Analysis and design of a modular multilevel converter with trapezoidal modulation for medium and high voltage DC-DC transformers

Conventional dual active bridge topologies provide galvanic isolation and soft-switching over a reasonable operating range without dedicated resonant circuits. However, scaling the two-level dual active bridge to higher dc voltage levels is impeded by several challenges among which the high dv/dt stress on the coupling transformer insulation. Gating and thermal characteristics of series switch arrays add to the limitations. To avoid the use of standard bulky modular multilevel bridges, this paper analyzes an alternative modulation technique where staircase approximated trapezoidal voltage waveforms are produced; thus alleviating developed dv/dt stresses. Modular design is realized by the utilization of half-bridge chopper cells. Therefore, the analyzed converter is a modular multi-level converter operated in a new mode with no common-mode dc arm currents as well as reduced capacitor size, hence reduced cell footprint. Suitable switching patterns are developed and various design and operation aspects are studied. Soft switching characteristics will be shown to be comparable to those of the two-level dual active bridge. Experimental results from a scaled test rig validate the presented concept

Linearized large signal modeling, analysis, and control design of phase-controlled series-parallel resonant converters using state feedback

This paper proposes a linearized large signal state-space model for the fixed-frequency phase-controlled series-parallel resonant converter. The proposed model utilizes state feedback of the output filter inductor current to perform linearization. The model combines multiple-frequency and average state-space modeling techniques to generate an aggregate model with dc state variables that are relatively easier to control and slower than the fast resonant tank dynamics. The main objective of the linearized model is to provide a linear representation of the converter behavior under large signal variation which is suitable for faster simulation and large signal estimation/calculation of the converter state variables. The model also provides insight into converter dynamics as well as a simplified reduced order transfer function for PI closed-loop design. Experimental and simulation results from a detailed switched converter model are compared with the proposed state-space model output to verify its accuracy and robustness

A three-switch high-voltage converter

A novel single active switch two-diodes high-voltage converter is presented. This converter can operate into a capacitor-diode voltage multiplier, which offers simpler structure and control, higher efficiency, reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI), and size and weight savings compared with traditional switched-mode regulated voltage multipliers. Two significant advantages are the continuous input current and easy isolation extension. The new converter is experimentally verified. Both the steady-state and dynamic theoretical models are correlated well with the experimental dat

Survey on Photo-Voltaic Powered Interleaved Converter System

Renewable energy is the best solution to meet the growing demand for energy in the country. The solar energy is considered as the most promising energy by the researchers due to its abundant availability, eco-friendly nature, long lasting nature, wide range of application and above all it is a maintenance free system. The energy absorbed by the earth can satisfy 15000 times of today’s total energy demand and its hundred times more than that our conventional energy like coal and other fossil fuels. Though, there are overwhelming advantages in solar energy, It has few drawbacks as well such as its low conversion ratio, inconsistent supply of energy due to variation in the sun light, less efficiency due to ripples in the converter, time dependent and, above all, high capitation cost. These aforementioned flaws have been addressed by the researchers in order to extract maximum energy and attain hundred percentage benefits of this heavenly resource. So, this chapter presents a comprehensive investigation based on photo voltaic (PV) system requirements with the following constraints such as system efficiency, system gain, dynamic response, switching losses are investigated. The overview exhibits and identifies the requirements of a best PV power generation system

Optimal PWM control of switched-capacitor DC/DC power converters via model transformation and enhancing control techniques

Abstract—This paper presents an efficient and effective method for an optimal pulse width modulated (PWM) control of switched-capacitor DC/DC power converters. Optimal switching instants are determined based on minimizing the output ripple magnitude, the output leakage voltage and the sensitivity of the output load voltage with respect to both the input voltage and the load resistance. This optimal PWM control strategy has several advantages over conventional PWM control strategies: 1) It does not involve a linearization, so a large signal analysis is performed. 2) It guarantees the optimality. The problem is solved via both the model transformation and the optimal enhancing control techniques. A practical example of the PWM control of a switched-capacitor DC/DC power converter is presented

IMPROVEMENT STUDY ON SOFT-SWITCHED QUASI-RESONANT DC/DC BOOST CONVERTER

This report describes a novel soft-switched quasi-resonant DC/DC boost converter. Recently, remarkable efforts have been made in soft-switched quasi-resonant DC/DC converters to reduce losses and improve power efficiency. This project presents a new technique and it had improved the performance of the most recent study on soft-switched quasi-resonant DC/DC boost converter, which is presented in Ba-Thunya and Prasad's study [1]. The proposed converter employs an active snubber circuit with an auxiliary switch in series with a clamp capacitor to reduce powerlosses in Ba-Thunya and Prasad's original an active snubber circuit with an auxiliary switch and a clamp diode to reduce power losses in Ba-Thunya and Prasad's original converter. The energy from the snubber inductor after the auxiliary switch turn-off is returned to the input or delivered to the output via the active snubber circuit, thus the voltage stress onthe main switch is reduced and switching losses are minimized. Furthermore, the proposed converter reduces the reverse-recovery-related losses of the boost rectifier by controlling the di/dt rate of the rectifier current with the snubber inductor. This report describes the principle of operation of the new soft-switched quasi-resonant DC/DC boost converter. The feasibility study of the proposed converter is investigated using PSPICE program

Electrical performance characteristics of high power converters for space power applications

The first goal of this project was to investigate various converters that would be suitable for processing electric power derived from a nuclear reactor. The implementation is indicated of a 20 kHz system that includes a source converter, a ballast converter, and a fixed frequency converter for generating the 20 kHz output. This system can be converted to dc simply by removing the fixed frequency converter. This present study emphasized the design and testing of the source and ballast converters. A push-pull current-fed (PPCF) design was selected for the source converter, and a 2.7 kW version of this was implemented using three 900 watt modules in parallel. The characteristic equation for two converters in parallel was derived, but this analysis did not yield any experimental methods for measuring relative stability. The three source modules were first tested individually and then in parallel as a 2.7 kW system. All tests proved to be satisfactory; the system was stable; efficiency and regulation were acceptable; and the system was fault tolerant. The design of a ballast-load converter, which was operated as a shunt regulator, was investigated. The proposed power circuit is suitable for use with BJTs because proportional base drive is easily implemented. A control circuit which minimizes switching frequency ripple and automatically bypasses a faulty shunt section was developed. A nonlinear state-space-averaged model of the shunt regulator was developed and shown to produce an accurate incremental (small-signal) dynamic model, even though the usual state-space-averaging assumptions were not met. The nonlinear model was also shown to be useful for large-signal dynamic simulation using PSpice

Study of the generator/motor operation of induction machines in a high frequency link space power system

Static power conversion systems have traditionally utilized dc current or voltage source links for converting power from one ac or dc form to another since it readily achieves the temporary energy storage required to decouple the input from the output. Such links, however, result in bulky dc capacitors and/or inductors and lead to relatively high losses in the converters due to stresses on the semiconductor switches. The feasibility of utilizing a high frequency sinusoidal voltage link to accomplish the energy storage and decoupling function is examined. In particular, a type of resonant six pulse bridge interface converter is proposed which utilizes zero voltage switching principles to minimize switching losses and uses an easy to implement technique for pulse density modulation to control the amplitude, frequency, and the waveshape of the synthesized low frequency voltage or current. Adaptation of the proposed topology for power conversion to single-phase ac and dc voltage or current outputs is shown to be straight forward. The feasibility of the proposed power circuit and control technique for both active and passive loads are verified by means of simulation and experiment

A peak capacitor current pulse-train controlled buck converter with fast transient response and a wide load range

It is known that ripple-based control of a switching dc-dc converter benefits from a faster transient response than a conventional PWM control switching dc-dc converter. However, ripple-based control switching dc-dc converters may suffer from fast-scale oscillation. In order to achieve fast transient response and ensure stable operation of a switching dc-dc converter over a wide load range, based on a conventional pulse train control technique, a peak capacitor current pulse train (PCC-PT) control technique is proposed in this paper. With a buck converter as an example, the operating modes, steady-state performance and transient respond performance of a PCC-PT controlled buck converter are presented and assessed. To eliminate fast-scale oscillation, circuit and control parameter design consideration are given. An accurate discrete iteration model of a PCC-PT controlled buck converter is established, based on which, the effects of circuit parameters on stability of converter operating in a DCM mode, mixed DCM-CCM mode, and CCM mode are studied. Simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the analysis results