High Step-down Ratio Research Articles

High-Frequency and High-Efficiency Isolated Two-Stage Bidirectional DC–DC Converter for Residential Energy Storage Systems

The main aim of this article is to develop an isolated bidirectional CLLC converter that achieves a wide output-voltage range for residential energy storage systems (ESS), while maintaining high efficiency and achieving high power density. The circuit is a two-stage architecture, where the first stage is an isolated CLLC converter with open-loop fixed-frequency control and the second stage is a buck converter used for output voltage regulation. The influence of the bus voltage on the efficiency of the system in both forward and reverse operation modes is analyzed. Then, an asymmetric resonant tank design is developed such that different voltage gains are achieved in each mode with high switching frequency operation at the resonance point to optimize efficiency. For high power density, an improved integrated transformer structure with controllable leakage is designed for the high step-down ratio specification of the ESS application. The core design is optimized based on core loss, copper loss, and core volume. A 1-kW experimental prototype using GaN switches was implemented with an input voltage of 380 V, output voltage of 35–50 V, highest efficiency of 94.55%, and power density of 5.56 W/cm3. The front-end stage CLLC converter operates at 700 kHz with a maximum efficiency of 97.02%.

Two‐phase high efficiency interleaved buck converter with improved step‐down conversion ratio and low voltage stress

A two-phase interleaved buck converter (IBC) providing a high step-down conversion ratio is proposed in this study. The proposed IBC uses a switch-capacitor cell to achieve a high step-down conversion ratio compared to the conventional IBC. The cell consists of two parallel switches and two crossly placed identical capacitors. These identical capacitors are charged in series and discharged in parallel by producing a lower output voltage compared to the conventional IBC at the same duty ratio. The proposed converter provides less voltage and current stresses. The operation principle, the ripple and the average current through the inductors are described in continuous conduction mode. The boundary load condition is also determined. By describing the charging and discharging of the two identical capacitors of the cell, the capacitance value is determined. The losses and efficiency are analysed, and 96.33% efficiency is achieved. Finally, the proposed converter is implemented and experimental results are provided.

Series-Connected Current-Source-Mode Multiple-Output Converters With High Step-Down Ratio and Simple Control

In this paper, a two-stage transformerless multiple-output converter is proposed for applications requiring a high voltage step-down ratio. The proposed circuit transfers power via a current interface and the use of current-source-mode (CSM) converters, resulting in low voltage stress and drastically simplified control. The first stage of this configuration is regulated to provide a constant current to the second stage. The second stage consists of series-connected CSM boost converters. The high step-down ratio of the proposed configuration reduces the voltage stress in the switches of the second stage. The series-connected CSM converters are inherently independent of each other, leading to a very simple control scheme without the need for decoupling of the input voltage of the interconnected converters. Input voltage variation to the system will not affect the input voltage of the second stage. Load variation in one output will not affect the other outputs. If one or more CSM converters are shorted, there is no impact on other converters. These advantages enable a high scalability. Besides, the first stage of the proposed configuration can operate both in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) with the same control strategy. This feature leads to a low control complexity and elimination of inductors. The performance of the proposed converter is illustrated with a laboratory prototype driving light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Control Technique for Reliable Operation of the Synchronous Series Capacitor Tapped Inductor Converter

In the context of reducing total CO $_2$ emissions as well as reducing the total copper cable length and weight on cars, automotive manufacturers propose to derive all the supply voltages from a single $\text{48 V}$ bus through high step-down ratio dc–dc converters. The series capacitor tapped inductor (SCTI) converter is a promising topology for efficient single-stage step-down conversion from the $\text{48 V}$ bus. In the synchronous version of the SCTI, however, turn- off of the synchronous rectifier at positive drain-to-source current leads to a voltage spike and to a potential catastrophic failure of the converter. In this paper, a simple control technique is proposed, which prevents the foregoing condition to occur. The approach enables a reliable operation of the synchronous SCTI topology without disrupting its main features and advantages, and eliminating the need for additional snubbers, voltage clamps or auxiliary windings. The approach is validated via computer simulations and experimental tests on a $\text{48}$ -to- $\text{1.5}\;\text{V}$ , $\text{4 A}$ SCTI converter prototype.

High-Conversion-Ratio Isolated Bidirectional DC–DC Converter for Distributed Energy Storage Systems

In this paper, a novel high-conversion-ratio isolated bidirectional dc–dc converter for distributed energy storage systems is proposed. In the buck mode, the proposed converter is equivalent to that of a cascade consisting of an isolated buck–boost converter and a buck converter, thus achieving a high step-down ratio. Likewise, in the boost mode, the converter is equivalent to the cascaded structure consisting of a boost converter and an isolated buck–boost converter, and then, a high step-up ratio is achieved. Therefore, the proposed topology exhibits a high conversion ratio with low transformer turns ratio, improving the efficiency of high-frequency transformers and the integration and reliability of the control system. In addition, voltage spikes caused by the leakage inductance can be avoided as the leakage inductance energy is released to capacitors in a high-voltage side or a low-voltage side. Moreover, a zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) operation reduces switching losses and improves the conversion efficiency. The operating principles and theoretical derivations of the proposed converter along with ZVS implementations are discussed in detail in this paper. Furthermore, the validity and performance of the proposed converter are verified using a prototype with 600-V high voltage, 48-V low voltage, and 2-kW output power.

An Interleaved Series-Capacitor Tapped Buck Converter for High Step-Down DC/DC Application

High step-down dc/dc converters are widely utilized in telecom and modern industrial applications. Due to the high step-down ratio, conventional Buck converter cannot provide satisfactory performance. To solve this problem, quite a few new topologies have been proposed to improve the performance of high step-down dc/dc converters, such as series-capacitor Buck (SC-Buck) converter, 3-level Buck converters, tapped inductor Buck converters, and LLC resonant converters. In this paper, the twice step-down benefit of SC-Buck converter and the zero-voltage switching benefit of series-capacitor tapped Buck (SC-TaB) converter are combined together to propose a new topology: interleaved series-capacitor tapped Buck (ISC-TaB) converter. To analyze the performance of the proposed ISC-TaB converter, the operation principles are discussed and the voltage conversion ratio is derived. In addition, to guide the design procedure and optimization, the current waveforms and voltage waveforms of the proposed ISC-TaB are derived. In order to verify the performance of the proposed ISC-TaB, hardware prototype of the proposed ISC-TaB converter and conventional two-phase series-capacitor tapped Buck converter (2ph-TaB) are designed and tested. The application is targeted at telecom with 48-V input and 3.3 V/20 A output. The test results are compared between these two converters. A peak efficiency of 95.6% is achieved on the proposed ISC-TaB and the efficiency of the ISC-TaB over all load range is at least 1% higher than that of 2ph-TaB.

Integrated Buck and Modified Push−Pull DC−DC Converter With High Step-Down Ratio

This paper proposes a novel isolated high step-down conversion circuit, called an integrated buck and modified push−pull (IBMPP) converter, which is able to lower the voltage level on the primary side of the ideal transformer, resulting in a lower turns-ratio and decreased leakage inductance. The IBMPP converter is able to prevent the duty cycle from operating in extremely low conditions. Furthermore, the proposed converter adopts active-clamp techniques to recycle leakage energy and to suppress voltage spikes, so that the conversion efficiency can be effectively improved. The advantages of the IBMPP converter are its simple topology, easy control mechanism (which requires only two signals with a 180-degree phase shift), high conversion ratio, low component counts for power switches, and less voltage stress on some of the switches on the high-voltage side. The operation principle, steady-state analysis, design considerations, and experimental results of the proposed IBMPP converter are presented in detail. The feasibility of the IBMPP is verified by hardware implementation. The full-load efficiency at 250 W is 81.44%, and the input and output voltages are 380 and 5 V, respectively.

Nonisolated High Step-Down Converter With ZVS and Low Current Ripples

In this paper, a nonisolated high step-down converter is proposed. Energy transfer capacitor and built-in transformer are employed to achieve a very high step-down conversion ratio. Due to the interleaved technique, small values of output inductance can be used, leading to a fast transient response. Furthermore, the use of a coupled inductor reduces inductor current ripples, which implies lower losses. Two main switches and two synchronous rectifiers are used in the converter and all can achieve zero-voltage-switching. As no floating switches are employed, grounded gate drivers and boost strap drivers can be used, avoiding the use of complex isolated gate drivers. In addition, if the switches are shorted, the high input voltage does not appear at the output; thus, the load is protected. A 48 V/1 V 30 A prototype was built, and experimental results are provided to verify the performance of the converter.

Synchronous High Step-Down Ratio Non-Isolated LED Constant Current Driver Based on Improved Watkins-Johnson Topology

In the field of non-isolated light-emitting diode (LED) driver, the omnipresent buck-based LED constant current driver shows poor efficiency in occasions of high step-down ratio due to the marginal operating duty cycle. In order to overcome such drawback and to provide an alternative topological scheme for an LED driver, a Watkins-Johnson topology-based solution is proposed in this paper, by improving the original circuit structure into a dual low-side power switch version and introducing a feedback network for regulating the output current to a constant level. Theoretical analysis, including accurate model construction, steady-state analysis, dynamic analysis, and design consideration, is conducted. Also, an experimental prototype is realized to drive all kinds of LED arrays for acquiring electrical parameters and evaluating performance. The innovative points include invoking the low-side-ize approach to realize the power circuit transformation, and furthermore, theWatkins-Johnson topology is first applied to the constant current power supply. The proposed LED driver holds salient features of low-terminal current ripple, ease of driving, high-voltage conversion ratio tolerance, and inherent energy recovery functionality. The application scope covers low-voltage dc input or automotive lighting use.

Soft-Switched Nonisolated High Step-Down Converter

In this paper, a new nonisolated high step-down dc–dc converter with ultrahigh step-down conversion ratio is proposed. Advantages of the proposed converter are high step-down ratio, extended duty cycle, reduced switching losses by a converter operation under zero-voltage switching (ZVS) conditions, reduced reverse reco-very losses of diodes by achieved zero-current switching turn- off condition, and reduced voltage spikes by the inherent active-clamping structure of the converter. In this converter, series capacitors and coupled inductors have been used in power path to achieve the low voltage gain and extended duty cycle. By the inherent active-clamping structure of the proposed converter, the leakage inductance energy is totally recovered in the output; therefore, the high voltage spike across the semiconductor devices is suppressed. The switches of the proposed converter can operate under ZVS conditions, which cause reduced switching losses and improved efficiency. In this paper, the converter operating modes are discussed, and a prototype circuit is implemented. Experimental results are presented to verify the theoretical analysis.

Copper loss reduction for Plate Shape One Turn Coil in High Step-Down Center-Tapped rectifier Tomohide Shirakawa＊, Kazuhiro Umetani＊, Eiji Hiraki

In order to reduce copper loss, high step-down DC-DC converter often employs center-tapped rectifier. In addition, a plate shape one turn coil is utilized for transformer for making a high step-down ratio. We focused on the proximity effect in plate shape one turn coil, and investigate the cause of worsening the copper loss. In this paper, based on this investigation, we propose rectification method using winding integrated with rectifier. In addition, we discuss practical issues of the proposed method and present the solution strategy. The proposed method is verified by experiments, which suggests the effectiveness of the proposed method to high current applications.

An Expandable Two-Phase Interleaved Ultrahigh Step-Down Converter With Automatic Current Balance

In the high step-down voltage applications, the dc–dc converter with a high step-down voltage conversion ratio is usually used. Recently, a high step-down converter, named ultrahigh step-down converter, has been presented. As compared with the nonisolated tapped-inductor buck converter, the ultrahigh step-down converter has not only a higher voltage step-down gain but also a lower voltage spike. On the other hand, in the high-current applications, a multiple phase structure is preferable. Therefore, in this paper, a novel expandable two-phase interleaved ultrahigh step-down converter with automatic current balance is presented, which is derived from the existing single-phase ultrahigh step-down converter. There are four main advantages of the proposed converter. First, the step-down voltage gain is improved. Therefore, the turns ratio of each phase can be decreased. Second, due to the charge balance of the energy-transferring capacitor, the proposed two-phase ultrahigh step-down converter possesses an automatic current balance. Third, as compared with a single-phase ultrahigh step-down converter, the output current ripple can be reduced. Fourth, the phase number of the proposed converter can be expanded. Finally, the basic operating principle of the proposed converter is analyzed, and a prototype is constructed to verify its effectiveness by some experimental results.

Fully integrated high‐efficiency high step‐down ratio DC–DC buck converter with predictive over‐current protection scheme

A high-efficiency fully integrated 36 V–3 A stepping down DC–DC converter with high step-down ratio and predictive over-current protection scheme is introduced. To achieve high-voltage conversion ratio, emulated current mode and dedicated current sensing circuits were involved. A novel predictive over-current scheme is proposed to overcome inherent lack of emulated current-mode control and provide fast response to over-current events. In addition, due to N-type field effect transistor (NFET) was adopted to improve efficiency, a floating rail regulator is presented to generate bootstrapped voltage for driver stage. The proposed converter was simulated and fabricated in 0.18 μm bipolar-complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS)-double-diffused MOS process. Experimental results show the features work well, and with 35 ns minimum on-time, this converter can convert up to 36 V input voltage to 1.8 V at 1 MHz switching frequency with single stage and compact solution. Measured peak efficiency is 89.5% and over 80% efficiency for 3 A output current is realised as well.

High-Efficiency Nonisolated Converter With Very High Step-Down Conversion Ratio

This paper introduces a new nonisolated converter topology with very high step-down conversion ratio and high efficiency for high current low voltage point-of-load voltage regulator modules. Compared to a conventional two-phase buck converter, the new converter triples the effective duty-ratio and lowers the voltage stress of the transistors, significantly reducing the overall volume of the converter while maintaining high efficiency. The new converter is capable of delivering high current to the output by two interleaved phases and further features an inherent current sharing to balance the load between the phases. The use of lower voltage stress transistors allows operation at high switching frequencies that translates into fast dynamic response to load perturbations. The operation of the topology is verified on a 30 W, 48 V-to-1 V prototype, demonstrating peak efficiency of 91.5% and above 88% for most of the load range.

A New Interleaved Bidirectional Zero Voltage Switching DC/DC Converter with High Conversion Ratio

In this paper, a new interleaved nonisolated bidirectional zero voltage switching (ZVS) dc–dc converter by using one three-windings coupled inductor is proposed. The proposed topology can provide high step-up and high step-down conversion ratios for boost and buck operations, respectively. Moreover, because of interleaving, the proposed converter has low input current ripple at low voltage side in both buck and boost operations. The proposed converter uses lower number of switches to have bidirectional power flow in comparison with other interleaved bidirectional converters. All used switches in the proposed converter are turned on under ZVS. The advantages of the proposed converter in comparison with the conventional interleaved converters are included in the capability of bidirectional power flow, ZVS operation for all switches and high step-up and high step-down voltage gain for boost and buck operations. In this paper, the proposed converter is analyzed completely and all equations of components are extracted as well as the ZVS conditions of all switches. Moreover, a comprehensive comparison between the proposed converter and conventional topologies is presented. To verify the accuracy performance of the proposed converter, the experimental results are given.

PID, 2-DOF PID and Mixed Sensitivity Loop-Shaping Based Robust Voltage Control of Quadratic Buck DC-DC Converter

DC-DC Quadratic Buck Converter (QBC) is largely used in applications where the high step-down conversion ratio is required. In the practical implementation, QBC is subject to uncertainties, disturbance, and sensor noise. To address the QBC control problems, a two-degree of freedom PID (2-DOF PID) is designed in the robust control framework. Further, for comparison purpose, a one-degree of freedom PID (1-DOF PID) and mixed sensitivity loop-shaping (MS-LS) controller are also proposed. Considering QBC parasitic components, the QBC small-signal transfer function is derived based on a practical approach. Sensitivity functions are used to specify the desired design requirements, and non-smooth optimization is used to tune both PID's parameters. The three control structures are implemented and tested in the Matlab/Simulink environment. As attested by simulation results, the 2-DOF PID exhibits a better regulation accuracy with enhanced robust stability and robust performance for a wide range of supply voltage/load variation and sensor noise effect.

An Expandable Four-Phase Interleaved High Step-Down Converter With Low Switch Voltage Stress and Automatic Uniform Current Sharing

In this paper, a novel four-phase interleaved high step-down converter is presented. The proposed converter can provide an extremely high step-down voltage conversion ratio within a moderate duty cycle. There are four main advantages of the proposed converter. First, the blocking capacitors can store energy as usual. Therefore, they are used as voltage sources to reduce the input voltage as well as to reduce the switch voltage stresses. Second, due to the charge balance of the dc blocking capacitors, the converter possesses an automatic uniform current sharing characteristic of the interleaved phases without adopting any extra circuitry. Third, due to the phase shift between the interleaved phases, the architecture provides a low output current ripple. Fourth, the number of phases can be expanded or reduced to any even phases; therefore, the converter has a wide range of applications. Finally, the operating principles and analysis of this architecture are given, and an experimental prototype is also provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed converter.

High-Efficiency Coupled-Inductor-Based Step-Down Converter

This study mainly investigates a high-efficiency single-input multiple-output (SIMO) step-down converter. The proposed converter can step down the voltage of a high-voltage dc bus generated by the rectifier of an ac utility power to a controllable low-voltage output terminal and middle-voltage output terminals. In this study, a coupled-inductor-based SIMO step-down converter utilizes two power switches with the properties of voltage clamping for the middle-voltage switch, and soft switching for all power switches due to the appropriate choice of the corresponding device specifications. As a result, the leakage inductor energy of the coupled inductor can be recycled, and the voltage spikes on power switches can be alleviated. Moreover, the switching losses can be significantly decreased because of all power switches with zero-voltage-switching features. Therefore, the objectives of high-efficiency power conversion, high step-down ratio, and various output voltage with different levels can be obtained. The effectiveness of the proposed SIMO step-down converter is verified by experimental results of a converter prototype in practical applications.

A Novel Transformer-less Interleaved Four-Phase Step-Down DC Converter With Low Switch Voltage Stress and Automatic Uniform Current-Sharing Characteristics

In this paper, we propose a novel transformer-less direct current (dc) converter that features low switch voltage stress and automatic uniform current sharing. An interleaved four-phase voltage divider operating from a 400 V dc bus is used to achieve a high step-down conversion ratio with a moderate duty ratio. Based on the capacitive voltage division, the proposed converter achieves two major objectives, i.e., increased voltage conversion ratio, due to energy storage in the blocking capacitors, and reduced voltage stress of active switches and diodes. As a result, the proposed converter permits the use of lower voltage rating MOSFETs to reduce both switching and conduction losses, thereby improving the overall efficiency. In addition, due to the charge balance of the capacitors, the proposed converter enables automatic uniform current sharing of the interleaved phases without adding extra circuitry or complex control methods. The operation principles and performance analyses of the proposed converter are presented, and its effectiveness is verified by a 500 W output power prototype circuit that converts 400 V input voltage into 24 V output voltage.

High step‐down interleaved buck converter with low voltage stress

This study presents a four-phase interleaved buck converter with low voltage stress and high step-down conversion ratio. The proposed converter provides an extended duty cycle and low voltage stress for switches and diodes, in high step-down applications. This makes it possible to use switches with lower voltage rating and thus reduce both switching and conduction losses to improve the overall efficiency. Extremely low output current ripple and continuous input current are two other advantages of the proposed converter. Also, the output current can be shared between interleaved modules without using additional current sharing control technique due to charge balance of input and blocking capacitors. All these benefits are obtained without adding any active auxiliary component or using transformers. The experimental results from a prototype of the proposed converter designed for 400–24 V, operating at 0.5 kW, verify the theoretical analysis.