Wide-Range Operation of High Step-Up DC-DC Converters with Multimode Rectifiers
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electronics Article Wide-Range Operation of High Step-Up DC-DC Converters with Multimode Rectifiers Andrii Chub 1 , Dmitri Vinnikov 1,2,* , Oleksandr Korkh 1, Tanel Jalakas 1 and Galina Demidova 2 1 Power Electronics Group, Department of Electrical Power Engineering and Mechatronics, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia; [email protected] (A.C.); [email protected] (O.K.); [email protected] (T.J.) 2 Faculty of Control System and Robotics, ITMO University, 197101 St. Petersburg, Russia; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +372-620-3705 Abstract: This paper discusses the essence and application specifics of the multimode rectifiers in high step-up DC-DC converters. It presents an overview of existing multimode rectifiers. Their use enables operation in the wide input voltage range needed in highly demanding applications. Owing to the rectifier mode changes, the converter duty cycle can be restricted to a range with a favorable efficiency. It is shown that the performance of such converters depends on the front-end inverter type. The study considers current- and impedance-source front-end topologies, as they are the most relevant in high step-up applications. It is explained why the full- and half-bridge implementations provide essentially different performances. Unlike the half-bridge, the full-bridge implementation shows step changes in efficiency during the rectifier mode changes, which could compromise the long-term reliability of the converter. The theoretical predictions are corroborated by experimental examples to compare performance with different boost front-end inverters. Citation: Chub, A.; Vinnikov, D.; Keywords: DC-DC converters; high step-up converters; wide input range; multimode rectifier Korkh, O.; Jalakas, T.; Demidova, G. Wide-Range Operation of High Step-Up DC-DC Converters with Multimode Rectifiers. Electronics 2021, 10, 914. https://doi.org/10.3390/ 1. Introduction electronics10080914 Power electronics is a critical technology for the ongoing energy transition through electrification [1]. As a result, distributed energy generation systems have been proliferating Academic Editors: Bor-Ren Lin and in residential applications. New and existing applications impose new requirements on Nikolay Hinov converter designs to improve flexibility and performance over the existing solutions. Among the modern applications of power electronics, residential dc microgrids provide Received: 27 December 2020 significant improvements in energy efficiency in residential settings. On the other hand, Accepted: 8 April 2021 they require the integration of low-voltage energy sources and battery energy storage into Published: 12 April 2021 a dc bus operating at a considerably higher dc voltage. Therefore, residential dc microgrids require new power electronic solutions to interface with low-voltage energy sources and Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral battery energy storage [2]. with regard to jurisdictional claims in Today, high step-up DC-DC converters with a wide voltage gain range are demanded published maps and institutional affil- in different applications, especially in photovoltaic (PV) module-level power electronics iations. (MLPE) [3,4], or in applications with configurable output voltages [5]. Such converters are usually comprised of three stages, according to Figure1: - A boost (step-up) front-end inverter (BFEI) is fed with the input voltage VIN. BFEI supplies pulsed high-frequency voltage V to the transformer primary winding. Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. TX,pr Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This voltage could be asymmetrical, but it is volt-second balanced to avoid transformer This article is an open access article saturation. Considering that the peak-to-peak swing of the voltage applied to the distributed under the terms and transformer equals VTX,pr(pk-pk), the dc-ac voltage gain of the BFEI (GFE) could be conditions of the Creative Commons defined as the ratio between this peak-to-peak voltage swing and the input dc voltage, Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// as shown in Figure1. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ - A step-up isolation transformer is used as the most efficient and low-cost technique 4.0/). for the voltage step-up, while galvanic isolation is an additional measure for safety Electronics 2021, 10, 914. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10080914 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/electronics Electronics 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 21 - A step-up isolation transformer is used as the most efficient and low-cost technique for the voltage step-up, while galvanic isolation is an additional measure for safety and common mode current rejection. Its turns ratio could be defined as the ac-ac voltage gain GTX equal to the ratio between the secondary winding voltage VTX,sec and Electronics 2021, 10, 914 2 of 20 the primary winding voltage VTX,pr in the idealized case of the lossless system. - A rectifier receives a high-frequency stepped-up voltage of the secondary winding VTX,sec and converts it into the stable ripple-free output voltage VOUT. The most straightforwardand common mode way to current define rejection.the ac-dc voltage Its turns gain ratio of the could rectifier be defined (GR) is to as consider the ac-ac thevoltage ratio between gain GTX theequal output to the voltage ratio V betweenOUT and the peak-to-peak secondary winding swing of voltage the second-VTX,sec aryand winding the primary voltage winding VTX,sec(pk-pk) voltage. VTX,pr in the idealized case of the lossless system. - TheA rectifieroverall dc receives voltage a high-frequencygain of the converter stepped-up is a product voltage of the of the voltage secondary gains of winding these stages,V asTX,sec explainedand converts in Figure it into 1. However, the stable a ripple-freehigh dc voltage output gain voltage does VnotOUT guarantee. The most a wide inputstraightforward voltage range. way An to extended define the dc ac-dc gain range voltage could gain be of achieved the rectifier by reconfiguring (GR) is to con- one orsider more theof the ratio three between stages, the which output results voltage in a VstepOUT changeand the in peak-to-peakthe voltage gain swing or a ofgain the range secondaryshift in the windingcorresponding voltage stage(s).VTX,sec(pk-pk) . FigureFigure 1. 1. A Ageneralized generalized representation representation of a of wide a wide inpu inputt voltage voltage range range galvanically galvanically isolated isolated high high step-upstep-up DC-DC DC-DC converter. converter. ForThe example, overall dcthe voltage gain range gain of of the the BFEI converter could is be a productadditionally of the adjusted voltage by gains the ofrecon- these figurationstages, as of explained its topology in Figure from 1a. full-bridge However, ainto high a dchalf-bridge voltage gain [6] or does a single-switch not guarantee in- a verterwide input[7] with voltage a twice range. lower An dc-ac extended gain dcGFE gain. Similarly, range could the equivalent be achieved turns by reconfiguring ratio of the isolationone or more transformer of the three can stages,be changed which by results the commutation in a step change of an inauxiliary the voltage secondary gain or wind- a gain ingrange [8] shiftto achieve in the correspondinga step change in stage(s). the GTX gain. Reconfigurations in both of these two stagesFor could example, also be the combined gain range using of the a simple BFEI could control be additionally[9] or a sophisticated adjusted byhardware the reconfig- in- tegrationurationof [10] its to topology extend fromthe dc a full-bridgevoltage gain into range a half-bridge further. As [6 ]for or the a single-switch challenges, the inverter recon- [7] figurationwith a twice of the lower inverter dc-ac can gain compromiseGFE. Similarly, the reliability the equivalent of the turnsconverter, ratio as of the thermal isolation stresstransformer of the switching can be changed semiconductor by the commutation components of changes an auxiliary significantly secondary after winding a reconfig- [8] to uration.achieve Reconfiguration a step change in capability the GTX gain. at the Reconfigurations transformer stage in bothwould of theserequire two the stages increased could usealso of beeither combined magnetic using core a simplematerial control or winding [9] or copper, a sophisticated which would hardware impose integration limitations [10 ] to extend the dc voltage gain range further. As for the challenges, the reconfiguration of of converter cost and volumetric characteristics. the inverter can compromise the reliability of the converter, as the thermal stress of the This study focuses on adjusting the ac-dc voltage gain GR of the rectifier stage as a switching semiconductor components changes significantly after a reconfiguration. Re- new technique that has been increasingly used in recent years. This gain could be adjusted configuration capability at the transformer stage would require the increased use of either either smoothly or stepwise by applying an ac boost [11,12] or multimode rectifiers magnetic core material or winding copper, which would impose limitations of converter (MMRs) [13,14] correspondingly. In general, the step changes in the gain GR of an MMR cost and volumetric characteristics. could also be smoothed by employing a special switching sequence for a short time [15]. This study focuses on adjusting the ac-dc voltage gain G of the rectifier stage as The concept of MMRs has recently attracted attention due to its Rdesign and control sim- a new technique that has been increasingly used in recent years. This gain could be plicity. Moreover, the application of MMR along with topology morphing control helps adjusted either smoothly or stepwise by applying an ac boost [11,12] or multimode rectifiers to achieve a balanced cost–performance tradeoff by allowing the inverter switches to be (MMRs) [13,14] correspondingly. In general, the step changes in the gain GR of an MMR operatedcould also within be smoothed the optimal by employing conditions a specialin a wide switching range sequenceof input voltages for a short and time operating [15].