A soft switching active snubber optimized for IGBT's in singleswitch unity power factor three-phase diode rectifiers

This paper describes a soft switching active snubber for an IGBT operating in a single switch unity power factor three-phase diode rectifier. The soft switching snubber circuit provides zero-voltage turn-off for the main switch. The high turn-off losses of the IGBT due to current tailing are reduced by zero-voltage switching. This allows the circuit to be operated at very high switching frequencies with regulated DC output voltage, high quality input current and unity input power factor. Simulation and experimental results are included     

A novel lossless passive snubber for soft-switching boost-typeconverters

A novel lossless passive snubber is proposed for soft switching boost-type converters. The proposed snubber does not use any auxiliary switches, but uses two identical snubber capacitors which are charged in parallel at turn off of the main switch and discharged in series at turn on automatically, and the discharged energy is recovered effectively (more than 95% recovery) into the output capacitor. Thus, the snubber provides zero-voltage switching for the converter main switch, reducing both the turn-off losses and the electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise, which improves the converter performance. The experimental results of a 20 kHz 600 W DC-DC boost converter and a single-phase AC-DC boost rectifier with the new snubber are presented     

用开关电容网络改善DC-DC变换器性能的研究

将串并电容组合结构,极性反转开关电容网络和推挽开关电容网络和ｂｕｃｋ,ｂｏｏｓｔ,Ｃｕｋ及ｂｕｃｋ－ｂｏｏｓｔ等传统ＤＣ－ＤＣ变换器相结合,构成一系列新的变换器拓扑结构。理论分析和实验结果秀助于提高具有悬殊电压变化比的ＤＣ－ＤＣ变换器的工作频率和动态响应,还能拓宽变换器的电压变换范围。     

Soft Switching Circuit for Interleaved Boost Converters

A zero-voltage switching-zero-current switching interleaved boost converter is proposed in this paper. An active circuit branch in parallel with the main switches is added and it is composed of an auxiliary switch and a snubber capacitor. By using this interleaved converter topology, zero current turn-on and zero voltage turn-off of the main switches can be achieved and the reverse-recovery loss of boost diode can be reduced. In addition, the auxiliary switches are zero-voltage transmission during the whole switching transition. A prototype of boost converter rated at 1.2kW has been built to confirm the effectiveness of the converter     

A new, soft-switched, high-power-factor boost converter with IGBTs

A new soft-switching technique that improves performance of the high-power-factor boost rectifier by reducing switching losses is introduced. The losses are reduced by an active snubber which consists of an inductor, a capacitor, a rectifier, and an auxiliary switch. Since the boost switch turns off with zero current, this technique is well suited for implementations with insulated-gate bipolar transistors. The reverse-recovery-related losses of the rectifier are also reduced by the snubber inductor which is connected in series with the boost switch and the boost rectifier. In addition, the auxiliary switch operates with zero-voltage switching. A complete design procedure and extensive performance evaluation of the proposed active snubber using a 1.2 kW high-power-factor boost rectifier operating from a 90 V_rms-256 V_rms input are also presented     

Zero-Voltage and Zero-Current Switching Full-Bridge DC–DC Converter With Auxiliary Transformer

A novel zero-voltage and zero-current switching (ZVZCS) full-bridge phase-shifted pulsewidth modulation (PWM) converter using insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) with auxiliary transformer is proposed to improve the properties of the previously presented converters. ZVZCS for all power switches is achieved for full load range from no-load to short circuit by adding active energy recovery snubber and auxiliary circuits. The principle of operation is explained and analyzed and experimental results are presented. The features and design considerations of the converter are verified on a 3-kW, 50-kHz IGBT based experimental circuit.     

Design and Application for PV Generation System Using a Soft-Switching Boost Converter With SARC

In order to improve the efficiency of energy conversion for a photovoltaic (PV) system, a soft-switching boost converter using a simple auxiliary resonant circuit, which is composed of an auxiliary switch, a diode, a resonant inductor, and a resonant capacitor, is adopted in this paper. The conventional boost converter decreases the efficiency because of hard switching, which generates losses when the switches are turned on/off. During this interval, all switches in the adopted circuit perform zero-current switching by the resonant inductor at turn-on, and zero-voltage switching by the resonant capacitor at turn-off. This switching pattern can reduce the switching losses, voltage and current stress of the switching device. Moreover, it is very easy to control. In this paper, we have analyzed the operational principles of the adopted soft-switching boost converter, and it is designed for PV generation system. Simulation and experimental results are presented to confirm the theoretical analysis.      

Reliability considerations in pulsed power resonant conversion

This work is about the analysis of reliability issues in pulsed power resonant converters, which feature fairly unique operational characteristics, differentiating them substantially from more common power electronics applications (e.g., inverters, dc–dc converters). First, an overview of the converter functioning is provided; then, an a priori minimisation of the electro-thermal stress levels affecting the active switches (IGBTs) is searched for: this is based on an experimental parametric study of the turn-off snubber and of the DC-link capacitance value for which the overall switching power losses can be minimised. Accurate measurements of the switching losses in the IGBT modules are performed by means of a calorimetric technique. Finally, infra-red measurements of the IGBTs surface temperature during transient operation are presented, showing that the introduction of soft-switching strongly reduces the amplitude of lower frequency thermal cycles.     

Novel zero-voltage-transition PWM multiphase converters

Novel zero-voltage-transition (ZVT) pulse-width-modulation (PWM) multiphase converters are presented. To construct a ZVT multiphase converter in a conventional way, it is necessary to add the auxiliary circuits with as many number of phases. In the proposed converter, only one auxiliary circuit provides the zero-voltage switching (ZVS) for main switches and diodes of all phases. So, the new converters are cost effective and attractive for high-performance and high power-density conversion applications. Operation, features, and characteristics of the two-phase buck converter are illustrated and verified on a 4-kW 100-kHz insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT)-based (a MOSFET for the auxiliary switch) experimental circuit     

Switched-Capacitor/Switched-Inductor Structures for Getting Transformerless Hybrid DC–DC PWM Converters

A few simple switching structures, formed by either two capacitors and two-three diodes (C-switching), or two inductors and two-three diodes (L-switching) are proposed. These structures can be of two types: ldquostep-downrdquo and ldquostep-up.rdquo These blocks are inserted in classical converters: buck, boost, buck-boost, Cuk, Zeta, Sepic. The ldquostep-downrdquo C- or L-switching structures can be combined with the buck, buck-boost, Cuk, Zeta, Sepic converters in order to get a step-down function. When the active switch of the converter is on, the inductors in the L-switching blocks are charged in series or the capacitors in the C-switching blocks are discharged in parallel. When the active switch is off, the inductors in the L-switching blocks are discharged in parallel or the capacitors in the C-switching blocks are charged in series. The ldquostep-uprdquo C- or L-switching structures are combined with the boost, buck-boost, Cuk, Zeta, Sepic converters, to get a step-up function. The steady-state analysis of the new hybrid converters allows for determing their DC line-to-output voltage ratio. The gain formula shows that the hybrid converters are able to reduce/increase the line voltage more times than the original, classical converters. The proposed hybrid converters contain the same number of elements as the quadratic converters. Their performances (DC gain, voltage and current stresses on the active switch and diodes, currents through the inductors) are compared to those of the available quadratic converters. The superiority of the new, hybrid converters is mainly based on less energy in the magnetic field, leading to saving in the size and cost of the inductors, and less current stresses in the switching elements, leading to smaller conduction losses. Experimental results confirm the theoretical analysis.     

Utilization of an active-clamp circuit to achieve soft switching inflyback converters

Flyback derived power convertor topologies are attractive because of their relative simplicity when compared with other topologies used in low power applications. Incorporation of active-clamp circuitry into the flyback topology serves to recycle transformer leakage energy while minimizing switch voltage stress. The addition of the active-clamp circuit also provides a mechanism for achieving zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) of both the primary and auxiliary switches. ZVS also limits the turn-off di/dt of the output rectifier, reducing rectifier switching losses, and switching noise due to diode reverse recovery. This paper analyzes the behavior of the ZVS active-clamp flyback operating with unidirectional magnetizing current and presents design equations based on this analysis. Experimental results are then given for a 500 W prototype circuit illustrating the soft-switching characteristics and improved efficiency of the power converter. Results from the application of the active-clamp circuit as a low-loss turn-off snubber for IGBT switches is also presented     

A multiple-switch high-voltage DC-DC converter

Series connection of power devices has evolved into a mature technique and is widely applied in HV DC power systems. Static and dynamic voltage balance is ensured by shunting individual devices with dissipative snubbers. The snubber losses become pronounced for increased operating frequencies and adversely affect power density. Capacitive snubbers do not exhibit these disadvantages, but they require a zero-voltage switching mode. Super-resonant power converters facilitate the principle of zero-voltage switching. A high-voltage DC-DC power converter with multiple series-connected devices is proposed. It allows the application of nondissipating snubbers to assist the voltage sharing between the multiple series-connected devices and lowers turnoff losses. Simulation results obtained with a circuit simulator are validated in an experimental power converter operating with two series-connected devices. The behavior of the series connection is examined for MOSFETs and IGBTs by both experimental work with a 2 kW prototype and computer simulation. Applications can be found in traction and heavy industry, where the soft-switching power converter is directly powered from a high-voltage source     

State-plane analysis of zero-current-switching resonant DC/DC powerconverters

The state-plane analysis for the buck, boost, buck/boost, and Cuk zero-current-switching resonant DC/DC power converters is presented. Simple visual criteria are introduced to determine whether the converter is operating in a mode producing voltage conversion. It is shown that the voltage conversion takes place within the converters if and only if both horizontal and vertical straight-line segments are present in the state-plane graph. The boundary of energy conversion is identified from the state plane by the evaporation of one or both straight-line segments. Formulas are found for the normalized switching frequency at this boundary that depend on the value of normalized switching voltage     

A passive lossless snubber cell for nonisolated PWM DC/DCconverters

A passive lossless snubber cell is proposed to improve the turn-on and turnoff transients of the MOSFETs in nonisolated pulsewidth modulated (PWM) DC/DC converters. Switching losses and EMI noise are reduced by restricting di/dt of the reverse-recovery current and dv/dt of the drain-source voltage. The MOSFET operates at zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) turnoff and near zero-current-switching (ZCS) turn-on. The freewheeling diode is also commutated under ZVS. As an example, operation principles, theoretical analysis, relevant equations, and experimental results of a boost converter equipped with the proposed snubber cell are presented in detail. Efficiency of 96% has also been measured in the experimental results reported for a 1 kW 100 kHz prototype in the laboratory, Six basic nonisolated PWM DC/DC converters (buck, boost, buck-boost, Cuk, Sepic, and Zeta) equipped with the proposed general snubber cells are also shown in this paper     

High-power-factor soft-switched boost converter

A novel implementation of the high-power-factor (HPF) boost converter with active snubber is described. The snubber circuit reduces the reverse-recovery-related losses of the rectifier and also provides zero-voltage switching for the boost switch and zero-current switching for the auxiliary switch. The performance of the proposed approach was evaluated on an 80-kHz, 1.5-kW, universal-line range, HPF boost converter. The proposed technique improves the efficiency by approximately 2% at full load and low line.     

A new family of zero-voltage-transition PWM converters with dual active auxiliary circuits

A new family of active auxiliary circuits that allow the power switch in single switch, pulsewidth modulated converters to operate with zero-voltage switching is proposed in this paper. The main feature of an auxiliary circuit belonging to this family is that the auxiliary switch can operate with a zero-current switching turn-on and turn-off without increasing the peak current stresses of the main switch. This is an improvement over previous proposed auxiliary circuits where either the auxiliary switch operates with a hard turn-off or the circuit itself increases the peak stresses of the main switch. In this paper, the fundamental principles behind the proposed family of active auxiliary circuits are explained. Based on these principles, an example auxiliary circuit is systematically derived and presented along with several other auxiliary circuits belonging to the new family. The operation of a boost converter operating with the example auxiliary circuit is discussed in detail, and general guidelines for the design and implementation of auxiliary circuits belonging to the new family are given. The feasibility of the example auxiliary circuit is confirmed by experimental results obtained from a 500-W, 100-kHz boost converter laboratory prototype.     

Active-clamp snubbers for isolated half-bridge DC-DC converters

In conventional isolated half-bridge dc-dc converters, the leakage-inductance-related losses degrade converter efficiency and limit the ability to increase the converters' switching frequencies. In this paper, a novel active-clamp snubber circuit for half-bridge dc-dc converters is proposed to recycle the energy stored in the leakage inductance by transferring this energy to a capacitor with zero-voltage zero-current-switching switched auxiliary switches, such that body-diode conduction of primary-side main switches are prevented and primary side ringing are attenuated resulting in improved converter efficiency. Principles of operation and simulation analysis are presented and supported by experimental results that show significant improvement in efficiency.     

The novel resonant DC link three-level soft-switching inverter

ABSTRACT

In the paper, the novel topology of the resonant DC link three-level soft-switching inverter is proposed to reduce switching losses and improve the efficiency of three-level inverter at high switching frequency. Symmetrical auxiliary resonant circuits are set in the DC link of three-level hard-switching inverter. Moreover, the terminal voltage of the resonant capacitors between the DC buses periodically drops to zero via the resonance of auxiliary circuits. Furthermore, under such condition, the main switches of the three-level inverter would be operated, in order to achieve zero-voltage switching. Based on the equivalent circuits in different operating modes, the paper analyses the working process of the soft-switching inverter in detail. In addition, a 3 kW laboratory prototype of resonant DC link three-phase three-level soft-switching inverter is built. The experimental results show that the main switches and auxiliary switches of the inverter are operated under soft-switching conditions, and the efficiency is significantly improved compared with the three-level hard-switching inverter. Therefore, the proposed topology can effectively reduce switching losses and prove to be more practical in engineering.     

DC-DC converter: four switches V/sub pk/=V/sub in//2, capacitive turn-off snubbing, ZV turn-on

A new four-switch full-bridge dc-dc converter topology is especially well-suited for power converters operating from high input voltage: it imposes only half of the input voltage across each of the four switches. The two legs of a full-bridge converter are connected in series with each other, across the dc input source, instead of the usual topology in which each leg is connected across the dc source. The topology reduces turn-off switching losses by providing capacitive snubbing of the turn-off voltage transient, and eliminates capacitor-discharge turn-on losses by providing zero-voltage turn-on. (Switching losses are especially important in converters operating at high input voltage because turn-on losses are proportional to the square of the input voltage, and turn-off losses are proportional to the input voltage). The topology is suitable for resonant and nonresonant converters. It adds one bypass capacitor and one commutating inductor to the minimum-topology full-bridge converter (that inductor is already present in many present-day converters, to provide zero-voltage turn-on, or is associated with one or two capacitors to provide resonant operation), and contains a dc-blocking capacitor in series with the output transformer, primary winding, and some nonresonant converters (that capacitor is already present in resonant power converters). The paper gives a theoretical analysis, and experimental data on a 1.5-kW example that was built and tested: 600-Vdc input, 60-Vdc output at up to 25A, and 50-kHz switching frequency. The measured performance agreed well with the theoretical predictions. The measured efficiency was 93.6% at full load, and was a maximum of 95.15% at 44.8% load.     

A new ZVT-PWM DC-DC converter

In this paper, a new active snubber cell that overcomes most of the drawbacks of the normal "zero voltage transition-pulse width modulation" (ZVT-PWM) converter is proposed to contrive a new family of ZVT-PWM converters. A converter with the proposed snubber cell can also operate at light load conditions. All of the semiconductor devices in this converter are turned on and off under exact or near zero voltage switching (ZVS) and/or zero current switching (ZCS). No additional voltage and current stresses on the main switch and main diode occur. Also, the auxiliary switch and auxiliary diodes are subjected to voltage and current values at allowable levels. Moreover, the converter has a simple structure, low cost, and ease of control. A ZVT-PWM boost converter equipped with the proposed snubber cell is analyzed in detail. The predicted operation principles and theoretical analysis of the presented converter are verified with a prototype of a 2 kW and 50 kHz PWM boost converter with insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). In this study, a design procedure of the proposed active snubber cell is also presented. Additionally, at full output power in the proposed soft switching converter, the main switch loss is about 27% and the total circuit loss is about 36% of that in its counterpart hard switching converter, and so the overall efficiency, which is about 91% in the hard switching case, increases to about 97%