A family of high-power multilevel switched capacitor-based resonant DC-DC converters – operational parameters and novel concepts of topologies

Abstract

Abstract. This paper presents the concept of topologies and investigation results of switched-capacitor voltage multipliers designed for application in high power systems. The analyzed family of multilevel converters includes established topologies as well as novel concepts. The application of thyristors as well as the invention of novel concepts of multiplier topologies and appropriate control make it possible to achieve high efficiency, high voltage gain, reliable and simple DC-DC converters for high power systems. Based on analytical models of the SCVMs, the paper presents a discussion of the selection of components and the efficiency of the converters as a function of converted power as well as the voltage range on the input and the output side. The results are supported by computer simulations and demonstrative experimental tests. The SC converters operate using the principle of charge pumps and usually contain a large number of switches. However, high efficiency can be achieved in the SC converters by the application of resonant operation [4,15]. The SC converters can also be designed in an efficient way thanks to an appropriate selection of passive and active components [4,16]. The selection of the parameters of the passive components for an SCVM is a complex process and and it should be done considering the switch technology, power and required efficiency, which is demonstrated in [16].The SCVM topology is suitable for the application of thyristors as active switches [3,4,15]. Furthermore, the ability of bidirectional voltage blocking makes it possible to further optimize the SCVMs, as presented in [4,26,27], where the reduction of the number of switches is demonstrated in the topology called RSCVM. The application of thyristors creates possibilities for DC-DC conversion in resonant mode topology at high power, voltages and currents, owing to extremely high parameters of the thyristors. The resonant-mode operation is advantageous, because it makes turning-off the switches possible and assures zero current switching (ZCS) [4]. This paper, in Section 2, presents an analysis of the thyristor-based SCVM related to feasibility of the converter for high power application (Fig. 1a). The analytical results reach 500 kilowatts power, which makes it possible to demonstrate, in figures, the efficiency, range of currents as well as the value of LC parameters. Next, in Section 3, the thyristor-based topologies suitable for high power operation are presented (Figs. 1b, 1c, 1d). The evolution of the SCVM, presented in [4] is also

Utilizing the power controller, enhance the operation of a single-phase AC to DC converter

“…Due to this switching process, It shows that the output voltage may be balanced line and load variances using the VPBC control technique. The load will receive the required power from the DC to DC converter [16], [17]. For any variation in input voltage and load, the inherent capacity of the whole system is maintained for high power factor rectification [18].…”

Archives of Electrical Engineering

“…In a single section of the SCVM, capacitors are charged from the source U in , via the inductor L 1 , after switching-on the charging switches (with SN symbols) [3,4]. As the capacitors are Fig.…”

“…The basic idea of the charge pump can be applied into power electronic converters in various topologies. In such converters the capacitors charge and discharge in series or parallel configurations, in resonant circuits, which makes it possible to achieve the required voltage ratio [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17].…”

“…When using reconfigurable topologies with switched capacitors, a large number of switches are usually required. In topologies such as voltage multipliers, in which the voltage ratio equals four, reported in [3][4][5][6], six transistors or thyristors, four diodes and three switched capacitors are required. In such converters an increase in voltage gain by one requires two additional switches and one diode.…”

Multilevel Converters

“…The design and investigation results of switched capacitor voltage multipliers for application in high power systems is presented by the team of outstanding specialists from AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland [11]. The considered family of multilevel converters includes classical topologies and also novel concepts.…”