Power Combiners
Power combiners take two DC power sources and combine them into one, creating redundancy. The use of ideal diodes reduces the power loss incurred in this process.
Combining DC power sources is often done with a pair of diodes, but with large currents the voltage drop across the diode generates a lot of heat which can be difficult to get rid of. Ideal diode power combiners use FETs instead of diodes to minimise the voltage drop and avoid most of the heat build-up.
Grounding:Although ideal diodes are functionally equivalent to real diodes, there is a key difference to be aware of: ideal diodes must have a ground reference. This is because they are made up of active devices which require power. Therefore ground terminals are provided for each input and output terminal. Although these are all connected together internally, to avoid creating unpredictable ground return paths it is strongly recommended that all 3 ground terminals are used.
Use with ESCs:One possible application for these devices is to power ESCs (Electronic Speed Controllers) from more than one battery. Be aware that regenerative braking only works if there is a path for regenerated current to make its way back to the battery, and any sort of diode – real or ideal – in the way will prevent this. Regenerative braking must be turned off in this situation or damage will occur.
Millswood Engineering makes two ideal diode power combiners:
