US 11,711,009 B2
Methods, systems, and devices for soft switching of power converters
Matthias Preindl, New York, NY (US); and Liwei Zhou, New York, NY (US)
Assigned to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY (US)
Filed by The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY (US)
Filed on Oct. 21, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/76,133.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/925,566, filed on Oct. 24, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0126522 A1, Apr. 29, 2021
Int. Cl. H02M 3/158 (2006.01); H02M 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02M 1/0058 (2021.05) [H02M 3/158 (2013.01); H02M 1/0003 (2021.05)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A voltage converter device comprising:
one or more inductive elements to deliver inductor current to an output section of the voltage converter device;
at least one switching device to control current flow at the output section of the voltage converter device; and
a controller to controllably vary, according to a predictive model that corresponds to a cost function, a subsequently applied switching frequency to the at least one switching device to maintain zero-voltage switching based, at least in part, on the inductor current of the one or more inductive elements, wherein, to controllably vary, according to the predictive model that corresponds to the cost function, the subsequently applied switching frequency, the controller is configured to vary the subsequently applied switching frequency according to an optimization process that uses the cost function.