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This paper proposes a pulse width modulation plus phase-shift (PPS) control for nonisolated high gain soft-switching bidirectional dc–dc converter (HSBDC). The phase-shift angle is used to control the direction and amount of power flow of the bidirectional dc–dc converter, while the duty cycle is used to balance the voltage between two high voltage side (HVS) capacitors. The HSBDC with PPS control has the advantages of simple control structure and symmetrical switching patterns, ensured soft-switching in both forward and backward modes at all load under wide voltage range, and reduced voltage ratings of the HVS capacitors and switches. The operation principle of the HSBDC with PPS control is analyzed in detail. Based on the analysis the passive component is designed to achieve higher efficiency. A 3-kW prototype is implemented and tested to verify the validity of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an integrated boost converter having very low output voltage ripple making it suitable for analog applications, which are sensitive to supply noise. Architecturally, the converter consists of a conventional boost converter followed by an L–C filter, which drastically reduces the output ripple. The L–C filter has been realized using 30-nH bondwire inductance and 0.54-nF on-chip capacitance. The converter switches at 118 MHz and produces a regulated 3.2-V output from an input voltage ranging from 1.0 to 2.7 V. The converter is able to deliver up to 65-mA current for input voltage $\geq$ 2.4 V. The prototype has been implemented in 0.18- $\mu$m standard digital CMOS process and the entire design consumes only 0.52-mm$^2$ chip area resulting in a maximum power density of 0.387 W/mm$^2$. Peak efficiency of the converter is 77.4% at 32.2-mA current for 2.7-V input supply. The measured maximum output ripple noise is 21 mV that is less than 0.65% of the regulated output voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An envelope-tracking (ET) technique can greatly enhance the efficiency of the power amplifier in wireless communication system. Among the structures of the ET power supply, the switch-linear hybrid (SLH) structure can obtain both high-tracking bandwidth and high efficiency. An implementation of series–parallel-form SLH ET power supply is proposed in this paper, which includes one multilevel converter, one linear amplifier, and two buck converters. The two buck converters adopt current sensor-less prediction control and are operated at critical conduction mode (CRM). In order to ensure the operation of CRM and provide as much load current as possible, a quasi-interleaved current control scheme is proposed for the two buck converters. Moreover, a peak current restriction method is proposed to prevent the output current of the two interleaved buck converters from excessively exceeding the load current, avoiding the increase of the power loss in the linear amplifier. Finally, a prototype is fabricated with the specifications as 5-MHz tracking bandwidth, 9.6–26.4-V output voltage, and 20-W average output power. The overall measured efficiency is 81.0%, and the normalized-mean-square error is 0.28% when tracking the envelope of wideband code division multiple access signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A continuous-conduction mode (CCM) noninverting buck–boost (NBB) converter with a fast duty-cycle calculation (FDCC) control and duty-cycle locking strategy is proposed in this paper. Utilizing auxiliary and adjustable slopes of the modulation signal, the FDCC control not only rapidly determines an accurate duty cycle but also keeps the compensator output constant when the input voltage changes. The theoretical dc value of the numerator of the closed-loop line-to-output voltage transfer function is equal to zero whether the CCM NBB converter operates in boost or buck mode. It indicates that adopting the FDCC control can achieve ideal feedforward compensation for CCM buck and boost operations. Consequently, the output transient ripple of the CCM NBB converter with FDCC control can be eliminated significantly regardless of the unit-gain bandwidth of the NBB converter. To alleviate pulse skipping and to avoid changing buck and boost modes frequently, a duty-cycle locking method is adopted in the transition region of the buck and the boost. Hence, the duty-cycle locking method enhances power conversion and maintains the output voltage. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed control schemes not only effectively reduce the line transient ripple but also obtain high efficiency in a wide range of input voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel high-conversion-ratio bidirectional dc–dc converter with coupled inductor is proposed in this paper. Compared with the bidirectional converters based on coupled inductor, this new topology can realize a higher step-up voltage gain and lower step-down voltage gain with a lower turn ratio in an appropriate duty cycle. In proposed converter, the windings of the coupled inductor are reversely connected to transfer energy from high voltage source or low voltage source. Then, a clamp capacitor is applied to reduce voltage stress on main switch; therefore, the conduction loss of the main switches can be reduced by using a low resistance switch, and the clamp capacitor can also recycle the energy of the leakage inductor in coupled inductor. Besides, the soft-switching technique is used to achieve zero voltage switching, so the efficiency can be further improved. The main circuit and its steady-state operating principle are analyzed in detail. Finally, a 25–200 V 200 W bidirectional dc–dc converter is implemented to verify its performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A CLTCL resonant dc-dc converter is proposed in this paper. Through the dual-transformer architecture, the resonant characteristic of the converter alters and contributes to a wide input voltage range and a greatly broadened output voltage range from zero to the nominal. The transformer leakage inductors also participate in the resonating process, which eliminates their side effects on the conversion performance. Moreover, a simple and effective design method for converters with multiple resonant components is used to guide the resonant parameter design with the assistance of the MATLAB program. Soft switching for both turn-on and turn-off processes of all the inverter and rectifier switches is acquired, and the proposed converter, therefore, achieves lower switching losses among a wide load scope. In the end, a 1-kW prototype with a peak efficiency of 97.3% is fabricated in the laboratory to verify the working principle and design effect of the CLTCL converter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A single-switch quadratic buck–boost converter with continuous input port current and continuous output port current is proposed in this paper. Compared with the traditional buck-boost converter, the proposed converter can obtain a wider range of the voltage conversion ratio with the same duty cycle. Moreover, the proposed converter can operate with continuous input port current and continuous output port current compared to the existing counterparts with inherently discontinuous input port current and discontinuous output port current. The operating principle and steady-state performance of the proposed converter under continuous inductor current mode is analyzed in detail. Then, the comparison between the proposed converter and the existing quadratic buck–boost converters has been conducted to demonstrate the unique features of the proposed one. Finally, experimental results from a prototype built in the lab are recorded to verify the effectiveness and validity of the proposed quadratic buck–boost converter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The simple boost control (SBC) method is usually used to control the shoot-through state in a single-phase single-stage quasi-switched boost inverter (qSBI). This paper proposes a new pulse-width modulation (PWM) control scheme to improve the modulation index for the qSBI. The advantages of the proposed method for the qSBI over the conventional SBC method are as follows: 1) the modulation index is larger; 2) the voltage stress on the capacitor, diodes, and switches is reduced significantly; 3) the high-frequency peak-to-peak inductor current and capacitor voltage ripples are smaller; 4) the shoot-through current is lower; and 5) the efficiency is higher. The operating principles and circuit analysis for the proposed PWM control scheme are shown. To verify the performance of the proposed PWM control method, a 400W prototype was built with a 110 V/50 Hz output voltage. The experimental results matched those of the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper introduces series work of common-mode (CM) voltage reduction for the paralleled inverters. The paralleled inverters’ phase-legs are connected through coupling inductors and the combined three-phase currents are provided to the load. Interleaving is an approach to reduce the CM voltage for the paralleled inverters but it cannot eliminate CM voltage. A novel pulse-width-modulation (PWM) method for paralleled inverters which can theoretically achieve zero CM voltage is developed. Considering the basic voltage vectors in each inverter, novel paralleled voltage vectors which have zero CM voltage are proposed to combine the reference voltage vector. The action time's distribution and voltage vectors’ sending sequence for each inverter are also introduced. The proposed PWM method can make sure the voltage of the two inverters are balanced in each switching cycle and limits the circulating current through small coupling inductors. Similar to interleaving space vector PWM, the proposed zero CM PWM also has the ability to reduce the output current ripple and electromagnetic interference (EMI). Simulation and experimental results are provided to show the advantage of paralleled inverters in CM voltage reduction and validate the proposed method has good performance to reduce CM current and CM EMI noise. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In single phase ac/dc/ac converters, the low frequency ripple powers exist both at the source and load sides. Usually, large dc-link filter components are used to buffer the ripple powers, which increases volume and weight. To overcome the drawback, this paper presents a single phase ac/dc/ac current source converter with unified ripple power decoupling. The converter only consists of three bridge arms and a decoupling circuit. The three bridge arms play the role of rectification and inversion with sharing a bridge arm. And the decoupling circuit is in series with the dc-link energy storage unit to buffer the ripple powers. The circuit configuration and operation principles are introduced first. Then, a modulation strategy based on Cartesian space is developed to achieve sinusoidal input and output currents. The control idea that the dc-link current is regulated by the decoupling circuit and the averaged decoupling capacitor voltage is maintained by the rectifier is adopted. The ripple power buffer is automatically achieved. Finally, the theoretical analysis is favorably verified by the simulations and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A capacitor voltage balancing method for a modular multilevel dc (MMDC) converter is proposed. The MMDC inherits the desirable features of both a modular multilevel converter (MMC) and a dual active bridge, namely high voltage capability, fault tolerance, zero-voltage switching-on of all the power devices, and a wide operating range. These features are ideal for a dc transformer in any dc distribution system. One key MMDC control issue is balancing of submodule capacitor voltages. Conventional MMC balancing techniques cannot be used as arm currents of an MMDC change direction within each switching cycle. This paper establishes that the average capacitor voltage of each arm is self-balanced and proposes a method to balance voltages within an arm by assigning the gate signals with higher charge difference to the submodules with lower voltages and vice versa. Charge difference is obtained by the voltage difference, hence only the SM capacitor voltages are required for balancing control. Different from the existed methods, the proposed technique is not limited by voltage gain or load conditions. Simulation and experimental results show that capacitor voltages are balanced under different voltage gains, different output power, and also when the MMDC starts up, hence ensuring the stable MMDC operation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The noninverting synchronous buck-boost converter is preferable to operate in buck and boost operating modes to obtain a high operating efficiency. However, the dead zone, which degrades the performance of the converter, will occur when the converter shifts from buck operating mode to boost operating mode or vice versa. Therefore, the origin of the dead zone is derived in this paper by analyzing the relationship between the voltage conversion ratio and the duty cycles of the switches. Based on this, a series of three-mode and four-mode modulation schemes are systematically derived to completely eliminate the dead zone. The ripple and average value of the inductor current under different modulation schemes are investigated to evaluate the performance of these modulation schemes. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed modulation schemes, two implementations of a four-mode modulation scheme are presented and experimentally tested as the examples for all modulation schemes. Experimental results correspond well with the theoretical analysis in both implementations over the entire input voltage range. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper gives a comprehensive comparison of multilevel high-frequency-link (HFL) dc transformer (abbreviated MDCT) based on modular multilevel converter (MMC) and multilevel-dc-link dc transformer (abbreviated ADCT) based on dual-active-bridge (DAB) for medium-voltage dc (MVDC) application. The topology, operation, HFL voltage and current, active and circulating power, characteristic currents, switching behaviors, and power loss are analyzed in detail. Both MDCT and ADCT have fault treatment ability for MVDC application. However, the installation and commissioning of ADCT are more flexible and simpler. In addition, the MDCT needs more switches and high-frequency (HF) inductors than ADCT in the MVDC side with the same voltage level, but the number of HF transformer can be reduced. Compared with MDCT, the ADCT has higher power transfer ability and lower circulating power, lower HFL voltage, and RMS current and peak values with the same transmission power in the MVDC side. However, the arm RMS and average currents of MDCT are lower than those of ADCT in the MVDC side. The switching performance of MDCT deteriorates when the MVDC voltage fluctuates, but the switching behaviors of half bridges are added to ADCT. The loss of ADCT almost keep the same when the MVDC voltage fluctuates, but the loss of MDCT changes a lot. Finally, a small-scale prototype platform with 1 kW/450 V/150 V is built and experimental results verify the correctness and effectiveness of the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a new topology of the class E power amplifier (PA) is proposed. The output circuit in the proposed PA is different from that in the conventional class E PA. The conventional output circuit of class E PA consists of shunt capacitor, resonant capacitor, resonant inductor, and shifting inductor. An additional shunt capacitance is added between the resonant capacitance and the shifting inductor to shape the reduced switch voltage. The peak switch voltage of the proposed class E PA is approximately 78% of that of the conventional one, which shows a reduction in peak switch voltage. The lower peak switch voltage reduces the breakdown voltage of the active device. Also, the proposed structure can introduce a new family of switching PAs with interesting specifications. Several values of switch voltage reduction and output power capability could be achieved by varying the circuit elements. Zero voltage and zero derivative switching conditions are achieved in the switch voltage of the designed circuit. The simulation of the proposed circuit is performed using PSpice software. For verification, the presented PA is fabricated and measured. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a complete comparative study about the five most common configurations of shunt active power filter applied to four-wire distribution systems. In order to evaluate the applicability of the studied topologies, two scenarios of four-wire loads are investigated differing by level of zero-sequence harmonic contents. The analysis of simulation steady-state results comprise dc-link capacitor voltage and current stresses, harmonic distortion in grid currents, and semiconductor losses. The results show that structures with fourth inductor generate higher number of levels at output converter voltage. However, when they operate by compensating high levels of zero-sequence harmonics, they can present higher dc-link voltage and lower efficiency. Furthermore, system models, control strategy, and experimental results are presented as well. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper introduces and surveys a new family of transient-oriented controllers for indirect energy transfer converters. The controllers incorporate a peak current programmed mode control for steady-state operation and a nonlinear, state-plane-based transient-mode control schemes for load transients. The new controllers facilitate extremely fast convergence from a loading transient to the new steady-state operating point while constraining the output voltage and inductor current deviations to a desired (minimal) value. As a result, the loading transient performance of indirect energy transfer converters can be significantly improved since two control objectives (convergence time and minimal components’ stress) are simultaneously obtained. A detailed principle of operation of the controllers is provided and explained through a state-plane analysis. The operation of the controllers is experimentally verified on a 30 W 3.3 V-to-12 V boost converter, demonstrating a significantly lower output voltage deviation and lower peak inductor current when compared to time-optimal control, allowing for volume reduction of the converter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper investigates the use of multilevel conversion in dc–dc applications that require a large voltage conversion ratio. A quantitative method that can serve as a guide to compare and design multilevel topologies for large conversion ratio applications is presented. The proposed method keeps the conduction loss and switching loss constant across the different converters and employs the passive component volume as the single performance metric. As examples, flying capacitor multilevel converters and hybrid switched-capacitor (SC) converters are compared to conventional two-level buck converters, and are shown analytically to have significantly reduced passive component size. Three converter prototypes are implemented, based on the presented methodology to experimentally validate the method as well as demonstrate the advantages of multilevel and hybrid SC converters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a high power density design for a step-down rectifier incorporating a modular multilevel converter (MMC) in a power system connected to a 6.6 kV ac grid. In particular, the relationship among the number of cells, the output voltage of the MMC, and the overall volume is clarified. A proposed design flowchart focuses on minimizing volumes of cell capacitors, heat sinks, and arm inductors by using optimal number of cells. Moreover, the commercial electrolytic capacitors are used as the cell capacitor. Besides, the formulae used to determine the ripple currents in the electrolytic capacitor and the arm inductor are presented, along with that for the semiconductor loss. Each of these formulae were verified experimentally using a miniature model and theoretical values from all formulae agree with the measured values within minimal deviations that are discussed with regard to the design of a practical converter for a 6.6 kV system. Finally, the conditions necessary to achieve high power density in an MMC are provided, based on volume evaluations of the electrolytic capacitor, the arm inductor, and the heat sink. Using this optimization process, an MMC design achieved a volume reduction of approximately 90% compared to a conventional system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One of the essential requirements for high-performance dual active bridge (DAB) dc–dc converters as the controlled dc voltage sources is to obtain the constant output voltage rapidly and accurately under all working conditions. In order to reach fast dynamic response, combing direct power control with feedforward control strategy, this paper proposes a virtual direct power control (VDPC) scheme with single-phase-shift control for DAB dc–dc converters to face with these following extreme conditions, such as start-up, load step-change, no-load, the input voltage fluctuation, and the desired output voltage step-change. The proposed VDPC scheme of DAB dc–dc converters can achieve no overshoot and fast transient response for the output voltage in load or input voltage disturbances and start-up stage. Dynamic response of the output voltage control has been also improved when the desired value steps up and down. Finally, four control schemes consisting of traditional voltage loop control, load current feed-forward control, model-based phase-shift control, and the proposed VDPC schemes are compared and tested in a scale-down DAB dc–dc converter experimental prototype. Experimental results verify the above excellent performance of the proposed VDPC scheme and the effectiveness of theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prevent partial-shading issues in photovoltaic (PV) systems, various kinds of voltage equalizers that virtually unify characteristics of shaded and unshaded modules have been proposed. Although PV string utilization can be dramatically improved, PV systems tend to be complex and costly because, in addition to the main converter for string control, voltage equalizers are separately necessary. This paper proposes the single-switch single-magnetic pulse width modulation (PWM) converter integrating the voltage equalizer using the series-resonant voltage multiplier (SRVM) for standalone PV systems. By utilizing a square wave voltage generated across a filter inductor in a PWM buck converter for driving the SRVM, the main PWM converter and voltage equalizer can be integrated into a single unit with reducing the total switch and magnetic component counts, achieving not only system-level but also circuit-level simplifications. The experimental test using the prototype for three PV modules connected in series was performed emulating a partial-shading condition. The integrated converter effectively precluded the partial-shading issues and significantly improved the power available at a load, demonstrating its efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a dc to ac converter with the ability of voltage increasing is presented. This inverter is designed in a way that just one dc source is used. Also, by using power storage technique and with combining charged capacitors and dc source in series form, output voltage levels can be increased. This inverter is in a modular structure and has the ability of capacitor's voltage self-balancing. H-bridge inverter was not used at the end of the proposed converter and all elements tolerate a voltage stress equal to the amount of input dc source. This leads to remarkable decrease of total standing voltage and peak inverse voltage. Other advantage of the proposed inverter is its potentiality of performance in high-frequency applications. The modular form of the proposed inverter provides the potentiality of extension to higher voltage levels and eases the maintenance. Moreover, considering to the fact that the stress of all components of the suggested inverter is equal to the input source, the performance in high voltage is added to the characteristics of the proposed inverter. The nine-level structure of the proposed inverter is simulated and laboratory test is carried out for the verification of its performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, the stability of LC-type voltage source inverter is investigated, with the emphasis focused on the LC resonance. It has been found that the traditional capacitor-voltage inductor-current dual-loop control is unstable when the resonance frequency is higher than one-sixth of the sampling frequency. In addition, due to the coupling between current inner loop and voltage outer loop, it is difficult to design control parameters to ensure the system stability in traditional dual-loop control. In order to develop a systemic design principle, the capacitor-voltage control with inductor-current feedback active damping evolved from traditional dual-loop control is analyzed in detail. The mathematic model is established to reveal the reason of instability, and the stable regions are identified. Moreover, the optimal damping coefficient is also derived to enhance the system damping performance. Finally, the experimental results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Starting with a brief review on the existing methods of impedance emulation, this paper addresses a general and systematic approach to programmable and reconfigurable emulation of power impedances. The proposed approach not only enables the impedance value to be programed, but also allows the characteristics (i.e., type) of the impedance to be reconfigured instantly during the operation. Based on the proposed control method, emulation of at least six types of emulated power impedances (EPI) can be easily attained. In particular, it is theoretically and practically demonstrated that the impedance characteristic can be emulated through a combination of different functions. The systematic derivation of these functions is explained. New techniques that compensate the circuit power losses are introduced. This general approach has been practically verified in several EPI. Both steady-state and dynamic performance of these EPI confirm the programmability and reconfigurability. It is envisaged that the proposed method can be applied to a range of functions, such as power filtering, energy storage, and even power conversion based on direct impedance control. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a current-mode hysteretic buck converter with a spur-free constant-cycle frequency-hopping controller that fully eliminates spurs from the switching noise spectrum irrespective of variations in the switching frequency and operating conditions. As a result, the need for frequency regulation loops to ensure nonvarying switching frequency (i.e., fixed spurs location) in hysteretic controllers is eliminated. Moreover, compared to frequency regulation loops, the proposed converter offers the advantage of eliminating mixing and interference altogether due to its spur-free operation, and thus, it can be used to power, or to be integrated within noise-sensitive systems while benefiting from the superior dynamic performance of its hysteretic operation. The proposed converter uses dual-sided hysteretic band modulation to eliminate the inductor current imbalance that results from frequency hopping along with the output voltage transients and low-frequency noise floor peaking associated with it. Moreover, a feedforward adaptive hysteretic band controller is proposed to reduce variations in the switching frequency with the input voltage, and an all-digital soft-startup circuit is proposed to control the in-rush current without requiring any off-chip components. The converter is implemented in a 0.35-μm standard CMOS technology and it achieves 92% peak efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Axes cross-coupling in dq-frame will deteriorate the current control performance, especially for applications with low switching/sampling frequency. Decoupling methods based on inductor current state feedback and complex vector proportional-integrator controllers are usually performed to solve this problem. In this paper, an alternative decoupling method based on preprocessed reference current feed-forward is proposed, which can provide excellent decoupling performance even with considerable control delay. The current control of grid-connected voltage source converters is analyzed with complex-coefficient transfer functions. It is revealed that the decoupling performance of current control schemes is closely related to the symmetry of current closed-loop transfer function bode diagrams. The current closed-loop transfer function should show a standard symmetrical bode diagram with respect to 0 Hz, if axes cross-coupling is well decoupled. A quantitative index named cross-coupling function is then proposed to analyze and comprehensively compare the decoupling performance of the proposed method and existing ones in terms of the influence of the control delay, inductance estimation error, grid frequency deviation, and voltage disturbance. Experimental tests are implemented to validate the performance of the proposed method and comparison results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As today's small portable electronics (smartphones, tablets, e-readers, etc.) becomes lighter, thinner, quicker, and smarter, the voltage regulator for the processor is expected to be efficient, miniaturized, integrated, and placed closer to the processor. In this paper, a concept of a very high frequency [tens of megahertz (MHz)] three-dimensional integrated voltage regulator (IVR) for small portable electronics is proposed. The magnetic characterization technique at tens of MHz is investigated, and the issues of and solutions for permeability and loss measurement are demonstrated. The LTCC and NEC flake materials are characterized and compared for the IVR inductor development. Both single-phase and five-phase integrated inductors are designed, fabricated, and experimentally tested at 20 MHz, featuring a simple single-via winding structure, small size, ultralow profile, ultralow DC resistance (DCR), high current-handling ability, air-gap-free magnetics, multiphase integration within one magnetic core, and lateral nonuniform flux distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) technology has become a mature power quality product. In high-power applications, DVR using a multilevel converter is commonly used. However, DVR using a multilevel direct pulse width modulation (PWM) ac–ac converter has not been well studied. This paper presents a new DVR topology using a cascaded multilevel direct PWM ac–ac converter. In the proposed scheme, the unit cell of the multilevel converter consists of a single-phase PWM ac-ac converter using switching cell structure with coupled inductors. Therefore, the multilevel converter can be short- and open-circuited without damaging the switching devices. Neither lossy RC snubber nor a dedicated soft commutation strategy is required in the proposed DVR. This improves the reliability of the DVR system. The output voltage levels of the multilevel converter increase with the number of cascaded unit cells, and a high ac output voltage is obtained by using low-voltage-rating switching devices. Furthermore, a phase-shifted PWM technique is applied to significantly reduce the size of the output filter inductor. A 1-kW prototype of single-phase DVR is developed, and its performance is experimentally verified. Finally, the simulation results are shown for a three-phase DVR system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a transformerless bipolar dc–dc converter based on series-connected submodules. It is intended for transforming dc voltage and managing power flow for medium/high-voltage dc grids. The dc–dc converter is composed of positive-pole and negative-pole subsystems, each of which consists of six arms/branches. Every two arms and one branch are constructed into a T-type circuit with the outer terminals interface to primary- and secondary-side dc buses. The two T-type circuits in one subsystem are connected in parallel to transmit power between primary and secondary sides. The transformerless structure (none bulky coupled inductors as well) solves the challengeable insulation and cooling issues of the extremely high-power magnetics in prior arts, while not sacrificing the power efficiency and system reliability. A $ \pm $ 10-kV 2-MW simulation model performed in MATLAB/Simulink verifies the feasibility of the bipolar dc–dc converter. Experimental results obtained from a laboratory setup also confirm the validation of the proposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a primary-side regulation constant current constant voltage (CC-CV) Flyback ac–dc converter characterized by high efficiency and high precision of constant current control. In CC mode, a novel ring detection and demagnetization portion control technique is proposed, with which the ending time of demagnetization can be accurately determined and the portion of demagnetization in switching periods remain precisely the same, which enable the accuracy of constant current output that can reach a level as high as ±0.8%. In CV mode, a power stage model based on steady-state analyzing method is established, according to which the expression of static power loss is first obtained. After that total power loss expression including switching loss is derived as well. By MATLAB simulation, power loss mechanism is revealed and analysis is made in detail. According to which, optimized parameters of Flyback converter system and an effective CV regulation strategy are obtained eventually. Simulation as well as experimental results verifies the efficiency of the ac–dc converter system after optimization that can be more than 84.7% at 5 V/1 A application. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Generally, an LLC series resonant converter (LLC SRC) is an attractive topology for applications, which require wide input variation and high conversion efficiency because of its wide gain capability and soft-switching capability. However, there is a regulation problem in which the output voltage increases as the load current decreases. In this paper, Bode plot and impedance asymptote analysis were conducted to obtain an intuitive sense of the regulation characteristic of LLC SRC under the light-load condition. Moreover, to improve the regulation capability, a new resonant tank with an additional capacitor is proposed. Its design guidelines were determined by Bode plot and impedance asymptote analysis. Therefore, the proposed LLC SRC achieves very light load regulation, while it maintains the advantages of typical LLC SRCs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a current-fed isolated bidirectional dc–dc converter (CF-IBDC) that has the advantages of wide input voltage range, low input current ripple, low conduction losses, and soft switching over the full operating range. Compared with conventional CF-IBDCs, the voltage spikes of the low-voltage (LV) side switches in the proposed converter can be eliminated without additional clamp circuits. The converter adopts the pulse width modulation plus hybrid phase-shift control scheme such that the bus voltage can match the output voltage by means of the transformer. Thus, the current stresses and conduction losses of the converter become lower. In addition, the practical zero voltage switching (ZVS) of the secondary-side switches can be realized by adjusting the phase-shift angle within the secondary side when in light load or no load condition. The operating principles and characteristics including the power transfer, root-mean-square (RMS) current, and soft switching are investigated in detail. Then the design guidelines of inductors are also given. Finally an experimental prototype with 30–60 V input and 400 V/2.5 An output is built to verify the correctness of theoretical analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper presents a new bridgeless power factor correction (PFC) topology, using a recently proposed controllable LCL filter, namely active virtual ground to achieve efficient power conversion, and high-frequency common mode voltage (CM) reduction. The proposed PFC circuit consists of high-frequency semiconductors for shaping inductor current and low-frequency semiconductors to form two different LCL structures for different conditions. This reduces grid differential mode current ripple or inductance. Besides, the PFC CM voltage, a main problem of bridgeless PFCs, is significantly reduced, since the capacitor in the LCL filter clamps the voltage between the grid and the converter ground. The performance of the proposed PFC is experimentally verified. The results show that the proposed PFC guarantees sinusoidal input current, low high-frequency common-mode voltage noise, and has a good agreement with the theoretical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve some problems caused by the ac control method used for the existing modular multilevel dc–dc converter (MMDC), this paper has proposed a new MMDC topology with a wide range of output voltage by means of dc control. By reconstructing the submodule structure, the converter has a power branch and an auxiliary balance branch, which are used to transmit dc power and balance the capacitor voltage, respectively. Both dc analysis and control method are adopted to establish a mathematical model so as to deduce the mathematical relationships between the key electrical parameters. Moreover, what have been done include analyzing the self-balancing principle of the capacitor voltage and the mechanism of the auxiliary balance branch, calculating the related parameters of the capacitor voltage fluctuation, and presenting a dc closed-loop control strategy based on a small-signal model. The analyses of the steady and dynamic states in combination with simulation and experiment show that the proposed converter can stably operate in the mode of dc control, with a large adjustable range of output voltage, a small fluctuation in voltage of the capacitor, and the ability of the inductor to suppress the spike of the auxiliary balance current effectively so as to reduce the impact on the device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diode–capacitor-based dc–dc converters provide a simple and low cost solution for high step-up voltage regulation in solar and fuel cell generation. Transient modeling analysis reveals their worse influence of nonlinear and nonminimum-phase system characteristic due to right-half-plane (RHP) zero, especially in high voltage gain application. However, the process of energy transfer for diode–capacitor-based dc–dc converter is different from basic dc–dc converter. Based on the unique feature, this paper proposes an improved main circuit structure with parallel connection of resistive–capacitive damping network across the intermediate capacitor to achieve good dynamic performance. By optimal parameter design according to Routh–Hurtwitz criterion, all the RHP zeros in the transfer function of control-to-output voltage are eliminated completely. Then, by the case of diode–capacitor-based boost converter, the adaptive PI controller is designed to deal with nonlinear characteristic of voltage gain. It gets good dynamic performance under wide range output voltage. All the theoretical findings and design approaches are verified by simulation and experiment results. The existing diode–capacitor-based high step-up dc–dc converters with slight main circuit modification are more promising in renewable energy application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In energy-harvesting applications, inductor-based switching dc/dc converters are usually employed to regulate the operating voltage of the energy transducer and to transfer the harvested energy to a storage unit. In such a context, this paper analyses the optimal inductor current of the converter that leads to maximum power efficiency. This is evaluated assuming a low-power photovoltaic (PV) module connected to a boost dc/dc converter operating in burst mode so as to reduce the switching losses. The theoretical analysis and the experimental results reported herein prove that this optimal inductor current does not depend on the power generated by the PV module provided that the control circuit is powered from the output, but it does on the output voltage level of the storage unit. Experimental tests with a commercial boost dc/dc converter show that the use of this optimal inductor current provides up to 10% increase in efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new single-phase dc/ac converter topology with soft-switching operation. The proposed converter achieves soft-switching by using DCM (discontinuous current mode) operation and a common turn-off snubber capacitor connected to the dc terminals of a full-bridge configuration. One additional semiconductor switch is used to disconnect the snubber capacitor from the dc side, and allows the snubber capacitor to be discharged. The DCM operation realizes zero-current turn-on and the snubber capacitor achieves zero-voltage turn-off. The proposed converter can be applied to a grid-connected converter for domestic renewable energy and energy storage, including Photovoltaic and battery energy storage devices. This paper describes operation principles, control and modulation techniques as a grid-connecting converter. Experimental verification including loss analysis with a 1-kW pilot device is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full-bridge single-stage (FBSS) ac-dc converters allow to regulate both the output voltage and the input current that achieves a near sinusoidal waveform using only the four bridge transistors. Independent of this feature, these converters still need to be optimized in order to become an interesting and attractive solution for modern switch mode power supplies with power factor corrector (PFC) function. One of the most important improvements needed is the downsizing of the dc bus capacitor C b with the inherent cost reduction. However, this action introduces complex issues in the regulation of the input current and it is also responsible for the generation of high output voltage ripple. The new contribution of this paper consists in the introduction of a set of power circuit optimizations and control techniques in a FBSS PFC converter that solves the referred issues in order to enable the reduction of the dc bus capacitor's size and cost. These procedures are based in the use of a free wheeling circuit that improves the light load operation and in the application of one shot nonlinear modulator, in order reduce the output voltage ripple even when the dc bus ripple is high. The possibility of using, in the proposed topology, a reduced ratio capacitance/watt lower than the typical values used in commercial applications (0.7-0.5 μF/W for 385-450 V, respectively), while maintaining the accurate input current regulation, is also theoretically proved. The developed concepts, solutions and design criteria are detailed described in the paper. The correspondent theoretical study is verified trough experimental results token in an optimized FBSS topology prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a digital hybrid ripple-based constant on-time control scheme for voltage regulator modules (VRMs). Due to the sampling effects of the digital implementation, the stability issue becomes worse than the analog ripple-based control schemes, especially when the composite output capacitors are utilized. In order to stabilize the system and to fulfill the output impedance requirement of adaptive voltage positioning (AVP), a hybrid ramp compensation strategy, which includes the external ramp and the estimated current ramp, is proposed in this paper. No complicated compensators are required as the conventional voltage-mode control. The small-signal model of the proposed architecture is derived to provide the design guideline for the ramp compensation gains with different output capacitors. Besides, the oversampling effect of the output voltage by using analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are also analyzed by using the presented model. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed digital ripple-based control architecture can achieve fast load transient performance and to fulfill the AVP design requirements of single-phase VRMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross regulation is the main technical challenge of a single-inductor multiple-output (SIMO) dc-dc converter. This paper proposes a multivariable digital controller to suppress the cross regulation of a single-inductor dual-output (SIDO) buck converter in continuous conduction mode (CCM) operation. The controller design methodology originates from the open-loop shaping of the multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems. The control design procedure includes: 1) determination of a family of nonparametric models of the SIDO converter at operating points of interest, 2) determination of the class of the controller, and 3) system open-loop shaping by the convex minimization of the summation of the square second norm of the errors between the system open-loop transfer function matrices and a desired open-loop transfer function matrix. The proposed controller minimizes the coupling between the outputs of the SIDO converter and provides satisfactory dynamic performance in CCM operation. This paper describes the theoretical aspects involved in the design procedure of the controller and evaluates the performance of the controller based on simulation studies and experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AC/DC converter systems generally have two stages: an input power factor correction (PFC) boost ac/dc stage that converts input ac voltage to an intermediate dc voltage while reducing the input current harmonics injected to the grid, followed by a dc/dc converter that steps up or down the intermediate dc-bus voltage as required by the output load and provides high-frequency galvanic isolation. Since a low-frequency ripple (second harmonic of the input ac line frequency) exists in the output voltage of the PFC ac/dc boost converter due to the power ripple, the voltage loop in the conventional control system must have a very low bandwidth in order to avoid distortions in the input current waveform. This results in the conventional PFC controller having a slow dynamic response against load variations with adverse overshoots and undershoots. This paper presents a new control approach that is based on a novel discrete energy function minimization control law that allows the front-end ac/dc boost PFC converter to operate with faster dynamic response than the conventional controllers and simultaneously maintain near unity input power factor. Experimental results from a 3-kW ac/dc converter built for charging traction battery of a pure electric vehicle are presented in this paper to validate the proposed control method and its superiority over conventional controllers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The boost converter with a voltage multiplier cell allows the static gain extension by means of the switching capacitor technique, reducing the duty cycle needed to achieve the same voltage gain when compared to the conventional boost converter. However, the modeling of this converter is complex and requires the use of advanced techniques due to the resonant inductor. Thus, this paper aims to present a reduced-order model of this converter without the resonant energy exchange between the capacitors, so that the state-space averaging technique can be applied assuming small ripple in the state variables. In addition, this paper presents the design of a control system for the boost converter with a voltage multiplier cell. The adopted strategy employs an inner loop to control the input current and an outer loop for the output voltage regulation. Extensive analysis based on simulations and an experimental prototype demonstrate that the proposed modeling, although simplified, is sufficient for an adequate control system design, ensuring good voltage regulation, and fast transient responses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In order to maximize the profitability of big photovoltaic (PV) plants, high-power PV inverters of more than 500 kW are becoming attractive. The master–slave (MS) inverter is one of the most interesting architectures. Usually, it is composed of N-paralleled three-phase inverters connected to the medium voltage grid through a transformer with N secondaries on the low-voltage side. This type of transformer is up to 40% more expensive than a single secondary one. This paper analyses the case in which the N inverters are connected to a single secondary transformer so that the N inverters share the ac and dc sides. Furthermore, three-phase three-limb inductors are used, which are around 25% cheaper than single-phase equivalents. Although the use of this type of transformer and inductors is highly attractive in economic terms, it does generate two types of couplings between the different inverters, compromising the system stability. This paper presents a new control technique that achieves a stable system, invariant with N, and independent of the type of inductors and transformer used. Stability of the system is guaranteed in any situation and it can be implemented with a low computational cost. The simulations and the practical results obtained with an Ingecon Sun 625HE-MS confirm the correct functioning of this control technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method of mitigating the transient overshoots of dc-dc converters undergoing large load disturbances. The method involves a small power auxiliary circuit which exists as an energy buffer to provide a smooth absorption and release of excess energy from and to the main dc-dc converter during transients. In the method, the regulation of the current magnitude of the converter and energy storage of the auxiliary circuit are guaranteed by the relevant control schemes. The cost and size of the auxiliary circuit will be relatively small as it only operates intermittently. In this paper, the voltage deviation analysis and the auxiliary circuit design guideline are provided. Experimental results validating the approach are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new digital enhanced V^2 -type constant on-time control architecture for solving the ripple oscillation issues when using low-equivalent series resistance (ESR) capacitors in a buck converter. Instead of directly sensing the inductor current, an inductor current ramp estimator with the drift compensation is presented as adding a virtual ESR ripple to the output voltage. Only the input and output voltages are required to be sampled with analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) for estimating the inductor current ramp. Since the sampling rate and resolution requirements of ADCs for voltage sensing are usually less critical with compared to direct current sensing, the proposed digital control architecture is practical for low-cost applications. Besides, the limit-cycle oscillations due to the sampling effects can also be improved by using the estimated current ramp. Furthermore, the small-signal model of the proposed digital enhanced V ^2 control architecture is provided to design the estimated current ramp amplitude to stabilize the system and to optimize the system performance. The drift compensation effect is also analyzed in this paper. The effectiveness of the proposed control architecture with the current ramp estimator has been verified with simulation and experimental results by using an FPGA-based hardware platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel voltage-based charge balance control algorithm is presented, which is suitable for both digital and analog implementations for buck converter to achieve near-optimal dynamic performance. First, this paper presents a new derivation of practical charge balance equations based on simplified differential equations. This deviation is applicable to both fast input voltage and load step transients. The final algorithm does not require complex calculations and accurate knowledge of the output filter LC parameter. Second, the proposed voltage-based charge balance controller does not require accurate current sensor or fast analog-to-digital converter. Instead, to detect the critical time instant when the inductor current equals the new load current, a practical extreme voltage detector is introduced to capture the output voltage peak/valley information. Third, this algorithm is simple to be implemented by either low-cost digital signal processing devices (such as microcontroller unit) or analog circuits. Both digital and analog experimental prototypes are built to verify the feasibility and advantages of the new method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variable-on-time (VOT) control scheme for a critical conduction mode (CRM) integrated buck–flyback power factor correction (PFC) converter with high power factor (PF) and low total harmonic distortion (THD) is proposed in this paper. By utilizing the input and output voltage to modulate the on-time of both buck and flyback switches, the input current harmonics can be eliminated and high PF will be obtained. The operating principles of both the conventional constant-on-time (COT) control and VOT control for the CRM buck–flyback PFC converter are analyzed. A 100-W prototype has been built and tested in the lab. The experimental results demonstrate that the THD and PF of the converter with VOT control are greatly improved compared to those with COT control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inductor current ripple under hysteresis current control is sensitive to system as well as controller parameters, which often deviates from the desired band. Thus, a phase-locked-loop (PLL) is employed to regulate the switching frequency over the operating range. Digital platform drastically simplifies this using an all-digital PLL (ADPLL) and offers the controller-tuning flexibility for improved performance. However, the use of uniform voltage-sampling often leads to multilimit cycle instability. This paper proposes a mixed-signal hysteretic current controller (MSHCC) with the digital voltage-loop and the analog current-loop. A digital-to-analog converter is sufficient to generate time-multiplexed current references. This achieves robust stability and parameter-insensitive current ripple by sampling the error-voltage at the rising edge of the high-side gate signal. Stability analysis is carried out using discrete-time models. The proposed MSHCC can be configured to either of the peak, average, or valley current-mode techniques along with the flexibility to adjust the switching frequency using an ADPLL for real-time energy-optimization. The proposed scheme is implemented using an FPGA device and tested on a buck converter prototype. The MSHCC scheme can be extended to a multiphase buck converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an output current-differential (OCD) control scheme that has a master–slave structure. It can be applied in dc/dc converters to connect the input in series and the output in parallel. All of the control and sample circuits in the proposed control scheme are on the output side, which means that there is no further isolation in the control loops. The proposed control scheme, consisting of one output voltage regulator loop and individual load-current-sharing loops, will enable low-voltage converters to be used for high-voltage specifications. The master module regulates the output voltage through a common output voltage loop and provides current references to slave modules. The individual current-sharing loops residing in the slave modules regulate the current in each module equally. According to the power balance, input-voltage sharing is realized simultaneously. To prevent a situation in which system failure is caused by master module failure, a fault-tolerant automatic master–slave output current-differential (FOCD) control scheme is developed. The performance of the OCD and FOCD control schemes is validated on a 450-W prototype input-series–output-parallel system comprising three forward converters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the efficiency of the conventional boost-type power factor correction (PFC) converters with the diode bridge circuit, the PFC converters of bridgeless category are often used. Due to no series-connected switches and no short-through risks, the dual-boost half-bridge (DBHB) circuit is used as the PFC converter in this paper. In order to simplify the conventional two-loop control scheme and reduce the number of sensors, the behaviors of the DBHB PFC converter are studied and its equivalent single-switch model is developed. Then, the current sensorless control for the DBHB PFC converter is proposed to achieve voltage regulation and yield sinusoidal input current in phase with the input voltage without sensing any current. In addition, the proposed method is able to balance capacitor voltages naturally without adding any voltage balancing control loop. An 800-W DBHB PFC prototype is implemented to evaluate the control performance. Both simulation and experimental results are provided to demonstrate the proposed current sensorless control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary-side controlled universal-line flyback converters have been widely used in low-power applications due to their simplicity, low standby power, and low cost. However, conventional OCP schemes normally cause too large a variation in output current when the input voltage varies. This paper proposes a self-compensating OCP circuit to achieve a high-precision constant current at different input voltages which can be used in flyback converters working in discontinues conduction mode. It consists of a CS S/H circuit and a dynamic OCP voltage reference circuit. Compared with conventional OCP circuits, it does not need an extra compensation circuit. To verify the feasibility and performance of the proposed circuit, an IC controller that uses the proposed OCP circuit has been designed and fabricated in 0.35 μm 5-V/40-V high-voltage CMOS technology. Experimental results show that the constant output current precision of the prototype is within ±1% when the input line voltage changes from 85 to 265 Vac. In the common line voltage range (\rm110-220\ Vac ), the output current regulation accuracy can reach a level as high as ± 0.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]