Low input voltage boost converter with peak inductor current control and offset compensated zero detection

摘要

The low input voltage boost converter with peak inductor current control and offset compensated zero detection provide a boost converter scheme to harvest energy from sources with small output voltages. Some embodiments described herein includes a thermoelectric boost converter that combines an IPEAK control scheme with offset compensation and duty cycled comparators to enable energy harvesting from TEG inputs as low as 5 mV to 10 mV, and the peak inductor current is independent to first order of the input voltage and output voltage. A control circuit can be configured to sample the input voltage (VIN) and then generate a pulse with a duration inversely proportional to VIN so as to control the boost converter switches such that a substantially constant peak inductor current is generated.

主权项

1. An apparatus, comprising:
an inductor configured to pass through an inductor current; a boost converter switch operatively coupled to the inductor, the boost converter switch configured to receive an input voltage and generate an output voltage when the boost converter switch is activated; and a switch control circuit operatively coupled to the boost converter switch, the switch control circuit configured to sample and measure the input voltage, the switch control circuit configured to determine a pulse duration of a control signal, the pulse duration being proportional to an inverse of the input voltage, the switch control circuit configured to send the control signal to activate the boost converter switch so as to maintain a peak inductor current substantially constant, the peak inductor current being first-order independent of the input voltage and the output voltage.