Four-level Resonant Flying Capacitor Converter Operating under Resonance featuring Soft-Switching and Voltage Regulation capabilities

Augusto M. Medeiros; Yales R. de Novaes

doi:10.18618/REP.e202508

Authors

Augusto M. Medeiros Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9293-9325
Yales R. de Novaes Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0958-6891

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18618/REP.e202508

Keywords:

DC/DC Conversion, Flying-Capacitor, Multi-Resonant, State-plane Trajectory, WBG Devices

Abstract

Multilevel resonant converter topologies have been addressed to increase the power density and efficiency of step-down intermediate conversion stages, for low-voltage (LV) systems, due to the higher current demand, in addition to its inherent benefit of soft-switching capability and fixed static-gain ratio, while operating at, or above, resonance. This work proposes an extension for the multilevel Resonant Flying Capacitor Converter (ML-RFLCC), by demonstrating the potential soft-switching and voltage regulation capabilities of a 1:3 RFLCC while operating under and at the resonance. Due to the increased number of state variables, it presents a comprehensive state diagram, and normalization framework, to demonstrate the operating principle, and dependencies, of the different set of LC resonant tanks. In order to achieve such an operation, this work proposes an operating condition coefficient \(\Lambda\) to derive a design methodology. To validate the proposed operation condition, a 400V 500W GaN-based 1:3 RFLCC is presented, illustrating the theoretical correlation and non-idealities while operating under resonance.

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Author Biographies

Augusto M. Medeiros, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina

received the B.Sc. degree and M.Sc. in electrical engineering from Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Joinville, Brazil, in 2016 and 2024, respectively. He has an industrial background in research and development of power electronic converters with focus on different applications. He is currently with OAK Amplifiers, Sweden. His research interests include high-frequency power conversion systems, and topologies, resonant-type converters, and magnetic components.

Yales R. de Novaes, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina

(Member, IEEE) was born in Indaial, Santa Catarina, Brazil, in 1974. He received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the Regional University of Blumenau (FURB), Blumenau, Brazil, in 1999, and the M.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees from the Power Electronics Institute (INEP), Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil, in 2000 and 2006, respectively. In 2001, he worked as a Research Engineer at the same institute. From 2006 to 2008, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Industrial Electronics Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. From 2008 to 2010, he was a Scientist with the Power Electronics Systems Group, ABB Corporate Research Center, Daetwill, Switzerland. He was also a Post-Doctoral Researcher Fellow at The University of Nottingham, PEMC, UK, from 2022 to 2023. He is currently a Full Professor at UDESC - Santa Catarina State University, Joinville, Brazil, and a Coordinator of CMEAR (Research Cell on Microgrids of Alternative and Renewable Energies).

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