Power Cycle Modulation Control for High Efficiency GaN Switch Based Power Supplies

在新的和新兴的应用中，例如用于手机、平板电脑和笔记本电脑的功率传输(PD)适配器以及电动汽车(EV)中，降低功率损耗和开关电源的尺寸非常重要。*MOSFET(Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor-Field-Effect-Transistor)开关仅用于当今的电源。MOSFET技术经过30多年的发展，其性能已经达到了理论极限。对于MOSFET，低功率应用(如65W)的最佳开关频率为200~500 kHz，高功率应用(如1000~5000 W输出功率)的最佳开关频率为50~100 kHz。氮化镓(GaN)开关是近年来发展起来的有望取代MOSFET的下一代开关器件。GaN开关具有更低的导通损耗和更低的开关损耗。我的研究得出结论，GaN开关在用于谐振转换器时，可以实现比MOSFET最大的性能改进。然而，要实现这一新技术的潜力，我们需要解决谐振转换器的一个主要限制：窄的电压增益范围。当输入电压和输出电压的变化范围很大时，例如大于2：1，电流谐振式变流器的性能会受到严重影响。*该研究计划将开发一种突破性的电源控制技术，称为功率周期调制(PCM)，使用GaN开关和谐振变流器，以：(1)显著提高开关电源的效率和功率密度，方法是(2)在非常宽的输入和输出电压变化范围(例如10：1，从而(3)生产出具有前所未有的高效率和高功率密度的开关电源设计。*本研究计划开发的革命性PCM技术将使手机、平板电脑和笔记本电脑的PD适配器尺寸缩小5倍，功耗降低2.5倍；(2)电动汽车用DC-DC变流器的体积减小了3倍，功率损耗降低了2倍。这项技术将帮助加拿大供电公司，如Magna International(电动汽车电力的主要参与者)、Delta-Q(电动汽车电力)、多伦多的AMD电力部门、村田电力解决方案公司(通信电力)，保持其领域的世界领先地位。针对GaN开关应用进行优化的技术还将帮助加拿大通过渥太华的GaN系统公司等公司保持其在GaN开关设计、制造和销售方面的世界领先地位。最后，它将支持创造就业机会并培训HQP来填补这些职位。*在该计划中培训的22名HQP以及将在后续NSERC项目中接受培训的更多HQP将把新创造的技术转化为上述加拿大公司的新产品，并帮助确保其世界领先地位。

It is very important to reduce power loss and size of the switching power supplies used in new and emerging applications, such as: in Power Delivery (PD) adapters for cell phones, tablets, and notebook computers; and in Electric Vehicles (EV). ******MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor-Field-Effect-Transistor) switches are exclusively used in today's power supplies. MOSFET technology has been developed for over 30 years and its performance has reached its theoretical limit. With MOSFET, the optimal switching frequency is limited to 200 500 kHz for low power application (such as 65W) and to 50 100 kHz for high power application (such as 1,000 5,000W output power).******GaN (Gallium Nitride) switches have been developed in recent years as a next generation switching device with the promise of replacing MOSFETs. GaN switches have much lower conduction loss and lower switching loss. My research has concluded that a GaN switch can achieve the most performance improvement over MOSFET when it is used in resonant converters. However, to realize the potential of this new technology, we need to solve one major limitation of resonant converters: narrow voltage gain range. When the input voltage and output voltage variation range is large, such as larger than 2:1, the performance of current resonant converters is significantly compromised.******The proposed research program will develop a breakthrough power supply control technology, called Power Cycle Modulation (PCM), using GaN switches and resonant converters, to: (1) significantly increase the efficiency and power density of switching power supplies, by (2) achieving peak efficiency operation over very wide input and output voltage variation range, such as 10:1, so as to (3) produce power supply designs with unprecedented high efficiency and high power density of switching power supplies.******The revolutionary PCM technology developed in this research program will reduce: (1) the size of PD adapter for cell phones, tablet, and notebook computers by 5 times and the power loss by 2.5 times; (2) the size of the DC DC converter used in EVs by 3 times and the power loss by 2 times. The technology will help Canadian power supply companies, such as Magna International (major player for EV power), Delta-Q (EV power), AMD power division in Toronto, Murata Power Solutions (communication power), to stay in world leading positions in their field. The technologies optimized for GaN switch applications will also assist Canada in maintaining its position as the world leader in GaN switch design, manufacturing, and sales through companies such as GaN Systems, in Ottawa. Finally, it will support job creation and train HQPs to fill these positions. ******Twenty two HQPs trained in this program and more HQPs to be trained in the follow-up NSERC projects will transfer the newly-created technologies into new products by the above mentioned Canadian companies, and help secure their world leading positions.