ELEC 431 Class notes Resonant DC/DC Converters P.K.

Jain

Resonant converters are used to reduce/eliminate the switching losses. There are three basic
types of the resonant DC/DC converters:

1. Series resonant converter

2. Parallel resonant converter

3. Series-Parallel resonant converter

I. Series Resonant Converter:

S1 S2
D1 D2 L C Dr1
is N1: N2 ior Io
+
+
Vi + + + Co RL Vo
vsec
_ _
_ vs vp
S4 S3 _ _
D4 D3 Dr2

Figure 1

One method of controlling the output voltage in resonant converters is to control the switching
frequency of the full-bridge inverter. This method is called ‘variable frequency control’. In this type
of control, the switching frequency (fs) controls the impedance of the resonant components connected
between the inverter and the load. This in-turn controls the power flow from the input to the output
and, therefore, the output voltage. The resonant components L and C have a fixed value of the
resonant frequency ( f r  1 LC ). Depending upon the value of the frequency, the converter operates
2
in the following three modes:

1. Below resonance mode (fs < fr)

2. Above resonance mode (fs > fr)
3. At resonance mode (fs = fr)

In the below resonance mode, the switching frequency of the converter is lower than the resonant
frequency. While in the above resonance mode, the switching frequency of the converter is higher
than the resonant frequency. Obviously, at the resonance mode, both the frequencies are equal. The
operating waveforms of the converter in these modes are given in Figure 2. In Figure 2, Vg,S1, Vg,S2,
Vg,S3 and Vg,S4 represent the gate signal applied to switch S1, S2, S3 and S4 respectively.

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ELEC 431 Class notes Resonant DC/DC Converters P.K. Jain

Vg,S1
Vg,S3

t
Vg,S2
Vg,S4

Vi t
vs

is
current is leads
t voltage vs

vp

ior
Io

t
Vo

t
Ts /2
Ts

(a) Below resonance

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ELEC 431 Class notes Resonant DC/DC Converters P.K. Jain

Vg,S1
Vg,S3

t
Vg,S2
Vg,S4

Vi t
vs

is
current is lags
t voltage vs

vp

ior
Io

t
Vo

t
Ts /2
Ts

(b) Above resonance

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ELEC 431 Class notes Resonant DC/DC Converters P.K. Jain

Vg,S1
Vg,S3

t
Vg,S2
Vg,S4

Vi t
vs

is
current is in phase
t with voltage vs

vp

ior
Io

t
Vo

t
Ts /2
Ts

(c) At resonance

Figure 2

 Analysis of the Series Converter

Since a resonant circuit is connected between the inverter and the load, it can be assumed that the
current harmonics in the series resonant circuit are very small. Therefore, we are going to consider the
fundamental equivalent circuit only. Also, for the fundamental circuit, the rectifier load at the primary

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ELEC 431 Class notes Resonant DC/DC Converters P.K. Jain

of the transformer can be represented by an equivalent AC resistance Rac  8 RL . The equivalent

2

circuit of the converter of Figure 1 is given in Figure 3.

jωsL -j/ωsC
is

+ +
vs1 vop Rac
_ _

Zs
Figure 3

Mathematical Analysis According to the Equivalent Circuit shown in Figure 3:

Since vs is a square voltage waveform, the RMS value of the inverter voltage (vs) is represented by
Vs1 as shown in (1):

2 2
Vs1  Vi  0.9Vi ------------------------------------------------------ (1)


 1 
Z s  Rac  j s L  
s C 
------------------------------------------- (2)


 Z s  ------------------------------------------------------ (3)

v s1 v s1
is      ------------------------------------------------------ (4)
Zs Zs

 
 s L  1  
  s C  
1  
  tan  
 Rac 
 
 

Defining the following quantities:

s  2f s  operating angular switching frequency [rad/s]

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ELEC 431 Class notes Resonant DC/DC Converters P.K. Jain

fs = operating switching frequency [Hz]

2f r L 1
Q   Quality factor
Rac 2f r CRac

1
fr   Resonant frequency [Hz]
2 LC

r  2f r  Angular resonant frequency [rad/s]

From equation (2):

  L 1  
Z s  Rac 1  j  s  

  ac
R  s CR ac  

   L  1  
 Rac 1  j  s r  r 

   r Rac  s  r CRac  
--------------------- (6)
  1  
 Rac 1  j  Q  Q
    
 
  1 
 Rac 1  jQ    
   
  

In equation (6),

s
  Relative angular operating frequency
r

Since,

Z s  Z s 

1/ 2
  1 
2

Hence → Z s  Rac 1  Q 2      ----------------------------------- (7)

    


  1 
→   tan 1  Q      ----------------------------------- (8)
   

The inverter’s output current:

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ELEC 431 Class notes Resonant DC/DC Converters P.K. Jain

Vs1
is 
Z s 

0.9Vi   
is  1/ 2
----------------------------------- (9)
  1 
2

Rac 1  Q     
2
    


The magnitude of the output voltage vop is then

vop  is Rac
0.9Vi
vop  1/ 2 ---------------------------------- (10)
 2

1  Q 2    1  
    


 The output voltage of the converter can, therefore, be controlled by controlling the relative
operating frequency ω or f. Figure 4 shows the output voltage control as a function of f.

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ELEC 431 Class notes Resonant DC/DC Converters P.K. Jain

vop
0.9vi

Small Q (a) output voltage

High Q
f= fr / fs

Capacitive impedance Inductive impedance

|Zs|
(b) Impedance
magnitude

f= fr / fs
ɸ
90°
(c) Impedance
angle
0 f= fr / fs

-90°
1.0

Figure 4

The converter can operate in the following three modes:

1. f < 1: In this mode fs/fr < 1, and it is called “below resonance mode”.

 In this mode, the impedance seen by the inverter is capacitive. This causes a
“leading” current with respect to the inverter output voltage vs. With the leading
current, the inverter operates with the zero current switching (ZCS).

2. f = 1: In this mode fs/fr = 1, and it is called “At resonance mode”.

 In this mode, the impedance seen by the inverter is resistive. Both the inductive and
capacitive impedances cancel each other. The output current ‘or’ voltage of the
converter is maximum. The inverter output current is in phase with the voltage.
With this the inverter operates with ZCS.

3. f > 1: In this mode fs/fr > 1, and it is called “above resonance mode”.

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ELEC 431 Class notes Resonant DC/DC Converters P.K. Jain

 In this mode, the impedance seen by the inverter is inductive. This causes a
“lagging” current with respect to the inverter output voltage vs. With the lagging
current, the inverter operates with the zero voltage switching (ZVS).

From Figure 4(a), it is clear that the maximum output voltage, therefore, the maximum power is
obtained at the resonance point. The output voltage can be controlled either by reducing the
operating frequency or by increasing the operating frequency. The operation of the converter is,
however, preferred by increasing the frequency because the converter operates with ZVS. ZVS is a
better technique than ZCS because with ZVS, both the turn-on and turn-off losses can be effectively
reduced. In ZCS, only the turn-off loss can be reduced. However, the ZCS technique is preferred
with the switches that rely on the external circuits to commutate. One example of such a switch is
the “thyristor or SCR”.

Advantages of the Series Resonant Circuit:

The main advantage of the series resonant converter is its simplicity and its high efficiency from
full-load to reduced-load.

Disadvantages of the Series Resonant Circuit:

The main drawback of the series resonant circuit is that it loses the output voltage control at very
reduced loads and no loads.

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 ELEC 431 Class notes Resonant DC/DC Converters P.K. Jain

II. Parallel Resonant Converter:

S1 S2
D1 D2 L Dr1
is N1: N2 ior Lo io
+
+
Vi + + + Co RL Vo
vsec
_
_ C _
vs vp
S4 S3 _ _
D4 D3 Dr2

Figure 5

Advantage: No-load to full-load possible

Disadvantage: Low efficiency at reduced loads

III. Series-Parallel Resonant Converter:

S1 S2
D1 D2 L Cs Dr1
is N1: N2 ior Lo io
+
+
Vi + + + Co RL Vo
vsec
_ _
_ vs Cp vp
S4 S3 _ _
D4 D3 Dr2

Figure 6

Advantage: No-load to full-load possible

Disadvantage: Good efficiency from full-load to reduced-load

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