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This paper presents an improved efficiency impedance control network (ICN) resonant dc–dc converter that maintains zero-voltage switching (ZVS) and near-zero-current switching (ZCS) across wide ranges in input and output voltages and output power. The improvement in efficiency in this burst mode operated converter is achieved through an optimized startup control that minimizes its startup transient and helps the converter maintain ZVS and near-ZCS operation, even during the startup for each burst cycle. This optimization of startup is made possible by a new accurate time domain model for the ICN converter waveforms that helps reduce the number of non-ZVS transitions by 75%. A prototype 200 W, 500 kHz ICN resonant converter designed to operate over an input voltage range of 25–40 V and output voltage range of 250–400 V is built and tested. The prototype ICN converter achieves a peak efficiency of 97.2% and maintains greater than 96.2% full power efficiency at 250 V output voltage across the nearly 2:1 input voltage range, and maintains full power efficiency above 94.6% across its full input and output voltage range. The converter also maintains efficiency above 93.6% over a 10:1 output power range across its full input and output voltage range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a MultiTrack power conversion architecture that represents a new way of combining switched-capacitor circuits and magnetics. The MultiTrack architecture takes advantages of the distributed power processing concept and a hybrid switched-capacitor/magnetics circuit structure. It reduces the voltage ratings on devices, reduces the voltage regulation stress of the system, improves the component utilization, and reduces the sizes of passive components. This architecture is suitable to dc–dc and grid-interface applications that require both isolation and wide voltage conversion range. An 18–80 V input, 5 V, 15 A output, 800 kHz, 0.93 in $^2$ (1/16 brick equivalent) isolated dc–dc converter has been built and tested to verify the effectiveness of this architecture. By employing the MultiTrack architecture, utilizing GaN switches, and operating at higher frequencies, the prototype converter achieves a power density of 457.3 W/in$^3$ and a peak efficiency of 91.3%. Its power density is 3$\times$ higher than the state-of-the-art commercial converters with comparable efficiency across the wide operation range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microinverters operating into the single-phase grid from solar photovoltaic (PV) panels or other low-voltage sources must buffer the twice-line-frequency variations between the energy sourced by the PV panel and that required for the grid. Moreover, in addition to operating over wide average power ranges, they inherently operate over a wide range of voltage conversion ratios as the line voltage traverses a cycle. These factors make the design of microinverters challenging. This paper presents a multilevel energy buffer and voltage modulator (MEB) that significantly reduces the range of voltage conversion ratios that the dc-ac converter portion of the microinverter must operate over by stepping its effective input voltage in pace with the line voltage. The MEB partially replaces the original bulk input capacitor, and functions as an active energy buffer to reduce the total size of the twice-line-frequency energy buffering capacitance. The small additional loss of the MEB can be compensated by the improved efficiency of the dc-ac converter stage, leading to a higher overall system efficiency. The MEB architecture can be implemented in a variety of manners, allowing different design tradeoffs to be made. A prototype microinverter incorporating an MEB, designed for 27 to 38 V dc input voltage, 230-V rms ac output voltage, and rated for a line cycle average power of 70 W, has been built and tested in a grid-connected mode. It is shown that the MEB can successfully enhance the performance of a single-phase grid-interfaced microinverter by increasing its efficiency and reducing the total size of the twice-line-frequency energy buffering capacitance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new topology for a high-efficiency dc/dc resonant power converter that utilizes a resistance compression network (RCN) to provide simultaneous zero-voltage switching and near-zero-current switching across a wide range of input voltage, output voltage, and power levels. The RCN maintains desired current waveforms over a wide range of voltage operating conditions. The use of ON/OFF control in conjunction with narrowband frequency control enables high efficiency to be maintained across a wide range of power levels. The converter implementation provides galvanic isolation and enables large (greater than 1:10) voltage conversion ratios, making the system suitable for large step-up conversion in applications such as distributed photovoltaic converters. Experimental results from a 200-W prototype operating at 500 kHz show that over 95% efficiency is maintained across an input voltage range of 25-40 V with an output voltage of 400 V. It is also shown that the converter operates very efficiently over a wide output voltage range of 250-400 V, and a wide output power range of 20-200 W. These experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stacked switched capacitor (SSC) energy buffer is a recently proposed architecture for buffering energy between single-phase alternating and direct current. When used with film capacitors, it can increase the life of grid-interfaced power converters by eliminating limited-life electrolytic capacitors while maintaining comparable energy density. This paper introduces an enhanced version of the bipolar SSC energy buffer that achieves higher effective energy density and round-trip efficiency while maintaining the same bus voltage ripple ratio as the original design. Furthermore, the enhanced buffer uses fewer capacitors and switches than the original design. The enhancement in performance is achieved by modifying the control and switching patterns of the buffer switches. A prototype enhanced SSC energy buffer, designed for a 320-V bus and a 135-W load, has been built and tested. The design methodology and experimental results for the enhanced SSC energy buffer are presented and compared with the original design. This paper also presents a comparison of unipolar and bipolar SSC energy buffers. It is shown that, although bipolar designs are superior in terms of effective energy density at low ripple ratios, unipolar designs can outperform bipolar designs at high ripple ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Electrolytic capacitors are often used for energy buffering applications, including buffering between single-phase ac and dc. While these capacitors have high energy density compared to film and ceramic capacitors, their life is limited. This paper presents a stacked switched capacitor (SSC) energy buffer architecture and some of its topological embodiments, which when used with longer life film capacitors overcome this limitation while achieving effective energy densities comparable to electrolytic capacitors. The architectural approach is introduced along with design and control techniques. A prototype SSC energy buffer using film capacitors, designed for a 320 V dc bus and able to support a 135 W load, has been built and tested with a power factor correction circuit. It is shown that the SSC energy buffer can successfully replace limited-life electrolytic capacitors with much longer life film capacitors, while maintaining volume and efficiency at a comparable level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a new approach for output voltage regulation in impedance control network (ICN) resonant dc–dc converters, in which the rectifier of the ICN converter alternates between full-bridge and half-bridge topologies. This approach, termed topology morphing control, allows the ICN converter to maintain soft switching across power levels while substantially reducing the output capacitance requirement and improving partial-power efficiencies compared to the conventional burst mode (on/off) control. A closed-loop control architecture for the ICN converter is also introduced, which regulates the converter's output voltage under input voltage and load variations while ensuring smooth transitions between the multiple operating modes of the proposed topology morphing control. A prototype 1-MHz, 120-W step-down ICN resonant converter designed for an input voltage range of 18–36 V, an output voltage of 12 V, and a 10:1 output power range has been built and tested with both burst mode control and the proposed topology morphing control. The topology morphing control reduces the output capacitance requirement in the prototype ICN converter by 57% and reduces converter losses at partial power levels by up to 46.5%. The prototype ICN converter is also tested under closed-loop control and is shown to successfully regulate its output voltage in the face of input voltage and load variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an isolated step-down impedance control network (ICN) resonant dc–dc converter that utilizes enhanced inverter and rectifier phase-shifts to achieve both soft switching and output voltage regulation. Compared to previously presented ICN converters, which utilize burst-mode control to achieve output voltage regulation, this ICN converter with the proposed enhanced phase-shift control has dramatically reduced output capacitance requirement. The avoidance of burst-mode control also simplifies the design of the converter's input electromagnetic interference filter, reduces switch stresses due to overshoots during repeated startup transitions, and improves converter efficiency by eliminating startup and shutdown losses as well as by reducing conduction losses when backing off in power. A closed-loop control architecture for the ICN converter operated under enhanced phase-shift control is also proposed, wherein state-feedback control is incorporated to guarantee stability and achieve good dynamic performance across wide variations in input voltage and output power. A prototype 1-MHz, 120-W step-down ICN converter designed for an input voltage range of 18–75 V, an output voltage of 12 V, and a 10:1 output power range is built and tested with both burst-mode control and the proposed enhanced phase-shift control. When operated with enhanced phase-shift control, the prototype ICN converter achieves a peak efficiency of 95.7% and maintains full-power efficiency above 91.7% across its 4:1 input voltage range. Compared to when operated under burst-mode control, the ICN converter with enhanced phase-shift control reduces converter losses by up to 30% and reduces the output capacitance requirement by two orders of magnitude. The prototype ICN converter is also operated under closed-loop control using a digitally implemented controller based on the proposed architecture, and is shown to successfully regulate its output voltage in the face of input voltage and load variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a new analysis approach to modeling resonant converters that can be used to determine closed-form expressions for the exact resonant network waveforms. This approach, based on superposition of step responses to inverter and rectifier imposed steps, can easily be applied to resonant converters with high-order resonant networks, multiple inverters, and/or rectifiers. The usefulness of the proposed analysis approach is demonstrated first by applying it to a series-resonant converter, wherein it is used to determine accurate closed-form expressions for its tank current in different operating modes. These expressions are utilized to draw insights that help identify the converter's operating mode, and determine associated expressions for its output voltage and the switching frequency required to achieve a desired output power. The proposed approach is also applied to the multi-inverter multi-element impedance control network (ICN) resonant converter, wherein it is used to derive closed-form expressions for the converter's currents. These expressions are utilized to evaluate the behavior and optimize the design of an ICN resonant converter. A prototype 200-W 500-kHz ICN resonant converter optimized using the proposed approach is used to validate the modeling results. It is shown that there is an excellent agreement between the experimental and modeled waveforms during steady-state operation as well as during startup transients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a high-power-density high-power-factor GaN-based two-stage electrolytic-free offline LED driver. The LED driver achieves high power density through the use of a hybrid film–ceramic stacked switched capacitor (SSC) energy buffer, and a comprehensive optimization methodology that evaluates various converter topologies and designs and minimizes overall system volume while maintaining high efficiency. Based on this optimization approach, a totem-pole bridgeless boost power factor correction (PFC) converter is selected for the first stage, while a stacked-input isolated LLC dc–dc converter is selected for the second stage. The optimization procedure also minimizes the passive volume of the SSC energy buffer incorporating the volumetric energy density of commercially available capacitors. The optimized SSC energy buffer utilized in the proposed LED driver has 50% less passive volume than a capacitor-only solution. A 600-W prototype LED driver designed using the proposed approach for universal input voltage ${{(90}}-{ 305 \ \text{V}}_{{\text{rms}}})$ and 24-V output voltage is built and tested. The PFC stage achieves a peak efficiency of 98% while the LLC stage achieves a peak efficiency of 95%. The prototyped LED driver achieves a power density of 28 W/in3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planar magnetic components using printed circuit board (pcb) windings are attractive due to their high repeatability, good thermal performance, and usefulness for realizing intricate winding patterns. To enable higher system integration at high switching frequency, more sophisticated methods that can rapidly and accurately model planar magnetics are needed. This paper develops a systematic approach to modeling impedances and current distribution in planar magnetics based on a lumped circuit model named as the modular layer model (MLM). Stacked pcb layers are modeled as repeating modular impedance networks, with additional modular impedances representing the magnetic core, air gaps, and vias. The model captures skin and proximity effects, and enables accurate predictions of impedances, losses, stored reactive energy, and current sharing among windings. The MLM can be used to simulate circuits incorporating planar magnetics, to visualize the electromagnetic fields, and to extract parameters for magnetic models by simulations, among many other applications. The modeling results are checked with results of previous theories and finite-element-modeling approaches, with good matching presented. A group of planar magnetic devices, including transformers and inductors with various winding patterns, are prototyped, and measured to validate the proposed approach and clarify the boundaries of its applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resonant rectifiers have important applications in very-high-frequency (VHF) power conversion systems, including dc–dc converters, wireless power transfer systems, and energy recovery circuits for radio-frequency systems. In many of these applications, it is desirable for the rectifier to appear as a resistor at its ac input port. However, for a given dc output voltage, the input impedance of a resonant rectifier varies in magnitude and phase as output power changes. This paper presents a design methodology for class E rectifiers that maintain near-resistive input impedance along with the experimental demonstration of this approach. Resonant rectifiers operating at 30 MHz over 10:1 and 2:1 power ranges are used to validate the design methodology and identify its limits. Furthermore, a number of Si Schottky diodes are experimentally evaluated for VHF rectification and categorized based on performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a new transformerless ac–dc–ac converter topology suitable for a high-power-density high-frequency single-phase online uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with a common neutral between the input and output ac ports. The proposed converter comprises an input power factor correction rectification (ac–dc) stage which is followed by an inversion (dc–ac) stage. The rectification stage operates in boost mode during the input positive half line cycle and buck–boost mode during the input negative half line cycle, while the inversion stage operates in buck and buck–boost modes in the output positive and negative half line cycles, respectively. The rectification stage utilizes boundary conduction mode control enabling soft-switching and allowing high-frequency operation. The inversion stage is operated in continuous conduction mode, wherein a digital controller regulates the output voltage of the converter across both resistive and reactive loads. The proposed online UPS utilizes a single (nonsplit) dc-bus between the rectification and inversion stages, resulting in a 50% reduction in dc-bus capacitance requirement compared to conventional split-bus online UPS topologies. Additionally, two battery interface solutions are also investigated which provide a trade-off between passive volume and additional switch-count. To verify the performance and control of the proposed online UPS, a GaN-based electrolytic-free 1-kVA prototype online UPS is designed, built, and tested. The prototype ac–dc–ac converter achieves a peak efficiency of 95.2% and maintains a high efficiency of above 92.3% across the full output power range. The electrolytic-free prototype ac–dc–ac converter for the online UPS achieves a power density of 26.4 W/in3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a megahertz-frequency resonant dc–dc converter that inherently achieves a load-independent output current while maintaining high efficiency across a wide output voltage range. These properties make the proposed converter well-suited for automotive light-emitting diode (LED) driver applications, where a varying number of LEDs need to be driven with a constant current. The proposed converter achieves load-independent output current by utilizing an LCL-T resonant network, and achieves high efficiency using a comprehensive design optimization methodology. This LCL-T resonant converter is also capable of regulating its output current at any desired value by utilizing phase-shift control. The performance of the LCL-T resonant converter is theoretically and experimentally compared with an LC3L and an LCLC resonant converter. For the experimental comparison, prototypes LCL-T, LC3L, and LCLC resonant converters are designed to operate at 2 MHz and across an output voltage range of 3.3–49.5 V while supplying a constant 0.5 A output current to the LEDs. The LCL-T resonant converter prototype achieves a peak efficiency of 91.1%, which is 0.6% and 1.8% higher than the peak efficiency of the LC3L and the LCLC converter prototypes, respectively. Furthermore, the LCL-T converter prototype maintains 0.8% and 1.6% higher average efficiency over its 15:1 output voltage range relative to the LC3L and the LCLC converter prototypes, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design and implementation of a large-step-down soft-switched dc–dc converter based on the active bridge technique, which overcomes some of the limitations of the conventional dual active bridge converter. The topology comprises a double-stacked bridge inverter coupled to a reconfigurable rectifier through a special three-winding leakage transformer. This particular combination of stages enables the converter to run in an additional low-power mode that greatly increases light-load efficiency by reducing core loss and extending the zero-voltage switching range. The converter is implemented with a single compact magnetic component, providing power combining, isolation, voltage transformation, and energy transfer inductance. A 175 kHz, 300 W, 380–12 V GaN-based prototype converter achieves 95.9% efficiency at full load, a peak efficiency of 97.0%, an efficiency above 92.7% down to 10% load, and an efficiency above 79.8% down to 3.3% load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multistage matching networks are often utilized to provide voltage or current gains in resonant conversion applications, such as large conversion ratio power converters and wireless power transfer. In the conventional approach, each stage of a multistage matching network is designed to have a purely resistive input impedance and assumed to be loaded by a purely resistive load. This paper introduces an improved design optimization approach for multistage matching networks comprising L-section stages. The proposed design optimization approach explores the possibility of improvement in efficiency of the network by allowing the L-section stages to have complex input and load impedances. A new analytical framework is developed to determine the effective transformation ratio and efficiency of each stage for the case when input and load impedances may be complex. The method of Lagrange multipliers is used to determine the gain and impedance characteristics of each stage in the matching network that maximize overall efficiency. Compared with the conventional design approach for matching networks, the proposed approach achieves higher efficiency, resulting in loss reduction of up to 35% for a three-stage L-section matching network. The theoretical predictions are validated experimentally using a three-stage matching network designed for 1 MHz and 100 W operation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The recently proposed stacked switched capacitor (SSC) energy buffer architecture can extend the lifetime of single-phase ac–dc converters by replacing the electrolytic capacitors needed for twice-line-frequency energy storage with film or ceramic capacitors, while maintaining comparable effective energy density. This paper presents a methodology for further increasing the effective energy density of SSC energy buffers by optimizing the capacitance ratios of the capacitors used in the energy buffer. It is systematically shown that the relative enhancement in effective energy density depends on the required ripple ratio and the number of backbone and supporting capacitors in the energy buffer. The proposed approach can substantially increase the effective energy density of the energy buffer. For example, the effective energy density of a 1-10 enhanced unipolar SSC energy buffer, designed for a 10% ripple ratio, can be increased by 100% as a result of this capacitance ratio optimization. The presented methodology is validated using a 1-2 enhanced unipolar SSC energy buffer designed for an 8-W offline LED driver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a new resonant converter architecture that utilizes multiple inverters and a lossless impedance control network (ICN) to maintain zero-voltage switching and near zero-current switching across wide operating ranges. Hence, the ICN converter is able to operate at fixed frequency and maintain high efficiency across wide ranges in input and output voltages and output power. The ICN converter architecture enables increase in switching frequency (hence reducing size and mass), while achieving very high efficiency. Three prototype 200-W 500-kHz ICN resonant converters, one with low-Q, one with medium-Q, and one with high-Q resonant tanks, designed to operate over an input voltage range of 25 to 40 V and an output voltage range of 250 to 400 V are built and tested. The low-Q prototype ICN converter achieves a peak efficiency of 97.1%, maintains greater than 96.4% full power efficiency at 250 V output voltage across the nearly 2:1 input voltage range, and maintains full power efficiency above 95% across its full input and output voltage range. It also maintains efficiency above 94.6% over a 10:1 output power range across its full input and output voltage range owing to the use of burst-mode control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]