, the switching element for reflux may be configured by an element that allows current to flow bidirectionally. In this case, the output control means may control the main switching element and the reflux switching element so that one of them turns off and then the other turns on.
[0019]
However, like the main switching element, it is desirable that the switching element for reflux is also soft-switched when it is turned on. For this purpose, the soft switching control means is such that the resonant circuit resonates when the return switching element is turned on, and the second voltage signal for zero voltage switching of the return switching element is applied to the output side of the main switching element. The auxiliary switching element may be controlled so that
[0020]
In this case, since the direction of the current flowing through the resonance circuit is opposite to that when the first voltage signal is generated, the current flows into the voltage dividing point by performing such control.
Therefore, according to the present invention, as long as the control for soft-switching the main switching element and the reflux switching element is performed, the potential at the voltage dividing point can be kept constant without any other special control. And soft switching can be performed with high accuracy.
[0021]
Next, as a configuration for soft switching (zero voltage switching) of the main switching element and the return switching element, for example, first voltage detecting means for detecting a voltage across the main switching element and a voltage across the reflux switching element It is conceivable to provide a second voltage detecting means for detecting.
[0022]
In this case, the output control means turns on the main switching element when the zero voltage is detected by the first voltage detecting means after the return switching element is turned off, and zeros by the second voltage detecting means after the main switching element is turned off. When the voltage is detected, the reflux switching element may be turned on.
[0023]
Further, as the main switching element and the reflux switching element, for example, it is desirable to use a transistor having an antiparallel diode.
Of these, the main switching element may be connected so that the forward direction of the antiparallel diode is opposite to the power supply direction. In this case, even if the resonant circuit generates a first voltage signal that is greater than the power supply voltage, the magnitude is clamped to approximately the power supply voltage by the anti-parallel diode. In other words, while the antiparallel diode is conducting, the voltage across the main switching element is held at almost zero voltage, so that the transistor only needs to be turned on during this period.
[0024]
On the other hand, the return switching element may be connected so that the forward direction of the antiparallel diode coincides with the direction in which the return current flows. In this case, the return current flows through the antiparallel diode even when the transistor constituting the return switching element is off. That is, even if the timing for turning on the switching element for reflux is delayed, the reflux current can be reliably supplied.
[0025]
As described above, according to the present invention, the allowable range of timing for turning on the main switching element and the reflux switching element is widened, so that soft switching can be controlled easily and reliably.
However, an antiparallel diode has a higher on-voltage and higher power consumption than when the transistor is turned on. Therefore, it is desirable to turn on the transistor at the earliest possible timing even within the allowable range.
[0026]
By the way, in order to reliably generate the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal necessary for soft switching, it is necessary to make the current flowing through the resonance circuit larger than the load current.
In order to generate the first voltage signal, the current passed through the resonance circuit to generate the second voltage signal immediately before the return switching element is turned on is made zero, and then this time In order to generate the first voltage signal, the current that flows through the resonance circuit (opposite polarity with respect to the previous current) must be set to a required magnitude.
[0027]
Similarly, in order to generate the second voltage signal, the current passed through the resonance circuit to generate the immediately preceding first voltage signal while the main switching element is on is zeroed, and then this time In order to generate the second voltage signal, the current flowing through the resonance circuit (opposite polarity with respect to the previous current) must be set to a required magnitude.
[0028]
That is, it is necessary to change the current flowing through the resonance circuit by a necessary magnitude during the ON period of the main switching element or the reflux switching element.
For this purpose, the time required for the reactor current flowing through the resonance reactor when the auxiliary switching means is turned on to reach a current value greater than or equal to a preset load current is set as the required time, and the main switching element or the return switching element is It is desirable to set the inductance of the resonance reactor so that the required time is smaller than one half of the time limit, with the smaller one of the lower limit values of the on time as the time limit.
[0029]
In addition, the magnitude of the current flowing through the resonance circuit (reactor current) is also affected by the power supply voltage and the reference voltage. Therefore, the above settings should be made assuming that these voltages are the lowest allowable voltage. Is desirable.
By the way, the operating state of the DC / DC converter changes every moment. For this reason, the detection means detects this change in the operating state, and the soft switching control means causes the resonance circuit to pass the current higher than the load current when the main switching element and the return switching element are turned off according to the detected operating state. It is desirable to change the timing of turning on the auxiliary switching element so that the current flows.
[0030]
In this case, the detection means may be configured to detect the power supply voltage of the DC power supply and the reference voltage generated by the voltage dividing circuit as the operating state, or detect the load current of the DC / DC converter. It may be configured.
In other words, the power supply voltage and the reference voltage of the DC power supply determine the voltage at both ends of the resonance reactor at the time when the auxiliary switching element is turned on, and thus affect the rate at which the reactor current changes. It is necessary to change the timing at which the auxiliary switching element is turned on in accordance with the change in the.
[0031]
In addition, the load current determines the magnitude of the current to be passed through the resonance circuit, and the larger the current, the longer the on-time of the auxiliary switching element. Therefore, the auxiliary switching element is changed according to the change in the load current. It is necessary to change the turn-on timing.
[0032]
Needless to say, the auxiliary switching element is also preferably soft-switched. For that purpose, the reactor current detection means detects the current flowing through the resonance reactor, and the soft switching control means only needs to turn off the auxiliary switching element after the detected reactor current becomes zero. That is, the auxiliary switching element may be configured to realize zero current switching.
[0033]
The auxiliary switching element may be configured by, for example, connecting a pair of transistors having antiparallel diodes in series so that the directions of the antiparallel diodes are opposite to each other.
In this case, either one of the transistors may be on / off controlled depending on the direction of current flow, or both transistors may be on / off controlled simultaneously.
[0034]
In the former case, the current flows through the antiparallel diode in the off-side transistor, so that it is possible to flow the current in both directions even by turning on only one of the transistors. In the latter case, since no current flows through the antiparallel diode, power consumption in the auxiliary switching element can be reduced as compared with the former.
[0035]
By the way, as the choke coil and the smoothing capacitor constituting the smoothing circuit, the larger the load current and the larger the ripple of the current to be smoothed, the larger the physique needs to be used. This is one of the factors that hinders the transformation.
[0036]
Therefore, a plurality of conversion units comprising a main switching element, a smoothing circuit, and a resonance circuit are provided in parallel, and the output control means and the soft switching control means have a main switching element, a return switching element, and auxiliary switching at different timings for each conversion unit. You may comprise so that an element may be operated.
[0037]
In this case, since the ripples of the current to be smoothed obtained from the respective conversion units are different from each other, the ripple of the current obtained by superimposing them is reduced as compared with the case of one conversion unit. It will be.
In addition, if there are m conversion units, each conversion unit only needs to be able to supply 1 / m of power as compared to the case of one conversion unit, so that each element constituting each conversion unit is also small in size. It can be configured using things.
[0038]
Therefore, according to the DC / DC converter of the present invention, it can be configured using inexpensive parts having a small physique.
[0039]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of the DC / DC converter of the first embodiment.
[0040]
The DC / DC converter 1 according to this embodiment is a non-insulated / step-down DC / DC converter that receives power from an external battery BT, steps down the voltage to a preset DC voltage, and supplies the voltage to a load X. is there.
As shown in FIG. 1, a DC / DC converter 1 according to this embodiment includes a pair of capacitors 11 and 12 connected in series, and generates a reference voltage VA obtained by dividing a supply voltage Vin from a battery BT. 10, a main switching element 20 that interrupts a power supply path that receives power supply from the battery BT, a smoothing circuit 30 that smoothes the power supplied through the main switching element 20, and one end of the reference voltage A resonance circuit 40 is connected to a connection point A for extracting VA, and the other end is connected to a connection point B between the main switching element 20 and the smoothing circuit 30.
[0041]
The capacitors C1 and C2 of the capacitors 11 and 12 constituting the power supply unit 10 are set to the same size (C1 = C2), and the reference voltage VA is ½ the supply voltage Vin (VA). = Vin / 2). Here, the power supply unit 10 is configured using a pair of capacitors 11 and 12, but the power supply unit 10 may be configured using a plurality of secondary batteries instead of the capacitors 11 and 12.
[0042]
The smoothing circuit 30 includes a low-pass filter including a choke coil 31 and a smoothing capacitor 32, and a return switching element 33 for allowing a return current to flow through the choke coil 31 when the main switching element 20 is turned off.
On the other hand, the resonance circuit 40 is configured by connecting a resonance capacitor 43 in parallel to a series circuit including a resonance reactor 41 and an auxiliary switching element 42.
[0043]
Note that each of the main switching element 20, the reflux switching element 33, and the auxiliary switching element 42 is formed of a transistor (for example, a MOSFET) capable of flowing a current in both directions. In particular, the main switching element 20 has an anti-parallel diode that allows current to flow in a direction opposite to the power supply direction (the direction of the arrow I1 in the figure), and the return switching element 33 has a return current flow direction ( It has an antiparallel diode that allows current to flow in the direction opposite to the arrow I2 in the figure.
[0044]
Further, the DC / DC converter 1 of the present embodiment is configured so that a desired output voltage Vo is obtained based on the detection unit 50 that detects the current and voltage of each part of the converter 1 and the detection result of the detection unit 50. In order to generate control signals G1 and G2 for PWM control of the main switching element 20 and the return switching element 33, and to realize soft switching of the main switching element 20 and the return switching element 33, an auxiliary switching element 42 is provided. And a control unit 60 that generates a control signal G3 for control.
[0045]
As an example of the detection unit 50, the input voltage Vin from the battery BT, the output voltage Vo to the load X, the voltage across the capacitor 12 (reference voltage) VA, the drain-source voltage of the main switching element 20 (hereinafter referred to as “DS”). V1, voltage between DS of the switching element 33 for recirculation, load current IL flowing through the choke coil 31, and reactor current Ir flowing through the resonance reactor 41 are detected.
[0046]
These detections may be performed by a known method. For example, Vin, VA, and V2 whose one end of the measurement target is connected to the reference potential (ground) are divided by a series resistor connected in parallel to the measurement target. It may be detected by measuring the divided voltage. Further, V1 whose measurement object is not connected to the ground at both ends may be obtained, for example, from the difference between the input voltage Vin and the DS voltage V2 of the return switching element 33.
[0047]
Further, for example, the load current IL and the reactor current Ir are detected by measuring a magnetic field generated by the choke coil 31 or the resonance reactor 41, or a shunt resistor is inserted in the circuit in advance. What is necessary is just to detect by measuring a voltage drop.
[0048]
Next, the control unit 60 is configured around a known microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. A control value setting process for setting a control value for PWM control and a control value for soft switching control are provided. A soft switching control value setting process to be set, a switching control process for generating control signals G1 to G3 for switching the switching elements 20, 33, and 42 using the control values set in these processes are executed. .
[0049]
Among these, the PWM control value setting process is periodically activated at preset time intervals. In this process, as shown in FIG. 2A, first, the output voltage Vo is detected through the detection unit 50 (S110), and the set times t1 and t2 are calculated from the detection result (S120). This process is terminated.
[0050]
However, as shown in FIG. 5A, the set time t1 is the duration of the on state of the main switching element 20, and the set time t2 is the duration of the on state of the reflux switching element 33.
Next, similarly to the PWM control value setting process, the soft switching control value setting process is periodically started at preset time intervals. In this process, as shown in FIG. 2B, first, the input voltage Vin, the reference voltage VA, and the load current IL are detected via the detection unit 50 (S210). From the detection result, (1) The set times t3 and t5 that satisfy the equation (2) are calculated (S220), and this process is terminated.
[0051]
However, the set times t3 and t5 are for setting the timing for turning on the auxiliary switching element 42, Lr is the inductance of the resonance reactor 41, and ΔI1 and ΔI2 are the main switching element 20 or the reflux switching element 33. Is a constant for making the magnitude of the reactor current Ir larger than the load current IL at the time of turn-off. Further, VC1 is a voltage across the capacitor 11, VC2 is a voltage across the capacitor 12, and VC1 = Vin−VA and VC2 = VA. The
[0052]
[Expression 1]

That is, the equation (1) is used to obtain the time t3 required to store energy necessary for soft switching of the return switching element 33 in the resonance reactor 41 until the main switching element 20 is turned off. Similarly, equation (2) is used to obtain a time t5 required to store energy required for soft switching of the main switching element 20 in the resonance reactor 41 until the return switching element 33 is turned off.
[0053]
Here, the PWM control value setting process and the soft switching control value setting process are performed as separate processes, but they may be performed as one process. Further, when the start cycle of one process is short, the input voltage Vin detected in the process may be used in the other process.
[0054]
Next, the switching control process will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 and the timing chart shown in FIG.
When this processing starts, first, the control signals G1 and G3 are turned on and the control signal G2 is initialized to off (see timing T7 in FIG. 4), and a timer for measuring the switching timing of the control signals G1 to G3 is started. (S310).
[0055]
At this time, since the return switching element 33 and the auxiliary switching element 42 are turned off and the main switching element 20 is turned on, the resonance capacitor 43 is charged to about + VC1 by the voltage across the capacitor 11. Become. However, the polarity of the resonance capacitor 43 indicates the polarity on the connection point B side with respect to the potential at the connection point A.
[0056]
Then, by monitoring the timer, it waits until the time t1-t3 calculated from the set times t1, t3 elapses (S320), and when the time t1-t3 elapses (see timing T1 in FIG. 4), the control is performed. The auxiliary switching element 42 is turned on by turning on the signal G3 (S330).
[0057]
Then, a current Ir (hereinafter referred to as “reactor current”) Ir starts flowing in the direction of flowing into the connection point A via the resonance reactor 41, and the absolute value | Ir | of the reactor current linearly increases with time. Increase.
Thereafter, by monitoring the timer, it is determined whether or not the set time t1 has elapsed since the control signal G1 was turned on (S340). If the set time t1 has not elapsed, the process waits as it is.
[0058]
When the set time t1 has elapsed (timing T2), the main switching element 20 is turned off by turning off the control signal G1 (S350). Then, the resonance circuit 40 resonates, the resonance capacitor 43 is discharged, and the potential at the connection point B rapidly decreases, so that the inter-DS voltage V2 of the return switching element 33 also rapidly decreases.
[0059]
For this reason, it waits until the inter-DS voltage V2 detected by the detection unit 50 becomes zero (S360), and when the inter-DS voltage V2 becomes zero (timing T3), the control signal G2 is turned on to turn on the control signal G2. The switching element 33 is turned on and the timer is restarted (S370).
[0060]
As shown in FIG. 6A, the return switching element 33 does not actually turn on at the timing T3 when the inter-DS voltage V2 becomes zero, but turns on at a slightly delayed timing T3 ′. Due to the delay, the inter-DS voltage V2 exceeds the zero voltage and becomes negative. However, at this time, the antiparallel diode associated with the return switching element 33 is turned on, and the inter-DS voltage V2 is clamped to the magnitude of the forward voltage (about −0.7 V) of the antiparallel diode. In other words, the return switching element 33 does not necessarily need to be turned on at the moment when the inter-DS voltage V2 becomes zero. If the anti-parallel diode is in the period t7, a large inter-DS voltage | V2 | Therefore, so-called soft switching (zero voltage switching) is realized.
[0061]
Thus, when the return switching element 33 is turned on, the absolute value | Ir | of the reactor current starts to decrease linearly in the resonance circuit 40, so that the reactor current Ir detected by the detection unit 50 becomes zero. Waiting (S380) and when the reactor current Ir becomes zero (timing T4), the auxiliary switching element 42 is turned off by turning off the control signal G3 (S390). That is, the auxiliary switching element 42 is soft-switched (here, zero current switching).
[0062]
At this time, since the main switching element 20 and the auxiliary switching element 42 are turned off and the return switching element 33 is turned on, the resonance capacitor 43 is charged to about −VC2 by the voltage across the capacitor 12. become.
Hereinafter, in S400 to S470, the same processing as S320 to S290 is executed by replacing t1 → t2, t3 → t5, G1 → G2, G2 → G1.
[0063]
That is, by monitoring the timer, it waits until the time t2-t5 calculated from the set times t2, t5 elapses (S400), and when the time t2-t5 elapses (timing T5), the control signal G3 is turned on. As a result, the auxiliary switching element 42 is turned on (S410).
[0064]
Then, the reactor current Ir starts to flow in the direction of flowing out from the connection point A via the resonance reactor 41, and the absolute value | Ir | of the reactor current increases linearly with time.
Thereafter, by monitoring the timer, it is determined whether or not the set time t2 has elapsed since the control signal G2 was turned on (S420). If the set time t2 has not elapsed, the process waits as it is.
[0065]
When the set time t2 elapses (timing T6), the control signal G2 is turned off to turn off the reflux switching element 33 (S430). Then, the resonance circuit 40 resonates, the resonance capacitor 43 is discharged, and the potential at the connection point B rapidly increases, so that the DS voltage V1 of the main switching element 20 rapidly decreases.
[0066]
For this reason, it waits until the inter-DS voltage V1 detected by the detection unit 50 becomes zero (S440). When the inter-DS voltage V1 becomes zero (timing T7), the main switching is performed by turning on the control signal G1. The element 20 is turned on and the timer is restarted (S450).
[0067]
As shown in FIG. 6B, the main switching element 20 does not actually turn on at the timing T7 when the inter-DS voltage V1 becomes zero, but turns on at a slightly delayed timing T7 ′. Thus, the DS voltage V1 exceeds the zero voltage and becomes negative. However, at this time, the antiparallel diode associated with the main switching element 20 is turned on, and the inter-DS voltage V1 is clamped to the magnitude of the forward voltage of the antiparallel diode (about −0.7 V). That is, the main switching element 20 does not necessarily have to be turned on at the moment when the inter-DS voltage V1 becomes zero. If the anti-parallel diode is in the period t8, the large inter-DS voltage | V1 | Since no voltage is applied, so-called soft switching (zero voltage switching) is realized.
[0068]
As described above, when the main switching element 20 is turned on, the absolute value | Ir | of the reactor current starts to decrease linearly in the resonance circuit 40, and thus the standby state until the reactor current Ir detected by the detection unit 50 becomes zero. When the reactor current Ir becomes zero (timing T8), the control signal G3 is turned off to turn off the auxiliary switching element 42 (S470), and the process returns to S320.
[0069]
At this time, the auxiliary switching element 42 is soft-switched (here, zero current switching). At this time, since the reflux switching element 33 and the auxiliary switching element 42 are turned off and the main switching element 20 is turned on, the resonance capacitor 43 is charged to + VC1 by the capacitor 11, It returns to the same state as when S310 was executed.
[0070]
In this embodiment, PWM control value setting processing and switching control processing S340 to S370 and S420 to S450 correspond to output control means, and soft switching control value setting processing and switching control processing S320 to S330, S380. S400 and S460 to S470 correspond to the soft switching control means. Further, in the detection unit 50, the configuration for detecting the DS voltage V1 is the first voltage detection means, the configuration for detecting the DS voltage V2 is the second voltage detection means, the load current IL and the input voltage Vin, the reference Each configuration for detecting the voltage VA corresponds to each detection means, and a configuration for detecting the reactor current Ir corresponds to the reactor current detection means.
[0071]
As described above, in the DC / DC converter 1 of the present embodiment, the power supply unit 10 is configured when the resonance circuit 40 is operated for soft switching (zero voltage switching) when the main switching element 20 is turned on. A current flows out from the connection point A of the capacitors 11 and 12 through the resonance reactor 41 and the auxiliary switching element 42. On the other hand, for soft switching (zero voltage switching) when the return switching element 33 is turned on, the resonance circuit On the contrary, when 40 is operated, current flows into the connection point A via the auxiliary switching element 42 and the resonance reactor 41.
[0072]
Therefore, according to the DC / DC converter 1 of the present embodiment, since the potential at the connection point A is held constant, the operation of the resonance circuit 40 can be controlled with high accuracy. As a result, the main switching element 20 and Soft switching (zero voltage switching) of the switching element 33 for reflux can be performed with high accuracy.
[0073]
Further, in the present embodiment, the main switching element 20 and the reflux switching element 33 have antiparallel diodes, and the DS voltage | V1 |, | V2 as long as the antiparallel diode is conducting. Turn-on in a state where | is small, that is, soft switching is possible. That is, since the allowable range of timing for turning on the main switching element 20 and the reflux switching element 33 is wide, soft switching can be realized easily and reliably.
[0074]
Incidentally, it is desirable that the inductance Lr of the resonance reactor 41 is set so as to satisfy the expressions (3) and (4).
[0075]
[Expression 2]

However, Ia is a current that should flow through the resonance reactor 41 when the main switching element 20 is turned off after the auxiliary switching element 42 is turned on, and Ib is after the auxiliary switching element 42 is turned on and when the return switching element 33 is turned off. The current that should flow through the resonance reactor 41, t 1 min is the minimum value of the on-period t 1 of the main switching element 20, and t 2 min is the minimum value of the on-period t 2 of the return switching element 33. Further, assuming that the upper limit value of the allowable range of the load current IL is ILmax, | Ia |, | Ib |> ILmax.
[0076]
When the inductance Lr of the resonance reactor 41 is set in this way, the DC / DC converter 1 has the worst operating condition, that is, IL = ILmax, and the ON period of the main switching element 20 or the reflux switching element 33 Even if one of t1 and t2 is set to its minimum value T1min, T2min, the reactor current Ir reaches the magnitudes Ia and Ib required for soft switching within the ON period set to the minimum value. Can be reliably changed.
[0077]
When calculating the inductance Lr as described above, the center value of the allowable voltage range may be generally used as the voltages VC1 and VC2 across the capacitors 11 and 12, but the reliability is further improved. Therefore, the lower limit value of the allowable voltage range may be used.
[0078]
By the way, in this embodiment, when the potential at the connection point A in FIG. 1 fluctuates from a predetermined potential (= C1 · Vin / (C1 + C2)), if [potential at the connection point A]> [predetermined voltage] [Inflow charge amount to connection point A] <[Outflow charge amount from connection point A], and [potential of connection point A] <[predetermined potential], [inflow charge amount to connection point A]> [Outflow charge amount from the connection point A].
[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described.
[0079]
Since the DC / DC converter 3 of the present embodiment is obtained by adding a configuration to the DC / DC converter 1 of the first embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The explanation will focus on the additional part.
In the DC / DC converter 3 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a portion including the main switching element 20, the resonance circuit 40, the choke coil 31, and the return switching element 33 is used as a conversion unit 70a. It is configured by connecting the configured conversion unit 70b in parallel with the conversion unit 70a.
[0080]
The detection unit 51 detects the input voltage Vin, the output voltage Vo, and the reference voltage VA. In addition, for each of the conversion units 70a and 70b, the DS voltages V1 and V2, the reactor current Ir, and the load current (choke coil current) IL. Is configured to detect any of the following.
[0081]
The control unit 61 generates control signals G1 to G3 for each of the conversion units 70a and 70b, and the conversion units 70a and 70b generate, for example, control signals G1 to G3 whose phases are different from each other by 180 °. It is configured as follows.
In the DC / DC converter 3 of this embodiment configured as described above, each of the converters 70a and 70b operates in the same manner as the DC / DC converter 1 of the first embodiment. For this reason, the ripples of the load currents IL output from the converters 70a and 70b have the same shape and different phases, and the current obtained by superimposing the two load currents IL, that is, The ripple of the voltage to be smoothed by the smoothing capacitor 32 is reduced as compared with the DC / DC converter 1 of the first embodiment. In addition, each of the conversion units 70a and 70b only needs to be able to supply ½ power compared to the configuration corresponding to the conversion unit of the DC / DC converter 1 of the first embodiment.
[0082]
Therefore, according to the DC / DC converter 3 of the present embodiment, not only the same effects as those of the DC / DC converter 1 of the first embodiment are obtained, but also components having a small physique (current capacity, withstand voltage, size) are used. Therefore, the apparatus can be configured at a low cost.
[0083]
As mentioned above, although several embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It is possible to implement in various aspects.
For example, the auxiliary switching element 42 is not necessarily configured by a single element, and may be configured by using, for example, a pair of transistors provided with antiparallel diodes. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8A, the antiparallel diodes may be connected in series so that the antiparallel diodes face in opposite directions.
[0084]
Then, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), if both transistors are controlled so that only one of them is turned on using separate control signals G31 and G32, the transistor turned off regardless of which one is turned on. The current flows through the antiparallel diode, the resonance reactor, and the turned-on transistor, and the on / off state of the transistor is reversed, so that the direction in which the current flows can be reversed. Even if an off signal is given to the gate of the auxiliary switching element 42 after the current of the auxiliary switching element 42 becomes zero, the current is cut off by the antiparallel diode, and zero current switching of the auxiliary switching element 42 is realized. The turn-off may be performed between T4 and T5 in FIG. 4, and there is a merit that exact timing is not required.
[0085]
However, since the power consumption is smaller when the transistor is turned on than when the current is passed through the antiparallel diode, both transistors are used when a transistor capable of flowing a current in both directions is used. As shown in FIG. 8C, it may be configured to be turned on / off simultaneously using the same control signal.
[0086]
In the above embodiment, the capacitances of the capacitors 11 and 12 are set such that C1 = C2 and VA = Vin / 2. However, when Vo> Vin / 2, C1> C2 and VA> Vin / On the contrary, when Vo <Vin / 2, C1 <C2 and VA <Vin / 2 may be set.
[0087]
That is, when Vo> Vin / 2, the ON period of the return switching element 33 is shorter than 1/2 of the switching period of the control signals G1, G2, and similarly, when Vo <Vin / 2, the main switching element. The ON period of 20 becomes shorter than ½ of the switching period of the control signals G1 and G2.
[0088]
When C1> C2 is set, the auxiliary switching element that overlaps the ON period of the reflux switching element 33 due to an increase in the voltage VC2 (= VA) applied to the resonance circuit 40 during the ON period of the reflux switching element 33. Since the ON periods t4 and t5 of the switching element 42 are shortened, even when the ON period of the reflux switching element 33 is short, the soft switching at the turn-on and turn-off of the auxiliary switching element 42 and the turn-on of the main switching element 20 is reliably realized. can do.
[0089]
On the other hand, when C1 <C2, when the voltage VC1 (= Vin−VA) applied to the resonance circuit 40 during the ON period of the main switching element 20 increases, the auxiliary switching element overlaps with the ON period of the main switching element 20 Since the on-periods t3 and t6 of 42 are shortened, even when the on-period of the main switching element 20 is short, the soft switching at the turn-on and turn-off of the auxiliary switching element 42 and the turn-on of the return switching element 33 is reliably realized. can do.
[0090]
In the above embodiment, the set periods t3 and t5 are obtained using the equations (1) and (2) based on the both-end voltages VC1 and VC2 of the capacitors 11 and 12 and the load current IL. , T5 may be obtained by considering the voltages VC1 and VC2 across the capacitors 11 and 12 as fixed values and using only the load current IL as a variable, and conversely, when the load current IL is regarded as a fixed value, Only the voltages VC1 and VC2 may be obtained as variables. Further, when both the voltages VC1 and VC2 across the capacitors 11 and 12 and the fluctuations in the load current IL are both small, the set periods t3 and t5 themselves may be fixed values.
[0091]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, power is directly supplied from the battery BT. However, a low-pass filter including a reactor and a capacitor may be inserted between the battery BT and the power supply unit 10. In this case, noise generated in other devices connected to the battery BT affects the DC / DC converters 1 and 3, or conversely, noise generated in the DC / DC converters 1 and 3 This can prevent other devices connected to the PC from being affected.
[0092]
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although each switching element 20,33,42 is controlled based on the detection result in the detection parts 50 and 51, the detection parts 50 and 51 are abbreviate | omitted and open loop control is carried out. The switching elements 20, 33 and 42 may be controlled. In this case, the control algorithm in the control units 60 and 61 can be simplified, and further cost reduction can be achieved.
[0093]
By the way, the switching elements 20, 33, and 42 may all have the same breakdown voltage and maximum current rating, and the auxiliary switching element 42 has a lower breakdown voltage and maximum current rating than the other switching elements 20 and 33. You may comprise using things. In the former case, since all the switching elements 20, 33 and 42 can be formed on the same chip, processing can be facilitated, and in the latter case, conduction loss in the auxiliary switching element 42 can be reduced.
[0094]
Moreover, although the case where electric power is sent from the battery BT side to the load X side has been described in the above embodiment, conversely, when electric power is sent from the load X side to the battery BT side (that is, the direction of the load current IL in FIG. 1). The same holds true for vice versa.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a DC / DC converter of a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the contents of PWM control value setting processing and soft switching control value setting processing executed by a control unit.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the contents of switching control processing executed by a control unit.
FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing the operation of each part of the DC / DC converter.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a PWM control value setting method.
FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing the operation of the main switching element and the return switching element when they are turned on.
FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a DC / DC converter of a second embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a specific example and operation of an auxiliary switching element.
FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a conventional DC / DC converter.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,3 ... DC / DC converter, 10 ... Power supply part, 11, 12 ... Capacitor, 20 ... Main switching element, 30 ... Smoothing circuit, 31 ... Choke coil, 32 ... Smoothing capacitor, 33 ... Return switching element, 40 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Resonant circuit, 41 ... Resonant reactor, 42 ... Auxiliary switching element, 43 ... Resonant capacitor, 50, 51 ... Detection part, 60, 61 ... Control part, 70a, 70b ... Conversion part, A, B ... Connection point, BT ... battery, X ... load.

Claims (12)

A main switching element that interrupts the power supply path connected to the DC power supply;
A smoothing circuit comprising a choke coil, a smoothing capacitor, a return switching element for returning current to the choke coil when the main switching element is turned off, and a smoothing circuit for smoothing power supplied through the main switching element;
Output control means for PWM-controlling the main switching element so that the output voltage from the smoothing circuit becomes a constant voltage;
A voltage dividing circuit comprising a plurality of capacitors or secondary batteries connected in series, and generating a reference voltage obtained by dividing the power supply voltage of the DC power supply;
A series circuit consisting of a resonance reactor and an auxiliary switching element is connected to a resonance capacitor in parallel, with one end connected to the voltage dividing point for extracting the reference voltage from the voltage dividing circuit and the other end connected to the output side of the main switching element. Resonant circuit,
The auxiliary switching element is configured such that when the main switching element is turned on, the resonance circuit resonates, and a first voltage signal for zero voltage switching of the main switching element is applied to the output side of the main switching element. Soft switching control means to control;
In a DC / DC converter with
The auxiliary switching element is composed of an element that allows current to flow in both directions,
The soft switching control unit generates the first voltage signal until the amount of charge corresponding to the charge flowing out from the voltage dividing point regenerates the first voltage signal. A DC / DC converter, wherein the auxiliary switching element is controlled to flow into a voltage dividing point. The reflux switching element is constituted by an element that allows current to flow in both directions,
The output control means controls the main switching element and the switching element for reflux so that the other is turned on after one is turned off,
The soft switching control means applies a second voltage signal to the output side of the main switching element so that the resonance circuit resonates when the return switching element is turned on, and the return switching element is zero-voltage switched. The DC / DC converter according to claim 1, wherein a current is caused to flow into the voltage dividing point by controlling the auxiliary switching element as described above. The output control means turns on the main switching element when a zero voltage of the main switching element is detected after the return switching element is turned off, and also turns on the zero voltage of the return switching element after the main switching element is turned off. 3. The DC / DC converter according to claim 2, wherein when the signal is detected, the switching element for reflux is turned on. The main switching element and the reflux switching element are composed of a transistor having an antiparallel diode,
The main switching element is connected so that the forward direction of the antiparallel diode is opposite to the power supply direction,
4. The DC / DC converter according to claim 2, wherein the return switching element is connected so that a forward direction of the antiparallel diode coincides with a direction in which the return current flows. The time required for the reactor current flowing through the resonance reactor when the auxiliary switching means is turned on to reach a current value greater than or equal to a preset load current is defined as a required time, and the main switching element or the reflux switching element is turned on. The inductance of the resonance reactor is set so that the required time is smaller than one half of the time limit, with the smaller one of the lower limit values of time as the time limit. The DC / DC converter according to any one of claims 2 to 4. A detecting means for detecting an operating state of the DC / DC converter;
The soft switching control means, according to the operating state detected by the detection means, so that a current more than a load current flows through the resonance circuit when the main switching element and the return switching element are turned off. 6. The DC / DC converter according to claim 1, wherein timing for turning on the auxiliary switching element is changed. 7. The DC / DC converter according to claim 6, wherein the detecting means detects a power supply voltage of the DC power supply and a reference voltage generated by the voltage dividing circuit as the operation state. The DC / DC converter according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the detection means detects a load current of the DC / DC converter as the operation state. Reactor current detection means for detecting a current flowing through the resonance reactor,
The DC / DC converter according to claim 1, wherein the soft switching control unit turns off the auxiliary switching element after the reactor current becomes zero. The auxiliary switching element comprises a pair of transistors having anti-parallel diodes,
10. The DC / DC converter according to claim 1, wherein the transistors are connected in series so that directions of the antiparallel diodes are opposite to each other. 11. The DC / DC converter according to claim 10, wherein the soft switching control means drives a pair of transistors constituting the auxiliary switching element using the same control signal. A plurality of conversion units comprising the main switching element, a smoothing circuit, and a resonance circuit are provided in parallel,
The said output control means and a soft switching control means operate the said main switching element, the switching element for recirculation | reflux, and an auxiliary | assistant switching element at a different timing for every said conversion part. DC / DC converter.

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