Critical-mode soft-switching control for three-phase AC/DC
This technology improves the efficiency of power converters that move electricity between AC and DC systems — the kind found in electric vehicle chargers, solar inverters, and industrial power supplies. It works by strategically 'clamping' one of the three phase legs in the converter (keeping it from switching) while the other two operate in optimized switching modes that reduce energy losses. The result is softer, lower-stress switching transitions that cut heat generation and allow the use of smaller, cheaper components. This is a controls-level innovation, meaning it can potentially be implemented in firmware without redesigning the underlying hardware.
What you could build
A firmware or control IC module for three-phase bidirectional chargers and inverters — sold to EV charging equipment manufacturers, solar inverter makers, or industrial UPS vendors — that improves efficiency ratings without requiring new power stage hardware.
Who in Virginia should care
Virginia-based defense and industrial power electronics suppliers (e.g., firms near the Pentagon corridor or shipbuilding contractors in Hampton Roads) and EV infrastructure companies expanding in the state would find bidirectional converter efficiency directly relevant.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- —
- Granted
- May 14, 2019
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 102835
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.