Showing papers on "Buck–boost converter published in 2011"

Review of Three-Phase PWM AC–AC Converter Topologies

Abstract: This paper presents first an overview of the well-known voltage and current dc-link converter topologies used to implement a three-phase PWM ac-ac converter system. Starting from the voltage source inverter and the current source rectifier, the basics of space vector modulation are summarized. Based on that, the topology of the indirect matrix converter (IMC) and its modulation are gradually developed from a voltage dc-link back-to-back converter by omitting the dc-link capacitor. In the next step, the topology of the conventional (direct) matrix converter (CMC) is introduced, and the relationship between the IMC and the CMCs is discussed in a figurative manner by investigating the switching states. Subsequently, three-phase ac-ac buck-type chopper circuits are considered as a special case of matrix converters (MCs), and a summary of extended MC topologies is provided, including three-level and hybrid MCs. Therewith, a common knowledge basis of the individual converter topologies is established.

A Cascaded High Step-Up DC–DC Converter With Single Switch for Microsource Applications

Abstract: This paper proposes a new high step-up dc-dc converter designed especially for regulating the dc interface between various microsources and a dc-ac inverter to electricity grid. The figuration of the proposed converter is a quadratic boost converter with the coupled inductor in the second boost converter. The converter achieves high step-up voltage gain with appropriate duty ratio and low voltage stress on the power switch. Additionally, the energy stored in the leakage inductor of the coupled inductor can be recycled to the output capacitor. The operating principles and steady-state analyses of continuous-conduction mode and boundary-conduction mode are discussed in detail. To verify the performance of the proposed converter, a 280-W prototype sample is implemented with an input voltage range of 20-40 V and an output voltage of up to 400 V. The upmost efficiency of 93.3% is reached with high-line input; on the other hand, the full-load efficiency remains at 89.3% during low-line input.

A High-Efficiency PV Module-Integrated DC/DC Converter for PV Energy Harvest in FREEDM Systems

Abstract: The future renewable electric energy delivery and management (FREEDM) system provides a dc interface for alternative energy sources. As a result, photovoltaic (PV) energy can be easily delivered through a dc/dc converter to the FREEDM system's dc bus. The module-integrated converter (MIC) topology is a good candidate for a PV converter designed to work with the FREEDM system. This paper compares the parallel connected dc MIC structure with its counterpart, the series connected MIC architecture. From the presented analysis, the parallel connected architecture was shown to have more advantages. In this paper, a high-efficiency dual mode resonant converter topology is proposed for parallel connected dc MICs. This new resonant converter topology can change resonant modes adaptively depending on the panel operation conditions. The converter achieves zero-voltage switching for primary-side switches and zero-current switching for secondary-side diodes for both resonant modes. The circulation energy is minimized particularly for 5-50% of the rated power level. Thus, the converter can maintain a high efficiency for a wide input range at different output power levels. This study explains the operation principle of the proposed converter and presents a dc gain analysis based on the fundamental harmonic analysis method. A 240-W prototype with an embedded maximum power point tracking controller was built to evaluate the performance of the proposed converter. The prototype's maximum efficiency reaches 96.5% and an efficiency increase of more than 10% under light load conditions is shown when compared with a conventional LLC resonant converter.

A New Topology of Cascaded Multilevel Converters With Reduced Number of Components for High-Voltage Applications

Abstract: In this paper, a new topology of a cascaded multilevel converter is proposed. The proposed topology is based on a cascaded connection of single-phase submultilevel converter units and full-bridge converters. Compared to the conventional multilevel converter, the number of dc voltage sources, switches, installation area, and converter cost is significantly reduced as the number of voltage steps increases. In order to calculate the magnitudes of the required dc voltage sources, three methods are proposed. Then, the structure of the proposed topology is optimized in order to utilize a minimum number of switches and dc voltage sources, and produce a high number of output voltage steps. The operation and performance of the proposed multilevel converter is verified by simulation results and compared with experimental results of a single-phase 49-level converter, too.

An Efficient High-Step-Up Interleaved DC–DC Converter With a Common Active Clamp

Abstract: This paper presents a high-efficiency and high-step-up nonisolated interleaved dc-dc converter with a common active-clamp circuit. In the presented converter, the coupled-inductor boost converters are interleaved. A boost converter is used to clamp the voltage stresses of all the switches in the interleaved converters, caused by the leakage inductances present in the practical coupled inductors, to a low voltage level. The leakage energies of the interleaved converters are collected in a clamp capacitor and recycled to the output by the clamp boost converter. The proposed converter achieves high efficiency because of the recycling of the leakage energies, reduction of the switch voltage stress, mitigation of the output diode's reverse recovery problem, and interleaving of the converters. 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.

Using LLC Resonant Converter for Designing Wide-Range Voltage Source

Abstract: LLC resonant converter with significant resonant inductance is proposed for designing an adjustable wide-range regulated voltage source. Large resonant inductance increases output voltage adjustment range and conversion efficiency, particularly at light loads. Soft switching is achieved for all power devices under all operating conditions by choosing the dead time and maximum switching frequency properly and operating in the converter's inductive region. Using a power-factor-correction (PFC) converter reduces the resonant converter's output voltage dependence to the variations of the main ac input voltage. Thus, the compensation of the load variations and the wide-range adjustment of the regulated output voltage can be achieved by using small switching frequency variations. The proposed method has been used to implement an adjustable wide-range voltage source (35-165 V dc), as an ion implanter arc power supply. An almost flat efficiency curve with maximum value of 94% has been achieved for the converter. Its output current can change from no load to 3 A dc.

An Isolated DC/DC Converter Using High-Frequency Unregulated $LLC$ Resonant Converter for Fuel Cell Applications

Abstract: This paper suggests an isolated dc/dc converter using an unregulated LLC converter for fuel cell applications. The LLC converter operates as an isolated voltage amplifier with a constant voltage gain, and a nonisolated converter installed in the input stage regulates the output voltage under a wide variation of fuel cell stack voltage. By separating the functions, the unregulated LLC converter can be operated at an optimal switching condition, and the high-frequency operation of 300 kHz can be accomplished without introducing an excessive switching loss. The prototype converter with a 1-kW design (Vin = 24 ~ 48 V/Vo = 400 V) shows an efficiency of above 90.2% under a 24-V input and full load conditions.

Novel High Step-Up DC–DC Converter With Coupled-Inductor and Voltage-Doubler Circuits

Abstract: In this paper, a novel high step-up dc-dc converter with coupled-inductor and voltage-doubler circuits is proposed. The converter achieves high step-up voltage gain with appropriate duty ratio and low voltage stress on the power switches. Also, the energy stored in the leakage inductor of the coupled inductor can be recycled to the output. The operating principles and the steady-state analyses of the proposed converter are discussed in detail. Finally, a prototype circuit of the proposed converter is implemented in the laboratory to verify the performance of the proposed converter.

Novel High Step-Up DC–DC Converter With Coupled-Inductor and Switched-Capacitor Techniques for a Sustainable Energy System

Abstract: In this paper, a novel high step-up dc-dc converter is proposed for a sustainable energy system. The proposed converter uses coupled-inductor and switched-capacitor techniques. The capacitors are charged in parallel and discharged in series by the coupled inductor to achieve high step-up voltage gain with an appropriate duty ratio. Besides, the voltage stress on the main switch is reduced with a passive clamp circuit; low on-state resistance Rds(on) of the main switch can be adopted to reduce the conduction loss. In addition, the reverse-recovery problem of the diode is alleviated by a coupled inductor. Thus, the efficiency can be further improved. The operating principle and steady-state analyses of voltage gain are discussed in detail. Finally, a prototype circuit with 24-V input voltage, 400-V output voltage, and 200-W output power is implemented in the laboratory to verify the performance of the proposed converter.

Performance of a High-Efficiency Switched-Capacitor-Based Resonant Converter With Phase-Shift Control

Abstract: This paper presents operating performance of a switched-capacitor-based resonant converter (SCRC) using a phase-shift control method. The proposed phase-shift control realizes zero-voltage switching operation, and thus achieves a high-conversion efficiency. A theoretical analysis shows that the SCRC can reduce its inductor volume compared with a conventional buck converter when the output voltage range is within 19%-81% of its input voltage. Experimental results verify the operating characteristics of the proposed method and show the improved conversion efficiency of more than 99%.

Nonisolated High Step-Up Stacked Converter Based on Boost-Integrated Isolated Converter

Abstract: To obtain a high step-up gain with high efficiency in nonisolated applications, a high step-up technique based on isolated-type converters is introduced in this paper. By stacking the secondary side of an isolated converter in addition to its primary side, a high step-up conversion ratio and a distributed voltage stress can be achieved. Moreover, a careful choice of an isolated converter can provide zero-voltage switching, continuous input current, and reduced reverse recovery on diodes. Based on a conventional voltage-doubler-rectifier boost-integrated half-bridge converter, the derived converter satisfies all these features, which make it suitable for high step-up applications. The operational principle and characteristics of the proposed converter are presented, and verified experimentally with a 135-W, 24-V input, 250-V output prototype converter for a LED driver.

Single-Switch Cell Voltage Equalizer Using Multistacked Buck-Boost Converters Operating in Discontinuous Conduction Mode for Series-Connected Energy Storage Cells

Abstract: The cell voltage imbalance of series-connected energy storage cells, such as supercapacitors (SCs) and lithium-ion cells, causes premature deterioration and a decrease in the available energies of the cells. Various equalization techniques have been developed for diminishing such imbalances. However, since the number of switches, sensors, and/or multiwinding transformers present in conventional equalizers is directly proportional to the number of series connections of the cells, the circuit complexity and cost of the equalizers are prone to increase with the number of series connections. In this paper, single-switch cell voltage equalizers using multistacked buck-boost converters, such as the single-ended primary inductor converter (SEPIC), Zeta, and Cuk converters, are proposed. These equalizers consist of passive components and a single switch, significantly reducing the complexity of the circuit when compared with that of conventional equalizers. In addition, when the proposed equalizers operate in discontinuous conduction mode, feedback control is not required to limit currents flowing through cells and circuit components. The proposed equalizers are compared with conventional topologies in terms of the number of active and passive components required. Operating analyses were conducted under both cell-voltage-balanced and -imbalanced conditions. Experimental equalization tests were performed for four series-connected SCs using the SEPIC-based single-switch equalizer. The energies of the series-connected SCs were preferentially redistributed by the equalizer to the cell(s) having the lowest voltage, resulting in the elimination of the cell voltage imbalance and subsequent uniformity of the cell voltages.

Analysis, design and experimental results of a floating-output interleaved-input boost-derived DC-DC high-gain transformer-less converter

Abstract: In transformer-less energy systems sourced from low and unregulated voltage generated by a fuel cell or photovoltaic source, the voltage gain of the power electronic conditioning stage is required to be as high as possible. Although component parasitic elements limit the practically realisable voltage gain of any converter topology, this becomes a critical issue in the case of the basic step-up converter. In this study, a high-gain interleaved boost-derived converter topology is discussed. The proposed converter topology offers modularity, lower ripple for both input current and output voltage, and lower voltage and current ratings of the various circuit elements when compared to the basic boost converter. Analysis, design and key converter waveforms operating in the continuous conduction mode are provided along with design guidelines. Experimental results taken from a 1 kW laboratory prototype operating at 60 kHz are presented to confirm the validity of the analysis and design considerations.

Optimizing the Normalized Dead-Time and Maximum Switching Frequency of a Wide-Adjustable-Range LLC Resonant Converter

Abstract: LLC resonant converter has been widely used in dc-dc converters. In this paper, optimum dead-time and maximum switching frequency of a wide-adjustable-range LLC resonant converter are investigated for realizing the zero voltage switching (ZVS) operation even under the worst-case conditions. Analyses demonstrate that these parameters depend on the converter inductance ratio and ratio of the converter resonant capacitor and the effective capacitance appeared in parallel with the drain-sources of the power MOSFETs. The necessary dead time for realizing the ZVS operation can be minimized by choosing the normalized maximum switching frequency, properly. Using the dead-time optimum value, soft switching is achieved for all power devices even under the worst-case conditions. Developed prototype of the converter has been tested under different loads (0-3 A dc) and input voltage conditions (320-370 V dc) to achieve a wide-adjustable-range output voltage (40-165 V dc). This dc-dc converter is used as an ion implanter arc power supply. The calculated optimum dead-time and maximum switching frequency are approximately equal to 184 ns and 205.7 kHz, for realizing the ZVS operation at the worst-case conditions. These parameters in the prototype are approximately equal to 195 ns and 203.5 kHz, respectively.

Isolated Buck–Boost DC/DC Converters Suitable for Wide Input-Voltage Range

Abstract: A family of isolated buck-boost dc/dc converter for wide input-voltage range is proposed in this paper, and the full-bridge (FB) boost converter, being one of the typical topologies, is analyzed. Due to the existence of the resonant inductor (including the leakage inductor), the FB-boost converter can only adopt the two-edge-modulation (TEM) scheme with the FB cell being leading-edge modulated and the boost cell being trailing-edge modulated to minimize the inductor current ripple over the input-voltage range, and a phase-shift-control-scheme-based TEM with the use of the market available controller IC such as UC3895 is proposed, which realizes phase-shifted control for the FB cell to achieve zero-voltage switching. In order to improve the reliability and efficiency of the FB-boost converter, a three-mode dual-frequency control scheme is proposed, in which the FB-boost converter operates in boost, FB-boost and FB modes in low, medium and high input voltage regions, respectively, and for which the expression of the inductor current ripple is derived in this paper. As the input voltage in the FB-boost mode is close to the output voltage, the inductor current ripple in this mode is much smaller than that in the other modes, and the switching frequency of the boost cell in this mode can be lowered to one-(2N+1)th of the preset switching frequency to reduce the switching loss, and hence, to improve the efficiency. A 250-500 V input, 360 V output, and 6 kW rated power prototype is fabricated to verify the effectiveness of the design and control method. The average efficiency over the input-voltage range is 96.5%, and the highest efficiency attained is 97.2%.

A Noninverting Buck–Boost DC–DC Switching Converter With High Efficiency and Wide Bandwidth

Abstract: A novel dc-dc switching converter consisting of a boost stage cascaded with a buck converter with their coils magnetically coupled is presented. The disclosed converter has the same step-up or step-down voltage conversion properties than the single inductor noninverting buck-boost converter but exhibits nonpulsating I/O currents. The converter control-to-output transfer function is continuous between operation modes if a particular magnetic coupling is selected. The addition of a damping network improves the dynamics and results in a control-to-output transfer function that has, even in boost mode, two dominant complex poles without right-half-plane zeros. An example shows that an output voltage controller can be designed with the same well-known techniques usually applied to the second-order buck regulator. Details of a prototype and experimental results including efficiency, frequency, and time domain responses are presented. The experimental results validate the theoretical expected advantages of the converter, namely, good efficiency, wide bandwidth, and simplicity of control design.

A Novel Single-Stage High-Power-Factor AC/DC Converter Featuring High Circuit Efficiency

Abstract: This paper proposes a novel single-stage high-power-factor ac/dc converter with symmetrical topology. The circuit topology is derived from the integration of two buck-boost power-factor-correction (PFC) converters and a full-bridge series resonant dc/dc converter. The switch-utilization factor is improved by using two active switches to serve in the PFC circuits. A high power factor at the input line is assured by operating the buck-boost converters at discontinuous conduction mode. With symmetrical operation and elaborately designed circuit parameters, zero-voltage switching on all the active power switches of the converter can be retained to achieve high circuit efficiency. The operation modes, design equations, and design steps for the circuit parameters are proposed. A prototype circuit designed for a 200-W dc output was built and tested to verify the analytical predictions. Satisfactory performances are obtained from the experimental results.

New Configuration of Traction Converter With Medium-Frequency Transformer Using Matrix Converters

Abstract: This paper presents a new configuration of a main traction converter with a medium-frequency transformer (MFT) using matrix converters intended for locomotives and particularly for suburban units supplied by a 25-kV/50-Hz and/or 15-kV/16.7-Hz ac electrification system. Single-phase matrix converters are employed in the primary medium-voltage converter which is directly connected to the ac trolley line. The output of the primary ac/ac converter supplies the primary side of the MFT. The proposed MFT-based topology of the traction converter replaces the bulky main line transformer found on board railway vehicles. Particularly in countries with a catenary of 15 kV/16.7 Hz, very low catenary frequency results in huge and heavy traction transformers. The developed topology is a power electronics solution that considerably reduces weight and losses in a traction propulsion system. The proposed converter configuration with cascaded matrix converters on the primary side of the MFT presents a new research direction in the field of traction converters with MFTs. This paper describes in detail the proposed power circuit and the control of the traction converter. The behavior of the traction converter configuration has been analyzed using simulations and experimental tests carried out on a developed low-voltage laboratory prototype of a traction converter with a rated power of 4 kVA. Based on extensive simulation and experimental study, this paper reviews the benefits, drawbacks, and constraints of the developed traction converter configuration.

Common-Duty-Ratio Control of Input-Series Output-Parallel Connected Phase-shift Full-Bridge DC–DC Converter Modules

Abstract: Input-series output-parallel (ISOP)-connected converters allow the use of low-voltage and low-power converter modules for high input-voltage and high-power applications. Further, the use of high-frequency, low-voltage MOSFETs, which are optimized for very low on-resistance, is enabled, resulting in lower conduction losses and higher power density. In this paper, a common-duty-ratio control scheme is proposed for an ISOP converter consisting of multiple phase-shift full-bridge (PS-FB) converter modules. The proposed control method achieves stable sharing of the input voltage and load current by applying a common duty ratio to all converter modules, without a dedicated input-voltage sharing controller. The control method is analyzed by using both a small-signal averaged model and a steady-state dc model of the ISOP converter, and it is concluded that the equal sharing of input voltage and load current among converter modules can be achieved through reducing the mismatches in various module parameters, which is practically achievable. The stability and performance of the control scheme are verified by Saber simulation and a 500 W experimental prototype consisting of two PS-FB converter modules.

High Step-Up Ratio Flyback Converter With Active Clamp and Voltage Multiplier

Abstract: In this paper, an isolated high step-up ratio dc-dc converter aimed to be used in interface systems between low-voltage renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic panels and fuel cells and the utility grid, is presented. The converter is based on the active clamp flyback topology with a voltage multiplier at the transformer secondary side. Such configuration, while naturally clamping the rectifier diode voltages thus avoiding the use of dissipative snubber circuits, allows the reduction of the circulating current during the active clamp operation due to the resonance involving the transformer leakage inductances and the diode parasitic capacitances. Experimental results taken from a 300-W-rated prototype are reported, showing the absence of parasitic oscillations after diodes and switch transitions and high efficiency, in agreement with the theoretical expectations.

Modeling and Analysis of Coupled Inductors in Power Converters

Abstract: This paper describes a new approach to the analysis of switched mode power converters utilizing coupled inductors and presents a novel canonical circuit model for N-winding coupled inductors. Waveform and ripple of the winding current in a coupled inductor converter can be easily determined using the developed model similar to those obtained in an uncoupled inductor converter. Influence of coupling coefficient on converter steady state and transient performance is readily predicted by the proposed model. It is found that in an N-phase coupled inductor converter, the voltage waveforms driving the leakage inductors are no longer the phase node voltages but are the modified voltages with a frequency N times the original switching frequency. In addition, their magnitudes also vary with the coupling coefficient among the coupled windings. Through coupling, a converter is capable of responding faster to load transient depending on the coupling coefficient and control mechanism, and that dependency is analytically revealed in the paper. Finally, a two-phase buck regulator is experimentally tested to verify the proposed model.

A New Phase-Shifted Full-Bridge Converter With Maximum Duty Operation for Server Power System

Abstract: A new high-efficient phase-shifted full-bridge (PSFB) converter is proposed in this paper. The conventional PSFB converter with an external inductor and clamping diodes is widely used in server power systems due to limited voltage stress on switches and its zero-voltage switching (ZVS) characteristics. However, a hold-up time regulation rule in server systems limits its operating duty ratio in nominal state and it increases the conduction loss of the converter. With simple modification, the proposed converter can be operated in the optimal operating point, 50% duty ratio, both in nominal operating condition and hold-up time condition. The ZVS characteristic is still maintained in the proposed converter. Therefore, conduction loss at the primary side of the converter is reduced and higher efficiency can also be obtained in the proposed converter than the conventional converter. The operational principle and analysis of the proposed converter are presented and verified by the 1-kW prototype.

Fully-Integrated On-Chip DC-DC Converter With a 450X Output Range

Abstract: This paper presents a technique to efficiently supply power over a wide power range using a fully-integrated on-chip converter for dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) based applications. All components, including filter elements, are integrated on-chip. To achieve high efficiency the converter adaptively switches between different modes of operation by detecting the output current. The design, implemented in IBM 130 nm CMOS technology, achieves a peak efficiency of 77% at reduced temperature of 8°C and has a maximum efficiency of 74.5% under normal operating conditions. The converter supplies power over a 450X output power range (0.6 mW to 266 mW). To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest reported power range for a high-efficiency, fully-integrated on-chip power converter to date.

A Bridgeless Single-Stage Half-Bridge AC/DC Converter

Abstract: This paper proposes a new bridgeless single-stage half-bridge ac-dc converter for power factor correction. The proposed converter integrates the bridgeless boost rectifier with the asymmetrical pulse-width modulation half-bridge dc-dc converter. The proposed converter provides an isolated dc output voltage without using any full-bridge diode rectifier. Conduction losses are lowered by eliminating the full-bridge diode rectifier. Zero-voltage switching of the power switches reduces the switching power losses. The proposed converter gives a high efficiency, high power factor, and low cost. The effectiveness of the proposed converter is verified on a 250 W (48 V/5.2 A) experimental prototype. The proposed converter achieves a high efficiency of 93.0% and an almost unity power factor for 250 W output power at 90 Vrms line voltage.

A 90–240 MHz Hysteretic Controlled DC-DC Buck Converter With Digital Phase Locked Loop Synchronization

Abstract: This paper reports a digital phase locked loop (D-PLL) based frequency locking technique for high frequency hysteretic controlled dc-dc buck converters. The proposed converter achieves constant operating frequency over a wide output voltage range, eliminating the dependence of switching frequency on duty cycle or voltage conversion range. The D-PLL is programmable over a wide range of parameters and can be synchronized to a clock reference to ensure proper frequency lock and switching operation outside undesirable power supply resonance bands. The stability and loop dynamics of the proposed converter is analyzed using an analog equivalent PLL behavioral model which describes the dc-dc converter as a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). We demonstrate a 90-240 MHz single phase converter with fast hysteretic control and output conversion range of 33%-80%. The converter achieves an efficiency of 80% at 180 MHz, a load response of 40 ns for a 120 mA current step and a peak-to-peak ripple less than 25 mV. The circuit was implemented in 130 nm digital CMOS process.

Newly Designed ZVS Multi-Input Converter

Abstract: A newly designed zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) multi-input converter is proposed in this paper. The converter can boost the different voltages of two power sources to a stable output voltage. An auxiliary circuit is employed for achieving turn-on ZVS of all switches in the proposed converter. According to various situations, the operational states of the proposed converter can be divided into two states, including a single-power-supply and a dual-power-supply state. In the dual-power-supply state, the input circuits connected in series together with the designed pulsewidth modulation can greatly reduce the conduction loss of the switches. In addition, the effectiveness of the designed circuit topology and the ZVS properties are verified by experimental results, and the goal of high-efficiency conversion can be obtained.

Design Considerations of Soft-Switched Buck PFC Converter With Constant On-Time (COT) Control

Abstract: In contrast to the conventional boost power factor correction (PFC) converter, the buck PFC converter can achieve high efficiency in the entire universal input voltage range. A critical conduction mode (CRM) soft-switched buck PFC converter with constant on-time control is presented in this paper. The design methodology and criteria for zero-voltage switching range, high efficiency and low harmonics of the CRM buck ac-dc converter are achieved. A 100-W prototype built up according to the proposed design criteria shows that the input current harmonics meet the IEC61000-3-2 (Class D) standard and the efficiency is higher than 0.965 during the universal input range.

Design and Implementation of a Direct AC–DC Boost Converter for Low-Voltage Energy Harvesting

Abstract: In this paper, a direct ac-dc power electronic converter topology is proposed for efficient and optimum energy harvesting from low-voltage microgenerators. The converter utilizes the bidirectional current-conduction capability of MOSFETs to avoid the use of a front-end bridge rectifier. It is operated in discontinuous conduction mode and offers a resistive load to the microgenerator. Detailed analysis and modeling of the converter is presented. In such low-power applications, the power consumption of gate drive and control circuits should be minimal. In this paper, they are specifically designed to consume very low power. A suitable startup circuit and auxiliary dc supply circuit is proposed for the implementation of the converter. A low-voltage microgenerator is used to verify the performance and operation of the converter and the gate drive circuits.