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

在新兴应用中，降低开关电源的功耗和尺寸非常重要，例如：用于手机、平板电脑和笔记本电脑的电源交付（PD）适配器；以及电动汽车（EV）。******MOSFET（金属氧化物半导体场效应晶体管）开关专门用于当今的电源。MOSFET技术已经发展了30多年，其性能已经达到了理论极限。对于MOSFET，低功率应用（如65W）的最佳开关频率限制在200 500khz，高功率应用（如1,000 5000w输出功率）的最佳开关频率限制在50 100khz。******GaN（氮化镓）开关是近年来发展起来的下一代开关器件，有望取代mosfet。GaN开关具有更低的传导损耗和更低的开关损耗。我的研究得出结论，当GaN开关用于谐振变换器时，它可以比MOSFET实现最大的性能改进。然而，为了实现这种新技术的潜力，我们需要解决谐振变换器的一个主要限制：狭窄的电压增益范围。当输入电压和输出电压变化范围较大时，如大于2:1，电流谐振变换器的性能就会受到明显影响。******提出的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开关和谐振变换器，以：(1)通过(2)在非常宽的输入输出电压变化范围内实现峰值效率运行，例如10:1，显著提高开关电源的效率和功率密度，从而(3)产生前所未有的高效率和高功率密度的开关电源设计。******本次研究项目开发的革命性PCM技术将使手机、平板电脑、笔记本电脑的PD适配器尺寸减小5倍，功耗降低2.5倍；(2)电动汽车使用的DC - DC变换器尺寸减小3倍，功率损耗减小2倍。该技术将帮助麦格纳国际（电动汽车电源的主要供应商）、Delta-Q（电动汽车电源）、AMD多伦多电源部门、村田电力解决方案（通信电源）等加拿大电源公司在各自领域保持世界领先地位。针对GaN开关应用优化的技术还将帮助加拿大通过渥太华的GaN系统等公司保持其在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。******在该项目中培训的22名hqp和后续NSERC项目中将培训的更多hqp将把上述加拿大公司的新技术转化为新产品，并帮助他们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.