Synchronous Rectifier Research Articles

A soft switching non‐isolated bidirectional DC–DC converter with improved voltage conversion ratio and minimum number of switches

AbstractA soft switching non‐isolated bidirectional DC–DC converter with an improved voltage conversion ratio without any additional auxiliary switch is presented in this paper. In the proposed converter, improved step‐up/step‐down gain conversion is achieved by employing the coupled inductors method. Also, the auxiliary circuit provides soft switching conditions for all the semiconductor elements, regardless of the power flow direction and without any extra voltage stress. The other switch helps provide soft switching conditions for the main switch. Moreover, the switch used for providing soft switching conditions operates as a synchronous rectifier as well. The additional circuit added to attain soft switching is composed of an inductor, coupled with the converter's main inductor, and two auxiliary diodes. The auxiliary diodes benefit from zero‐current‐switching conditions. Fully soft switching conditions for all semiconductor devices, removing the reverse recovery problem, and a low number of components have led to mitigating switching losses and improving efficiency. Detailed operating principles and a theoretical analysis of the proposed converter are presented. Also, the experimental results of a 220 W prototype circuit are provided to confirm the validity of the proposed topology.

Synchronous rectification for two-transformer active-clamp forward-flyback converters to remove voltage spikes on secondary-side field-effect transistors

Synchronous rectification for two-transformer active-clamp forward-flyback converters to remove voltage spikes on secondary-side field-effect transistors

Predictive Synchronous Rectification Control Scheme for Resonant DC–DC Converters for Battery Charging and Telecom Application

Predictive Synchronous Rectification Control Scheme for Resonant DC–DC Converters for Battery Charging and Telecom Application

Enhancing Wireless Charging for Electric Vehicles: Active Load Impedance Matching and Its Impact on Efficiency, Cost and Size

This paper presents an advanced Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) system for electric vehicles (EVs) featuring Active Load Impedance Matching (ALIM) at the rectification stage. Unlike traditional synchronous rectification, ALIM dynamically adjusts load impedance, optimizing energy transfer efficiency and reducing thermal stresses, system costs, and mass. The system incorporates two circuits optimized for distinct frequency bands: one operates below 10 kHz using standard copper wiring for cost-effectiveness, and the other at 85 kHz, which significantly reduces the mass of the onboard coil and magnetic circuit while ensuring interoperability according to SAE J2954 standard. Our approach enhances charging efficiency across various operating conditions, improves thermal management, and minimizes maintenance costs. Additionally, it enables partial compensation for vehicle misalignment and ground assembly impedance, further boosting efficiency and interoperability. Experimental results demonstrate a notable increase in efficiency and reduction in system mass, confirming the superiority of the ALIM-equipped WPT system over conventional solutions. This paper underscores the potential of ALIM to advance the scalability, efficiency, and economic viability of wireless EV charging technology, promoting broader adoption and sustainability in EV infrastructures. By providing a comprehensive solution that addresses key challenges in wireless charging, our work paves the way for more efficient and cost-effective EV charging systems.

High Power Density Buck Boost DC/DC Converter Using SIC MOSFET

Abstract High power density is an advance in power electronics. Third generation wide-bandgap semiconductor devices (WBG SICs) offer significantly improved performance compared to standard silicon devices. SIC MOSFET is commonly used in power electronic equipment such as converters due to its low resistance, excellent thermal stability, and rapid switching speed. Increasing the switching frequency effectively reduces the circuit size. This article uses SIC MOSFET and STM32 single-chip MCU to design a high power density and higher frequency buck boost converter and establish a simulation model in LTspice. The driving circuit designed for SIC MOSFET is intended to maximize the converter’s reliability. Synchronous rectification applies to enhance the converter efficiency. Compared to other types of converters, the size of the converter is reduced, achieving the goals of lightweight and high power density of DC/DC converters.

Increasing the efficiency of the automotive generator due to active rectification

Problem. Increasing fuel economy requirements for modern vehicles lead to an increase in their electrification. The rise in the number of electrical systems leads to a higher load on the electrical power supply system, with the vehicle's power load reaching 2-3 kW. Leading automobile companies have begun serial production of vehicles with the new 12/48 V power supply voltage standard. The traditional alternator used today is a synchronous alternator, and rectifier diodes are used to convert the generated AC to DC to charge the battery, which is inefficient. A study of losses in an automobile alternator shows that the diode rectifier creates a significant portion of the machine's losses at low speeds, resulting in increased fuel consumption. The solution to this problem is to use a synchronous rectifier to replace traditional rectifier diodes, thus improving the efficiency of the AC/DC rectifier. Goal: To improve the economic and environmental characteristics of a mild hybrid vehicle through the use of a synchronous two-semi-periodic rectifier with a midpoint in the car generator. Methodology: Analytical methods are used to calculate energy losses on diodes and in the phase windings of the generator when employing a two-semiperiod rectifier with a midpoint, compared to a bridge rectifier. Results: The structure, functions, and operation modes of the synchronous rectification system are considered. The effect of synchronous rectification on the generator efficiency of a mild hybrid vehicle is analyzed. It was determined which configurations of synchronous rectification are more effective from the standpoint of energy saving and under which operating conditions. It was determined that in a two-semiperiod rectifier with a midpoint, compared to a bridge rectifier, there will be the same heating of the phase windings and 2 times fewer losses on the diodes. Practical value: A version of the bridge synchronous rectification system of the 48 V generator for a mild hybrid vehicle using MOSFET transistors and specialized control IC is proposed. A synchronous rectification system and its circuit implementation for a 12 V generator based on a two-semi-periodic rectifier scheme with a midpoint is proposed, which allows increasing the energy efficiency and economy of the automobile generator.

A bidirectional resonant CLLC converter combining three‐level characteristic and bipolar DC structure

SummaryIn order to meet the efficient and convenient usage requirements for bidirectional DC‐DC converters in some fields such as DC microgrids and vehicle power conversion systems, a bidirectional resonant CLLC converter combining three‐level characteristic and bipolar DC structure is used and analyzed in this paper. A three‐level topology is adopted in the resonant CLLC converter, which can achieve stable and wider range voltage regulation through the frequency adjustment combined with duty cycle and phase shift modulation, and can also increase the flexibility of control strategy. The application of bipolar DC structure enables this resonant CLLC converter to have multi‐port on one side, and the method of using two interleaved inductors combined with synchronous rectification enables the output voltage of the converter to maintain a certain balance. In this paper, the voltage gains and running states of the three‐level regulation method are analyzed, and then these operation modes and the bipolar DC voltage balance effect of the converter under synchronous rectification control are verified by the experiment results.

Control-inspired design and power optimization of an active mechanical motion rectifier based power takeoff for wave energy converters

Ocean waves have high energy density and are persistent and predictable. Yet, converting wave energy to a useable form remains challenging. A significant hurdle is the oscillatory nature of waves resulting in the alternating loads, which necessitate the use of rectification at some stage of the energy conversion. This research effort presents a novel design of active mechanical motion rectifier (AMMR) for the power takeoff (PTO), which provides enhanced controllability and better power performance when compared to passive mechanical motion rectifiers (MMR). Inspired by transistors used in synchronous electrical rectifiers, the proposed design uses controllable electromagnetic clutches in the mechanical transmission to allow active engagement-disengagement control; thus, rectifying the oscillatory motion into a unidirectional rotation for high energy conversion efficiency and allowing the generator in unidirectional rotation to control the bidirectional wave capture structure for maximizing the power output. A semi-analytical computational approach is developed to efficiently evaluate the optimal power achieved using the proposed AMMR-based PTO and active control. It is found that the AMMR-based PTO design yields a higher optimal power than the previous passive MMR design across the wave spectrum. The influences of generator inertia and reactive power are discussed. The effects of control parameters on the power output and the optimal trajectories are analyzed. Wave tank tests with the AMMR prototype demonstrated the effectiveness of AMMR based PTO design and validated the numerical analysis.

Accurate Extraction of Body-Diode-Conduction for Synchronous Rectification of CLLC Resonant Converters in High-Voltage Application

Accurate Extraction of Body-Diode-Conduction for Synchronous Rectification of <i>CLLC</i> Resonant Converters in High-Voltage Application

GaN-Based LLC Converters With Digital Synchronous Rectifier and Copper Foil Planar Transformer in High-Output Current Applications

GaN-Based <i>LLC</i> Converters With Digital Synchronous Rectifier and Copper Foil Planar Transformer in High-Output Current Applications

Constant-Voltage and Constant-Current Controls of the Inductive Power Transfer System for Electric Vehicles Based on Full-Bridge Synchronous Rectification

When an inductive power transfer (IPT) system conducts wireless charging for electric cars, the coupling coefficient between the coils is easily affected by fluctuations in the external environment. With frequent changes in the battery load impedance, it is difficult for the IPT system to achieve constant-voltage and constant-current (CVCC) controls. A CVCC control method is proposed for the IPT system that has a double-sided LCC compensation structure based on full-bridge synchronous rectification. The proposed method achieved good dynamic stability and was able to effectively switch between the output current and voltage of the system by adjusting only the duty cycle of the switch on the secondary side of the rectification bridge. As a result, the system efficiency was improved. The output characteristics of the double-sided LCC compensation structure was derived and the conduction condition with zero voltage was analyzed by using four switches through two conduction time series of the rectifier circuit. Then, the output voltage of the synchronized rectifier was derived. The hardware implementation of the full-bridge controllable rectifier was described in detail. Finally, a MATLAB/Simulink 2018a simulation model was developed and applied to an 11 kW prototype to analyze and validate the design. The results showed that the designed system had good CVCC output characteristics and could maintain constant output under certain coupling offsets. Compared with semi synchronous rectification methods, the proposed method had a higher efficiency, which was 95.6% at the rated load.

ДИНАМІЧНА МОДЕЛЬ РЕЗОНАНСНОГО ПЕРЕТВОРЮВАЧА ДЛЯ ВПЛИВУ ЗІ СТОРОНИ ЖИВЛЕННЯ

In the paper, a discrete dynamic model of a full-bridge resonant converter with a symmetrical operating mode has been obtained, which describes the resonant converter as a transfer link with an supply voltage input side and a load current output side. The dynamic model is based on a linear mathematical model of the resonant converter built according to the superposition principle. The structure of the resonant converter with the processes outline function is given and analyzed. The structure of the discrete dynamic model of the resonant converter of the nth order is presented. It is proved that the transfer function of the discrete dynamic model for the outline function can be determined by the transfer function of the continuous system. The resulting dependencies describing the discrete transfer functions of the resonant converter are used to obtain the discrete dynamic model of the double-circuit transformer resonant converter in a synchronous rectifier. For this, the sequence of actions is defined: definition of the transfer function of the continuous dynamic model; obtaining the system of equations in vector-matrix form describing electromagnetic processes in the converter; definition of the system of discrete equations; definition of the transfer function of the circuit. The obtained theoretical results were verified by means of simulation modeling of the considered double-circuit resonant converter. The proposed dynamic model makes it possible to analyze the influence of instability and low-frequency fluctuations of the supply voltage of the resonant converter on the output values. The presented results can be used in the development and improvement of single- or multi-circuit bridge high-frequency resonant converters as the secondary power sources and converters used in ship demagnetization systems. References 25, figures 8, tables 2.

Modeling dynamic power generation from ocean waves in the Kingdom of Tonga: A comprehensive analysis using integrated mechanical and electrical framework

Globally, ocean wave energy can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity generation sector. Wave energy converters (WECs) could be installed in the Kingdom of Tonga, which is surrounded by ocean, where the average wave energy flux is greater than 7 kW/m. There is a lack of feasibility studies in this area due to the unavailability of measured data on wave parameters and properties; hence, the potential of WEC is yet to be discovered or exploited. This study proposes an integrated mechanical and electrical modeling framework to analyze the impact of wave characteristics on dynamic power generation in three main islands of Tonga, including ‘Eua, Tongatapu, and Niuafo’ou. The mechanical simulation involves using a 2D Fourier wave model to identify the important factors that affect the power potential of ocean waves, such as wave height and period. The wave model is linked to a comprehensive electrical simulation model developed in Matlab Simulink, which includes a permanent magnet linear synchronous generator (PMLSG), rectifier, buck converter, inverter, and load to estimate the electrical power potential per 1 m2 of ocean area. According to the findings, in ‘Eua, the maximum annual generation intensity output is 90.45 kWh/m2, whereas in Niuafo'ou, the minimum is 48.5 kWh/m2. Applying this to a region (12.57 m2) where a WEC has been deployed in Australia, the highest yearly electricity generation in ‘Eua ranges between 926.41 and 1136.96 kWh/y, but in Tongatapu and Niuafo'ou, it ranges between around 610 and 899 kWh/y.

A Novel Soft Switching Non-Isolated Bidirectional dc–dc Converter Without Any Extra Auxiliary Switch

In this paper, a new zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) non-isolated bidirectional DC-DC converter without any extra auxiliary switch is introduced. In the proposed converter, by applying an auxiliary circuit, soft switching condition is provided for all semiconductor elements regardless of the power flow direction and without any extra voltage stress. Each of the main switches provides soft switching conditions for the other switch. Additionally, each of the switches can be used as a synchronous rectifier switch in both power flow directions. The auxiliary circuit only consists of two coupled inductors with the converter main inductor and two diodes, which operate with a zero-current-switching (ZCS) condition. Since, all of the converter inductors are implemented on a single core, the presence of coupled inductors doesn’t increase the converter volume considerably. The detailed operating analysis of the proposed bidirectional converter and the design method of the main circuit is presented. Also, the theoretical analysis of the proposed bidirectional converter is verified with a 100W experimental prototype converter.

Design and Implementation of GaN-Based Two Switch Flyback With Synchronous Rectification for New Space Applications

This article presents a comprehensive investigation and implementation of a continuous conduction mode pulse width modulated two-switch DC/DC flyback converter utilizing Gallium Nitride Field Effect Transistors (GaNFETs) for New Space applications. The New Space concept advocates for the integration of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) materials in the space industry. The approach offers cost-effective solutions and reduces lead time for space designs. The study provides steady-state analysis and design considerations for two switch flyback converters, highlighting the transformative capabilities of GaNFETs, especially in high-frequency operations. The rationale behind the preference for GaNFETs over MOSFETs in satellite power supply applications and the strategic benefits of COTS materials are explained in detail. In addition, the synchronous rectification method is implemented to obtain better efficiency, particularly for high-output current operations. The converter achieves an efficiency of over 87% when the load exceeds 50%, with varying input voltages from 20 V to 40 V and a switching frequency of 300 kHz. The experimental findings show that the designed converter can serve as a high efficiency and reliable satellite power converter.

Structure Optimization of Ultra-Light Power Generation System

A wide-speed, ultra-light power generation system is a critical power generation unit structure, often because of its high efficiency and power density. Lightness and reliability are two key design indicators within the system, albeit they could lead to contradictory problems, particularly in systems containing prime movers, batteries, generators, rectifiers, and inverters. Ultra-light generator sets are facing more severe problems and contradictions in designing in terms of matching, coordinating, and stabilizing the components in the systems. This paper describes the system design of a low-cost and high-reliability microgenerator set: a gasoline engine, three-phase permanent magnet synchronous generator, rectifier, and inverter. Moreover, the matching relationship between the four parts and the design effect of each part of the power generation system was analyzed, simulated, and tested to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the so-designed system.

Shared External Driver for VHF Converter With a Synchronous Rectifier Based on Matching Network Parameters Optimization

In order to reduce the conduction loss of diode, synchronous rectification is usually adopted in very-high-frequency (VHF) converters, in which the rectifier diode is replaced by a MOSFET with very low on-state resistance. And to ensure normal operation of the synchronous rectifier switch, it is necessary to design a suitable driver with accurate timing. The widely used self-oscillating resonant drive circuit has a limited range of duty cycle adjustment, and the body diode of synchronous rectifier switch has long on-state time and a large conduction loss. Therefore, based on the analysis and parameters optimization of matching network, a shared external drive circuit is put forward. That is, the drive signals of the inverter switch and the synchronous rectifier switch come from the same external oscillation signal. On the premise of ensuring accurate drive timing, it can improve the drive signal's duty cycle of synchronous rectifier switch, reduce the conduction loss of body diode, and improve the efficiency of converter. Then on the basis of the proposed drive circuit, a VHF converter prototype with operating frequency of 10 MHz, 13 V input and 8 V/10 W output is designed, and the feasibility of the proposed drive circuit is verified by simulations together with experiments.

High-Performance Light Emitting Diode Lighting Circuits and Their Interior Design Applications

This study explores the application of the half-bridge Inductor-Inductor-Capacitor (LLC) resonant converter in Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting driver power supplies, with a specific focus on improving efficiency and dimming capabilities. The investigation begins with an analysis of the sliding mode control (SMC) method, utilizing a constant-current design with a fixed switching frequency (FWF). A novel fuzzy frequency-selective SMC dimming strategy is proposed to recognize the challenge of significant output voltage ripple during dimming under a FSF. To address the ripple issue during dimming, an electromagnetic filtering circuit is designed, and a zero-voltage turn-on Metal—Oxide—Semiconductor (MOS) tube is introduced, incorporating a synchronous rectification scheme to mitigate losses in the secondary-side rectification diode. The study comprehensively considers a current-mode self-driven method, specifically tailored to the LLC circuit’s different operating modes. The LLC resonant circuit, along with the subsequent synchronous rectification circuit, is meticulously designed for a 252 W LED driver power supply prototype. A closed-loop simulation circuit model is developed using PSIM software in experimental validation. The feasibility of SMC based on a FSF is affirmed through a comparative analysis of SMC signal waveforms, steady-state output current (OC) models, and resonant tank current waveforms. The investigation into the OC under various SMC conditions demonstrates the half-bridge LLC resonant converter’s ability to achieve stable output with minimal ripple. The designed LED lighting circuit is applied to indoor design, providing adjustable LED brightness and switch status at different power levels. Although obstacles slightly impact the communication quality of the circuit, it remains suitable for the majority of users’ needs.

Synchronous Rectification Strategy of CLLC Resonant Converter Based on Accurate Time-Domain Model

Synchronous Rectification Strategy of CLLC Resonant Converter Based on Accurate Time-Domain Model

Deep-Learning-Aided Closed-Loop Synchronous Rectification for Isolated Bidirectional DC/DC Converter Based on Temperature Gradient Descent

Deep-Learning-Aided Closed-Loop Synchronous Rectification for Isolated Bidirectional DC/DC Converter Based on Temperature Gradient Descent