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In gapped inductors, the fringing field of the air gaps causes additional eddy current losses in the windings and an increase of the inductance. Since this impact of the fringing field is very significant, calculating the additional eddy current losses and the inductance increase is important in the design of inductors. This article proposes analytical formulas to accurately calculate the inductance and the additional eddy current losses in gapped inductors with solid round wire and Litz wire windings. The analytical formulas are verified by measurements, showing that the proposed models are accurate over a wide-frequency range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For comprehensively optimizing high-frequency foil inductors, calculating the increased inductance and the additional eddy current losses due to a two-dimensional magnetic fringing field caused by air gaps in the center leg is mandatory. This article proposes an analytical model that accurately calculates the inductance and the additional eddy current losses in gapped inductors with foil windings. The analytical field expressions are combined into closed-form winding loss and inductance formulas and verified by measurements. Furthermore, the frequency dependency of the inductance due to the shielding effect of the foil conductors is being discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fast and accurate model of the transformer leakage inductance is crucial for optimization-based design of galvanically isolated converters. Analytical models are fastly executable, and therefore, especially suitable for such optimizations. This article compares several analytical leakage inductance per unit length models with respect to the accuracy and computational effort. The considered models are applicable to E-Core and U-Core transformers. 2D FEM simulations are used as a benchmark to evaluate the model accuracy, whereas the computation time is extracted as an indicator for computational effort. Six different transformer prototypes provide the geometries for the comparison. Based on the conducted comparisons, Roth's model is the most accurate. Rogowski's model is the fastest low-error model. Margueron's model is the most versatile as it takes the finite permeability of the core into account. The conducted comparisons lay the foundation for accurate and fast Double-2D modeling of the transformer leakage inductance as it is executed for the two main cross sections of E-core and U-core transformers: inside the transformer window, and outside the transformer window. This article is accompanied by a supplementary document summarizing the equations of Roth's and Margueron's model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing integration of renewable energies into the distribution grid, a deterioration of the grid power quality is expected. Consisting of a low-frequency transformer and a fractionally rated power electronic converter, hybrid transformers (HTs) can be applied to ensure a high power quality by controlling voltage, active and reactive power dynamically. For the application in conventional grids, HTs have to withstand considerable overvoltages and overcurrents during voltage surges or short circuits. Although HTs recently gained increasing research interest, protection requirements and protection concepts have not been discussed yet. These aspects are, however, essential to evaluate the practical potential of HTs. In this article, protection requirements are derived and a protection concept is developed and verified by simulations and experiments for a 100-kVA hybrid distribution transformer. Although the protection concept has a considerable impact on the design and performance of the converter, it increases the total losses and volume of the HT only insignificantly. An efficiency of 98.48% is achievable for an HT including protection, which is only slightly lower than the efficiency of 98.64% for a comparable conventional transformer. This renders the HT a promising solution for today's and future ac grids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern wide-bandgap devices, such as SiC- or GaN-based devices, feature significantly reduced switching losses, and the question arises if soft-switching operating modes are still beneficial. For most of the semiconductor devices, only limited information is available to estimate the switching losses. Especially, if a wide operating range is desired, excessive measurements have to be performed to determine the switching losses for arbitrary operating points. Therefore, in this paper, a fast calculation method to determine the switching losses based on the charge equivalent approximation of the mosfet capacitances, relying only on datasheet parameters, is presented. In addition, the turn-off losses at high switching currents are investigated, and an analytical expression to estimate the maximum current range for which the mosfet can be turned off with negligible switching losses is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For small scale roof-top systems, there is a trend towards module-integrated electronics. Module integrated ac inverters (ac modules) connect each photovoltaic (PV) module separately to the single-phase grid. They feature not only increased yield due to module-level maximum power point (MPP) tracking, but also further advantages such as reduced installation cost. This work investigates the concept of subpanel-level MPP tracking for ac modules, which allows us to increase yield thanks to reduced mismatching losses. Topology concepts to realize such a converter are systematically investigated and categorized. A topology comparison identifies two promising system concepts: first a single-stage converter with a three-port power balancer and second a two-stage topology with three paralleled dc–dc converters and a pulse width modulation full bridge. The later features the advantage of a small power-decoupling capacitor and is therefore further investigated. A model-based optimization of the investigated multi-input ac module is performed, applying high performing Gallium Nitride (GaN) devices and nanocrystalline core materials to increase efficiency. The built prototype confirms the accuracy of the model-based optimization. The performed efficiency study reveals an achievable efficiency of \eta \text{EU} = 94.5%. In order to compete with single-input ac modules, achieving typically an efficiency of 95.5%, the efficiency of multi-input ac modules must improve beyond the level achieved with the investigated two-stage ac-module topology. Given this result, the alternative system concept with a three-port power balancer in combination with a single-stage converter seems to be more promising, as it is conceptually similar to the high efficient single-input ac modules and may achieve the same high efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a combined phase-shift and frequency modulation scheme of a dual–active-bridge (DAB) ac–dc converter with power factor correction (PFC) to achieve zero voltage switching (ZVS) over the full range of the ac mains voltage. The DAB consists of a half bridge with bidirectional switches on the ac side and a full bridge on the dc side of the isolation transformer to accomplish single-stage power conversion. The modulation scheme is described by means of analytical formulas, which are used in an optimization procedure to determine the optimal control variables for minimum switch commutation currents. Furthermore, an ac current controller suitable for the proposed modulation scheme is described. A loss model and measurements on a 3.3-kW electric vehicle battery charger to connect to the 230 \textV_\textrms  / 50-Hz mains considering a battery voltage range of 280–420 V validate the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hardware-in-the-Loop tests of components for high-voltage dc transmission grids, for example circuit breakers, require converter systems capable of generating a high output current with fast transients of the output signal at different output voltages. In this paper, a three-level buck converter (N3L) employing three different supply voltages to enable a wide voltage operation range is presented. The modulation of the converter is investigated in detail with special focus on ripple cancellation, the startup of the interleaved converter and the level shifting between different converter output voltages. A prototype system is designed and constructed, optimized for pulsed power operation and compared to a two level and to a neutral point clamped converter design. The system has been simulated numerically and the design boundaries are validated by measurements on the prototype system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost, volume, and weight are three major driving forces in the automotive area. This is also true for hybrid electric vehicles, which are attracting more and more attention due to increasing fuel costs and air pollution. In hybrid vehicles, the energy distribution system causes a significant share of the volume and the costs. One part of this system is the dc-dc converter that transfers power between the low- and high-voltage buses. In order to reduce the costs and the volume of this converter, this paper presents a new concept for integrating the dc-dc converter functionality into the traction drive system. By using the inverter and the machine to implement a primary bridge leg of an isolated full-bridge dc-dc converter, the total system costs and weight can be reduced. This concept is verified by simulations and experimental results for a scaled prototype. An analytical model of the system has been developed and agrees very well with the measurements. By scaling this model to the power levels typical for hybrid vehicles, it is expected that the efficiency for the dc-dc converter will be greater than 85% for a conventional modulation scheme and above 91% for an optimized switching scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]