Manuel Escudero

Bio: Manuel Escudero is an academic researcher from Infineon Technologies. The author has contributed to research in topics: Gyrator & Memristor. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 7 publications receiving 22 citations.

Modulation Scheme for the Bidirectional Operation of the Phase-Shift Full-Bridge Power Converter

Abstract: This paper proposes a novel modulation technique for the bidirectional operation of the phase-shift full-bridge (PSFB) dc/dc power converter. The forward or buck operation of this topology is well known and widely used in medium-to-high-power dc-to-dc converters. In contrast, backward or boost operation is less typical since it exhibits large drain voltage overshoot in devices located at the secondary or current-fed side—a known problem in isolated boost converters. For that reason, other topologies of symmetric configuration are preferred in bidirectional applications. In this work, we propose a modulation technique overcoming the drain voltage overshoot of the isolated boost converter, without additional components other than the ones in a standard PSFB and still achieving full or nearly full ZVS in the primary or voltage-fed side devices along all the load range. The proposed modulation has been tested in a bidirectional 3.3 kW PSFB achieving a 98% of peak efficiency in buck mode (380 V input, 54.5 V output), and a 97.5% in boost mode (51 V input, 400 V output). This demonstrates that the PSFB converter may become a relatively simple and efficient topology for bidirectional dc-to-dc converter applications.

Meminductor Emulator Based on a Modified Antoniou’s Gyrator Circuit

Abstract: In this work, we presented the design and simulation of a new flux-controlled meminductor emulator based on a modified version of the well-known Antoniou’s inductor simulator circuit. The constitutive theoretical equations of meminductance are presented and subsequently correlated with the electrical behavior of Antoniou’s circuit, hence illustrating its practical meminductive behavior with a proper selection of feedback impedances. After that, the feasibility of a practical implementation using off-the-shelf devices is illustrated firstly for a two-state meminductor and secondly for a continuous-state meminductor by means of SPICE simulations. It was also demonstrated that this emulator can operate at different frequencies and input signals constituting one of the simplest and most versatile meminductor emulators to date.

A Practical Approach to the Design of a Highly Efficient PSFB DC-DC Converter for Server Applications

Abstract: The phase shift full bridge (PSFB) is a widely known isolated DC-DC converter topology commonly used in medium to high power applications, and one of the best candidates for the front-end DC-DC converter in server power supplies. Since the server power supplies consume an enormous amount of power, the most critical issue is to achieve high efficiency. Several organizations promoting electrical energy efficiency, like the 80 PLUS, keep introducing higher efficiency certifications with growing requirements extending also to light loads. The design of a high efficiency PSFB converter is a complex problem with many degrees of freedom which requires of a sufficiently accurate modeling of the losses and of efficient design criteria. In this work a losses model of the converter is proposed as well as design guidelines for the efficiency optimization of PSFB converter. The model and the criteria are tested with the redesign of an existing reference PSFB converter of 1400 W for server applications, with wide input voltage range, nominal 400 V input and 12 V output; achieving 95.85% of efficiency at 50% of the load. A new optimized prototype of PSFB was built with the same specifications, achieving a peak efficiency of 96.68% at 50% of the load.

Synchronous Rectifiers Drain Voltage Overshoot Reduction in PSFB Converters

Abstract: The requirements for the blocking voltage of the rectification devices on the secondary side of phase shift full bridge (PSFB) dc–dc converter topology are, by nature, higher than for other quasiresonant or fully resonant topologies (DAB, LLC). This is especially aggravated in wide range operation converters and further increased by the rectifiers’ drain voltage overshoot. Unlike other resonant topologies, the inductor at the output of the PSFB effectively decouples the capacitor bank from the rectification stage, which otherwise acts as a strong lossless snubber. Higher blocking voltage requirements for the rectification devices worsen their Figure of Merit, increasing their related losses and decreasing the overall efficiency of the converter. In this article, the main causes of the rectifiers drain voltage overshoots in PSFB are analyzed. Design guidelines for the mitigation of the different causes are introduced, as well as a novel modulation scheme for the overshoot reduction, while the output filter operates in discontinuous conduction mode, without penalties in performance, complexity, or cost. A prototype of PSFB DC-DC converter of 3300 W, with 400-V input to 54.5-V output nominal voltages, was designed and built to test the proposed solutions achieving a peak efficiency of 98.12% at 50% of load.

Design and implementation of a floating meminductor emulator upon Riordan gyrator

Abstract: In this communication we present the design, simulation and implementation of a floating flux-controlled meminductor emulator based on the Riordan gyrator. Firstly, the circuit is presented theoretically, from its original version to emulate inductors to its adaptation for floating meminductors. Once its theoretical equations are presented, using SPICE simulations, we demonstrate the feasibility of this implementation by means of off-the-shelf components and a memristor, or a memristor emulator, for different inputs signals and frequencies in both grounded and floating configurations. Finally, a low-frequency breadboard-level implementation is included to prove its practicality.

A comprehensive review on advanced charging topologies and methodologies for electric vehicle battery

Abstract: The rise of greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere is a severe climate change concern. A significant part, such as CO2 emission, comes from internal combustion engine-driven vehicles, incited the automotive sector to focus more on the sustainable electric transportation system. However, electric vehicles face significant charging time, charging methods, and range anxiety challenges. To overcome these challenges, charging technologies for electric vehicle batteries play an essential role. Many types of electric vehicle charging topologies have been discussed in the literature and implemented in many practical applications. This paper presents a state of art criticism of advanced converter topologies and charging methodology for electric vehicle applications. Apart from the conventional topologies, this manuscript has covered the comparative criticism of the recently proposed EV charging technologies regarding charging methods, control strategies, and power levels. Further, this paper discussed the different onboard chargers with their power factor correction topologies, drawbacks, and required corrections. This manuscript provides the research directions for the academic and industrial communities.

VDCC-Based Memcapacitor/Meminductor Emulator and Its Application in Adaptive Learning Circuit

Abstract: In this paper, floating memcapacitor and meminductor emulators have been proposed using voltage differencing current conveyors, memristor and grounded capacitor. Meminductor emulator has been easily obtained from memcapacitor emulator and vice versa by interchanging the positions of memristor and capacitor. The proposed designs of memcapacitor and meminductor emulators are very simple as compared to most of the designs available in the literature. Proposed emulators perform satisfactorily for a wide range of frequency and also satisfy the non-volatility test. The performance of proposed memcapacitor and meminductor emulators has been verified by embedding the memristor emulator circuit and the SPICE model of memristor. The performance of proposed emulators is found to be satisfactory in both the cases. The proposed designs have been simulated by LTspice tool using 0.18 µm CMOS technology parameters. Adaptive learning circuits have also been designed using proposed memcapacitor and meminductor emulators that fully verify the workability of the design.

Memcapacitor and Meminductor Circuit Emulators: A Review

Abstract: In 1971, Prof. L. Chua theoretically introduced a new circuit element, which exhibited a different behavior from that displayed by any of the three known passive elements: the resistor, the capacitor or the inductor. This element was called memristor, since its behavior corresponded to a resistor with memory. Four decades later, the concept of mem-elements was extended to the other two circuit elements by the definition of the constitutive equations of both memcapacitors and meminductors. Since then, the non-linear and non-volatile properties of these devices have attracted the interest of many researches trying to develop a wide range of applications. However, the lack of solid-state implementations of memcapacitors and meminductors make it necessary to rely on circuit emulators for the use and investigation of these elements in practical implementations. On this basis, this review gathers the current main alternatives presented in the literature for the emulation of both memcapacitors and meminductors. Different circuit emulators have been thoroughly analyzed and compared in detail, providing a wide range of approaches that could be considered for the implementation of these devices in future designs.

A Practical Approach to the Design of a Highly Efficient PSFB DC-DC Converter for Server Applications

Abstract: The phase shift full bridge (PSFB) is a widely known isolated DC-DC converter topology commonly used in medium to high power applications, and one of the best candidates for the front-end DC-DC converter in server power supplies. Since the server power supplies consume an enormous amount of power, the most critical issue is to achieve high efficiency. Several organizations promoting electrical energy efficiency, like the 80 PLUS, keep introducing higher efficiency certifications with growing requirements extending also to light loads. The design of a high efficiency PSFB converter is a complex problem with many degrees of freedom which requires of a sufficiently accurate modeling of the losses and of efficient design criteria. In this work a losses model of the converter is proposed as well as design guidelines for the efficiency optimization of PSFB converter. The model and the criteria are tested with the redesign of an existing reference PSFB converter of 1400 W for server applications, with wide input voltage range, nominal 400 V input and 12 V output; achieving 95.85% of efficiency at 50% of the load. A new optimized prototype of PSFB was built with the same specifications, achieving a peak efficiency of 96.68% at 50% of the load.