TY - JOUR
T1 - Modular Single-Active Bridge DC-DC Converters
T2 - Efficiency Optimization over a Wide Load Range
AU - Ting, Yeh
AU - De Haan, Sjoerd
AU - Ferreira, Braham
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Multiple single-active bridge (SAB) DC-DC converters are connected in the input-parallel and outputparallel (IPOP) configuration to achieve higher power output in many applications. Module shutdown, known as phase shedding, is used to improve light-load efficiency in the IPOP modular converter. The SAB is known for its simplicity and robustness, but it is only moderately efficient; therefore, larger snubber capacitance is used to lower switching and conduction losses in the SAB and improve efficiency. However, larger snubber capacitance increases minimum power and reduces load range in the SAB, resulting in the unattainability of certain load-range segments in the IPOP converter because capacitance increases when phase shedding is used. Hence, snubber capacitances across the modules are optimized to improve average efficiency while maintaining the existing load range. As a result, snubber capacitances differ across SAB modules. With nonidentical modules, nonuniform module power distribution is used in the IPOP converter for higher light-load efficiency with selective phase shedding. This increases the average IPOP converter efficiency from 92.5% to 94.1% across the load range of 260 W to 13.6 kW. Peak efficiency is also increased from 93% to 95.5%. In this article, we present a method to optimize the modular SAB IPOP system for high efficiency over a wide load range.
AB - Multiple single-active bridge (SAB) DC-DC converters are connected in the input-parallel and outputparallel (IPOP) configuration to achieve higher power output in many applications. Module shutdown, known as phase shedding, is used to improve light-load efficiency in the IPOP modular converter. The SAB is known for its simplicity and robustness, but it is only moderately efficient; therefore, larger snubber capacitance is used to lower switching and conduction losses in the SAB and improve efficiency. However, larger snubber capacitance increases minimum power and reduces load range in the SAB, resulting in the unattainability of certain load-range segments in the IPOP converter because capacitance increases when phase shedding is used. Hence, snubber capacitances across the modules are optimized to improve average efficiency while maintaining the existing load range. As a result, snubber capacitances differ across SAB modules. With nonidentical modules, nonuniform module power distribution is used in the IPOP converter for higher light-load efficiency with selective phase shedding. This increases the average IPOP converter efficiency from 92.5% to 94.1% across the load range of 260 W to 13.6 kW. Peak efficiency is also increased from 93% to 95.5%. In this article, we present a method to optimize the modular SAB IPOP system for high efficiency over a wide load range.
KW - Snubbers
KW - Capacitance
KW - DC-DC power converters
KW - Bridge circuits
KW - Energy efficiency
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84978811055&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/MIAS.2015.2459086
DO - 10.1109/MIAS.2015.2459086
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84978811055
SN - 1077-2618
VL - 22
SP - 43
EP - 52
JO - IEEE Industry Applications Magazine
JF - IEEE Industry Applications Magazine
IS - 5
M1 - 7505599
ER -