This paper presents the implementation of a thermal camera for the quantitative estimation of power losses in a high frequency planar transformer (100 kHz/ 5600 VA). The methodology is based on the observation of the transient temperature rise and determination of the power losses by means of curves representing the derivative of temperature as a function of power losses dissipated in the transformer. First, the thermal calibration characteristics had to be obtained from a simple experiment, where power losses are generated by DC current in the ferrite core and windings. Next, experimental investigations focused on the determination of the transformer power losses for a short circuit and no load, with a resistive load and with the rectifier as a load were carried out. Finally, to verify the obtained results, analytical calculations based on Dowell’s and modified Steinmetz’s equations were additionally made, which showed a good convergence. The proposed method is easy to implement and can be used as an alternative to the calorimetric method which is time-consuming and requires a complicated measurement setup.

This paper presents an analysis of the power transfer between two DC circuit by use a single phase galvanically isolated dual active bridge - DAB. The analytical description of instantaneous values of the currents in both DC and in AC circuits of the DAB is done. The influence of the dead time as well as voltage drops across the transistors and diodes of the bridges is examined. The different relations between voltages of the DC circuits coupled through DAB and various phase shift ratios are considered. The analytical relations describing the average values of the currents in DC circuits are derived. These currents can be used to predict the power in both DC circuits and power losses generated in semiconductor devices of the converter. It is assumed that the voltage drops across these devices in conduction states are constant. The calculation of the transferred power as well as power losses and energy efficiency for the DAB converter power rated 5600 VA which is used to energy transfer between DC circuits 280 V and 51 V±20% is presented. The proposed relations and calculation results can be useful for preliminary evaluation of power losses generated in semiconductor devices and for design of the cooling system. Due to the high switching frequency of 100 kHz, the phase shift modulation for the control of DAB is used. To validate the theoretical investigations a few experimental results are presented.

This paper proposes a model of a coupled inductor which takes into account the influence of frequency, temperature, and a constant component, I_DC, of currents in the windings on the parameters of the considered element. A description of the model and methods of measuring parameters of the inductor using an impedance analyzer and a chamber for thermal measurements is given. The obtained results of measurements are compared with the results of calculations proving a satisfactory match.

Phase-Shifted Full Bridge (PSFB) topology in its four-diode variant is the choice with the lowest part count in applications that demand high power, high voltage, and galvanic isolation, such as in Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers. Even though the topology is prevalent in power electronics applications, no single, unified analytical model has been proposed for the design process of four-diode PSFB converters. As a result, engineers must rely on simulations and empirical results obtained from previously built converters when selecting components to properly match the DC source voltage level with the DC load voltage requirements. In this work, the authors provide a design-oriented analysis approach for obtaining the output voltage and semiconductor current values, ready for implementation in a spreadsheet- or MATLAB-type software to automate design optimization. The proposed formulas account for all the first-order nonlinear dependencies by considering the impact of each of the following eight design parameters: DC-link voltage, load resistance, phase-shift ratio, switching frequency, transformer turns ratio, magnetizing inductance, series inductance, and output inductance. The results are verified through experiments at the power level of 10 kW and the DC-link voltage level of 800 V by using a grid simulator and a SiC-based two-level Active Front End (AFE) with a DC–DC stage based on the PSFB topology. The accuracy of the output voltage formula is determined to be around 99.6% in experiments and 100.0% in simulations. Based on this exact model, an automated design procedure for high-power high-voltage SiC-based PSFB converters is developed. By providing the desired DC-link voltage, output voltage, output power, output current ripple factor, maximum temperatures, and semiconductor and heatsink databases, the algorithm calculates a set of feasible designs and points to the one with the lowest semiconductor losses, dimensions, or cost.

This work presents concept and implementation of a bidirectional coupling between direct-current circuits of significantly different voltage levels using galvanic isolation in the form of a high-frequency transformer. Standard 5-kW/100-kHz compact dual active bridge modules were used for construction of the coupling. Possibilities of modular construction of the system were presented, in which both parallel and series-parallel connections of developed modules were analyzed. The work takes into account simulation studies of the presented solution as well as studies of an experimental model equipped with an advanced control and measurement system based on DSP-type processors. Modular construction of the converter ensures simple configuring depending on the application, increased reliability and reduced design and maintenance costs.

The paper presents an analytical approach to the determination of power losses in a high-frequency transformer operating in the dual active bridge (DAB). This transformer, having two single-phase transistor bridge inverters, couples two DC circuits that significantly differ in voltages (280 V and 51 V ±20%). Power losses in the core and windings of the planar transformer 5600 VA /100 kHz were calculated taking into account changes in the value and direction of the energy flow between the coupled DC circuits. These circuits represent storage or renewable energy sources and intermediate circuits of the converters used in distributed generation systems. Calculations were performed using the Steinmetz’s and Dowell’s equations. The analytical results have been verified experimentally.