FLYING CAPACITOR MULTILEVEL CONVERTERS FOR ANODE SUPPLIES IN HALL EFFECT THRUSTERS

• Main Authors: Conversano, Ryan W, Stell, Christopher B, Vorperian, Vatché, Barchowsky, Ansel
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.03.2021
• Subjects: AIRCRAFT; APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC,OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWERSUPPLY SYSTEMS; AVIATION; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BLASTING; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUTPOWER; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; COSMONAUTICS; ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS; ELECTRICITY; GENERATION; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRODUCING A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR; WEAPONS; WIND, SPRING WEIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS MOTORS

A flying capacitor multilevel (FCML) converter including a gate driver circuit comprising a DC-DC flyback converter having a plurality of isolated outputs. In various examples, the FCML circuit further includes a first control circuit connected to the FCML circuit determining the load current associated with a desired power output from the load; and determining a desired output voltage associated with the load current; a second control circuit that drives an inductor current (IL) through the inductor so that the output applies an output voltage comprising the desired output voltage; and a third control circuit obtaining a comparison of an average of the inductor current (IL) through the inductor with a predetermined reference current (ILREF) and setting the duty cycle so that the average does not exceed the predetermined reference current. Also described is the converter driving a load comprising a plasma and a propulsion system comprising the converter.