• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.249-258
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• 2003

This paper presents a high-efficient and cost effective three-phase AC/DC-DC/AC power conversion system with a single two-switch type active Auxiliary Resonant DC Link (ARDCL) snubber circuit, which can minimize the total power dissipation. The active ARDCL snubber circuit is proposed in this paper and its unique features are described. Its operation principle in steady-state is discussed for the three phase AC/DC-DC/AC converter, which is composed of PWM rectifier as power factor correction (PFC) converter, sinewave PWM inverter. In the presented power converter system not only three-phase AC/DC PWM rectifier but also three-phase DC/AC inverter can achieve the stable ZVS commutation for all the power semiconductor devices. It is proved that the proposed three-phase AC/DC-DC/AC converter system is more effective and acceptable than the previous from the cost viewpoint and high efficient consideration. In addition, the proposed two-switch type active auxiliary ARDCL snubber circuit can reduce the peak value of the resonant inductor injection current in order to maximize total system actual efficiency by using the improved DSP based control scheme. Moreover the proposed active auxiliary two-switch ARDCL snubber circuit has the merit so that there is no need to use any sensing devices to detect the voltage and current in the ARDCL sunbber circuit for realizing soft-switching operation. This three-phase AC/DC-DC/AC converter system developed for UPS can achieve the 1.8% higher efficiency and 20dB lower conduction noise than those of the conventional three-phase hard-switching PWM AC/DC-DC/AC converter system. It is proved that actual efficiency of the proposed three-phase AC/DC-DC/AC converter system operating under a condition of soft switching is 88.7% under 10kw output power.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.109-117
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• 2007

In this paper, a novel proposal for a utility-interactive three-phase soft commutation sinewave PWM power conditioner with an auxiliary active resonant DC-link snubber is developed for fuel cell and solar power generation systems. The prototype of this power conditioner consists of a PWM boost chopper cascaded three-phase power conditioner, a single two-switch auxiliary resonant DC-link snubber with two electrolytic capacitors incorporated into one leg of a three-phase V-connection inverter and a three-phase AC power source. The proposed cost-effective utility-interactive power conditioner implements a unique design and control system with a high-frequency soft switching sinewave PWM scheme for all system switches. The operating performance of the 10 kW experimental setup including waveform quality, EMI/RFI noises and actual efficiency characteristics of the proposed power conditioner are demonstrated on the basis of the measured data.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.237-245
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• 2004

In this paper, a two-switch high frequency flyback transformer linked zero voltage soft switching PWM DC-DC power converter implemented for distributed DC- feeding power conditioning supplies is proposed and discussed. This switch mode power converter circuit is mainly based on two main active power semiconductor switches and a main flyback high frequency transformer linked DC-DC converter in which, two passive lossless quasi-resonant snubbers with pulse current regeneration loops for energy recovery to the DC supply voltages composed of a three winding auxiliary high frequency pulse transformer, auxiliary capacitors and auxiliary diodes for inductive energy recovery discharge blocking due to snubber capacitors are introduced to achieve zero voltage soft switching from light to full load conditions. It is clarified that the passive resonant snubber-assisted soft switching PWM DC-DC power converter has some advantages such as simple circuit configuration, low cost, simple control scheme, high efficiency and lowered noises due to the soft switching commutation. Its operating principle is also described using each mode equivalent circuit. To determine the optimum resonant snubber circuit parameters, some practical design considerations are discussed and evaluated in this paper. Moreover, through experimentation the practical effectiveness of the proposed soft switching PWM DC-DC power converter using IGBTs is evaluated and compared with a hard switching PWM DC-DC power converter.

• Proceedings of the KIPE Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.193-197
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• 2001

This paper presents a novel circuit topology of the double two-switch forward type high frequency transformer linked soft-switching PWM DC-DC power converter with tapped inductor filters that can operate under a condition of the low peak voltage stress across the power semiconductor devices and lowered peak current stress through the transformer for some high power applications. This circuit topology of an interleaved two-switch forward soft-switching power converter is proposed in the order to minimize an idle circulating current due to the tapped inductor filter without of any additional active auxiliary resonant-assisted snubber circuits, such as active resonant DC link snubbers and AC link snubbers, active resonant commutation leg link snubbers. The unique advantages of this power converter are less power circuit components and power semiconductor devices, constant frequency PWM scheme, cost effective configuration and wider soft-switching PWM operation range under PWM power regulations load variations. The practical effectiveness of the proposed soft-switching converter circuit topology is tested by simulations and is proved by experimental results received from the 500W-100kHz breadboard setup.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.233-239
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• 2005

In this paper, a new conceptual circuit configuration of a 3-phase voltage source, soft switching AC-DC-AC converter using an IGBT module, which has one ARCPL circuit and one ARDCL circuit, is presented. In actuality, the ARCPL circuit is applied in the 3-phase voltage source rectifier side, and the ARDCL circuit is in the inverter side. And more, each power semiconductor device has a novel clamp snubber circuit, which can save the power semiconductor device from voltage and current across each power device. The proposed soft switching circuits have only two active power semiconductor devices. These ARCPL and ARDCL circuits consist of fewer parts than the conventional soft switching circuit. Furthermore, the proposed 3-phase voltage source soft switching AC-DC-AC power conversion system needs no additional sensor for complete soft switching as compared with the conventional 3-phase voltage source AC-DC-AC power conversion system. In addition to this, these soft switching circuits operate only once in one sampling term. Therefore, the power conversion efficiency of the proposed AC-DC-AC converter system will get higher than a conventional soft switching converter system because of the reduced ARCPL and ARDCL circuit losses. The operation timing and terms for ARDCL and ARCPL circuits are calculated and controlled by the smoothing DC capacitor voltage and the output AC current. Using this control, the loss of the soft switching circuits are reduced owing to reduced resonant inductor current in ARCPL and ARDCL circuits as compared with the conventional controlled soft switching power conversion system. The operating performances of proposed soft switching AC-DC-AC converter treated here are evaluated on the basis of experimental results in a 50kVA setup in this paper. As a result of experiment on the 50kVA system, it was confirmed that the proposed circuit could reduce conduction noise below 10 MHz and improve the conversion efficiency from 88. 5% to 90.5%, when compared with the hard switching circuit.