Switching Frequency is Not the Limit: Multiphase Coupled Inductor FCML Converter Tracking Signals Above the Switching Frequency

Daniel H. Zhou, Minjie Chen

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Switching frequency is usually considered the main limiting factor for reducing the passive component size and improving the control bandwidth of power converters. The switching frequencies of semiconductor devices and passive components are usually the same in typical power electronics systems. Multi-level, multi-phase, and magnetically coupled circuits utilize a large number of low-frequency semiconductor devices to drive a few high-frequency passive components, enabling reduced ripple, reduced dc energy storage, miniaturized volume, and improved transient performance. This paper presents a 1 MHz four-phase, five-level coupled inductor flying capacitor multilevel (FCML) converter that tracks signals at and above the switching frequency. Combining multiple voltage levels, multiple phases, and coupled inductors, the effective switching frequency and achievable control bandwidth are multiplied by 16× to 16 MHz. A printed circuit board (PCB) embedded planar coupled inductor is designed to intrinsically balance the flying capacitor voltages, minimize output distortion, minimize output voltage/current ripple, and improve the transient performance. Spread spectrum pulse-width modulation (PWM) is implemented to mitigate high frequency harmonics.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication2023 IEEE 24th Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics, COMPEL 2023
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)9798350316186
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023
Event24th IEEE Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics, COMPEL 2023 - Ann Arbor, United States
Duration: Jun 25 2023Jun 28 2023

Publication series

Name2023 IEEE 24th Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics, COMPEL 2023

Conference

Conference24th IEEE Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics, COMPEL 2023
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityAnn Arbor
Period6/25/236/28/23

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Computer Science Applications
  • Energy Engineering and Power Technology
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Control and Optimization
  • Modeling and Simulation

Keywords

  • control bandwidth
  • coupled inductors
  • flying capacitor multilevel converter
  • multiphase converters
  • transient response
  • voltage balancing

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Switching Frequency is Not the Limit: Multiphase Coupled Inductor FCML Converter Tracking Signals Above the Switching Frequency'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this