EE 4741 Power Electronics

Lecture 21

Jungwon Choi, jwchoi@umn.edu

November 24, 2020

 Need for Electrical Isolation

• Safety: Necessary for the low-voltage dc output to be isolated

from the utility supply to avoid the shock hazard.
• Different reference potentials: The dc supply may have to operate
at a different potential.
– Ex) The dc supply to the gate drive for the upper MOSFET in the
power-pole is referenced to its source.
• Voltage matching: If the dc-dc conversion is large, it is
economical and operationally more suitable to use an electrical
transformer to reduce the voltage rating of the semiconductor
devices.

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 Transformer Isolation

1:N
+ dc +
vs R vo
- dc -
LFT
50-60Hz

• In many applications, a transformer is desired between input and

output.
– Off-line appliances: Connected to the ac line.
– Isolation required by regulatory agencies.
• Size and weight of the transformer is inversely proportional to the
switching frequency.

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 Transformer Isolation: HF alternative
Converter
Rectifier +
Filter
1:N
+ +
vs R vo
- -
HFT
10’s-100’s kHz

Sensing +
Control

Opto-Isolator

• High-frequency transformer operates at the converter switching

frequency
– A few hundreds kHz: much smaller
• Feedback signals must not break the isolation.
– Using optocouplers, signal transformer, etc.

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 Classification of Transformer-Isolated dc-dc converters

• Flyback converter derived from Buck-Boost converters

• Forward converter derived from Buck converter
• Full-Bridge and Half-Bridge converters derived from Buck
converter

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 Buck-Boost converter
Q
ii(t) D io(t)

iL(t) iC(t) +
+
vi(t) +
− q(t)
q(t)=1 L vL(t) C Ro vo(t)
1
- -
t
0
DT T

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 Flyback converter
D
1:N
ii(t) iµ(t) + iC(t)
vP(t) +
Lµ C Ro
+ vo(t)
Vi
− - -

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 Buck converter

1
q(t) ii(t) iL(t) + vL(t) - io(t)
0
DT T
t
Q L iC(t) +
vi(t) +
− q(t)=1 D C Ro vo(t)
-

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 Forward converter

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 Forward converter
!
D#2 L
vP(t)
%#: %$
1:N Vi
iµ(t) +
+ +
vP(t) (D+D2)T
Lµ !D$3 vD(t) vo(t) R
DT
C T
Vi + -
− %"2
:N - - -Vi/N2

+
iµ(t)
ipk
!D"1 q(t) Q vq(t)
slope:
- slope: -(1/N2)Vi/Lµ
Vi/Lµ
DT (D+D2)T T
vD3(t)
NVi
(D+D2)T
DT T
Q D1 D3
D2 D3

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 Two-switch forward converter
D3 L
vP(t)
:N Vi
+ +
q(t) Q1 D2 Ro 2DT
vD4 vo(t)
D4 C DT T
- -
1:

Vi + -Vi
− + vP - iµ(t)
iµ(t) ipk
Lµ slope:
D1 Q2
q(t) slope: -Vi/Lµ
Vi/Lµ
DT 2DT T
vD4(t)
NVi vD4(t) = NDVi

DT 2DT T
Q1,2 D1,2
D4
D3 D4

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 Full-bridge isolated converter
ii(t) iD1(t) D1 iL(t) L
1:N
q1(t) q2(t) + +
Q1 Q2
ip(t) ip’(t) vs1(t) vd(t)

+ iµ(t) - - +
Vi + vo(t) Ro
− vp(t) Lµ :N + C
- -
vs2(t)

-
q2(t) q1(t)
Q3 Q4
iD2(t)
D2

ON !"($)
&' , &) ++,
&- , &. −+,

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 Full-bridge converter
ii(t) iD1(t) D1 iL(t) L
1:N
q1(t) q2(t) + + !"
Q1 Q2
= %&
!#
ip(t) ip’(t) vs1(t) vd(t)

+
iµ(t) - - +
Vi +
− vp(t) Lµ vo(t) Ro
:N + C
-
vs2(t)
- Magnetizing current covers
- the whole B-H loop.
q2(t) q1(t)
Q3 Q4
iD2(t)
D2
vd(t)
q1(t) NVi
On
vd(t) =NDVi
Off
DT T T+DT 2T DT T T+DT 2T
q2(t) iL(t)
On IL
slope: slope:
(NVi-Vo)/Ls -Vo/Ls
Off
DT T T+DT 2T iD1(t)DT T T+DT 2T
iµ(t) IL
slope:
-Vi/Lµ IL/2

DT slope: T T+DT 2T DT T T+DT 2T

Vi/Lµ
Q1 D1 Q2 D1
vP(t)
Vi Q4 D2 Q3 D2
D1 D2
T T+DT

DT 2T

-Vi

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 Transformer’s Volt-second balance

vP(t)
Vi-VQ1-VQ4

T T+DT
DT 2T

-Vi+VQ2+VQ3

iµ(t) towards
saturation

T+DT
DT T 2T

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 Half-bridge Converter
ii(t) iD1(t) D1 iL(t) L
1:N
q1(t) + +
Q1 Cbig
ip(t) ip’(t) vs1(t) vd(t)

+
iµ(t) - - +
Vi +
− vp(t) Lµ vo(t) Ro
:N + C
- -
vs2(t)

-
q2(t) Cbig
Q3 iD2(t)
D2
vd(t)
q1(t) NVi/2
On
vd(t) =NDVi/2
Off
DT T T+DT 2T DT T T+DT 2T
q2(t) iL(t)
On IL
slope: slope:
(NVi/2-Vo)/Ls -Vo/Ls
Off
DT T T+DT 2T iD1(t)DT T T+DT 2T
iµ(t) IL
slope:
-Vi/2Lµ IL/2

DT slope: T T+DT 2T DT T T+DT 2T

Vi/2Lµ
Q1 D1 Q2 D1
vP(t)
Vi/2 D1 D2 D2 D2
T T+DT

DT 2T

-Vi/2

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 Hysteresis Loss: Full-bridge isolated converter

ii(t) iD1(t) D1 iL(t) L vP(t)

1:N Vi
q1(t) q2(t) + +
Q1 Q2 T T+DT
ip(t) ip’(t) vs1(t) vd(t)

+
iµ(t) - - + DT 2T
Vi +
− vp(t) Lµ vo(t) Ro
:N + C -Vi
- -
vs2(t) iµ(t)
- slope:
q2(t)
Q3
q1(t)
Q4 -Vi/Lµ
iD2(t)
D2 slope:
DT T T+DT 2T
Vi/Lµ

()
!",$%& = +,,$%&
*"
()
!",$-. = − +,,$-.
*" (n1/lc)iµ,max

Core losses can be significant.

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 Hysteresis Losses: Forward Converter

vP(t)
D2 L Vi
1:N
iµ(t) +
+ + (D+D2)T
vP(t)
Lµ D3 vD(t) R
C
vo(t) DT T
Vi + : N2
-
- -
− -Vi/N2
+
D1 q(t) Q vq(t) iµ(t)
-
ipk
slope:
slope: -(1/N2)Vi/Lµ
Vi/Lµ
DT (D+D2)T T
vD3(t)
NVi
HC0
(D+D2)T
~
hC DT T
Q D1 D3
D2 D3

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