A forward converter topology employing a resonant auxiliary circuit to achieve soft switching and power transformer resetting

This paper presents a forward converter topology that employs a small resonant auxiliary circuit. The advantages of the proposed topology include soft switching in both the main and auxiliary switches, recovery of the leakage inductance energy, simplified power transformer achieving self-reset without using the conventional reset winding, simple gate drive and control circuit, etc. Steady-state analysis is performed herein, and a design procedure is presented for general applications. A 35-75-Vdc to 5 Vdc 100-W prototype converter switched at a frequency of 200 kHz is built to verify the design, and 90% overall efficiency has been obtained experimentally at full load.     

Utilization of an active-clamp circuit to achieve soft switching inflyback converters

Flyback derived power convertor topologies are attractive because of their relative simplicity when compared with other topologies used in low power applications. Incorporation of active-clamp circuitry into the flyback topology serves to recycle transformer leakage energy while minimizing switch voltage stress. The addition of the active-clamp circuit also provides a mechanism for achieving zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) of both the primary and auxiliary switches. ZVS also limits the turn-off di/dt of the output rectifier, reducing rectifier switching losses, and switching noise due to diode reverse recovery. This paper analyzes the behavior of the ZVS active-clamp flyback operating with unidirectional magnetizing current and presents design equations based on this analysis. Experimental results are then given for a 500 W prototype circuit illustrating the soft-switching characteristics and improved efficiency of the power converter. Results from the application of the active-clamp circuit as a low-loss turn-off snubber for IGBT switches is also presented     

Analysis and design considerations of a load and line independent zero voltage switching full bridge DC/DC converter topology

The analysis and design of a zero voltage switching (ZVS) full bridge DC/DC power converter topology is presented in this paper. The converter topology presented here employs an asymmetrical auxiliary circuit consisting of a few passive components. With this auxiliary circuit, the full bridge converter can achieve ZVS independent of line and load conditions. The operating principle of the circuit is demonstrated, and the steady state analysis is performed. Based on the analysis, a criterion for optimal design is given. Experiment and simulation on a 350-400 V to 55 V, 500 W prototype converter operated at 100 kHz verify the design and show an overall efficiency of greater than 97% at full load.     

A single-ended SMR converter topology with optimized switchingcharacteristics

The analysis and design of an improved single-ended switched-mode rectifier (SMR) converter topology is presented. The novel feature of this topology is a nondissipative LC-type subcircuit which provides transformer flux balancing and improves converter efficiency. This is achieved by minimizing switching losses and by returning the energy stored in the transformer leakage and circuit stray inductances to the source and the load. Theoretical predictions and SMR converter design procedures are verified experimentally on a 1 kW 20 kHz prototype circuit     

Analysis and implementation of active clamp SEPIC converter with synchronous rectifier

An active clamp SEPIC converter with synchronous rectifier is presented to achieve zero voltage switching (ZVS). The active clamp circuit is adopted in the proposed converter to absorb the energy stored in the leakage inductance of the transformer and limit the peak voltage stress on the switching devices. The resonance during the transition interval between the switching devices will help the power switches to turn on at ZVS. Therefore, the switching losses of switches are effectively reduced. The synchronous rectifier is used at the secondary side of the transformer to further reduce the conduction loss. The principle of operation and the steady-state analysis of the proposed converter are presented. Finally, the experimental results taken from a laboratory prototype with 240 W (12V/20A) rated power are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed converter.     

Active-clamp ZVS converter with step-up voltage conversion ratio

This article presents the circuit implementation and design considerations of a zero voltage switching (ZVS) converter with voltage step-up for battery-based applications. An active-clamp circuit including one auxiliary switch and one clamp capacitor is connected in parallel with the main switch to allow resonant behaviour by the output capacitances of switches and transformer leakage inductance during the transition interval. Thus, the ZVS turn-on of switches can be achieved. The switching losses and thermal stresses of the semiconductors are reduced. The circuit configuration, operation principle and design considerations of the converter are discussed in detail. Finally, experiments conducted on a laboratory prototype rated at 200 W are provided to verify the theoretical analysis and the effectiveness of the proposed converter.     

A novel ZCZVT forward converter with synchronous rectification

A novel zero-current-zero-voltage transition (ZCZVT) forward converter with synchronous rectification (SR) is presented in this paper. The proposed converter is operating at 300kHz and processes the features of both zero-voltage transition (ZVT) at turn on and zero-current transition (ZCT) at turn off for the main switch. The auxiliary switch also achieves zero-current switching (ZCS). The flux of transformer can be reset without tertiary winding. The steady-state analysis and design considerations are investigated in detail in this work. Moreover, a self-driven synchronous rectification is also added to the ZCZVT forward converter to reduce the conduction losses of the output rectifier. For 48-V input and 12-V 100-W output, a prototype of the proposed converter for 300-kHz switching is built to verify the theoretical analysis. Finally, the power losses are well estimated. The overall efficiency of the proposed converter is achieved at 89% at full load.     

一种零电压开关Zeta变换器的设计

给出了一种零电压开关Zeta变换器,这种变换器可以提高效率和减小功率开关管的电压应力.当变换器工作在连续模式时,应用谐振电容和变压器的漏感实现功率开关管的零电压导通.详细分析了变换器的工作原理,并设计了相应的电路进行验证.仿真结果表明所设计的Zeta变换器效率达92.21%,输出电压纹波为125 mV.它可被用于等离子显示屏(PDP)电源系统.     

Analysis and Implementation of a ZVS-PWM Converter With Series-Connected Transformers

This brief presents the analysis, design, and implementation of zero-voltage switching (ZVS) active clamp converter with series-connected transformer. A family of isolated ZVS active clamp converters is introduced. The technique of the adopted ZVS commutation will not increase additional voltage stress of switching devices. In the adopted converter with series-connected transformer, each transformer can be operated as an inductor or a transformer. Therefore, no output inductor is needed. To reduce the voltage stress of the switching device in the conventional forward converter, the active clamp technique is used to recycle the energy stored in the transformer leakage back into the input dc source. Finally, experimental results are presented taken from a laboratory prototype with 100-W rated power, input voltage of 155 V, output voltage of 5 V, and operating at 150 kHz. [All rights reserved Elsevier].     

A 1-MHz Zero-Voltage-Switching Asymmetrical Half-Bridge DC/DC Converter: Analysis and Design

The asymmetrical half-bridge (AHB) topology discussed in this paper is one of the complementary driven pulse-width modulated converter topologies, which presents an inherent zero-voltage switching (ZVS) capability. In the previous work, the ideal operation of the converter and the ZVS realization process have been analyzed. However, the influence of the circuit parasitics on the output voltage drop and the design constraints of the circuit parameters to ensure the ZVS operation have not been investigated. The minimum load needed to ensure the ZVS operation is also not readily available. This paper presents a detailed and practical design for a 1-MHz AHB converter. A revised voltage transfer ratio of the converter is derived considering the influence of circuit parasitics and the ZVS transition. Two circuit parameters responsible for maintaining the ZVS operation are the transformer leakage inductance and the interlock delay time between the gate signals of two switches. A design method of the two parameters is proposed, which can ensure the ZVS transition. The possible ZVS range of the load variation is also investigated. A 50-W AHB converter with 1-MHz switching frequency was constructed, and a maximum efficiency of 91% was achieved.     

A zero-voltage and zero-current switching three-level DC/DC converter

This paper presents a novel zero-voltage and zero-current switching (ZVZCS) three-level DC/DC converter. This converter overcomes the drawbacks presented by the conventional zero-voltage switching (ZVS) three-level converter, such as high circulating energy, severe parasitic ringing on the rectifier diodes, and limited ZVS load range for the inner switches. The converter presented in this paper uses a phase-shift control with a flying capacitor in the primary side to achieve ZVS for the outer switches. Additionally, the converter uses an auxiliary circuit to reset the primary current during the freewheeling stage to achieve zero-current switching (ZCS) for the inner switches. The principle of operation and the DC characteristics of the new converter are analyzed and verified on a 6 kW, 100 kHz experimental prototype.     

A ZVZCS PWM FB DC/DC converter using a modified energy-recovery snubber

The conventional high-frequency phase-shifted zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) full-bridge DC/DC converter has a disadvantage, in that a circulating current flows through transformer and switching devices during the freewheeling interval. Due to this circulating current, RMS current stress, conduction losses of the transformer and switching devices are increased. To alleviate this problem, this paper proposes an improved zero-voltage zero-current switching (ZVZCS) phase-shifted full-bridge (FB) DC/DC converter with a modified energy-recovery snubber (ERS) attached at the secondary side of transformer. Also, the small signal model of the proposed ZVZCS FB DC/DC converter is derived by incorporating the effects introduced by a transformer leakage inductance and an ERS to achieve ZVZCS. Both analysis and experiment are performed to verify the proposed topology by implementing a 7-kW (120 VDC, 58 A) 30-kHz insulated-gate-bipolar-transistor-based experimental circuit.     

Analysis, design, and implementation of an active clamp forward converter with synchronous rectifier

The system analysis, circuit design, and implementation of active clamp based forward converter with synchronous rectifier are presented in this paper. To release the energy stored in the leakage inductor and to minimize the spike voltage at the transformer primary side, active clamp circuit included one clamp switch and one clamp capacitor is adopted in the circuit. Based on the partial resonance with the output capacitor of switch and the leakage inductor of transformer, the main switch is turned on at zero voltage switching (ZVS). The clamp switch is also operated at ZVS operation based on the resonance of leakage inductor and clamp capacitor. The synchronous switches are used at the secondary side to further reduce the conduction losses. The experimental results based on the laboratory prototypes are presented to verify the circuit performance.     

A Novel ZVS Resonant Reset Dual Switch Forward DC–DC Converter

This paper presents a new topology named zero-voltage switching (ZVS) resonant reset dual switch forward dc-dc converter, which, compared with resonant reset single switch forward dc-dc converter, maintains the advantage that duty cycle can be more than 50%, at the same time disadvantages of high voltage stress for main switches and low efficiency are overcome. In addition, ZVS is achieved for all switches of the presented topology. Therefore, this proposed topology is very attractive for high voltage input, wide range, and high efficiency applications. In this paper, the operation principle and characteristic of this topology are analyzed in detail. Next, the design consideration is presented. Finally, the advantages mentioned above are verified by experimental results     

A zero-voltage-switched PWM boost converter with an energyfeedforward auxiliary circuit

A zero-voltage-switched (ZVS) pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) boost converter with an energy feedforward auxiliary circuit is proposed in this paper. The auxiliary circuit, which is a resonant circuit consisting of a switch and passive components, ensures that the converter's main switch and boost diode operate with soft switching. This converter can function with PWM control because the auxiliary resonant circuit operates for a small fraction of the switching cycle. Since the auxiliary circuit is a resonant circuit, the auxiliary switch itself has both a soft turn on and turn off, resulting in reduced switching losses and electromagnetic interference (EMI). This is unlike other proposed ZVS boost converters with auxiliary circuits where the auxiliary switch has a hard turn off. Peak switch stresses are only slightly higher than those found in a conventional PWM boost converter because part of the energy that would otherwise circulate in the auxiliary circuit and drastically increase peak switch stresses is fed to the load. In this paper, the operation of the converter is explained and analyzed, design guidelines are given, and experimental results obtained from a prototype are presented. The proposed converter is found to be about 2%-3% more efficient than the conventional PWM boost converter     

A Bidirectional Isolated DC–DC Converter as a Core Circuit of the Next-Generation Medium-Voltage Power Conversion System

This paper describes a bidirectional isolated dc-dc converter considered as a core circuit of 3.3-kV/6.6-kV high-power-density power conversion systems in the next generation. The dc-dc converter is intended to use power switching devices based on silicon carbide (SiC) and/or gallium nitride, 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. It consists of two single-phase full-bridge converters with the latest trench-gate insulated gate bipolar transistors 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 and control circuit losses from the whole loss. Moreover, loss analysis is carried out to estimate effectiveness in using SiC-based power switching devices. 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     

四种典型的改进型ZVS全桥变换器的研究

移相全桥变换器具有开关器件电压应力小、功率变压器利用率高等特点,目前常被应用在中大功率的开关电源中.本文主要针对基本移相控制ZVS全桥变换器拓扑结构优缺点,介绍四种典型的改进方案,并对这四种典型电路的拓扑结构的优缺点进行了对比.     

A leakage-inductance-based ZVS two-inductor boost converter with integrated magnetics

A two-inductor boost converter topology has conduction loss and transformer utilization advantages in converting low-voltage higher current inputs to high output voltages. In this letter, a new zero-voltage switching (ZVS) two-inductor boost converter with integrated magnetics is proposed. In the new topology, the two current source inductors, a resonant inductor and a two-winding transformer, are integrated into one single magnetic core with three windings. Two windings simultaneously perform the functions of the current source inductors and the transformer primary. The transformer leakage inductance forms the resonant inductance. This leads to a much more compact converter design with a significant reduction in the number of core and winding components. A theoretical analysis establishes the operating point of the ZVS converter. Both of the theoretical and experimental waveforms, including flux waveforms for the legs of the integrated core structure, are presented at the end of the letter.     

A current-tripler dc/dc converter

This paper proposes a novel zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) current-tripler dc/dc converter. Compared to the conventional phase-shifted ZVS full-bridge dc/dc converter with current-doubler rectifier, the proposed current-tripler dc/dc converter reduces the synchronous rectifier (SR) conduction loss as well as the transformer winding loss. Furthermore, the proposed transformer structure is very compact, and thus the power density of the converter could be greatly increased. Analysis and experimental results show that the proposed topology offers great advantages when the converter output current goes higher and the voltage goes lower, as demanded by future microprocessors and telecommunications systems. A 48-V/1.0-V, 100-A, 300-kHz prototype is implemented, and the experimental results show that it can achieve 87% efficiency at full load.     

单端正激变换器谐振磁复位技术的研究

针对单端正激式DC／DC变换器的磁复位问题,本文对无需外加辅助电路,仅通过开关器件寄生电容与变压器励磁电感实现的谐振式磁复位电路进行了研究。文中详细分析了电路在一个开关周期内的6种不同开关模态．给出了参数设计的计算公式,进行了仿真分析和实验研究,并应用于车载式锂离子动力电池充电单元的研制。