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.     

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 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.     

A single‐stage LED streetlight driver with PFC and digital PWM dimming capability

This paper proposes a single‐stage light‐emitting diode (LED) driver that offers power‐factor correction and digital pulse–width modulation (PWM) dimming capability for streetlight applications. The presented LED streetlight driver integrates an alternating current–direct current (AC–DC) converter with coupled inductors and a half‐bridge‐type LLC DC–DC resonant converter into a single‐stage circuit topology. The sub‐circuit of the AC–DC converter with coupled inductors is designed to be operated in discontinuous‐conduction mode for achieving input‐current shaping. Zero‐voltage switching of two active power switches and zero‐current switching of two output‐rectifier diodes in the presented LED driver decrease the switching losses; thus, the circuit efficiency is increased. A prototype driver for powering a 144‐W‐rated LED streetlight module with input utility‐line voltages ranging from 100 to 120 V is implemented and tested. The proposed streetlight driver features cost‐effectiveness, high circuit efficiency, high power factor, low levels of input‐current harmonics, and a digital PWM dimming capability ranging from 20% to 100% output rated LED power, which is fulfilled by a micro‐controller. Satisfying experimental results, including dimming tests, verify the feasibility of the proposed LED streetlight driver. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three‐stage multiphase‐switched‐capacitor boost DC‐AC inverter

A closed‐loop scheme of a three‐stage multiphase‐switched‐capacitor boost DC‐AC inverter (MPSCI) is proposed by combining the multiphase operation and sinusoidal‐pulse‐width‐modulation (SPWM) control for low‐power step‐up DC‐AC conversion and regulation. In this MPSCI, the power unit contains two parts: MPSC booster (front) and H‐bridge (rear). The MPSC booster is suggested for an inductor‐less step‐up DC‐DC conversion, where three voltage doublers in series are controlled with multiphase operation for boosting voltage gain up to 2³ = 8 at most. The H‐bridge is employed for DC‐AC inversion, where four solid‐state switches in H‐connection are controlled with SPWM to obtain a sinusoidal AC output. In addition, SPWM is adopted for enhancing output regulation not only to compensate the dynamic error, but also to reinforce robustness to source/loading variation. The relevant theoretical analysis and design include: MPSCI model, steady‐state/dynamic analysis, voltage conversion ratio, power efficiency, stability, capacitance selection, total harmonic distortion (THD), output filter, and closed‐loop control design. Finally, the closed‐loop MPSCI is simulated, and the hardware circuit is implemented and tested. All the results are illustrated to show the efficacy of the proposed scheme. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A single‐stage high power‐factor bridgeless AC‐LED driver for lighting applications

An alternating‐current light‐emitting diode (AC‐LED) driver is implemented between the grid and lamp to eliminate the disadvantages of a directly grid‐tied AC‐LED lamp. In order to highlight the benefits of AC‐LED technology, a single‐stage converter with few components is adopted. A high power‐factor single‐stage bridgeless AC/AC converter is proposed with higher efficiency, greater power factor, less harmonics to pass IEC 61000‐3‐2 class C, and better regulation of output current. The brightness and flicker frequency issues caused by a low‐frequency sinusoidal input are surpassed by the implementation of a high‐frequency square‐wave output current. In addition, the characteristics of the proposed circuit are discussed and analyzed in order to design the AC‐LED driver. Finally, some simulation and experimental results are shown to verify this proposed scheme. Copyright © 2012 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.     

A single‐stage integrated bridgeless AC/DC converter for electrolytic capacitor‐less LED lighting applications

In this paper, a single‐stage integrated bridgeless AC/DC converter is proposed. As compared to its counterpart that is composed of totem‐pole boost power factor correction (PFC) cascade fly‐back DC/DC converter, the studied circuit has less components number while overcoming the limits of the totem‐pole type. Thus, it is suitable to the low‐power LED lighting applications. Furthermore, when both PFC inductors L_b and magmatic inductance L_m of the transformer TR1 operate at discontinuous current mode, the bus voltage v_CB can be used to decouple the ac input and constant dc output power. Thus, the approach of increasing bus voltage ripple is employed to eliminate electrolytic capacitors and obtain long operation lifetime. Additionally, it is able to be compatible with our studied twin‐bus configuration for increasing the overall efficiency. A 50‐W hardware prototype has been designed, fabricated, and tested in the laboratory to verify the proposed converter validity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

单级组合式不间断高功率因数AC/DC变换器研究

提出了一类基于Boost-Flyback变换器的单级组合式不间断高功率因数AC/DC变换器电路结构与拓扑族。这类变换器由二极管整流桥和具有功率因数校正、不间断供电、输出电压快速调节等功能的Boost-Flyback变换器构成，可以将1种交流电压变换成所需要的输出直流电压。分析研究了这类变换器的3种工作模式(正常工作模式、后备工作模式、充电工作模式)、稳态原理特性、控制策略和关键电路参数设计准则，并给出了原理试验结果。这类变换器具有单级功率变换、不间断供电、网侧功率因数高、蓄电池与电网或负载高频电气隔离、输出电压调节速度快、体积重量小、成本低等优点。     

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.     

Series resonant ZCS‐PFM DC‐DC power converter with high‐frequency high‐voltage transformer link for high‐power magnetron drive

This paper presents a single lossless inductive snubber‐assisted ZCS‐PFM series resonant DC‐DC power converter with a high‐frequency high‐voltage transformer link for industrial‐use high‐power magnetron drive. The current flowing through the active power switches rises gradually at a turned‐on transient state with the aid of a single lossless snubber inductor, and ZCS turn‐on commutation based on overlapping current can be achieved via the wide range pulse frequency modulation control scheme. The high‐frequency high‐voltage transformer primary side resonant current always becomes continuous operation mode, by electromagnetic loose coupling design of the high‐frequency high‐voltage transformer and the magnetizing inductance of the high‐frequency high‐voltage transformer. As a result, this high‐voltage power converter circuit for the magnetron can achieve a complete zero current soft switching under the condition of broad width gate voltage signals. Furthermore, this high‐voltage DC‐DC power converter circuit can regulate the output power from zero to full over audible frequency range via the two resonant frequency circuit design. Its operating performances are evaluated and discussed on the basis of the power loss analysis simulation and the experimental results from a practical point of view. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 153(3): 79–87, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20126     

A new single‐phase high‐power‐factor converter with buck and buck–boost hybrid operation

In recent years, a wide variety of high‐power‐factor converter schemes have been proposed to solve the harmonic problem. The schemes are based on conventional boost, buck, or buck–boost topology, and their performance, such as output voltage control range in the boost and buck topology or efficiency in the buck–boost topology, is limited. To solve this, the authors propose a single‐phase high‐power‐factor converter with a new topology obtained from a combination of buck and buck–boost topology. The power stage performs the buck and buck–boost operations by a compact single‐stage converter circuit while the simple controller/modulator appropriately controls the alternation of the buck and buck–boost operation and maintains a high‐quality input current during both the buck and buck–boost operations. The proposed scheme results in a high‐performance rectifier with no limitation of output voltage control range and a high efficiency. In this paper, the principle and operation of the proposed converter scheme are described in detail and the theory is confirmed through experimental results obtained from 2‐kW prototype converter. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 131(3): 91–100, 2000     

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 and design of high‐power fast charger for lithium‐ion battery pack

The high‐power fast charger (HPFC) incorporating a power stage with a controlling loop is presented in this paper. A power stage is composed of an inter‐leaved boost power factor correction and a DC‐DC full‐bridge phase‐shifted (FBPS) converter, and that the HPFC can supply a constant‐voltage (CV) or a constant‐current (CC) power to charge a secondary lithium‐ion battery pack. In addition, the ripple current can be reduced due to the DC‐DC FBPS converter combines with the current‐doubler rectifier at HPFC's output side. Also, the controlling loop is equipped with a voltage compensator and a current compensator, and this design is for the sake of HPFC, which can either operate in CV or CC output mode. Moreover, the shut‐down situation will be prevented by proposed bi‐phase charging controller, when the charging current is adjusted from the fist CC level to the second CC level. Analysis and design considerations of the proposed circuits are presented in details. Experimental results agree well with the theoretical predictions and confirm the validity of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved control‐to‐output characteristics of a PWM buck‐boost converter

An indirect control variable for improving the control‐to‐output characteristics of a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) buck‐boost converter is introduced in this letter. The voltage gain and the small‐signal model of the buck‐boost converter are reviewed. The actual voltage command at one input of the PWM comparator is from the proposed indirect control variable and the peak value of the high‐frequency PWM carrier. The resulted voltage gain function appears proportional to this indirect control command. Also the dependence of the DC gain of the control‐to‐output transfer function on the duty cycle is eliminated. Experimental results conform well to the theoretical analysis. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

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 new arrangement of Z‐source AC–AC converter and its closed‐loop control system

In this study, a Z‐source alternating current‐to‐alternating current (AC–AC) converter with a specific topology, which can provide both buck and boost modes, is investigated. This converter, which can be implemented easily, utilizes only two switches with complemented commands. A comparison between the Z‐source AC–AC converter and a conventional thyristor voltage controlled one is presented here, and it shows that in the most areas, the Z‐source converter provides a faster response and lower total harmonic distortion of the output currents than the conventional one. Moreover, the Z‐source converter is also extended to the multiphase systems. In addition, a new arrangement of this converter is proposed here to remove the isolated single‐phase sources. Furthermore, an open‐loop method is proposed for soft‐starting applications. Finally, a closed‐loop control system is also suggested for a three‐phase Z‐source converter to soft start and control the speed of an induction motor. Computer simulations show the validity and effectiveness of the proposed schemes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design and implementation of a high‐efficiency bidirectional DC‐DC Converter for DC micro‐grid system applications

This paper studies the design and implementation of a non‐isolated dual‐half‐bridge bidirectional DC‐DC converter for DC micro‐grid system applications. High efficiency can be achieved under wide‐range load variations by the zero‐voltage‐switching features and an adaptive phase‐shift control method. A three‐stage charging scheme is designed to meet the fast‐charging demand and prolong the lifetime of LiFePO₄ batteries. A digital‐signal‐processing control IC is used to realize the power flow control, DC‐bus voltage regulation, and battery charging/ discharging of the studied bidirectional DC‐DC converter. Finally, a 10 kW prototype converter with Enhanced Controller Area Network communication function is built and tested for micro‐grid system applications. A light‐load efficiency over 96% and a rated‐load efficiency over 98% can be achieved. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.