A high‐efficiency isolated DC/DC converter using series connection on the secondary side

This paper proposes a new circuit topology for a high‐efficiency isolated DC/DC converter using series compensation. The proposed converter consists of a high‐efficiency resonance half‐bridge converter and a series converter. The series converter regulates the output voltage and provides only the differential voltage between the input voltage and output voltage. Therefore, the circuit achieves high efficiency when the input voltage is almost equal to the output voltage, because then only the resonance converter will operate. In this paper, the approach employed to achieve high efficiency by using the proposed series compensation method is introduced. In addition, the fundamental operation and the method of designing the proposed circuit are described. The suitability of the proposed circuit was confirmed by performing experiment and loss analysis, and the maximum efficiency achieved was 96.2%. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 182(2): 42–52, 2013; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.22330     

Fast‐transient DC‐DC converter using a high‐performance error amplifier with a rapid output‐voltage control technique

This letter presents a method for improving the transient response of DC‐DC converters. The proposed technique replaces the conventional error amplifier with a combination of two different amplifiers to achieve a high loop gain and high slew rate. In addition, a rapid output‐voltage control circuit is employed to further reduce the recovery time. The proposed technique was applied to a four‐phase buck converter, and the chip was implemented using a 0.18‐μm CMOS process. The switching frequency of each phase was set at 2 MHz. Using a supply voltage of 2.7–5.5 V and an output voltage of 0.6–1.5 V, the regulator provided up to 2‐A load current with maximum measured recovery time of only 6.2 and 6.5 μs for increasing and decreasing load current, respectively. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two‐switch flyback PWM DC–DC converter in discontinuous‐conduction mode

The two‐switch flyback DC–DC converter is an extended version of the conventional single‐switch flyback converter. An additional switch and two clamping diodes serve as a simple, but an effective way to limit the switch overvoltages, which occur in the conventional single‐switch flyback converter due to the ringing of the resonant circuit formed by the transformer leakage inductance and the transistor output capacitance. The clamping diodes in the two‐switch flyback topology clamp the maximum voltage across each switch equal to the DC input voltage. This paper presents a detailed analysis and design procedure of the diode‐clamped two‐switch flyback converter operated in discontinuous‐conduction mode (DCM). A comparison of power losses of the two‐switch and the single‐switch flyback converters is given. The two‐switch flyback converter was bread‐boarded to validate the theoretical analysis. Experimental results from a 20‐V/30‐W, 100‐kHz laboratory prototype verified that the maximum switch voltage is limited to the DC input voltage. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis and implementation of a high‐efficiency zero‐voltage‐zero‐current‐switching DC–DC converter

A high‐efficiency zero‐voltage‐zero‐current‐switching DC–DC converter with ripple‐free input current is presented. In the presented converter, the ripple‐free boost cell provides ripple‐free input current and zero‐voltage switching of power switches. The resonant flyback cell provides zero‐voltage switching of power switches and zero‐current switching of the output diode. Also, it has a simple output stage. The proposed converter achieves high efficiency because of the reduction of the switching losses of the power switches and the output diode. Detailed analysis and design of the proposed converter are carried out. A prototype of the proposed converter is developed and its experimental results are presented for validation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two‐switch flyback PWM DC‐DC converter in continuous‐conduction mode

The two‐switch flyback DC‐DC converter is an extended version of the conventional single‐switch flyback converter. An additional switch and two clamping diodes serve as a simple, but an effective way to limit the switch overvoltages, which occur in the conventional single‐switch flyback converter due to the ringing of the resonant circuit formed by the transformer leakage inductance and the transistor output capacitance. The clamping diodes in the two‐switch flyback topology clamp the maximum voltage across each switch equal to the DC input voltage. This paper presents a detailed steady‐state analysis and design procedure of the diode‐clamped two‐switch flyback converter operated in continuous‐conduction mode (CCM). The power loss in each component of the two‐switch flyback converter is compared with those of the single‐switch flyback converters with and without RCD clamp, and is presented in a tabular form. The two‐switch flyback converter was bread‐boarded to validate the theoretical analysis. Experimental results from a 10 V/30 W, 100 kHz laboratory prototype verified that the maximum switch voltage is limited to the DC input voltage. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A 0.5 V bulk‐driven voltage follower/DC level shifter and its application in class AB output stage

A simple realization of a 0.5 V bulk‐driven voltage follower/direct current (DC) level shifter designed in a 0.18 µm CMOS technology is presented in the paper. The circuit is characterized by large input and output voltage swings and a DC voltage gain close to unity. The DC voltage shift between input and output terminals can be regulated in a certain interval around zero, by means of biasing current sinks. An application of the proposed voltage follower circuit for realization of a low‐voltage class AB output stage has also been described in the paper. Finally, the operational amplifier exploiting the proposed output stage has been presented and evaluated in detail. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design and analysis of power‐CMOS‐gate‐based switched‐capacitor DC–DC converter with step‐down and step‐up modes

A unified multi‐stage power‐CMOS‐transmission‐gate‐based quasi‐switched‐capacitor (QSC) DC–DC converter is proposed to integrate both step‐down and step‐up modes all in one circuit configuration for low‐power applications. In this paper, by using power‐CMOS‐transmission‐gate as a bi‐directional switch, the various topologies for step‐down and step‐up modes can be integrated in the same circuit configuration, and the configuration does not require any inductive elements, so the IC fabrication is promising for realization. In addition, both large‐signal state‐space equation and small‐signal transfer function are derived by state‐space averaging technique, and expressed all in one unified formulation for both modes. Based on the unified model, it is all presented for control design and theoretical analysis, including steady‐state output and power, power efficiency, maximum voltage conversion ratio, maximum power efficiency, maximum output power, output voltage ripple percentage, capacitance selection, closed‐loop control and stability, etc. Finally, a multi‐stage QSC DC–DC converter with step‐down and step‐up modes is made in circuit layout by PSPICE tool, and some topics are discussed, including (1) voltage conversion, output ripple percentage, and power efficiency, (2) output robustness against source noises and (3) regulation capability of converter with loading variation. The simulated results are illustrated to show the efficacy of the unified configuration proposed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hybrid DC–DC converter with high efficiency,wide ZVS range,and less output inductance

In this paper, a new soft switching direct current (DC)–DC converter with low circulating current, wide zero voltage switching range, and reduced output inductor is presented for electric vehicle or plug‐in hybrid electric vehicle battery charger application. The proposed high‐frequency link DC–DC converter includes two resonant circuits and one full‐bridge phase‐shift pulse‐width modulation circuit with shared power switches in leading and lagging legs. Series resonant converters are operated at fixed switching frequency to extend the zero voltage switching range of power switches. Passive snubber circuit using one clamp capacitor and two rectifier diodes at the secondary side is adopted to reduce the primary current of full‐bridge converter to zero during the freewheeling interval. Hence, the circulating current on the primary side is eliminated in the proposed converter. In the same time, the voltage across the output inductor is also decreased so that the output inductance can be reduced compared with the output inductance in conventional full‐bridge converter. Finally, experiments are presented for a 1.33‐kW prototype circuit converting 380 V input to an output voltage of 300–420 V/3.5 A for battery charger applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An interleaved high step‐up DC‐DC converter with double boost paths

This paper proposed a novel high step‐up converter with double boost paths. The circuit uses two switches and one double‐path voltage multiplier cell to own the double boost and interleaved effects simultaneously. The voltage gain ratio of the proposed DC‐DC converter can be three times the ratio of the conventional boost converter such that the voltage stress of the switch can be lower. The high step‐up performance is in accordance with only one double‐path voltage multiplier cell. Therefore, the number of diodes and capacitors in the proposed converter can be reduced. Furthermore, the interleaved property of the proposed circuit can reduce the losses in the rectifier diode and capacitor. The prototype circuit with 24‐V input voltage, 250‐V output voltage, and 150‐W output power is experimentally realized to verify the validity and effectiveness of the proposed converter. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Field trial on a rack‐mounted DC power supply system with 80‐Ah lithium‐ion batteries

Using an industrial lithium‐ion battery that has higher energy density than conventional valve‐regulated lead‐acid batteries, a rack‐mounted DC power supply system was assembled and tested at a base transceiver station (BTS) offering actual services. The nominal output voltage and maximum output current of the system are 53.5 V and 20 A, respectively. An 80‐Ah lithium‐ion battery composed of 13 cells connected in series was applied in the system and maintained by the floating charge method. The DC power supply system was installed in a 19‐inch power rack in the telecommunications equipment box at BTS. The characteristics of the 80‐Ah lithium‐ion battery, the specifications of the DC power supply system, and field‐test results are presented in this paper. \copy 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 174(3): 1–8, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.21067     

One‐cycle controlled quadratic buck converter

The quadratic DC‐DC converter can broaden the voltage conversion ratio, which meets the requirements of wide input voltage. However, large‐scale variation of input voltage puts forward harsh requirements on ability to resist input disturbance of control strategy. Quadratic buck converter (QBC) is pulsed nonlinear dynamic systems, so the one‐cycle control strategy based on robustness principle may provide better rejection of power source than the linear feedback control. But the traditional one‐cycle controlled QBC (TOCCQBC) suffers from poor ability against load disturbance and steady‐state error. To overcome aforementioned shortages, an improved OCCQBC is proposed by adding inductor current to diode voltage as integral variable and introducing feedback of output voltage. The paper first introduces the working principle of the QBC, and second, the OCCQBC is presented. Then, a mathematical model using small signal analysis of the OCCQBC is established, and an experimental prototype with a power of 6 W is set up. Simulation and experimental results verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis and the feasibility of the strategy.     

车用PEMFC发动机超压问题的一种解决方案

质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)作为电动汽车的发动机具有高效、快速启动、零污染等优点,但由于其自身内阻比较大,使得燃料电池堆从开路到最大功率输出电压的波动很大,很容易超出直流/直流变压器(DC/DC)输入电压的允许范围,给电池组的设计带来很大的束缚。通过备用电池堆调整燃料电池输出电压,并根据其极化曲线的滞回特性给出了具体的控制方案和实现电路的原理图,实验证明该方案解决了DC/DC的超压问题,并且具有实现简单,可靠性强等优点。     

车载辅助DC/DC变换器设计

设计了一种以交错并联Boost变换器和LLC变换电路构成两级型的辅助DC/DC变换器。详细给出两级DC/DC变换器的设计方法,针对宽输入电压范围200-375 V,输出电压为12 V,制作实验样机进行验证。     

A novel quasi‐Z‐source indirect matrix converter

A new type of three‐phase quasi‐Z‐source indirect matrix converter (QZS‐IMC) is proposed in this paper. It uses a unique impedance network for achieving voltage‐boost capability and making the input current in continuous conduction mode (CCM) to eliminate the input filter. The complete modulation strategy is proposed to operate the QZS‐IMC. Meanwhile, a closed‐loop DC‐link peak voltage control strategy is proposed, and the DC‐link peak voltage is estimated by measuring both the input and capacitor voltages. With this proposed technique, a high‐performance output voltage control can be achieved with an excellent transient performance even if there are input voltage and load current variations. The controller is designed by using the small‐signal model. Vector control scheme of the induction motor is combined with the QZS‐IMC to achieve the motor drive. A QZS‐IMC prototype is built in laboratory, and experimental results verify the operating principle and theoretical analysis of the proposed converter. The simulation tests of QZS‐IMC based inductor motor drive are carried out to validate the proposed converter's application in motor drive. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A systematic approach to designing a wide‐current range,MOS capacitor‐based switched‐capacitor DC‐DC converter with an augmenting LDO

Switched‐capacitor DC‐DC converters (SC DC‐DC) are analyzed for loss sources, voltage regulation integrity, start‐up latency, and ripple size, while the trade‐offs between these metrics are derived. These analyses are used to design a SC DC‐DC that achieves high efficiency in a wide load current range. Four‐way interleaving was employed to reduce the output ripple and efficiency loss due to this ripple. The design can be reconfigured to achieve gains of 1/3 and 2/5 for inputs ranging between 1.4 and 3.6 V to generate output voltage range of 0.4 to 1.27 V and can supply peak load current of 22 mA. It uses thin‐oxide MOS capacitors for their high density and achieves 75.4% peak efficiency with an input frequency of 100 MHz and a load capacitor of 10 nF. An augmenting LDO that only regulates during sudden load transients helps the converter respond fast to these transients. The chip was implemented using a 65‐nm standard CMOS process.     

Characteristic Analysis of a Micro DC‐DC Converter for Portable Electronic Devices and an Improvement of Transient Response Characteristic

This paper describes the characteristic analysis of a micro DC‐DC converter which integrates inductor, controller and switching devices, and the improvement of the transient response characteristic. The steady‐state operation and the efficiency characteristics of the micro DC‐DC converter are presented as experimental data. The static characteristics are theoretically analyzed with consideration of the DC current characteristics of the inductor. The load transient response characteristics of the micro DC‐DC converter are also analyzed experimentally and theoretically. In addition, the factors responsible for the overshoot and undershoot of the output voltage when the load changes are discussed. Finally, a clamp circuit for reducing the overshoot and undershoot of the output voltage when the load changes is proposed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 175(3): 56–64, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.21081     

A soft‐switching high step‐up DC‐DC converter with a single magnetic component

A soft‐switching high step‐up DC‐DC converter with a single magnetic component is presented in this paper. The proposed converter can provide high voltage gain with a relatively low turn ratio of a transformer. Voltage doubler structure is selected for the output stage. Due to this structure, the voltage gain can be increased, and the voltage stresses of output diodes are clamped as the output voltage. Moreover, the output diode currents are controlled by a leakage inductance of a transformer, and the reverse‐recovery loss of the output diodes is significantly reduced. Two power switches in the proposed converter can operate with soft‐switching due to the reflected secondary current. The voltages across the power switches are confined to the clamping capacitor voltage. Steady‐state analysis, simulation, and experimental results for the proposed converter are presented to validate the feasibility and the performance of the proposed converter. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis and implementation of a power management unit with a multiratio switched capacitor DC–DC converter for a supercapacitor power supply

An energy‐harvesting system requires an energy‐storing device to store the energy retrieved from the surrounding environment. Rechargeable batteries are commonly used to store this energy; however, because of the limited number of charge/discharge cycles, they need to be periodically replaced. A supercapacitor, which has, ideally, a limitless number of charge/discharge cycles, avoids this problem. In this case, it is required for the power management unit to produce a constant output voltage as the supercapacitor discharges. This paper presents a system with a multiratio switched capacitor DC–DC converter, in a 130‐nm technology, with a maximum output power of 2 mW, a maximum efficiency of 79.63% and a maximum output ripple, in the steady state, of 23 mV for an input voltage range of 2.3–0.87 V. The proposed converter has four operation states, to maximize its efficiency, that correspond to the conversion ratios of 1/2, 2/3, 1/1 and 3/2. Its clock frequency is automatically adjusted to produce a stable output voltage of 1 V. These features are implemented through two distinct controller circuits that use two asynchronous time machines to dynamically adjust the clock frequency and to select the active state of the converter. All the theoretical expressions as well as the behaviour of the whole system were verified by using electrical simulations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new parallel ZVS converter with less power switches and low current stress components

A new direct current (DC)/DC converter with parallel circuits is presented for medium voltage and power applications. There are five pulse‐width modulation circuits in the proposed converter to reduce current stress at low voltage side for high output current applications. These five circuits share the same power switches in order to reduce switch counts. To reduce the converter size, conduction loss, and voltage stress of power semiconductors, the series connections of power metal‐oxide‐semiconductor field‐effect transistor (MOSFET) with high switching frequency instead of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) with low switching frequency are adopted. Thus, the voltage stress of MOSFETs is clamped at half of input voltage. The switched capacitor circuit is adopted to balance input split capacitor voltages. Asymmetric pulse‐width modulation scheme is adopted to generate the necessary switching signals of MOSFETs and regulate output voltage. Based on the resonant behavior at the transition interval of power switches, all MOSFETs are turned on under zero voltage switching from 50% load to 100% load. The circuit configuration, operation principle, converter performance, and design example are discussed in detail. Finally, experimental verifications with a 1.92 kW prototype are provided to verify the performance of the proposed converter. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.