WIDE RANGE BI-DIRECTIONAL DC-DC CONVERTER

Abstract: Bi-directional DC-DC converters are used for applications that require a flow of energy in two directions, while a wide range converter offer efficient operation over a wide range of input and output voltages. However, an efficient technology that is both bi-directional and Wide Input Wide Output (WIWO), currently, does not currently exist.   To find a suitable topology, the work began by surveying the existing literature and when a potentially suitable solution was identified, it was evaluated via simulation.   Using a wide range, unidirectional topology as the starting point, a converter topology was designed, capable of reconfiguring its transformer ratios by controlling the synchronization of its switches.   By aiming to use soft switching in simulation, this topology was improved to reach 92\% efficiency in the forward mode and 95\% in the reverse mode of operation. Furthermore, a prototype of this converter was developed that reached 82\% efficiency. While this prototype requires a better controller, hardware optimization and testing for optimal performance, the proposed technology was verified via simulation to work as a WIWO converter that is also bi-directional.