A new optimum topology dc-to-dc switching converter is extended to provide bidirectional current flow. The resulting two-quadrant converter can be employed to eliminate the discontinuous current mode in normal unidirectional applications, but is especially suited for spacecraft battery conditioning as a charge-discharge regulator in place of the conventional separate converters. Implementation of the control features and the battery charge current and voltage limits are discussed

Behen, W.

Middlebrook, R. D.

Ćuk, Slobodan

R.D. Middlebrook

Slobodan Cuk

W. Behen

Crossref

A new battery charger/discharger converter

Caltech Authors - Main

A NEW BATTERY CHARGER/DISCHARGER CONVERTER
RD. MIDDLEBROOK, SLOBODAN CUK. AND W. BEHEN
California Institute of TechnolOQY
Pasadena. California
ABSTRACT
inductor. At the same time, the output inductor
discharges into the output capacitor and load, and
the output current passes through the diode.
Thus, both the input and output currents flow
continuously in a nonpulsating manner, and the
pulsating switching current is confined to the
-v
The o~ginat n~ optimum-topologlj dc-to-dc
4w.U.cJU..ng conveJLteJl, with input and output
induetDJr. CJJJt1LeM wave6oJ[m6 in the cU..6con~
tinuoU6 diode c.uJrJr.ent mod~, 60IL t:he .6peua1.
c.ahe V = O.5 ~oJr. which bo.vt .induetoll
cuMe.n.U ~al1. :to zeao .6.imuUaneoU6ty •
f-ig. 1.
Since both inductors are discharging during
this interval DIT their currents, whose sum passes
through the diode~ ramps down; if the DIT interval
terminates before the diode current fallsSto zero,
the diode remains closed until the DT
s
interval
begins when the transistor switch is closed. Then,
the input current is diverted through the transistor,
and the input inductor is recharged. At the same
time, the coupling capacitor has its left-hand
terminal clamped to ground by the transistor and,
since it is already charged positively from left to
right, its right-hand terminal is forced negative
and the diode is opened. Consequently, the coupling
capacitor is discharged into the output capacitor and
load and recharges the output inductor, whose current
is now diverted through the transistor.
In operation, the transistor switch is closed
for an interval DT and open for an interval
D'T J =." (l-D)T , wh~re D is the duty ratio and
f ~ lIT is ~he switching frequency. During the
igtervalsD'T , the input current passes through thes "input inductor, coupling capacitor, and diode; the
capacitor charges (positively from left to right)
with energy delivered from the input and from the
The new converter, introduced at PESC 1977 [1],
is described as optimum-topology because it achieves
the general (up or down) dc conversion function with
nonpulsating input and output currents with the
smallest possible number of elements, namely two
inductors, an energy-transfer capacitor, and a single-
pole double-throw switch. In its original practical
form shown in Fig. 1, the switch is implemented by an
NPN transistor and a diode.
This work was supported in part by the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology,
Pasadena, California, under NASA Contract "High
Performance Power Systems" (RTOP 506-23-65).
An extension of a new dc-to-dc switching
converter is described, which provides for
bidirectional current so that power flow can occur
in either direction. The modified converter finds
a natural application in a battery charger-discharger
regulator, and some system aspects of such an
application are discussed together with an
experimental circuit.
1. Introduction
A new optimum topology de-xo-d« J,witc.hlrtg
c.onveJLteJl. L6 extended to pnovcde. b.icLVtecilonal.
c.WUlent 6low. The Jtuulti.ng two-qu.a.dJta.nt canverden.
c.an be employed to e.Umina:te the cUAc.onilnuoU6
cunnerd: mode .in nonmai. unidbtecilonal appUc.ailot'L6,
bLLt -iA upeciaUy 4uLted 60Jt .6pac.ecJu16t blLtteJt..1j
c.onditioning ~ a c.~ge-cUAc.hakge JtegulatoJr. in
ptace. 06 the c.onventional. J,epMate c.onvVLteJl.J,.
1mplementa:Uon 06 the c.ontJLol 6eatuses and the
bati:.eJl.1j c.haJtge eunnesu: and voltage li..mi.U aILe
cLiA C.U6.6 ed,
251
CH1337-~/7a/OOOO-0251$OO.75 (E) 1973 IEEE
internal loop containing the transistor, coupling
capacitor, and diode. This mode of operation, in
which the diode current does not fall to zero before
the end of the interval D'T , is usually referred to
as the "continuous conductign" mode. The presence
of the output capacitor is not essential to the
operation of the converter, but is usually included
for additional filtering.
A dual addition is required at the other end
of the converter: both the transistor and diode of
the original converter carry the sum of the input
and output currents during their respective on-
intervals, so if the diode current tends to reverse
so does the transistor current. Therefore, if the
diode reverse-current is accommodated by an extra
transistor, the original transistor reverse current
must be accommodated by an extra diode.
The resulting circuit is shown in Fig. 2. It
is seen that the configuration is now completely
symmetrical with respect to input and output, with
the complementary transistor/diode pairs consequent
upon the voltage inversion property of the basic
converter. An input capacitor is also shown to
emphasize the symmetry, but either or both of the
input and output c&pacitors might be omitted.
2. Extension to Bidirectional Current Flow
In the continuous conduction mode, the input
and output current waveforms in the original
converter of Fig 1 each contain a dc and a ripple
component determined by different quantities. The
ripple component has an amplitude independent of the
load resistance, and the dc component has a value
directly dependent on the load resistance. Other
conditions constant, an increase of load resistance
causes the dc components of the input and output
currents, and hence their sum that flows through
the diode during the transistor off-time D'T
s'
to de-
crease. Also ultimately. since the ripple amplitude
is constant, the inverted peaks of the diode current
reach zero while the dc component remains greater
than zero corresponding to a finite value of load
resistance.
This critical value of load resistance
describes the boundary between the continuous and
discontinuous diode current modes of operation:
further increase of load resistance causes the
diode current to reach zero before the end of the
interval D'T , and the emergence of a third switched
circuit configuration in which both the transistor
and diode are open until the beginning of the next
DT interval. In the lower part of Fig 1, a special
ca~e of discontinuous diode conduction is shown, that
for D = 0.5 in which the input and output inductor
currents are equal and so both reach zero at the same
time that their sum, the diode current, reaches zero.
For other values of D, one or the other of the two
inductor currents reaches zero first as the load
resistance is increased, but discontinuous diode
conduction mode does not begin until the first
inductor current to reach zero has become negative
at the inverted peak to the extent that the sum of
the input and output currents is zero.
A thorough analysis of the discontinuous diode
conduction mode of the original converter is
presented in an accompanying paper [2]. The objec-
tive here, in contrast, is to modify the
configuration of the converter in such a way that
the onset of discontinuous diode current is
prevented.
Fig. 2. The extended new CDnvVLteJt t..U-U:h .6~e.tJU.c.al
c.omplemerr.:taJUj tJr.an6l6toJt/ diode pa.i.JL6, wlUch
peJrJnitA bidiJtectional cuMeM 6low (two-
quadJtant opeJlltU.on). The uppeJt wave60Jtm
cUagJtam .6how.6 the tlAJo inducxo« c.uNten.t6 in
the c.on.ti..nuoU6 conduction mode even .though
the invVLted peak6 Me negative. The lowVl
wave60Jtm hh0W.6 the two inductoJt e.wur.ent.6
t..U-U:h nega;tive de. c.omponen.t6, which could
oceux i6 the convence« load JtuiAta.nc.e we.Jte
Jte.plae.e.d t..U-U:h a nega.t.ive-voUage poweJt .6cuace ,
The problem can be solved upon recognition of
the cause of the changed mode of operation, namely,
that the diode opens when the current through it
tries to reverse at the inverted peaks, in deviation
from its desired property as an ideal switch. The
solution, then, is to install another transistor
switch in parallel with the diode to carry the
reversed current.
The upper waveform diagram in Fig. 2, which
again is for the special case D • 0.5, shows how the
inverted peaks of the input and output current CdO
go negative, so that the average or dc value of the
input or output current can be smaller than in
original converter. The load resistance can now
become infinite, so that the dc input and output
currents can go to zero; consequently, the
symmetrical switch configuration of Fig. 2 could be
252
1YLc.oJtpo!l1Lti.o YL 0 6 the tlAJo - quadnans: eonvesxe»:
in a typic.ttl ~pac.eCJl.a6t bU6 ILegulatoJr.. and
bai::t.eJr..y coYLdLtioYLing ~ y~ tern• The c.entJtal.
c.oYLVtoi wUt (CCU) deteJrJn.iYLu whetheJr.. the
baft.vr.y Ls bUYLg di..& chaJtged, on: c.Jta!tge.d
~ub jed to cunnerd: and voltage UJn,i.,U.
Icharge
+Vbus
solar
Idischarge loadsarray
(or RTG)
-Vbatt
bidirectionol
chorgerl CCUdischarger
converter
--
Fig. 3.
System mode of operation is determined by the
central control unit (CCU). The CCU provides
signals that control the disposition of the array
and battery current to maintain bus voltage
regulation. At the low end of the bus voltage
regulation range, the CCU output provides a signal
that causes the modulator to drive the converter
switches with a low duty ratio to the NPN transistor,
thus allOWing the battery to discharge into the bus.
As the array power increases less battery power is
required, the bus voltage rises, and the CCU signal
increases the duty ratio to the converter NPN switch,
thus reducing the battery discharge current. As the
array output increases further, the same mode of
operation continues as the battery current falls to
zero when the array power is just sufficient to
support the load. Additional increase in array power
causes the converter current to reverse, in the
source mode of operation, thus initiating battery
charge.
As a result, the circuit of Fig. 2 is bidirec-
tional with respect to current, and is a two-quadrant
converter in the sense that, even though the terminal
voltage is of fixed polarity, the terminal current
can be of either polarity.
This particular result could be achieved in any
converter, such as the conventional buck or buck-
boost, but the bidirectional version of the new
optimum-topology converter of Fig. 2 has not only the
advantages of the original converter but also the
benefit of a particularly simple switch drive.
Because both driven switches are referred to a common
point, ground, and since the switches are of comple-
mentary NPN and PNP type, the two bases can simply
be tied together and driven from a single source.
Furthermore, overlap is automatically precluded,
because even if the drive signal polarity reverses
the off transistor cannot be turned on until the
stored charge in the base of t~e on-transistor has
been withdrawn, allowing the base polarity to be
changed.
Other extensions of the new converter, already
described elsewhere, can also be incorporated in
the bidirectional version. For example, the input
and output inductors can be coupled [3], with
resulting ability to "steer" the current ripple
towards or away from the input or output, and a
single-ended dc isolation transformer can be
inserted between the input and output [4].
Not only can the output dc current go to zero,
but it can in fact reverse. The complete symmetry
of the converter circuit in Fig. 2 implies that, with
suitable terminations, there is no distinction
between "input" and "output:" if the right-hand
negative-voltage termination can supply power, the
converter dc currents can reverse and supply power
to the left-hand termination, as shown in the
lower waveform diagrams in Fig. 2, again for the
special case of D = 0.5.
employed in a converter to be used in the usual
"forward conversion" manner to prevent onset of the
discontinuous current mode at light loads. Instead,
the continuous current mode would be maintained at
all loads, and the otherwise possibly drastic change
of ripple magnitudes, gain, and dynamic response
would be avoided.
3. Battery Charger/Discharger Application
The two-quadrant bidirectional current version
of the new converter is particularly well suited
for application as a controlled battery charger and
discharger. Its incorporation in a typical
spacecraft power system is shown in Fig. 3.
Since the battery charge current must be limited,
it must be sensed and employed in a local feedback
loop at the converter to override the ceu signal and
prevent further increase in duty ratio. The over-
ridden ceu control signal then rises further and
initiates conduction of the shunt to absorb the
excess array current.
The basic functional requirement in the system
of Fig. 3 is that the battery is to discharge into
the loads to maintain the regulated bus voltage
when the solar array or radioisotope thermal
generator (RTG) , or other primary power source, is
incapable of supplying the loads. As the output of
the primary power source increases, the power
supplied by the battery decreases, ultimately to
zero. Additional increase in primary source output
then goes to recharge the battery.
This constant-current battery charging mode
continues until the battery voltage reaches a limit
sensed by another local voltage feedback loop at the
converter, which then overrides the current feedback
signal and cuts back the charging current.
Thus, all the necessary battery conditioning
functions can be performed by the' converter, with
addition of the usual programmed or temperature-
sensitive current and voltage limits if desired.
253
Use of the bidirectional version of the new 
converter in such a battery charger/diecharger 
system has several advantages. The single converter 
used for control of charge and discharge precludes 
the possibility of circulating current that could 
exist in conventional approaches if the separate 
charge and discharge regulators operate 
simultaneously. Also, owing to the basic buck-
boost conversion function of the new converter, the 
battery voltage can be either above or below the 
bus voltage. 
4. Experimental Implementation of the Battery 
Charger/Discharger Converter 
An experimental circuit has been constructed 
to illustrate the battery conditioning subsystem 
functions. The circuit is shown in Fig. 4 , and 
contains the bidirectional version of the new 
converter of Fig. 2 plus the local current and 
voltage limit feedback loops of Fig. 3. The array 
and battery are simulated by preloaded adjustable 
power supplies, and the shunt and CCU are omitted. 
Eig. 4. Experimental test of the two-quadrant 
converter In a battery conditioning 
subsystem vaiXh current and voltage 
limits. 
The CCU control signal to the converter is 
replaced by an independent adjustable voltage that 
can exercise the converter over its full range of 
operation. The outputs from the independent voltage 
control amplifier and the current and voltage limit 
error amplifiers are summed at the comparator input 
(pin 9) of the Silicon General SG 3524 (whose 
internal error amplifier is not used), and whose 
pulse-width - modulated output is amplified by the 
DS 0026 drivers and applied to the common drive 
input of the converter switches. 
The Fig. 4 subsystem design parameters are: 
bus voltage 30 V, minimum battery voltage 25 V, 
battery charge current and voltage limits 2 A and 
35 V. The only feature different from the system 
block diagram of Fig. 3 is in the battery current 
sense implementation. 
In principle, as shown in Fig. 3, the battery 
dc current is to be detected, and if this were 
implemented directly a dc sense and amplifier would 
have to be employed. However, the same dc value 
can be detected in an ac manner by the simple 
expedient of sensing, not the converter output 
inductor current, but the output diode/transistor 
current as shown in Fig. 4. This current is 
pulsating, but has the same average value as does 
the output inductor current, as shown in Fig. 5, and 
so can be sensed by a current transformer. 
Regardless of the details, it can be seen immediately 
that the average values of these two currents must 
be the same because the only alternative path is 
through the coupling capacitor, which cannot pass dc. 
The sense transformer secondary current is amplified 
by a current-input operational amplifier and core 
reset is accomplished by the two parallel diodes. 
'sense 
Eig. 5. Battery and ?U? I diode current waveforms in 
the circuit of Eig. 4, showing that their 
dc components are the same. 
The experimental subsystem of Fig. 4 operates 
according to the above description. It is 
interesting to note that in practice each transistor 
switch in the converter actually shares current with 
the parallel diode by reverse conduction. However, 
because the reverse current gain is usually low, the 
transistor reverse conduction soon becomes drive 
limited and the balance of larger total reverse 
currents is taken over by the diode. 
5. Conclusion 
By implementation of the ideal switch with 
complementary transistor/diode pairs, the original 
optimum-topology dc-to-dc switching converter has 
been augmented to a symmetrical form that is 
capable of bidirectional current flow. One 
254 
application of the extended circuit is as a 
unidirectional converter that maintains the 
"continuous conduction" mode down to zero dc load 
current, thus eliminating the severe changes in 
operational properties normally encountered by 
entry Into the discontinuous conduction mode at 
low dc load current. Furthermore, only a single 
drive signal is required for the two switch 
transistors, and conduction overlap is automatically 
precluded. 
Full advantage is taken of the bidirectional 
current flow, or two-quadrant properties of the 
extended new converter in a battery charger/ 
discharger application. The possibility of 
simultaneous charge and discharge leading to a 
circulating current in the conventional approach 
employing separate charge and discharge regulators 
is eliminated, with the added benefit of lower 
parts count. A typical spacecraft main bus regulator 
incoporating the new circuit as a battery conditioning 
converter is described as an application. Imple­
mentation of the required battery current and voltage 
charging limits in our experimental circuit is also 
described. 
All the advantages of the original converter 
are retained in the bidirectional extended form, in 
particular the general dc step-up and step-down 
capability and the presence of nonpulsating currents 
at both input and output. 
Other extensions that have been described 
elsewhere, such as coupled input and output inductors 
and dc isolation, can also be incorporated into the 
bidirectional version of the optimum-topology 
converter. 
Acknowledgment is made of the work of Shi-Ping 
Hsu, graduate student in the Power Electronics Group 
in the Electrical Engineering Department of the 
California Institute of Technology, who performed 
some of the experimental work. 
REFERENCES 
[1] Slobodan Cuk and R. D. Middlebrook, "A New 
Optimum Topology Switching DC-to-DC Converter," 
IEEE Power Electronics Specialists Conference, 
1977 Record, pp. 160-179 (IEEE Publication 
77 CH 1213-8 AES). 
[2] Slobodan Cuk, "Discontinuous Inductor Current 
Mode in the Optimum Topology Switching 
Converter," IEEE Power Electronics Specialists 
Conference, Syracuse, N.Y., June 13-15, 1978. 
[ 3] Slobodan Cuk and R. D. Middlebrook, "Coupled-
Inductor and Other Extensions of a New Optimum 
Topology Switching DC-to-DC Converter," IEEE 
Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting, 
1977 Record, pp. 1110-1126 (IEEE Publication 
77 CH 1246-8-IA). 
[4] R. D. Middlebrook and Slobodan Cuk, "Isolation 
and Multiple Output Extensions of a New Optimum 
Topology Switching DC-to-DC Converter," IEEE 
Power Electronics Specialists Conference, 
Syracuse, N.Y., June 13-15, 1978. 
255 


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A new battery charger/discharger converter

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