This paper proposes a novel hybrid switching technique to improve the limitations of clamping voltage source circuit under low effective duty-ratio conditions. In phase-shifted full-bridge (PSFB) converter employing clamping voltage source circuit, op...
This paper proposes a novel hybrid switching technique to improve the limitations of clamping voltage source circuit under low effective duty-ratio conditions. In phase-shifted full-bridge (PSFB) converter employing clamping voltage source circuit, operation under low effective duty ratio causes an extended discharging interval of the clamping capacitor. As a result, increased clamping capacitor requirements, increased primary-side peak and RMS current, the requirement for small magnetizing inductance, and still-large output inductor are observed.
To overcome these limitations, a hybrid switching technique combining pulse-width modulation (PWM) and pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) is proposed. Unlike the conventional method, which operates solely based on phase-shifted PWM, the proposed method applies both PWM and PFM schemes. The proposed technique is experimentally validated using a 1.6 kW prototype designed for an input voltage range of 240-410 V and an output specification of 48 V / 33.4 A. At an input voltage of 410 V and an output condition of 48 V / 33.4 A, the proposed method improves the efficiency from 92.5% to 94.1%, achieving an efficiency enhancement of approximately 1.6%. In addition, the reduced burden on the clamping capacitor and the output inductor confirms an improvement in power density.