Analysis and implementation of a soft switching DC/DC converter with three asymmetric PWM circuits

This paper presents a soft switching converter with three buck‐type active clamp circuits (or asymmetric half‐bridge circuits) to achieve the functions of the low power rating on the transformers and power semiconductors and low current rating on the rectifier diodes and output inductors. Three half‐bridge circuits are stacked at the high voltage side to reduce the voltage stress of each power switch at one‐half of input voltage and connected in parallel at the low voltage side to share load current and reduce the current rating on each magnetic component and the rectifier diode. Thus, the size of the output chokes is reduced. In each half‐bridge converter, the asymmetric pulse‐width modulation is adopted to control power switches. Power MOSFETs can be turned on with zero voltage during the transition interval due to the resonant behavior by the output capacitance of MOSFETs and the leakage inductance (or external inductance) of transformers. Experiments based on a laboratory prototype with 1 kW rated power are provided to demonstrate the performance of proposed converter. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Technologies and applications of Al‐free high‐power laser diodes

We report high‐power technologies in 0.8‐µm Al‐free InGaAsP/InGaP laser diodes. To realize the high‐power operation, the improvement of catastrophic optical mirror damage (COMD) power density level is required. In addition to the use of low surface recombination velocity of Al‐free materials, optimization of waveguide thickness in broad waveguide structure with tensile‐strained barriers and current blocking structure near facets has led to high COMD power density level. Highly stable operation of Al‐free laser diodes with these structures has been obtained over 2500 hours at 2 W from a stripe width of µm. Applications of high‐power laser diodes are also described. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 158(1): 53–59, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20286     

Coaxial magnetic pulse compression system to generate fast‐rising pulsed power

A fast‐rising pulsed power generator (PPG) using a coaxial magnetic pulse compression (MPC) system has been developed. Two kinds of magnetic cores, a Co‐based amorphous metal and a nanocrystalline Fe‐based soft magnetic metal, have been used in the coaxial MPC system to evaluate losses of magnetic cores and leakage current of a saturable inductor. The PPG produced a pulsed‐high‐current of 3.7 kA with a risetime of 7 ns (20–80%) at a repetition frequency of 1000 pulses per second. © 2012 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Influence of output power out of a synchronous generator installed in a customer system on current limiting effects due to a fault current limiter

In this paper, it was assumed that a synchronous generator in a customer system was connected to a distribution system via the fault current limiter (FCL). We theoretically investigated the influence of the output power of the generator on the limiting effect of the fault current when a three‐phase short‐circuit fault occurs. It was shown that the fault current out of the customer system, limited by the FCL, rises with the output power of the generator. It was found that the larger the output, the higher the fault current at the fault point is when the limiting resistance is less than 15 Ω in the case of the resistive‐type FCL. On the other hand, the fault current at the fault point decreases with an increase in the output power for a limiting resistance more than 15 Ω. In contrast, it was found that the suppressing effect on the fault current at the fault point due to the inductive‐type FCL hardly depends on the output power. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 148(3): 15–24, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.10357     

Analysis and design of a push–pull DCM boost power factor corrector

A novel power factor corrector (PFC) composed of two‐phase discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) boost PFCs and a coupled inductor is proposed in this paper. By coupling the two‐phase boost inductors into the same magnetic core, both the circuit volume and the input ripple current are reduced. Therefore, the power factor (PF) value and the power density are improved. In addition, the output capacitor size can be smaller. The proposed topology distributes the input current and output current equally for the two phase modules. A cut‐in‐half duty cycle can decrease the conduction losses of the switches, and both the turns and diameters of the inductor windings, which help more in the reduction of the circuit volume. The advantages of a DCM boost PFC, such as natural zero‐current‐switching (ZCS) of the output diode, a natural PFC function and the simplified EMI filter design, are maintained. Detailed analysis and design of the proposed topology and the experimental results on a prototype with a 380‐V output voltage and a 200‐W output power are provided. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wireless power charger for wearable medical devices with in‐band communication

A wireless power charger integrated circuit has been developed for wearable medical devices in a 0.18‐µm Bipolar, Complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor, and Lightly‐Doped Metal‐Oxide‐Semiconductor (BCDMOS) process. A passive full‐wave rectifier consisting of Schottky diodes and cross‐coupled n‐type Metal‐Oxide‐Semiconductor (nMOS) transistors performs the alternating current to direct current power conversion without any reverse leakage current. To charge a battery, a linear charger circuit follows the passive rectifier instead of a switching charger circuit for the small form factor of wearable medical devices. An in‐band communication circuit notifies the proper connection of the wireless power receiver and the battery charging status to the charging pad (wireless power transmitter) through the wireless power transmission channel. The wireless power charger integrated circuit occupies 1.44‐mm² silicon area and shows 31.7% power efficiency when the charging current is 26.6 mA. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantitative analysis of the influence of conductors and ferromagnetic structures in power facilities on an ELF magnetic field environment using the finite element method

Recently, electric power transmission/substation systems need to be extended and they tend to be more compact. From the backgrounds of electromagnetic field environment, especially the magnetic field environment in and around electric power facilities becomes more important. However, many factors must be considered when investigating it, such as complicated current conditions, configurations of conductors and ferromagnetic structures, and so on. For more precise investigation of magnetic field environments, we must understand the quantitative influence of conductors and ferromagnetic structures. In this paper we describe how conductive and ferromagnetic materials influence the ELF magnetic field distribution. We carried out the measurement and finite element analysis of magnetic flux density distribution around an aluminum plate, a soft magnetic iron plate, and a 1/40 reduced model of an actual transmission tower. Based on the results, we clarified the influence of conductors and ferromagnetic substances on the magnetic flux density distribution around them. Finally, we showed the effectiveness of finite element analysis for evaluating the magnetic field around actual power facilities. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 140(3): 44–52, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.10021     

Multi‐function combined operation and control strategy of electronic power transformer for power quality improvement

High penetration of power electronic devices and nonlinear loads can negatively affect the power quality of the distribution system. The conventional method of improving the power quality is to employ an extra distribution static synchronous compensator (D‐STATCOM ) or an active power filter (APF ) for compensating reactive power and mitigating current harmonics. This paper proposes an electronic power transformer (EPT ) without the aforementioned additional equipment, which can realize multi‐function coordinated operation, including active power transmission, voltage conversion, reactive power compensation, and current harmonics suppression, based on the distribution system need. The multifunctional EPT consists of three stages, namely cascaded multilevel AC /DC rectifiers, dual‐active bridge (DAB ) converters with medium‐frequency transformers, and DC /AC inverters. The mathematical model of each stage is established and analyzed. Meanwhile, the control strategies of three stages are presented. Finally, a simulation model is built by MATLAB /Simulink to demonstrate the effectiveness of the strategy and operating principle of the proposed EPT . © 2017 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Role of the temperature distribution on the PN junction behaviour in the electro‐thermal simulation

Electro‐thermal simulations of a PIN‐diode based on the finite‐element method, show a non‐uniform temperature distribution inside the device during switching transients. Hence, the implicit assumption of a uniform temperature distribution when coupling an analytical electrical model and a thermal model yields inaccurate electro‐thermal behaviour of the PIN‐diode so far. The idea of including non‐uniform temperature distribution into power semiconductor device models is not new, as accurate electro‐thermal simulations are required for designing compact power electronic systems (as IC or MCM). Instead of using a one‐dimensional finite difference or element method, the bond graphs and the hydrodynamic method are utilized to build an electro‐thermal model of the PIN‐diode. The results obtained by this original technique are compared with those obtained by a commercial finite‐element simulator. The results are similar but the computation effort of the proposed technique is a fraction of that required by finite‐element simulators. Moreover, the proposed technique may be applied easily to other power semiconductor devices. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of discharge plasma waveguide with external magnetic field for laser plasma acceleration

To improve the acceleration length in laser plasma acceleration, we investigate the discharge plasma waveguide with a magnetic field. The discharge circuit consists of two pulsed‐power circuits for preionization and main discharge. Discharges were repeated through the circuit using high‐power semiconductor switches. Laser propagation characteristics of discharge plasma waveguide with the external magnetic field were observed. The results show that the reproducibility of waveguide with the external magnetic field is relatively high compared to that without magnetic field. The laser intensity gradually decreases with the strength of external magnetic field. These results suggest that the electron density profile is possible to control using the discharge plasma waveguide with an external magnetic field.     

An advanced VHDL‐AMS PiN diode model: towards simulation‐based design of power converters

This paper focuses on the modeling of a power PiN diode. The focal point basis is the dependence on temperature. The PiN diode remains a difficult device to model mainly during switching transients. An advanced PiN diode temperature‐dependent model is developed and implemented in VHDL‐AMS. Heterogeneous simulation scheme including the circuit wiring parasitic components, the probe effects and the dependent diode models is successfully simulated using SIMPLORER simulator. Experimental data of several commercial PiN diodes are compared to simulation results at different temperature levels. A good rate of consistency is found. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling of battery‐powered boost DC–DC power LED driver with parasitics by multivariate power series expansion

This paper presents an analytic model of a battery‐powered boost DC–DC converter driving a power light emitting diode. The model is capable of taking into account parasitic components, including series resistances, parasitic capacitances and inductances. Unlike the standard approach to the converter modelling, the discussed model does not require any assumptions concerning current and voltage waveforms. It is based on power series expansion in normalized values of the parasitic components, leading to expressions comprising only physical parameters of the circuit. First‐order corrections are derived and illustrated in this paper. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A bidirectional isolated DC/DC converter as a core circuit for 3.3‐kV/6.6‐kV power conversion systems in the next generation

This paper describes a bidirectional isolated DC/DC converter considered as a core circuit for next‐generation 3.3‐kV/6.6‐kV high‐power‐density power conversion systems. The DC/DC converter is intended to use power switching devices based on SiC and/or GaN, which will be available on the market in the near future. A 350‐V, 10‐kW, and 20‐kHz DC/DC converter is designed, constructed, and tested in this paper. It consists of two single‐phase full‐bridge converters with the latest trench‐gate Si‐IGBTs and a 20‐kHz transformer with a nano‐crystalline soft‐magnetic material core and litz wires. The transformer plays an essential role in achieving galvanic isolation between the two full‐bridge converters. The overall efficiency from the DC‐input to DC‐output terminals is accurately measured to be as high as 97%, excluding gate drive circuit and control circuit losses from the whole loss. Moreover, loss analysis is carried out to estimate effectiveness in using SiC‐based power switching devices. The loss analysis clarifies that the use of SiC‐based power devices may bring a significant reduction in conducting and switching losses to the DC/DC converter. As a result, the overall efficiency may reach 99% or higher. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 163(2): 75–83, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20505     

Pulse switching characteristics of MAGTs for pulsed power applications

For pulsed power systems such as lasers and accelerators, semiconductor switches with their longer service life have actively been developed as replacements for thyratrons. The MOS-driven thyristors are suitable for pulsed power applications because they have high-power handling and fast turn-on capabilities. The MOS-assisted gate-triggered thyristor (MAGT), designed especially for pulsed power, is a promising candidate in this field. This paper presents the results of an investigation into the performance of MAGTs. Using a pulse-forming network (PEN), the pulse-switching characteristics and the dynamic resistance characteristics during the current flow are investigated. A maximum current density of 21.8 kA/cm² and di/dt of 106 kA/μs/cm² with 1550-V anode voltage on a single-shot basis were obtained. Furthermore, a life test with 10⁹ shots at a high repetition rate showed no degradation in the observed characteristics. Based on these experimental results, a carrier flow model of MAGT during turn-on process is proposed and the turn-on mechanism is considered.     

低压电力线载波通信宽带耦合技术及其装置

电力线耦合装置是电力线载波通信系统中关键环节之一，一个安全、高效、简易的高频载波信号耦合装置是实现电力线通信的基础。文中首先从低压配电网网络结构和传输信号特性的角度，分析了耦合装置的结构和频带要求，并研究了配电网高频阻抗特性，提出了设计耦合装置的主要原则。最后介绍了常用的两种宽带耦合技术及其装置的具体实现。     

A comparative evaluation of new silicon carbide diodes and state-of-the-art silicon diodes for power electronic applications

Recent progress in silicon carbide (SiC) material has made it feasible to build power devices of reasonable current density. This paper presents results including a comparison with state-of-the-art silicon diodes. Switching losses for two silicon diodes (a fast diode, 600 V, 50 A, 60 ns Trr), an ultrafast silicon diode (600 V, 50 A, 23 ns Trr), and a 4H-SiC diode (600 V, 50 A) are compared. The effect of diode reverse recovery on the turn-on losses of a fast insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) are studied both at room temperature and at 150 /spl deg/C. At room temperature, SiC diodes allow a reduction of IGBT turn-on losses by 25% compared to ultrafast silicon diodes and by 70% compared to fast silicon diodes. At 150 /spl deg/C junction temperature, SiC diodes allow turn-on loss reductions of 35% and 85% compared to ultrafast and fast silicon diodes, respectively. The silicon and SiC diodes are used in a boost converter with the IGBT to assess the overall effect of SiC diodes on the converter characteristics. Efficiency measurements at light load (100 W) and full load (500 W) are reported. Although SiC diodes exhibit very low switching losses, their high conduction losses due to the high forward drop dominate the overall losses, hence reducing the overall efficiency. Since this is an ongoing development, it is expected that future prototypes will have improved forward characteristics.     

中低压电力线载波通信方案的研究

介绍了电力线通信技术发展的现状，在总结中压电力线通信技术的实用化开发及应用经验的基础上，针对载波通信的可靠性，实用性进行了探讨，电网的高频通信特性及其抗干扰，抗衰耗对策是独立于高性能载波芯片的研究领域，本文以国内典型中压电网为例，讨论了中压电网的载波通道特性，提出了提高电力线通信系统可靠性的根本措施在于建立一种实时、自适应的通信节点管理方案，此方案能够在电网高频特性时变的环境下实现性能稳定的通信。     

Improvement of microwave power from a virtual cathode oscillator and its repetitive operation using a metal mesh anode

A virtual cathode oscillator with a stainless‐steel mesh anode of various transparencies and wire diameters was studied experimentally for the enhancement of microwave power and its repetitive operations. The maximum microwave power observed was about 20 MW at 12 GHz for a diode voltage of 250 kV and an electron beam current of 39 kA using an anode mesh with wire diameter of 0.22 mm and a transparency of 67%. The microwave emission was enhanced by decreasing the mean angle of beam scattering when a mesh of smaller wire diameters was used in the anode. The increased transparency of the fine mesh also contributed to the enhancement of the microwave emission. Use of the mesh anode afforded the operation in several repetitive shots. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 146(2): 1–10, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.10259     

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.     

Dedicated model for the efficient assessment of wireless power transfer in the radiative near‐field

In this paper, a novel method to efficiently calculate the power transfer efficiency of a wireless power transfer system in the radiative near‐field is proposed. The technique allows repositioning of the antennas without large additional cost. It relies on a single simulation (or measurement) of the radiation pattern of the antennas used. Thanks to its high computational efficiency, it can be used in multi‐transmitter and multi‐receiver scenarios when there is no coupling between devices via the reactive near‐field. Our method is applied to the latter to demonstrate its accuracy and computational efficiency. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.