A novel active‐clamp zero‐voltage‐switching buck‐boost converter

An active‐clamp zero‐voltage‐switching (ZVS) buck‐boost converter is proposed in this paper to improve the performance of converter in light load condition. By employing a small resonant inductor, the ZVS range of switches could be adjusted to very light load condition. Moreover, 2 clamping capacitors are added in the converter to eliminate the voltage spike on the switches during transition. The operating principle of the proposed converter is analyzed, and the optimal design guide for full range ZVS is also provided. A 60‐W output prototype is experimentally built and tested in laboratory to verify the feasibility of proposed converter. The measured results show the critical ZVS operation of power switches at 1 and 0.7‐W output power for buck and boost mode, respectively. The peak conversion efficiency is up to 92.3%.     

A single‐phase buck‐boost PFC converter with output‐voltage,ripple‐reducing operation

This paper describes a new single‐phase buck‐boost power‐factor‐correction (PFC) converter with output‐voltage, ripple reducing operation. The converter consists of a conventional buck‐boost PFC converter and an additional switch to obtain a freewheeling mode of the dc inductor current, and is operated by two modulators. The first modulator controls the buck‐boost switch to obtain PFC. The other modulator controls the square value of the instantaneous dc inductor current to perform the output‐voltage‐ripple‐reducing operation. In the two modulations, the time integral value of the input and output currents in each modulation period are controlled directly and indirectly, respectively. Thus, modulation errors or undesirable distortions of the input current and output voltage ripple are eliminated even if the dc inductor current produces large ripple in a low‐frequency range. The theories and combination techniques for the two modulators, implementation, and experimental results are described. © 1998 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 126(2): 56–70, 1999     

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 novel single‐stage AC–DC converter with quasi‐resonant zero‐voltage‐switching for high power factor and high efficient applications

A new single‐stage‐isolated ac–dc converter that can guarantee both high efficiency and high power factor is proposed. It is based on a new dc–dc topology that has prominent conversion ratio similar to that of boost topology so that it is adequate to deal with the universal ac input. In addition, since it utilizes the transformer more than others based on the general flyback topology, the size of whole power system can be reduced due to the reduced transformer. Moreover, the voltage stresses on the secondary rectifiers can be clamped to the output voltage by adopting the capacitive output filter and clamp diode, and the turn‐off loss in the main switch can be reduced by utilizing the resonance. Furthermore, since this converter operates at the boundary conduction mode, the line input current can be shaped as the waveform of a line voltage automatically and the quasi‐resonant zero‐voltage switching can be obtained. Consequently, it features higher efficiency, lower voltage stress, and smaller sized transformer than other topologies. A 100 W prototype has been built and tested as the validation of the proposed topology. Copyright © 2010 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 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.     

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.     

A power efficient buck‐boost converter by reusing the coil inductor for wireless bio‐implants

In this paper, a buck‐boost converter circuit for wireless power transfer via inductive links in bio‐implantable systems is presented. The idea is based on reusing the power receiver coil to design a regulator. This method employs five switches to utilize the coil inductor in a frequency other than the power‐receiving signal frequency. Reusing the coil inductor decreases the on‐chip regulator area and makes it suitable for bio‐implants. Furthermore, in the proposed technique, the regulator efficiency becomes almost independent of the coil receiving voltage amplitude. The proposed concept is employed in a buck‐boost regulator, and simulation results are provided. For a 10 MHz received signal with the amplitude variation within 3 ~ 6 V and with the converter switching rate of 200 kHz, the achieved maximum efficiency is 78%. The proposed regulator can also deliver 10 μA to 4 mA to its load while its output voltage varies from 0.6 to 2.3 V. Simulations of the proposed converter are performed in Cadence‐Spectre using TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS technology. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance analysis and calculation of critical inductance and output voltage ripple of a simple non‐isolated multi‐input bidirectional DC‐DC converter

In this paper, a simple non‐isolated multiple input (MI) bidirectional DC‐DC topology is proposed which can operate in buck, boost, or buck‐boost modes. The proposed topology utilizes a battery pack to realize the bidirectional power flow operation especially when the input sources are non‐storable ones. The excess energy of input sources can be stored in the battery and be injected to the load, when required. Simultaneous or independent power transfer of input sources is also provided. For better evaluation, the proposed topology has been compared with several recently presented novel topologies, from view point of number of inductors, capacitors, switches, and diodes. Comparison results show that the proposed topology utilizes less number of components (switches, inductors, capacitors, and current sensors) which can reduce the size, cost, and complexity of converter. Different operational modes of the proposed topology (unidirectional buck, boost, buck‐boost modes, and bidirectional mode) have been presented. Also, boost mode of the proposed topology has been investigated in detail, from design point of view, and generalized relationships have been proposed for calculation of critical inductance (CI) and output voltage ripple (OVR) of proposed n‐input boost topology. To validate proposed theoretical concepts, the proposed topology has been modeled and simulated in PSCAD/EMTDC software, and the 3‐input boost version has been experimentally implemented. Simulation and experimental results confirm appropriate performance of the proposed topology.     

A new fast‐response buck converter using accelerated pulse‐width‐modulation techniques

A new fast‐response buck converter using accelerated pulse‐width‐modulation techniques is proposed in this article. The benefits of the accelerated pulse‐width‐modulation technique is fast‐transient response, simple‐compensation design, and no requirement for slope compensation; furthermore, some power management problems are minimized, such as EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference), size, design complexity, and cost. The traditional voltage‐mode speed is slower with the transient response, so an accelerated pulse‐width‐modulation technique is used to solve the problem of slowed transient response in this article. The proposed buck converter has excellent conversion efficiency with a wide load conditions. The proposed buck converter has been fabricated with TSMC 0.35 µm CMOS 2P4M processes, and the total chip area is 1.32 × 1.22 mm². Maximum output current is 300 mA when the output voltage equals 1.8 V. When the supply voltage is 3.6 V, the output voltage can be 1–2.6 V. Maximum transient response is less than 5 µs. The simulation and experimental results are presented in this article. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A single‐stage phase‐shifted full‐bridge AC/DC converter with variable frequency control

This letter presents a single‐stage soft‐switched full‐bridge AC/DC converter for low‐voltage/high‐current output applications. A phase‐shifted method with a variable frequency control is used to regulate the DC bus voltage and the output voltage of the single‐stage AC/DC converter. The proposed circuit topology and control scheme exhibit superior performances (i.e. high power factor, high‐efficiency, and ring‐free features). Correspondingly, a laboratory prototype, 500 W 5V/100A AC/DC converter, is implemented to verify the feasibility of the proposed design. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Output current ripple reduction of LED driver using ceramic‐capacitor‐input circuit and buck‐boost converter

This article proposes an LED driver that consists of a ceramic‐capacitor‐input rectifier and a buck‐boost converter. The LED driver has an advantage of long life because it does not contain any electrolytic capacitors. However, the issue with electrolytic capacitor‐less LED driver is that the ripple of the smoothed voltage becomes large due to insufficient capacitance of the smoothing capacitor. The proposed method, which uses the discontinuous current mode of a buck‐boost converter, reduces the output current ripple under such conditions. Experimental results using a 5.7 W LED driver prototype demonstrate that the proposed method reduces the output current ripple and that the percent flicker becomes 4.4%, which is smaller than the recommended upper limit of 8%.     

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.     

Analysis and implementation of a step–up power converter with input current ripple cancelation

This paper proposes a power electronics converter capable of canceling the input current ripple at preselected duty cycle. The proposed converter is an extended topology of a buck–boost converter aided by a boost‐type converter that improves the quality of the current drawn from the direct current source. The voltage gain of the proposed converter is increased as well, with a minimum of extra component added to the original buck–boost power converter. These features make the proposed converter ideal for low voltage generation sources, such as photovoltaic panel and fuel cell applications. Along this paper, the state space mathematical model is developed to provide the key design guidelines. The theoretical analysis is validated through computer simulation and hardware prototyping.     

Analysis and design of a ZVS converter for high voltage input–low voltage output application

This paper proposes a full‐bridge (d = 50%) cascaded buck topology which is a very suitable circuit for high voltage input–low voltage output applications with high output current. Benefiting from working under a large duty cycle, the proposed converter can easily achieve zero voltage switching turn‐on and turn‐off of active switches in a full bridge. Small‐signal model of this topology is analyzed through its corresponding peak current mode control. Its small‐signal transfer function is given, and the control loop design is discussed. Advantages of this topology and operation principles are analyzed. Design guidelines, drawn from this analysis, are applied on a low‐voltage (3.3 V) output voltage prototype to validate the proposed concept. © 2012 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A new topology for nonisolated multiport zero voltage switching dc‐dc converter

In this paper, a new multiport zero voltage switching dc‐dc converter is proposed. Multiport dc‐dc converters are widely applicable in hybrid energy generating systems to provide substantial power to sensitive loads. The proposed topology can operate in 3 operational modes of boost, buck, and buck‐boost. Moreover, it has zero voltage switching operation for all switches and has the ability to eliminate the input current ripple; also, at low voltage side, the input sources can be extended. In addition, it has the ability of interfacing 3 different voltages only by using 3 switches. In this paper, the proposed topology is analyzed theoretically for all operating modes; besides, the voltage and current equations of all components are calculated. Furthermore, the required soft switching and zero input currents ripple conditions are analyzed. Finally, to demonstrate the accurate performance of the proposed converter, the Power System Computer Aided Design(PSCAD)/Electro Magnetic Transient Design and Control(EMTDC) simulation and experimental results are extracted and presented.     

Application of duality principle to synthesis of single‐stage power‐factor‐correction voltage regulators

The duality principle is applied to derive new single‐stage power‐factor‐correction (PFC) voltage regulators. This paper begins with an application of duality transformation to conventional discontinuous‐conduction‐mode buck, buck‐boost and boost converters. The resulting dual converters operate in the discontinuous capacitor voltage mode. These new converters provide the same PFC property, but in the dual manner. It is proved that in the practical case of the input being a voltage source, the mandatory insertion of inductance between the voltage input and the ‘dual PFC converter’ does not affect the power‐factor‐correcting property. A new single‐stage PFC regulator is derived by taking the dual of a well‐known circuit based on a cascade of conventional boost and buck converters. Analytical design expressions are derived, illustrating the relation between current stress and component values. Experiments are performed to confirm the operation of the circuit and its power‐factor‐correcting capability. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Single‐Inductor Dual‐Output DC–DC Converter Design Using RC Ripple Regulator Method

In this paper, we have proposed Single‐Inductor Dual‐Output (SIDO) buck–buck and boost–boost dc–dc converter using improved RC ripple regulator control. The proposed SIDO buck–buck converter has the characteristics of low‐ripple and high control frequency. RC ripple regulator control cannot be applied to SIDO boost–boost converter because RC ripple regulator undergoes self‐excited oscillation and two self‐excited oscillating controllers make the SIDO converter unstable. Thus we proposed the priority circuit for RC ripple regulator control. The proposed control circuit improves response characteristic and simplicity of the control circuit. Simulations are performed to verify the validity of the proposed SIDO converter. Simulation results indicate good performance of the proposed SIDO converter.     

A new non‐isolated free ripple input current bidirectional DC‐DC converter with capability of zero voltage switching

In this paper, a new nonisolated free ripple input current bidirectional dc‐dc converter with capability of zero voltage switching (ZVS) is proposed. The free ripple input current condition at low voltage side is achieved by using third winding of a coupled inductor and a capacitor for the whole range of duty cycles. In the proposed structure, the voltage conversion ratio can be more increased by adding the turn ratio of the second winding of the coupled inductor for the whole range of duty cycles. By adjusting the value of an auxiliary inductor in the topology of the converter, according to the power, the ZVS operation of the implemented 2 switches can be achieved throughout the whole power range. The mentioned features of proposed converter are validated theoretically for both boost and buck operations. In this paper, the proposed converter is analyzed for all operating modes. Moreover, all equations of the voltages and currents of all components, voltage conversion ratio, the required conditions for ZVS operation of switches, and also required conditions for canceling input current ripple at low voltage side are obtained. Finally, the performance of the proposed converter is reconfirmed through experimental and EMTDC/PSCAD simulation results.