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.     

High‐efficiency transformerless buck–boost DC–DC converter

A novel high‐efficiency transformerless buck–boost DC–DC converter is proposed in this paper. The presented converter voltage gain is higher than that of the conventional boost, buck–boost, CUK, SEPIC and ZETA converters, and high voltage gain can be obtained with a suitable duty cycle. The voltage stress across the power switch is low. Hence, the low on‐state resistance of the power switch can be selected to decrease conduction loss of the switch and improve efficiency. The input current ripple in the presented converter is low. The principle of operation and the mathematical analyses of the proposed converter are explained. The validity of the presented converter is verified by the simulation results in PSCAD/EMTDC software and experimental results based on the prototype circuit with 250 W and 40 kHz. Copyright © 2017 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.     

Graph‐theoretical approach to 2‐switch DC–DC converters

This paper presents a graph‐theoretic approach to analyse and synthesize switch mode DC–DC converters. The result is based on the state‐space averaging equation and the fundamental graph theory. Hence our proposed method is applied to various kinds of DC–DC converters with two switches and topological conditions for two‐switch DC–DC converters are obtained systematically. Copyright © 2005 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.     

Design of a dual‐input SC DC–DC converter realizing negative outputs

Aimed at a back‐lighting application, a dual‐input switched‐capacitor (SC) DC–DC converter with battery charge process is proposed in this paper. The proposed converter can realize −1/N× (N = 2,3,…) step‐down conversion as well as (N + 1)/N× step‐up conversion. By converting clean energy such as solar energy, the proposed dual‐input converter not only drives light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) but also recharges the battery, although conventional single‐input converter only consumes battery energy. In the proposed converter, the −1/N× stepped‐down voltage is generated to drive the LED's cathode when the input voltage is insufficient to drive a 1× transfer mode. Furthermore, unlike conventional converters, the battery is charged by the (N + 1)/N× stepped‐up voltage when the LED back light is in standby mode. Hence, the proposed converter can realize long battery run time. The validity of circuit design is confirmed by theoretical analyses, simulations, and experiments. The derived theoretical formulas will be helpful to estimate circuit characteristics, because the theoretical results correspond well with the simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis (SPICE) simulation results. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Single‐stage single‐switch PFC converter for wide‐input extreme step‐down voltage applications

This paper presents a new single‐stage single‐switch high power factor correction AC/DC converter suitable for low‐power applications (< 150 W) with a universal input voltage range (90–265 V_rms). The proposed topology integrates a buck–boost input current shaper followed by a buck and a buck–boost converter, respectively. As a result, the proposed converter can operate with larger duty cycles compared with the existing single‐stage single‐switch topologies, hence, making them suitable for extreme step‐down voltage conversion applications. Several desirable features are gained when the three integrated converter cells operate in discontinuous conduction mode. These features include low semiconductor voltage stress, zero‐current switch at turn‐on, and simple control with a fast well‐regulated output voltage. A detailed circuit analysis is performed to derive the design equations. The theoretical analysis and effectiveness of the proposed approach are confirmed by experimental results obtained from a 100‐W/24‐V_dc laboratory prototype. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High‐power‐factor single‐switch AC to DC converter for LED lighting

In this paper, we report a novel single‐switch AC to DC step‐down converter suitable for light emitting diodes. The proposed topology has a buck and a buck–boost converter. The circuit is designed to operate in the discontinuous conduction mode in order to improve the power factor. In this topology, a part of the input power is connected to the load directly. This feature of the proposed topology increases the efficiency of power conversion, improves the input power factor, produces less voltage stress on intermediate stages, and reduces the output voltage in the absence of a step‐down transformer. The theoretical analysis, design procedure, and performance of the proposed converter are verified by simulation and experiment. A 36 V, 60 W prototype has been built to demonstrate the merits of this circuit. © 2017 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A White LED Driver Using a Buck–Boost Converter

For mobile backlighting applications, a white LED (WLED) driver using a buck–boost converter is proposed in this letter. Unlike conventional converters using boost converters, 2×/1.5× charge pumps, and so on, the proposed converter offers the negative stepped‐down voltage to drive the LED's cathode only when the input voltage is insufficient to drive a 1× transfer mode. Furthermore, unlike the LED backlight using charge pumps, the proposed converter can adjust the output voltage by controlling the duty factor of the clock pulse. Thus, the proposed converter can realize high power efficiency. The validity of the proposed converter is confirmed by simulations and experiments. © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Fast‐scale stability limits of a two‐stage boost power converter

There are many applications in power electronics that demand high step‐up conversion ratio between the source and the load. A simple way of achieving such a high voltage ratio is by cascading DC–DC boost converters in a few stages. The individual converters in such a cascaded system are usually designed separately applying classical design criteria. This paper investigates the stability of the overall system of a cascade connection of two boost converters under current mode control. We first demonstrate the bifurcation behavior of the system, and it is shown that the desired periodic orbit can undergo fast‐scale period doubling bifurcation leading to subharmonic oscillations and chaotic regimes under parameter variation. The value of the intermediate capacitor is taken as a design parameter, and we determine the minimum ramp slope in the first stage required to maintain stability. It is shown that smaller capacitance values give rise to wider stability range. We explain the bifurcation phenomena using a full‐order model. Then, in order to simplify the analysis and to obtain a closed‐form expression to explain the previous observation, we develop a reduced‐order model by treating the second stage as a current sink. This allows us to obtain design‐oriented stability boundaries in the parameter space by taking into account slope interactions between the state variables in the two stages. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Step‐up/step‐down DC‐DC converter with near zero input/output current ripples

A novel single switch two diode wide conversion ratio step down/up converter is presented. The proposed converter is derived from the conventional single‐ended primary inductor converter (SEPIC) topology, and it can operate as a capacitor‐diode voltage multiplier, which offers simple structure, reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI), and reduced semiconductor voltage stress. The main advantages of the proposed converter are the continuous input/output current, higher voltage conversion ratio, and near‐zero input and output current ripples compared with the conventional SEPIC converter. The absence of both a transformer and an extreme duty cycle permits the proposed converter to operate at high switching frequencies. Hence, the overall advantages will be: higher efficiency, reduced size and weight, simpler structure and control. The theoretical analysis results obtained with the proposed structure are compared with the conventional SEPIC topology. The performance of the proposed converter is verified through computer simulations and experimental results. Copyright © 2012 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.     

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.     

Dynamic modeling of DC–DC converters with peak current control in double‐stage photovoltaic grid‐connected inverters

In photovoltaic (PV) double‐stage grid‐connected inverters a high‐frequency DC–DC isolation and voltage step‐up stage is commonly used between the panel and the grid‐connected inverter. This paper is focused on the modeling and control design of DC–DC converters with Peak Current mode Control (PCC) and an external control loop of the PV panel voltage, which works following a voltage reference provided by a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm. In the proposed overall control structure the output voltage of the DC–DC converter is regulated by the grid‐connected inverter. Therefore, the inverter may be considered as a constant voltage load for the development of the small‐signal model of the DC–DC converter, whereas the PV panel is considered as a negative resistance. The sensitivity of the control loops to variations of the power extracted from the PV panel and of its voltage is studied. The theoretical analysis is corroborated by frequency response measurements on a 230 W experimental inverter working from a single PV panel. The inverter is based on a Flyback DC–DC converter operating in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) followed by a PWM full‐bridge single‐phase inverter. The time response of the whole system (DC–DC + inverter) is also shown to validate the concept. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Implementation of parallel zero‐voltage switching converter with series‐connected transformers

This paper presents a parallel zero‐voltage switching (ZVS) DC–DC converter with series‐connected transformers. In order to increase output power, two transformers connected in series are used in the proposed converter. Two buck‐type converters connected in parallel have the same switching devices. The primary windings of series‐connected transformers can achieve the balanced secondary winding currents. The current doubler rectifiers with ripple current cancellation are connected in parallel at the output side to reduce the current stress of the secondary winding. Thus, the current ripple on the output capacitor is reduced, and the size of the output choke and output capacitor are reduced. Only two switches are used in the proposed circuit instead of four switches in the conventional parallel ZVS converter to achieve ZVS and output current sharing. Therefore, the proposed converter has less power switches. The ZVS turn‐on is implemented during the commutation stage of two complementary switches such that the switching losses and thermal stresses on the semiconductors are reduced. Experimental results for a 528‐W (48 V/11 A) prototype are presented to prove the theoretical analysis and circuit performance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Series resonant high‐voltage DC–DC converter with reduced component count

This paper proposes a novel zero‐current‐switching series resonant high‐voltage DC–DC converter with reduced component count. The series resonant inverter in the proposed topology has two power switches (insulated‐gate bipolar transistors, IGBTs), two resonant capacitors, and only one high‐voltage transformer (HVT) with center‐tapped primary windings. The power switches are connected in the form of a half‐bridge network. The leakage inductances of the transformer's primary windings together with the resonant capacitors form two series resonant circuits. The series resonant circuits are fed alternately by operating the power switches with interleaved half switching cycle. The secondary winding of the HVT is connected to a bridge rectifier circuit to rectify the secondary voltage. The converter operates in the discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) and its output voltage is regulated by pulse frequency modulation. Therefore, all the power switches turn on and off at the zero‐current switching condition. The main features of the proposed converter are its lower core loss, lower cost, and smaller size compared to previously proposed double series resonant high voltage DC–DC converters. The experimental results of a 130‐W prototype of the proposed converter are presented. The results confirm the excellent operation and performance of the converter. © 2016 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A hybrid input charge‐pump using micropower thermoelectric generators

For industrial wireless transmitters, a hybrid input charge‐pump utilizing thermoelectric energy from waste heat is proposed in this paper. Unlike conventional converters, the proposed capacitor‐based converter supplies energy to a wireless transmitter by using a thermoelectric power source in combination with a rechargeable battery source. By combining the battery voltage and the thermoelectric generator (TEG) voltage, the proposed converter achieves a wider input range than conventional converters. Consequently, the proposed converter will enable the development of not only an industrial wireless transmitter but also various clean energy applications. Through theoretical analyses, simulations, and experiments, the following results are shown: 1. Even if the voltage of the TEG is small, the proposed converter can provide the sufficient voltage by compensating the insufficient voltage of the TEG with the battery voltage. 2. The formulas obtained by the theoretical analyses are useful for designing the proposed converter because the theoretical results correspond well with the simulation results. © 2012 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A step‐up PWM DC–DC converter for renewable energy applications

A step‐up pulse width modulation (PWM) direct current (DC)–DC converter is presented in this paper, which has its origin in quasi Z‐source inverter. Analysis of this converter in steady state is presented, and relevant expressions are derived for the proposed converter operating in continuous conduction mode. The power loss expressions for each component of the converter are derived, and thereby, obtained expressions for overall converter efficiency are presented. Further, a dynamic model is derived to design an appropriate controller for this converter. The simulation and experimental results are presented to support the theoretical analysis. The advantages such as continuous input current, high step‐up gain at lower duty ratio, and common ground for source, load, and switch makes the converter suitable for renewable energy applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Low‐Voltage‐Ride‐Through Performance of an HVDC Transmission System Using Two Modular Multilevel Double‐Star Chopper‐Cells Converters

This paper presents an intensive discussion on a long‐distance high‐voltage direct‐current (HVDC) transmission system that combines two modular multilevel cascade converters based on double‐star chopper cells (MMCC‐DSCC) with DC power cables. Hereinafter, a single MMCC‐DSCC is referred to as a DSCC converter or just as a DSCC for the sake of simplicity. The HVDC transmission system is required to provide low‐voltage‐ride‐through (LVRT) capability to enhance transmission system availability. This paper proposes a new LVRT method without any direct information exchange between the two DSCC converters. The validity of the method is verified, using simulated waveforms from the software package of “PSCAD/EMTDC” and experimental waveforms from a three‐phase 200‐V, 400‐Vdc, 10‐kW, 50‐Hz downscaled HVDC system with a set of 300‐meter‐long DC power cables.     

A linearly adaptive gate drive technique for light‐load efficiency improvement of DC–DC converters

This paper presents a linearly adaptive gate drive technique to improve the light‐load efficiency of DC–DC converters. The optimal‐driving voltages of the power MOSFETs for reducing gate‐driving loss can be well modeled by a linear function of the load current. By scaling the gate drive voltage dynamically with respect to load current, the light‐load efficiency can be enhanced. The experimental result shows that the proposed gate drive technique can attain about 9% incremental light‐load efficiency enhancement. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.