Showing papers on "Inductor published in 2016"

Optimal Design of High-Order Passive-Damped Filters for Grid-Connected Applications

Abstract: Harmonic stability problems caused by the resonance of high-order filters in power electronic systems are ever increasing. The use of passive damping does provide a robust solution to address these issues, but at the price of reduced efficiency due to the presence of additional passive components. Hence, a new method is proposed in this paper to optimally design the passive damping circuit for the LCL filters and LCL with multituned LC traps. In short, the optimization problem reduces to the proper choice of the multisplit capacitors or inductors in the high-order filter. Compared to existing design procedures, the proposed method simplifies the iterative design of the overall filter while ensuring the minimum resonance peak with a lower damping capacitor and a lower rated resistor. It is shown that there is only one optimal value of the damping resistor or quality factor to achieve a minimum filter resonance. The passive filters are designed, built, and validated both analytically and experimentally for verification.

Comparison of a Buck Converter and a Series Capacitor Buck Converter for High-Frequency, High-Conversion-Ratio Voltage Regulators

Abstract: This paper presents an analytical and experimental comparison of a two-phase buck converter and a two-phase, series capacitor buck converter. The limitations of a conventional buck converter in high-current (10 A or more), and high-frequency (HF, 3–30 MHz) point-of-load voltage regulators with large voltage conversion ratios (10-to-1) are highlighted. The series capacitor buck converter exhibits desirable characteristics at HF, including lower switching loss, less inductor current ripple, automatic phase current balancing, duty ratio extension, and soft charging of the energy transfer capacitor. Analysis of the topologies indicates that switching loss and inductor core loss can dominate at HF. Results from side-by-side 12 V input, 1.2 V output hardware prototypes demonstrate that the series capacitor buck converter has up to 12 percentage points higher efficiency at 3 MHz and reduces power loss by up to 33% at full load (10 A). Some guidelines for inductor selection are provided, and a switch stress comparison reveals that the maximum converter switch stress is reduced by 30%.

Design and Analysis of a High-Efficiency DC–DC Converter With Soft Switching Capability for Renewable Energy Applications Requiring High Voltage Gain

Abstract: Renewable sources like solar photovoltaic (PV) and fuel cell stack are preferred to be operated at low voltages. For applications such as grid-tied systems, this necessitates high voltage boosting resulting in efficiency reduction. To handle this issue, this paper proposes a novel high voltage gain, high-efficiency dc–dc converter based on coupled inductor, intermediate capacitor, and leakage energy recovery scheme. The input energy acquired from the source is first stored in the magnetic field of coupled inductor and intermediate capacitor in a lossless manner. In subsequent stages, it is passed on to the output section for load consumption. A passive clamp network around the primary inductor ensures the recovery of energy trapped in the leakage inductance, leading to drastic improvement in the voltage gain and efficiency of the system. Exorbitant duty cycle values are not required for high voltage gain, which prevents problems such as diode reverse recovery. Presence of a passive clamp network causes reduced voltage stress on the switch. This enables the use of low voltage rating switch (with low “ on -state” resistance), improving the overall efficiency of the system. Analytical details of the proposed converter and its hardware results are included.

Enhanced-Boost Z-Source Inverters With Switched Z-Impedance

Abstract: This paper proposes a new topology for an enhanced-boost Z-source inverter (ZSI) with combined two Z-impedance networks. By two Z-impedance networks and low shoot-through duty cycle, the proposed inverter produces high output voltage gain. In traditional ZSIs for high boosting voltage, a low modulation index is required; hence, under these conditions, the output voltage will have low quality with high total harmonic distortion. Compared with the conventional high-boost ZSI topologies, the proposed inverter uses shorter shoot-through duration and a larger modulation index to improve the output waveform quality. Comparison between the proposed topology and previously proposed schemes, in terms of inductor numbers, voltage and current stresses on elements, sizes of inductors and capacitors, efficiency, and switching device product (SDP) factors of diodes, is made, and the results verify the priority of the proposed topology. The operating principle of the proposed topology is analyzed in detail. Both simulation and experimental results verify the high performance of the proposed inverter.

High-Frequency High-Efficiency GaN-Based Interleaved CRM Bidirectional Buck/Boost Converter with Inverse Coupled Inductor

Abstract: This paper presents a high-frequency high-efficiency GaN device-based interleaved critical current mode (CRM) bidirectional buck/boost converter with an inverse coupled inductor. The switching frequency is continually driven to megahertz range with GaN devices due to their small switching loss and driving loss, which greatly reduces the size of the passive components. The coupled inductor further reduces the core volume due to certain dc flux reductions. The equivalent inductance and the impact of the inverse coupled inductor on the CRM buck–boost converter are analyzed in detail. The resonant period in CRM is less with an inverse coupled inductor than with a noncoupled inductor, which is beneficial for the high-frequency operation. The soft-switching range and the circulating energy are both improved using an inverse coupled inductor in CRM. Experimental results validate the theoretical analysis, and the coupled inductor prototype efficiency is 98.5% at 1 MHz, which is 0.3% higher than a prototype with a noncoupled inductor.

Switched-Coupled-Inductor Quasi-Z-Source Inverter

Abstract: Z-source inverters have become a research hotspot because of their single-stage buck–boost inversion ability, and better immunity to EMI noises. However, their boost gains are limited, because of higher component-voltage stresses and poor output power quality, which results from the tradeoff between the shoot-through interval and the modulation index. To overcome these drawbacks, a new high-voltage boost impedance-source inverter called a switched-coupled-inductor quasi-Z-source inverter (SCL-qZSI) is proposed, which integrates a switched-capacitor and a three-winding switched-coupled inductor (SCL) into a conventional qZSI. The proposed SCL-qZSI adds only one capacitor and two diodes to a classical qZSI, and even with a turns ratio of 1, it has a stronger voltage boost-inversion ability than existing high-voltage boost (q)ZSI topologies. Therefore, compared with other (q)ZSIs for the same input and output voltages, the proposed SCL-qZSI utilizes higher modulation index with lower component-voltage stresses, has better spectral performance, and has a lower input inductor current ripple and flux density swing or, alternately, it can reduce the number of turns or size of the input inductor. The size of the coupled inductor and the total number of turns required for three windings are comparable to those of a single inductor in (q)ZSIs. To validate its advantages, analytical, simulation, and experimental results are also presented.

A 1/f Noise Upconversion Reduction Technique for Voltage-Biased RF CMOS Oscillators

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a method to reduce a flicker (1/f) noise upconversion in voltage-biased RF oscillators. Excited by a harmonically rich tank current, a typical oscillation voltage waveform is observed to have asymmetric rise and fall times due to even-order current harmonics flowing into the capacitive part, as it presents the lowest impedance path. The asymmetric oscillation waveform results in an effective impulse sensitivity function of a nonzero dc value, which facilitates the 1/f noise upconversion into the oscillator’s 1/f3 phase noise. We demonstrate that if the $\omega _{0}$ tank exhibits an auxiliary resonance at 2 $\omega _{0}$ , thereby forcing this current harmonic to flow into the equivalent resistance of the 2 $\omega _{0}$ resonance, then the oscillation waveform would be symmetric and the flicker noise upconversion would be largely suppressed. The auxiliary resonance is realized at no extra silicon area in both inductor- and transformer-based tanks by exploiting different behaviors of inductors and transformers in differential- and common-mode excitations. These tanks are ultimately employed in designing modified class-D and class-F oscillators in 40 nm CMOS technology. They exhibit an average flicker noise corner of less than 100 kHz.

An Efficient and Robust Hybrid Damper for $LCL$ - or $LLCL$ -Based Grid-Tied Inverter With Strong Grid-Side Harmonic Voltage Effect Rejection

Abstract: A high-order ( $LCL$ or $LLCL$ ) power filter with a small grid-side inductor is becoming more preferred for a grid-tied inverter due to less total inductance and reduced costs. In a microgrid, the background harmonic voltage (BHV) may distort the injected currents of the grid-tied inverters. In order to resist the effect of the BHV, a feedforward voltage compensator and a proportional resonant regulator with harmonic compensation are often adopted. However, they still have their own limitations, particularly when there are higher order BHVs at the point of common coupling and when the equivalent grid impedance widely varies due to the different numbers of grid-tied inverters in parallel. Thus, an extra damper should be inserted to keep the system stable. In this paper, the control bandwidth limitation of a multiloop control active damping (AD) method is analyzed and illustrated by the capacitor-current-feedback AD. Based on this, a single-loop current control with a hybrid damper is proposed for a single-phase $LCL$ - or $LLCL$ -filter-based grid-tied inverter. A step-by-step design of the controller method is also introduced in detail. Experiments on a 2-kW prototype fully demonstrate the strong robustness of the stability and the high harmonic rejection ability of the inverter using the proposed control method.

Split-Phase Control: Achieving Complete Soft-Charging Operation of a Dickson Switched-Capacitor Converter

Abstract: Switched-capacitor (SC) converters are gaining popularity due to their high power density and suitability for on-chip integration. Soft-charging and resonant techniques can be used to eliminate the current transient during the switching instances, and improve the power density and efficiency of SC converters. In this paper, we propose a split-phase control scheme that enables the Dickson converter to achieve complete soft-charging (or resonant) operation, which is not possible using the conventional two-phase control. An analytical method is extended to help in the analysis and design of split-phase controlled Dickson converters. The proposed technique and analysis are verified by both simulation and experimental results. An 8-to-1 step-down Dickson converter with an input voltage of 150 V and rated power of 36 W is built using GaN FETs. The converter prototype demonstrated a five fold reduction in the output impedance (which corresponds to conduction power loss) compared to a conventional Dickson converter, as a result of the split-phase controlled soft-charging operation.

Interleaved High-Conversion-Ratio Bidirectional DC–DC Converter for Distributed Energy-Storage Systems—Circuit Generation, Analysis, and Design

Abstract: This paper presents a novel interleaved high-conversion-ratio bidirectional dc–dc converter based on switched capacitors and coupled inductors. Series-connected switched capacitor and inductor cells were used to increase the voltage conversion ratio, reduce voltage stresses on power switches, realize soft-charging/discharging of switched capacitors, and achieve autocurrent-sharing in parallel inductors. The interleaved structure combined with switched capacitors was adopted to reduce current ripple at the side having lower voltage, thus enabling applications that require high power levels. In this paper, we first review the status of high-voltage-ratio bidirectional dc–dc converters. Then, the evolution of the proposed extensible topologies and the steady-state operating principle under the inductor current continuous conduction mode is presented. Finally, the performance and features such as voltage gain, voltage and current stress, and the autocurrent-sharing mechanism that are realized by switched capacitors are verified; the optimal design of coupled-inductors, switched-capacitors, and the chip size of switches are given. A specific design of the driving circuit that facilitates actual applications is described. A 1-kW prototype converter, employing a hybrid configuration of S iC and Si mosfet s, was constructed to verify the theoretical analysis, and achieved an optimal compromise between conversion efficiency and low cost.

Analysis on Load-Adaptive Phase-Shift Control for High Efficiency Full-Bridge LLC Resonant Converter Under Light-Load Conditions

Abstract: Recently, the full-bridge (FB) LLC resonant converter is getting more attention due to its zero-voltage switching of the primary switches, zero-current switching of rectifier diodes, and high power capability. However, the conversion efficiency is degraded under light-load conditions due to the core loss in magnetic components and the switching loss in semiconductor devices. In this paper, a new control method is proposed for the FB LLC resonant converter. In the proposed method, the frequency control is basically used to regulate the output voltage over entire load conditions. Moreover, the proposed method utilizes phase-shifted gate signals between switch legs, based on predetermined optimal duty ratio under light-load conditions. At this point, the optimal duty ratio is determined to get minimum power loss under each light-load condition through the loss analysis of all components. Therefore, the proposed method makes high efficiency under light-load conditions. To confirm the validity of this paper, the prototype of the network power supply with 320–385 V dc input and 48 V/720 W dc output is tested.

On size and magnetics: Why small efficient power inductors are rare

Abstract: Of the three main component types needed in power converters—switches, capacitors and inductors—the most difficult to integrate on a semiconductor chip or in a planar package is the inductors. This difficulty arises partly from process compatibility challenges with magnetic materials, and is exacerbated by the fact that, because most types of electronics don't need inductors, there has been relatively little development effort. But a more fundamental challenge is the way magnetics performance scales with size. Capacitors and semiconductor devices can be made from thousands of small cells connected in parallel, but that approach would severely undercut the performance of magnetic components. Scaling relationships for magnetics are explored to demonstrate the inherent difficulty of small size and low profile magnetics. Cases considered include those with winding designs limited by skin and proximity effect and those constrained by efficiency and thermal dissipation. Small-scale magnetic components are typically limited by efficiency rather than heat dissipation. With efficiency constrained, and considering high frequency winding loss effects, it is shown that power density typically scales as the linear dimension scaling factor to the fifth power.

Design and control of a GaN-based, 13-level, flying capacitor multilevel inverter

Abstract: Multilevel topologies are an appealing method to achieve higher power density inverters for both mobile and stationary systems. This work discusses the design and development of a 13-level, flying capacitor multilevel (FCML) inverter. Operating from an 800 V bus, this inverter requires switches with a voltage blocking capability of less than 80 V. A 120 kHz switching frequency is enabled through the use of GaN FETs and the development of custom integrated switching cells, which reduce commutation loop inductance and allow for a modular design. Additionally, the frequency multiplication effect of FCML inverters allows the output inductor of the inverter to be made exceptionally small (4.7 μH) while maintaining a 0.7 % THD due to the 1.44 MHz effective inductor ripple frequency.

Parameter Design for a 6.78-MHz Wireless Power Transfer System Based on Analytical Derivation of Class E Current-Driven Rectifier

Abstract: Magnetic resonance coupling working at megahertz (MHz) is widely considered as a promising technology for the mid-range transfer of a medium amount of power. It is known that the soft-switching-based Class E rectifiers are suitable for high-frequency rectification, and thus potentially improve the overall efficiency of MHz wireless power transfer (WPT) systems. This paper reports new results on optimized parameter design of a MHz WPT system based on the analytical derivation of a Class E current-driven rectifier. The input impedance of the Class E rectifier is accurately derived, for the first time, considering the on-resistance of the diode and the equivalent series resistance of the filter inductor. This derived input impedance is then used to develop and guide design procedures that determine the optimal parameters of the rectifier, coupling coils, and a Class E PA in an example 6.78-MHz WPT system. Furthermore, the efficiencies of these three components and the overall WPT system are also analytically derived for design and evaluation purposes. In the final experiments, the analytical results are found to well match the experimental results. With loosely coupled coils (mutual inductance coefficient $k$ =0.1327), the experimental 6.78-MHz WPT system can achieve 84% efficiency at a power level of 20 Watts.

Comparison of Impedance-Source Networks for Two and Multilevel Buck–Boost Inverter Applications

Abstract: Impedance-source networks are an increasingly popular solution in power converter applications, especially in single-stage buck–boost power conversion to avoid additional front-end dc–dc power converters. In the survey papers published, no analytical comparisons of different topologies have been described, which makes it difficult to choose the best option. Thus, the aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive analytical comparison of the impedance-source-based buck–boost inverters in terms of passive component count and semiconductor stress. Based on the waveform of the input current, i.e., with or without a transformer, and with or without inductor coupling, the impedance-source converters are classified. The main criterion in our comprehensive comparison is the energy stored in the passive elements, which is considered both under constant and predefined high frequency current ripple in the inductors and the voltage ripple across the capacitors. Two-level and multilevel solutions are described. The conclusions provide a “one-stop” information source and a selection guide of impedance-source-based buck–boost inverters for different applications.

Frequency-Dependent Resistance of Litz-Wire Square Solenoid Coils and Quality Factor Optimization for Wireless Power Transfer

Abstract: In order to achieve the highest efficiency of wireless power transfer (WPT) systems, the quality factor of the resonant coil should be as high as possible. Due to the skin effect and the proximity effect, the coil resistance increases with the increase in the frequency. The highest quality factor exists for the optimal frequency together with the corresponding frequency-dependent inductor resistance. This paper employs the Biot–Savart law to calculate the magnetic field strength, which results in the proximity-effect resistance in single-layer litz-wire square solenoid coils without a magnetic core. A strand-number coefficient is introduced to reflect the influence of the strand number inside the wire bundle on the proximity-effect resistance. The coefficient is obtained through simple inductor resistance measurements for various numbers of litz-wire strands. The optimal frequency for the highest quality factor is derived based on the resistance evaluation. Several prototype coils were manufactured to verify the resistance analysis. Two $50\,\rm{cm}\times50\, {\rm cm}$ square coils were employed to construct a WPT prototype. The maximum dc–dc efficiency of this WPT was about 75% at 100-cm distance.

A Simplified Equivalent Circuit Model of Series Resonant Converter

Abstract: Equivalent circuit models are useful design tools for control and have already well served their purposes in pulse width modulation dc–dc converters. However, no simple equivalent circuit model is available yet for resonant-type dc–dc converters. Up to now, the most successful equivalent circuit model of series resonant converter (SRC) is based on extended describing function concept, which was proposed by Yang et al. [30]. However, the equivalent circuit is a complicated fifth order with the cross-coupling effect and no analytical solution is provided for transfer functions. This paper proposes a simple third-order equivalent circuit model of SRC. The equivalent circuit model is derived by simplification of the original fifth-order equivalent circuit, based on the fact that the resonant capacitor behaves like an equivalent resonant inductor with respect to the modulation frequency. The equivalent circuit model can predict the dynamic behavior very well when the switching frequency is below, close to, or above the resonant frequency. Furthermore, for the first time, analytical expressions of all transfer functions, i.e., control-to-output, input-to-output, output impedance, and input impedance are provided. These analytical transfer functions will serve as a useful tool for the feedback design. The equivalent circuit model is verified by Simplis simulation and experimental results.

A New Circuit Performance of Modular Multilevel Inverter Suitable for Photovoltaic Conversion Plants

Abstract: This paper investigates a new circuit topology of the modular multilevel converter (MMC) for deploying in photovoltaic (PV) distributed generation systems. In the conventional MMC, two arm inductors are placed in each phase to limit the circulating current. In the proposed topology, the inductors are replaced by a transformer. The proposed circuit gives a 50% reduction in the voltage rating of the power devices and the capacitor size in comparison with the basic MMC topology. The required dc-link voltage that is directly fed by PV panels is also reduced by half. In addition, the transformer helps to limit the fault current in the dc bus. This paper presents a pulsewidth modulation method to control the solar inverter output voltage, in which there is no need to calculate the duty cycle of individual cells. A brief description of the charging process for the capacitors is also included. The converter behavior is evaluated by numerical simulation to validate the concept. Experimental verification is achieved through a downscaled real test bench.

An 18 nA, 87% Efficient Solar, Vibration and RF Energy-Harvesting Power Management System With a Single Shared Inductor

Abstract: We present a modular power management system that can harvest energy from three sources simultaneously, with available power levels of 25 nW to $100~\mu \text {W}$ , with one inductor. The DC-DC converter is clocked with energize and dump pulses, and the pulse-widths are generated for constant peak inductor current and for no reversal, without current sensing. We use a comparator to reach the open-circuit-voltage (OCV)-based maximum power point (MPP), and train an oscillator to mimic the comparator output. The oscillator frequency is tuned through a successive-approximation algorithm within 11 comparator cycles. The 180 nm chip has a maximum efficiency of 87% at an input available power of $20~\mu \text {W}$ (input voltage of 0.6 V), and has an output voltage of 1.5 V.

High-Efficiency LLC Resonant Converter With High Voltage Gain Using an Auxiliary LC Resonant Circuit

Abstract: To design an LLC resonant converter optimally in the wide input voltage range, the LLC resonant converter with high efficiency and high voltage gain using an auxiliary LC resonant circuit is proposed. In this paper, the auxiliary LC resonant circuit operates as a variable inductor according to the change of the switching frequency, and it is presented as an effective magnetizing inductance. In the nominal state, since the effective magnetizing inductance increases, the primary circulating current is decreased. Thus, the turn-off switching loss of the primary switches and the primary conduction loss are minimized. During the hold-up time, the effective magnetizing inductance decreases so that the proposed converter has a high voltage gain. As a result, an optimal design of the LLC resonant converter over the wide input voltage range is possible. The proposed converter is verified by experimental results with a 330–390 V input and 350 W(56 V/6.25 A) output prototype.

Riemann Surfaces of Carbon as Graphene Nanosolenoids.

Abstract: Traditional inductors in modern electronics consume excessive areas in the integrated circuits. Carbon nanostructures can offer efficient alternatives if the recognized high electrical conductivity of graphene can be properly organized in space to yield a current-generated magnetic field that is both strong and confined. Here we report on an extraordinary inductor nanostructure naturally occurring as a screw dislocation in graphitic carbons. Its elegant helicoid topology, resembling a Riemann surface, ensures full covalent connectivity of all graphene layers, joined in a single layer wound around the dislocation line. If voltage is applied, electrical currents flow helically and thus give rise to a very large (∼1 T at normal operational voltage) magnetic field and bring about superior (per mass or volume) inductance, both owing to unique winding density. Such a solenoid of small diameter behaves as a quantum conductor whose current distribution between the core and exterior varies with applied voltage, re...

A 2 kW, single-phase, 7-level, GaN inverter with an active energy buffer achieving 216 W/in3 power density and 97.6% peak efficiency

Abstract: High efficiency and compact single phase inverters are desirable in many applications such as solar energy harvesting and household appliances. This paper presents a 2 kW, 60 Hz, 450 VDC to 240 VRMS power inverter, designed and tested subject to the specifications of the Google/IEEE Little Box Challenge. The inverter features a 7-level flying capacitor multilevel converter, with low-voltage GaN switches operating at 120 kHz, the highest switching frequency to date at this power level. The inverter also includes an active buffer for twice-line-frequency power pulsation decoupling, which reduces the required capacitance by a factor of eight compared to conventional passive decoupling capacitor, while maintaining an efficiency above 99%. The inverter prototype is a self-contained box that achieves a high power density of 216 W/in3 and a peak overall efficiency of 97.6% while meeting the constraints including input current ripple, load transient, thermal and EMC specifications.

A Powerful Finite Control Set-Model Predictive Control Algorithm for Quasi Z-Source Inverter

Abstract: Today, a predictive controller becomes one of the state of the art in power electronics control techniques. The performance of this powerful control approach will be pushed forward by simplifying the main control criterion and objective function, and decreasing the number of calculations per sampling time. Recently, predictive control has been incorporated in the Z-source inverter (ZSI) family. For example, in quasi ZSI, the inverter capacitor voltage, inductor current, and output load currents are controlled to their setting points through deciding the required state; active or shoot through. The proposed algorithm reduces the number of calculations, where it decides the shoot-through (ST) case without checking the other possible states. The ST case is roughly optimized every two sampling periods. Through the proposed strategy, about 50% improvement in the computational power has been achieved as compared with the previous algorithm. Also, the objective function for the proposed algorithm consists of one weighting factor for the capacitor voltage without involving the inductor current term in the main objective function. The proposed algorithm is investigated with the simulation results based on MATLAB/SIMULINK software. A prototype of qZSI is constructed in the laboratory to obtain the experimental results using the Digital Signal Processor F28335.

A Novel Method to Predict the Real Operation of Ferrite Inductors With Moderate Saturation in Switching Power Supply Applications

Abstract: This paper presents a method to predict the real operation current wave-shape of Ferrite Core (FC) inductors in switching power supply applications involving a moderate inductor saturation. The method is based on a behavioral analytical model of inductance versus current saturation curve, obtained starting from the data provided by inductors manufacturers. The algorithm developed to solve the nonlinear model of the inductor can be applied to predict the range of the operating conditions involving a sustainable partial saturation for FC inductors, and the resulting method is best suited for the selection of minimum size inductors for high-power-density power supply design solutions.

An Active Filter Method to Eliminate DC-Side Low-Frequency Power for a Single-Phase Quasi-Z-Source Inverter

Abstract: The second harmonic pulsating power flows through the dc side of a single-phase quasi-Z-source inverter (qZSI), which requires bulky capacitor banks and inductors to suppress low-frequency ripple of dc-link voltage and inductor currents in the passive ripple reduction way. However, the resultant huge qZS network seriously deteriorates the system reliability, efficiency, volume, weight, and cost. This paper proposes an active-filter-integrated single-phase qZSI to transfer low-frequency power ripple directly from ac load to active filter's ac capacitor, so that low-frequency power ripple does not present in dc side anymore and constant inductor currents and constant capacitor voltages are ensured. Thus, much small qZS impedance is employed to only smooth high-frequency ripple and active filter's capacitor supports ac voltage (large ripple allowed) with small capacitance. The operation principle, parameter design method, and modeling and control strategy of the proposed topology are investigated. Comparative evaluation, simulation, and experimental results verify the proposed new topology system.

Multi-input Step-Up Converters Based on the Switched-Diode-Capacitor Voltage Accumulator

Abstract: This paper introduces the application of a switched-diode-capacitor voltage accumulator (SDCVA) on conventional boost converter. This study aims to obtain two different kinds of multi-input step-up converters with high voltage gains, low component stresses, low ripples, simple control, and high conversion efficiencies: one is based on the parallel SDCVA and the other based on the serial SDCVA. The double-input step-up converter based on the parallel SDCVA and the double-input step-up converter based on the serial SDCVA are, respectively, taken as an example to do theoretical analysis, including operating principles and performance analyses when they work individually and simultaneously. The two proposed converters are implemented with a voltage closed-loop control at the switching frequency of 30 kHz. Experimental results obtained from the implemented prototypes are provided to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed converters.

Steady-State and Small-Signal Analysis of High-Voltage Gain Half-Bridge Switched Boost Inverter

Abstract: In this paper, a new topology for half-bridge switched boost inverter (HB-SBI) is proposed. The proposed half-bridge inverter uses more active elements rather than capacitors and inductors in comparison with the conventional half-bridge Z-source inverter with two Z-networks, which results in reduction of weight, size, and cost. Moreover, the proposed inverter has the capability of eliminating inverter leg short-circuit issues and is able to further increase the output voltage level in comparison with its conventional types. Generating zero-level output voltage is also another advantage of this topology. Based on theoretical calculations, the steady-state and small-signal analysis of the proposed topology in different operating modes are performed and the ripple of inductors’ current and capacitors’ voltage are also calculated. A comprehensive comparison is also made between the proposed inverter and the conventional types. Finally, the experimental results are provided to reconfirm the performance of the proposed inverter.

A New Family of Zero-Voltage-Transition Nonisolated Bidirectional Converters With Simple Auxiliary Circuit

Abstract: In this paper, a new family of zero-voltage-transition (ZVT) bidirectional converters are introduced. In the proposed converters, soft-switching condition for all semiconductor elements is provided regardless of the power flow direction and without any extra voltage and current stress on the main switches. The auxiliary circuit is composed of a coupled inductor with the converter main inductor and two auxiliary switches. The auxiliary switches benefit from significantly reduced voltage stress and without requiring floating gate drive circuit. Also, by applying the synchronous rectification to the auxiliary switches body diodes, conduction losses of the auxiliary circuit are reduced. In the auxiliary circuit, the leakage inductor is used as the resonant inductor and all the magnetic components are implemented on a single core which has resulted in significant reduction of the converter volume. In the proposed converters, the reverse recovery losses of the converter-rectifying diodes are completely eliminated and hence, using the low-speed body diode of the power switch as the converter-rectifying diode is feasible. The theoretical analysis for a bidirectional buck and boost converter is presented in detail and the validity of the theoretical analysis is justified using the experimental results of a 250-W prototype converter.

An Advanced Current-Autobalance High Step-Up Converter With a Multicoupled Inductor and Voltage Multiplier for a Renewable Power Generation System

Abstract: In this paper, a novel high step-up dc–dc converter with a multicoupled inductor (MCI) and voltage multiplier is proposed for a sustainable energy system. The combinatorial employment of these components significantly extends the voltage boostability and reduces the voltage stress of the main switches. The special structure of branch cross coupling makes the two branches of current autobalance. Meanwhile, the utilization of MCIs makes the most of the magnetic core to further improve the power density. The diode reverse-recovery problem is alleviated because its current falling rate is controlled by the leakage inductance of the MCI. Moreover, the voltage spike of the main switches at their turn-off is clamped by a clamp capacitor. The interleaved operation results in the cancelation of the input current and output voltage. Next, the operating principle and performance of the converter are discussed in detail. Finally, a prototype circuit with 1-kW output power is implemented to verify the performance of the proposed converter.