US 12,244,313 B2
Pulse forming network (PFN) having multiple capacitor units and a common passive output circuit for forming a pulse having a multi-level voltage and a method of forming such a pulse
Moshe Shterzer, Herzliya (IL)
Assigned to Moshe Shterzer, Herzliya (IL); and Antoni Waldemar Koszykowski, Wisbech (GB)
Appl. No. 17/441,317
Filed by Moshe Shterzer, Herzliya (IL); and Antoni Waldemar Koszykowski, Wisbech (GB)
PCT Filed Mar. 10, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IL2020/050280
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 21, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/194290, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 1, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/822,910, filed on Mar. 24, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0182046 A1, Jun. 9, 2022
Int. Cl. H03K 3/57 (2006.01); H02M 3/158 (2006.01)
CPC H03K 3/57 (2013.01) [H02M 3/158 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pulse forming network (PFN) for driving Xenon pulse lamps, comprising:
a single common passive output circuit utilizing a current source output circuit comprising an inductor connected in series to at least one Xenon pulse lamp and an anti-reversing diode connected in parallel to the inductor and the at least one Xenon pulse lamp;
a plurality of capacitor units set to store a plurality of electrical charges in a plurality of working output voltages;
a plurality of switches, each adapted to electrically couple a respective one of the plurality of capacitor units to the common passive output circuit electrically connecting all the switches to the at least one Xenon pulse lamp,
wherein each of the plurality of switches is configured to form, when electrically connecting a respective one of the plurality of capacitor units to the single common passive output circuit, one of a plurality of buck converters regulating a discharge level of the plurality of capacitor units; and
a control unit adapted to operate the plurality of switches to discharge the plurality of charges into the at least one Xenon pulse lamp, via the common passive output circuit, in a sequence ordered to form a regulated energizing pulse, over a time period, having a desired gradually decreasing multi-level voltage waveform comprising a plurality of gradually decreasing high voltage level segments in a first voltage level range having a first maximum level and a plurality of low voltage level segments in a second voltage level range having a second maximum level falling below the first maximum level, wherein the plurality of gradually decreasing high voltage level segments and the plurality of low voltage level segments are alternating with one another, wherein an entirety of the plurality of gradually decreasing high voltage level segments having, when combined, a voltage level which gradually decreases continuously over the time period across the entirety of the plurality of high voltage level segments,
wherein the desired multi-level voltage waveform is constructed from the plurality of different working output voltages;
wherein the at least one Xenon pulse lamp emits light pulses having a pattern corresponding to the regulated energizing pulse.