Kamran Khan University of Idaho Herbert Hess

MRCI, PO BOX- 441024

Moscow, ID 83844-1024
Phone – (208) 885-4341
Fax – (208) 885-6840
Email – khan4088@uidaho.edu

NEW DC/DC CONVERTER WITH VERY SMALL FILTER ELEMENTS

Introduction
In every power industry, in some way or the other, DC to DC convertors play an important part.
A DC to DC converts the voltage from a given level to a desired level. The DC/DC converter
produces a floating voltage for appropriate instruments at the bottom of an oil well and an output
is generated by a local turbine generator. Our power lines gives out a voltage of 230V but we
want an 18V floating output. So it necessary for us as engineers to make ways to reduce this
voltage. In the past there have been convertors built with transformers but this investigation
requires more simple method.

Stating my point above, we propose a new DC/DC converter. We have designed this converter
with very small elements. This is as simple a converter can get. Our design just involves the
basic electronic components like the capacitors, inductors, resistors, MOSFETS and couple of
diodes. We call this converter the Floating output Buck-Boost converter only because this
converter is a combination of the Buck converter and Boost converter and the output is floating.

The Converter is a unique two stage topology. The first stage of the circuit is the Buck converter
while the second stage is the Boost converter. The floating output voltage is the difference
between the Buck converter output and the Boost converter input. (See Figure 1)

Figure 1 – Circuit Diagram

Working of Converter
When the switch is on, the NMOS transistor is closed. It just acts like a wire, so all the current
flows through to the Buck inductor. This happens due to the presence of the diode which resists
the current to flow to the ground. This current through the inductor then gets divided into the
capacitor and the load resistor. The capacitor here stores the energy. There is visible voltage drop
across the load. Now when the switch is turned off, the capacitor discharges and flows through
the load resistor and sustains the voltage at the Buck stage’s output terminals. The inductor
sustains the current.

The Boost part of the converter works in the conventional manner. Its main function is to boost
the amplitude of the signal. The Boost converter produces a fixed floating output identical to the
voltage that leads the Buck converter. In turn, the boost generates a reduced input that sets the
converter’s floating output.

Simulation results
We used 5V analysis for proof of concept due to difficult of accessing the 230V application. I
used two DC sources of 5V each, one for each converter. I connected the circuit shown in figure
1. Both the MOSFETS are switching at nearly at the same frequency. There is a little difference
in the frequency which gives the boost converter the input signal. If the frequencies are exactly
equal the circuit would not function as it is supposed to work. When the switches are on, the
input voltage falls from 5V to a lower value and the load voltage across the resistance starts
rising. There is a slow rise in the voltage to a certain point where it stops increasing and follows
a steady path .This voltage can be seen in figure 2.

Figure 2 – simulation graph for floating output voltage across the resistance
for 5V.
Above it can be seen; the floating output voltage across the resistance increases from zero to a
value of 1.5V.

Incumbent technologies that use 230V input only bring down the voltage to 18V. Below you
will be able to see, simulation results when used an input of 230V.

Figure 3- simulation graph for floating output voltage across the resistance.
for a 230V input.

Buck Converter Boost Converter

Vc1 = Dbuck.V1 V2 = 1 VR2

1 - Dboost

Vo = Vc1 – VR2

We can set Dbuck and Dboost to get the desired difference Vo.

A regulated floating voltage is produced from switching a duty cycle near 50% unlike incumbent
technology which uses very small duty cycle. Below is given a proof of the point I just made.

Incumbent technology My Design

Duty cycle = 18 V = 0.078 Duty Cycle = 1.5 V = 0.3

230 V 5V
Advantages
Design involves no transformers and near 50% duty cycles for large step down in
voltage.

Capacitance is very small, enables use of high temperature components.

Future Work
All the above circuit analysis is just on software. I want to implement the above circuit in lab.
Work has already under process but no results have been reached as yet. Testing is to be carried
out on the circuit in the coming few weeks.

Conclusions
It can we clearly seen that the Floating output Buck-Boost converter is a very efficient
replacement for the currently used DC-DC converters. The fact that our converter uses very
small filter elements makes it much simpler to implement. Also this converter uses a duty cycle
of nearly 50% unlike the other incumbent technology.

Appendix
Values of the components used

v 2 inductors of values 4.75mH and 4.68mH.

v one 11 resistor

v one 1.5 µF capacitor

v one each of NMOS and PMOS transistors

v 2 Diodes

v Two DC power sources each at 5V.