Fast architecture generation and evaluation techniques for the design of large power systems

This paper presents a methodology used to simplify the design of power supply systems based on high level of abstraction simulation models. This approach allows the designer to make decisions concerning the power system architecture and its components. This paper is focused on the techniques to identify topology candidates that can be built with available voltage regulator technologies and find the solution with best trade-off among energy efficiency, size and cost. In order to solve the problem when the number of possible options is very large, metaheuristic algorithms are used

New Control Strategy for Energy Conversion Based on Coupled Magnetic Structures

In this paper, a new strategy for energy conversion based on a coupled magnetic structure is presented. A proper control of the input voltages provides constant output voltage at any time and ideally no output filter is required and no energy is stored, enabling very fast dynamics and low losses in the converter since switching frequency can be very small. Ideal features and actual limitations of the proposed concept are analyzed. A prototype with a two-input magnetic structure is built in order to prove the concept

Power Conversion Modeling Methodology Based on Building Block Models

Power systems modeling tools used to analyze static and dynamic characteristics usually rely on detailed and complex models, thus taking a long simulation time. Due to the acceleration of time to market of today's computing platforms, it is required to arrive at feasible solution options in a short amount of time to meet cost and time targets. Specifically, the areas of power conversion and power management traditionally rely on experimental verification and are lacking in computer design methodologies. In this paper, a modeling methodology based on fundamental building block models for power delivery systems is presented to address the aspects of energy efficiency optimization, area occupied by the power delivery solution and the cost associated with power conversion

Minimum Energy Storage Converters based on a Coupled Magnetic Structure: Design Methodology

This paper presents a design methodology for coupled inductor converters designed and operated under the principle of minimum energy storage. This minimum energy storage concept is applied to a coupled inductor converter along with a control strategy that aims to keep constant the sum of input voltages to the magnetic component for every instant of time. If the input voltage is kept constant, output voltage would be also constant for every instant of time and the energy storage in the converter would be minimized. The main advantage of this concept is that a very fast dynamic response can be achieved without operating at very high frequencies, thus maximizing efficiency in a wide load range. Instead of continuous voltage regulation, output voltage can be changed in discrete values, which could be a drawback in some applications. The proposed design methodology is applied in order to design a four-cell prototype and it is validated with an experimental prototyp

Core-less Multiphase Converter with Transformer Coupling

A coupled multiphase converter where the coupling among the phases is done using core-less planar transformers is presented in this paper. Operating principle of the transformer-coupled converter has been presented previously in the literature and in this paper this concept is applied to develop a core-less converter. Two prototypes operating at high frequency (4 MHz), with low profile (3 mm - 4 mm) and 60 W of output power, with two different core-less transformers are presented. Main advantages of applying this concept at high frequency are size reduction and operation with core-less transformers. This topology can be considered as a dc-dc transformer and applications for this topology can be `dc-dc transformers' for two-stage power supply systems and voltage scaling power supplies

Power analog to digital converter for voltage scaling applications

In order to optimize energy efficiency, some applications require adapting supply voltage according to the work load requirements. For example, in high performance digital systems and in RF systems, voltage scaling and modulation techniques have been adopted in order to achieve a more efficient processing of the energy. These techniques are based in rapidly adjusting the system supply voltage level. In order to achieve this, a topology which is capable of achieving very fast changes of the output voltage is needed. In this paper a PWM multiphase topology whose phases are coupled by using transformers is proposed to be used in an envelope elimination and restoration (EER) technique. The proposed topology can achieve very fast changes between discrete voltage steps so it can be considered as a power analog to digita