TY - GEN
T1 - A method to extract low-voltage auxiliary power from a flying capacitor multi-level converter
AU - Stillwell, Andrew
AU - Lei, Yutian
AU - Pilawa Podgurski, Robert Carl Nikolai
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 IEEE.
PY - 2016/8/30
Y1 - 2016/8/30
N2 - Flying Capacitor Multi-Level (FCML) converters are attractive solutions for compact power conversion with a large step-down ratio. Many of these applications also need low-voltage auxiliary supplies to power control circuits or subsystems. Rather than build a separate converter that must be rated for the full input voltage, we propose to divert power from a naturally occurring, low-voltage node within the FCML converter itself. The current extracted from this low-voltage node creates a voltage imbalance in the flying capacitors, which, as it is undesirable, degrades the performance of the multilevel converter. Here, we analyze the mechanisms behind this imbalance, and propose a control technique to compensate for the asymmetric operating conditions introduced by the auxiliary power extraction. We demonstrate the control method through simulation and a hardware prototype, achieving excellent flying capacitor balance with a single capacitor voltage measurement and no additional switches or loads.
AB - Flying Capacitor Multi-Level (FCML) converters are attractive solutions for compact power conversion with a large step-down ratio. Many of these applications also need low-voltage auxiliary supplies to power control circuits or subsystems. Rather than build a separate converter that must be rated for the full input voltage, we propose to divert power from a naturally occurring, low-voltage node within the FCML converter itself. The current extracted from this low-voltage node creates a voltage imbalance in the flying capacitors, which, as it is undesirable, degrades the performance of the multilevel converter. Here, we analyze the mechanisms behind this imbalance, and propose a control technique to compensate for the asymmetric operating conditions introduced by the auxiliary power extraction. We demonstrate the control method through simulation and a hardware prototype, achieving excellent flying capacitor balance with a single capacitor voltage measurement and no additional switches or loads.
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U2 - 10.1109/COMPEL.2016.7556747
DO - 10.1109/COMPEL.2016.7556747
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84988937575
T3 - 2016 IEEE 17th Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics, COMPEL 2016
BT - 2016 IEEE 17th Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics, COMPEL 2016
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 17th IEEE Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics, COMPEL 2016
Y2 - 27 June 2016 through 30 June 2016
ER -