Power Electronics

Chapter 7
Soft-Switching Techniques
Power Electronics Pursuing of higher switching frequency

Better waveform
• PWM waveform will be closer to expected waveform
• Harmonics is easier to be filtered

Benefits Smaller volume and weight

• 4.44fNφ =4.44fNAB
1
• f =
2π LC
Faster response

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Power Electronics Disadvantages of higher switching frequency
Disadvantages
Higher power losses on power semiconductor devices
– Power loss=f x Energy loss at each switching
More severe electromagnetic interference (EMI)
– Steeper edges introduce more noises
– Easier to be radiated

Solution
Soft-switching techniques

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Power Electronics Outline
7.1 Basic concepts on soft-switching

7.2 Classification of soft-switching techniques

7.3 Typical soft-switching circuits and techniques

4
Power Electronics 7.1 Basic concepts on soft-switching
Hard-switching

u u u i u
i
i i
O
t O
t
p p

O O
t t
a) Turning-on b) Turning-off

The process of power semiconductor device

hard-switching
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Power Electronics The concept of soft-switching
Soft-switching

u u i u i u
i i
O
t O
t
p p

O O
t t
a) Turning-on b) Turning-off

The process of power semiconductor device

soft-switching

6
Power Electronics Two types of soft-switching

ZVS—Zero-voltage switching
Specifically means zero-voltage turn-on, i.e., the
voltage across the device is reduced to zero before the
current increases

ZCS—Zero-current switching
Specifically means zero-current turn-off, i.e., the
current flowing through the device is reduced to zero
before the voltage increases

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 7.2 Classification of soft-switching
Power Electronics techniques
Quasi-resonant soft-switching

ZVS PWM (zero-voltage-switching PWM) and ZCS

PWM (zero-current-switching PWM)

ZVT PWM (zero-voltage-transition PWM) and ZCT

PWM (zero-current-transition PWM)

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Power Electronics The concept of basic switch cell

L S L
S

VD
VD

a) b)

L VD

S L
S VD

c) d)
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Power Electronics Quasi-Resonant Converter—QRC
ZVS QRC
ZCS QRC
ZVS MRC (multi-resonant converter)
Resonant DC link converter

Cr Cr1
Lr L Lr L Lr L

S S S
VD VD Cr2 VD
Cr

a) ZVS QRC b) ZCS QRC c) ZVS MRC

Basic switching cells for QRC

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Power Electronics ZVS PWM converter and ZCS PWM converter
Feature: use of auxiliary switch

Cr S1
L Lr L

S Lr S
VD S1
Cr VD

a) b)

Basic switching cells for a) ZVS PWM and b) ZCS PWM

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Power Electronics ZVT PWM converter and ZCT PWM converter
Feature: auxiliary switch is in parallel with main switch

Lr Lr Cr S1
Cr S1
L L
S S
VD1 VD VD1 VD

a) b)

Basic switching cells for a) ZVT PWM and b) ZCT PWM

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 7.3 Typical soft-switching circuits
Power Electronics and techniques
ZVS QRC

Resonant DC link converter

Phase-shift full bridge ZVS PWM converter

ZVT PWM converter

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Power Electronics ZVS QRC
Cr

S
S Lr A L
O t
uS (uCr)
VDS
Ui VD C R t
O
iS
t
O
iLr
uCr IL uCr iLr
+ +
t
Cr A Cr O
Ui uVD
Ui
t
O
t0t1 t2 t3t4 t5t6 t0
to ~ t1 t1 ~ t2

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Power Electronics Resonant DC link converter
Circuit
Lr
uCr

VDS
S Ui
Ui Cr
t
O

iLr
Equivalent circuit to RDCL
iLr IL
IL
Lr L t
O
Cr +
t0 t1 t2 t3 t4 t0
Ui S uCr R
VDS

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Power Electronics Summary of QRC
Disadvantages
– Voltage stress increased due to the resonant peak

– Current RMS value increased due to large

circulating energy

– Variable switching frequency due to pulse-frequency

modulation (PFM) control

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Power Electronics Phase-shift full-bridge ZVS PWM converter
S1
O
t
Circuit S2
O
t
S4
O t
S3
O
uAB t

O t
S1 CS1 S3 CS3 +
VD1 uR L
uLr

t
-
O
A
Lr B C R
iLr

Ui VD2 O t
uT1
S2 CS2 S CS4
4 O t
uR

O
iL t

O t
iVD1

O
iVD2 t

O t 1 t2 t3 t4 t5 t
t8 t9 t 0 t 6 t7 t8 t9 t0

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Power Electronics Phase-shift full-bridge ZVS PWM converter

iL iL
VDS3
iLr CS3
CS1 kT:1 iLr L +
L + VD1
VD1 Uo Uo
A Lr
Lr
Ui R Ui R
B
VD2
CS2 VDS2 S4 S2 CS4

Equivalent circuit during Equivalent circuit during

t1 ~ t2 t3 ~ t4

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Power Electronics Summary of ZVS or ZCS PWM converter
Improvement over QRC
– Voltage and current are basically square-wave,
therefore stresses are greatly reduced

– Constant switching frequency due to pulse-width

modulation (PWM) control

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Power Electronics ZVT PWM converter
Circuit S
IL iVD O t
S1
L O t
VD
Lr uS
VDS iLr
+
Cr R t
Ui S O
S1 VD1 C Uo iLr
IL
t
O
iS1

Equivalent circuit during t1 ~ t2 t

O
uS1
IL
t
L O
iD
iLr Lr
t
O
Ui VDS Cr iS

S1 O t
t0 t1 t2 t3 t4 t5

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Power Electronics Summary of ZVT or ZCT PWM converter
Improvement over ZVS or ZCS PWM converter
– Soft-switching can be achieved in a wider range of
input voltage and load current

– Circulating energy is reduced to minimum so that

efficiency is increased

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