DC DC Converter

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Topics Focused
1. EV System Configuration

2. How does a DC DC Converter works?

3. Operational Modes

4. Non Isolated Converter Topologies

5. EV DC DC Converter Overview

6. DC DC Converters for BEV & Hybrid EV

7. Internal Architecture & Working

8. Full Bridge Isolated LLC Topology in EV Architecture

9. Topology Selection Criteria

10. Power Derating Strategy in DC DC Converter

11. Switching in DC DC Converter

12. DC DC Converter Tests

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1. EV System Configuration

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1.1 EV Components

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2. How does a DC DC Converter works?

• If Switch is ON the output voltage is Vin and if the switch is Off

the output voltage is zero.

• The percentage of the time when the switch stays turned ON

is called the duty cycle.

• If the switch is continuously turns ON and OFF, then the

output voltage will look similar as in figure.

• Average Output voltage is shown by the dotted line.

• Controlling output voltage by controlling the pulse width of

the switch on time is called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM).

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3. Operation Modes
DC DC converter has basically 2 major modes of operation

1. Buck Mode
2. Boost Mode

Buck Mode : Boost Mode

• When Output voltage is less than Input • When Output voltage is more than
voltage DC DC is in buck mode. Input voltage DC DC is in boost mode.
• Input voltage will be HV and input • Input voltage will be LV and input
current will be less. current will be High current.

• In addition to major operation modes there exists some other modes such Sleep mode, Initialization
Mode, Standby Mode in DC DC converters.

• There is an additional mode, Precharge Mode is seen in some DC DC converters for Precharging the input
DC link capacitor.

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3.2 PreCharge Operation
• Precharge operation is required when HV DC inputs are fed to devices which have high DC link capacitors.
• DC link capacitors shall be charged via Precharge resistor and precharge relay before enabling Main
contactors(HV+ and HV-)
• Precharge resistor shall be designed based on DC link capacitor value and the required precharge time.

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4. Non isolated Converter Topologies D= Ton /(Ton + Toff)

Buck Converter Boost Converter

Vout = Vin/(1-D)
Vout = Vin *D
D<1 Buck-Boost Converter

Vout = Vin*D/(1-D)

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5. EV DC DC Converter Overview

• The DC DC converter converts high voltage DC current from the HV Battery

voltage to 12 Volt DC that is used by the Low voltage loads in Vehicles

Outer Casing

HV Connector

Housing

LV- Terminal

I/O Connector &

LV+ Terminal
pins Cooling Water pipe
connections
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 Cont…

• All BEV and Hybrid Vehicles have 2 separate Voltage systems

provides current for all Low voltage loads in vehicle

➢ HV voltage bus provides current for the Traction motor

➢ LV voltage system

• DC DC converter is the bridge between HV and LV systems

• DC-DC converters are responsible for supplying secondary loads.

• DC-DC converters can be unidirectional, which transfers power only in one direction,
or bidirectional, which can transfer power in either direction.

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5.1 Why is DC/DC converter necessary?

➢ For EV Battery voltages of 300- 400 V is becoming common, and 800

V systems are starting to emerge, all to help produce more power
and keep current flows and cabling manageable.

➢ These voltages do not suit all the electrical loads aboard the vehicle,
so a means of converting them to lower or sometimes higher levels
efficiently is essential. That is the role of the DC-DC converter.

➢ The electric components inside the vehicle, however, vary in their

voltage requirements, with most running on a much lower
voltage(12 V).

➢ Charging the LV Battery

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6. DC DC Converters in BEV & Hybrid EV

Battery Electric Vehicle

➢ HV Voltage Range : 200 - 600 V DC

➢ LV Voltage Range : 9 – 16 V

➢ Average LV Voltage : 14V

➢ Bidirectional converter

➢ Power Rating : 2.5 - 5 kW

➢ Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen ID1.3,Nexon

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6.1 DC DC Converters in Hybrid EVs

Mild Hybrid EV (MHEV) Plug in Hybrid EV (PHEV)

➢ HV Voltage Range : 48 /72 V DC ➢ HV Voltage Range : 250 - 600 V DC

➢ LV Voltage Range : 9 – 16 V ➢ LV Voltage Range : 9 – 16 V

➢ Average LV Voltage : 14V ➢ Average LV Voltage : 14V

➢ Bidirectional converter ➢ Bidirectional converter

➢ Power Rating : 2.5 -3.5 kW ➢ Power Rating : 2.5 – 4 kW

➢ Audi A8, BMW, Toyota Prius ➢ Toyota Corolla, Volvo XC40,

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7. Internal Architecture & Working

Step Down/Up
DC - AC AC - DC
HV filter Transformer
conversion (Galvanic Isolation) conversion

LV Voltage LV filter

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8. Full Bridge Isolated LLC Topology in EV Architecture

• LLC Topology involves mainly 3 sections Inverting switches, LLC

resonant tank and Rectifier section

• The switching bridge generates a square waveform (dc to ac

conversion) to excite the LLC resonant tank.

• LLC tank resonates the square wave, smoothens and filters to

pure scaled sinusoidal waveform.

• Rectifier and HF Transformer performs the rectifier action with

Diodes (ac to dc conversion).

• Output capacitor filters the rectified ac current and outputs a DC

voltage.

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8.1 Advantages of Full Bridge Isolated LLC Topology

➢ Higher Efficiency

➢ Electrical Isolation

➢ Wide Output range

➢ Used in High Power applications

➢ Switching Loss is very Less

➢ Low EMI harmonics

➢ Magnetic Integration

➢ Low Voltage stress

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9. Topology Selection Criteria

1. Maximum flux density:

Transformer size and losses are critical to respect specifications. For this
criterion, the maximum flux density is evaluated, based on maximum volt-second
applied on primary side.

2. Electrical stress:

To manage the high input voltage, the power-stage requires high-voltage power
switches.

3. Soft Switching:

Soft switching allows to reduce switching losses that can be very important due to high-
voltage.

4. Complexity:

In order to reduce power-stage size, one option is to reduce the amount of components
and reduce the complexities in design.

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10. Power Derating Strategy in DC DC Converter

DC DC Converters are mostly used severe environment, as the need

for system miniaturization, the heat dissipation problem of the
power converter must be properly arranged in the limited space
application.
Factors affecting Power Deration are
• Ambient Temperature
• Coolant Flow rate (Lpm)
• Internal Temperature (Component temperature & internal air
temperature)
The area within the curve is called the Safe Operating Area (S.O.A).

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11. Switching in DC DC Converter

• Key specifications for most power-conversion

implementations include cost, power density, efficiency,
transient response, output ripple, electromagnetic
interference (EMI) emissions, and total design-in time.

• The terms “hard switching” and “soft switching” refer to

the methods of switching based on the relationship of
current and voltage during the turn-on and turn-off of the
switch.

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11.1. Hard-switching

➢ Hard-Switching is simply forcing the transistor to turn on and off

(commutate) by adding the current or voltage to the Gate to
enable the changed states.
➢ Hard-switching is known to be hard on transistors and shortens’
their useful life and have numerous drawbacks.
➢ Hard-Switching transistors yields inefficient systems with
increased cost, size and weight.

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11.1.1. Hard Switching Effects

❖ Switching losses
❖ Device stress, thermal management
❖ EMI due to high di/dt and dv/dt
❖ Energy loss in stray inductor and Capacitor

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11.2 Soft-switching
• Soft-switching technique uses an external circuit to prevent overlap of the
voltage and current wave forms during transistor commutation.
• This type of switching reduces noise and switching losses because transistors
turn on and off at zero (or near zero) voltage or current.
There are two types of soft switching:

1. Self-resonant –
self-oscillating circuit is used to precisely time transistor
commutation. Mainly used for Non Isolated topologies.

2. Forced resonant –
soft switching topologies uses various inputs (input voltage, load,
transistor voltages, currents etc.) to calculate the timing required to
force a resonance to offset the current and voltage wave forms –
thereby eliminating switching losses.

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11.2.1 Advantages of Soft Switching

❖ Reduced switching losses

❖ Reduce Switch stress
❖ Reduce HF Noises.
❖ Low EMI
❖ Easier thermal management

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11.2.2. Zero Current Switching (ZCS)

• In a ZC resonant switch, an inductor (Lr) is connected in series

with a power switch (MOSFET /IGBT) in order to achieve zero-
current-switching (ZCS).
• Shapes the switch current waveform during conduction time
in order to create a zero-current condition for the switch to
turn off.
• At turn-on, the switch current will rise slowly from zero. It will
then oscillate because of the resonance between resonant
inductor and Capacitor.

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11.2.3. Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS)

• Zero-voltage switching can be described as the power to

the device is turned off or on only when the output
voltage is zero volts.
• The objective of a ZV switch is to use the resonant circuit
to shape the switch voltage waveform during off time in
order to create a zero-voltage condition for the switch to
turn on.

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12. DC-DC Converter Tests
DC-DC Converter
• Load test
• Voltage Range and stability tests
• Current limit feature
• Power output tests
Test Coverage
1. Steady State Response
evaluation
▪ Regulation Accuracy
▪ Measurement of Output
Voltage ripple
▪ Measurement of valid input
voltage range
▪ Output voltage tolerance range
check
▪ Output line regulation
▪ Output load regulation
▪ Output transient response
▪ Overvoltage/overcurrent Trips
▪ No load losses
▪ Efficiency
▪ Turn OFF time
2. Dynamic Response
evaluation
▪ HV Voltage step response
▪ Load dump at LV side
▪ Step response –load current
▪ Response to Short time input
voltage drop/short time
interrupt in input voltage
3. Safety
▪ Response to short circuit
▪ Disconnection of HV side
connector
4. Signal level checks
5. Communication Tests
6. Diagnostics testing
7. Fault Injection Tests
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 Thank you
Nijo George

Automation & Validation

Trivandrum- 695581, India | Mob +91 9656236005

nijo.george@tataelxsi.co.in

www.tataelxsi.com

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