Design of a modular half-bridge DC/DC converter

Abstract

DC/DC converters are power electronic circuits that translate an input DC voltage to a higher/lower output voltage potential. These are used in a range of applications, from power supplies for portable electronics, telecommunications equipment to DC motor drives. This dissertation presents the design of a modular switch-mode DC/DC converter. The converter topology used is similar to the half-bridge converter, but instead of connecting the output to a passive load it is connected to another voltage source. Thus, the converter is able of being operated in first and second quadrants, supporting current flow in both directions. This is typically used in electric vehicles so to recover energy during regenerative braking. The designed DC/DC converter was initially simulated with open loop and closed loop control to verify the operation of the converter under different conditions. The DC/DC converter was then also implemented experimentally where printed circuit boards (PCBs) for the gate driver, over voltage and current protection, and signal conditioning circuitry of the voltage and current sensing were designed. Experiments were then also performed to verify the operation of the experimental DC/DC converter setup.