Design of High-Frequency ZVS Full-Bridge Power Converter for Photovoltaic Applications

Abstract

This paper presents the design of a high-frequency Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS) full-bridge converter with a phase-shifted driving signal for photovoltaic applications. According to the rapid development of power electronics technology, the smart power converter could provide high-power capacity with the high-frequency operation and achieve high energy delivery to the load. This power converter could also reduce the size of the transformer compared to the same power rating. The transformer has been developed using resonant technique and selecting the optimal switching frequency whereby the power converter could reduce switching loss and improve the system efficiency. The phase-shifted modulation switching technique has been selected to drive the power semiconductor switches of a full-bridge power converter based on the switching loss minimization method. The desired output voltage has been controlled using a closed-loop controller under a loop gain stability margin. The simulation results have showed that the output voltage could be controlled to the desired constant when the input voltage has changed from 370 VDC to 400 VDC. The output voltage of the power converter could be controlled at a constant of 24 VDC. Therefore, the proposed study has showed the effectiveness of the phase-shifted ZVS full-bridge power converter for photovoltaic applications such as the battery charging system. This power converter could operate at the desired voltage system and reduce the sizing of the power converter under high-performance efficiency.