Doctoral school of energy- and geo-technology

January 15–20, 2007. Kuressaare, Estonia

Output Filter for the High-Voltage DC/DC Converter

Margus Müür, Dmitri Vinnikov

Tallinn University of Technology
margus.muur@ttu.ee

Abstract stable. The desired output voltage regulation

overshoot is only 2.5 % (i.e. 8.75 V), which makes
This paper presents the output filter analysis and the design of control system and output filter very
design for the high-voltage isolated DC/DC challenging.
converter. The topology of the filter is the second
order low-pass LC but in row with the relative Table 1. High-voltage DC/DC converter parameters
simplicity it demonstrates excellent performance. Parameters Values
Filter steady state analysis as well as simulation Input voltage range (V) 2200...4000
results are discussed. Output voltage (V) 350 ± 2.5%
Peak output current (A), 143
Keywords (during 1 min)
Second order LC-filter, simulation, voltage ripple Switching frequency (Hz) 1000

Introduction In the discussed half-bridge topology the maximum

All DC/DC converter topologies have an output duty cycle D (D=ton/T) of each switch is 80% from
filter to supply the load with an almost constant the half-period at rated load. In practice it means that
voltage waveform. The output filter has a strong isolation transformer must be specified to provide
influence on the performance of the converter and an maximal current just with the minimal input voltage
important impact in its size. One of the most (i.e., 2200 V). The respective voltage before the
common output filter configuration is the LC output filter (U3) and the output filter inductor
network. The values of the inductor and capacitor current (IL) are shown in Fig. 2.
are determined by the output voltage requirements
Apparently, the most demanding operation
and by the topology of the converter.
conditions to the output filter are at the maximum
Nowadays the Department of Electrical Drives and input voltage (i.e., 4000 V) and rated load, when the
Power Electronics of Tallinn University of duty cycle D becomes 44% of the half-period
Technology is developing a prototype of a brand- (Fig. 3). [1]
new isolated 3 kV DC/DC converter for the I, U
supplying internal 350 V DC-bus of a commuter
train. The implementation of new 6.5 kV IGBTs
enable further simplification of power circuits U3
(Fig. 1) with no changes in the blocking voltage
IL
capability of the inverter leg. The DC/DC converter
parameters are submitted in Table 1.
t
+Uin L0 Iout T
+Uout
IL
Fig. 2. Diode rectifier output voltage U3 and
T1 D1 C1 D3 D4
inductor current IL during the minimum input
voltage conditions (maximal switch duty cycle)
U3 C0
I, U
TX U3
T2 D2 C2 D5 D6

IL
Inout dI
Fig. 1. High-voltage DC/DC converter circuit
The converter output is connected to an intermediate t
DC-bus of a train. The function of the intermediate T
DC-bus is to interconnect secondary converters Fig. 3. Diode rectifier output voltage U3 and
(output modules). Despite the very wide primary inductor current IL during the maximum input
voltage fluctuations the output voltage must remain voltage conditions (minimal switch duty cycle)

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1 Output filter design relations discontinuous only when the front end of the
inductor current ramp has dropped to zero and that
The output LC-filter is used primarily in power this occurs when the output DC current (minimum)
supplies where voltage regulation is important and has fallen to half of the filter inductor ripple current
where the output current is relatively high and amplitude dI. Then: [2]
subject to varying load conditions. This filter is
mainly used in the high power applications. ton t
dI = 2 ⋅ I outm = U L ⋅ = (U 3 − U out ) ⋅ on , (1)
Low-pass LC-filter consists of an input inductor (L0) L0 L0
and an output filter capacitor (C0) (for the details see
Fig. 1). Inductor L0 is placed at the input of the filter where Ioutm – minimal output current (half the ramp
and is in series with the output of the rectifier circuit. amplitude dI), UL – voltage drop on filter inductor,
Since the action of an inductor is to oppose any U3 –rectifier output voltage, Uout – converter output
change in current flow, the inductor tends to keep a voltage (filtered), ton –switch on-state time, L0 –filter
constant current flowing to the load throughout the inductance to be calculated.
complete cycle of the applied voltage. As a result, Output voltage defining equation [2]
the output voltage never reaches the peak value of
the outgoing transformer voltage. The reactance of 2 ⋅ ton
U out = U 3 ⋅ , (2)
the inductor (XLo) reduces the amplitude of ripple T
voltage without reducing the DC output voltage by
an appreciable amount (the DC resistance of the thus, the ton calculation equation is [2]
inductor is just a few ohms). [2]
U out ⋅ T
The shunt capacitor (C0) charges and discharges at ton = . (3)
the ripple frequency rate, but the amplitude of the 2 ⋅U3
ripple voltage is relatively small because the As it was stated before, for the values of the output
inductor (L0) tends to keep a constant current filter components L0 and C0, the worst operating
flowing from the rectifier circuit to the load. In point is at the maximum input voltage level and at
addition, the reactance of the shunt capacitor (XCo) the rated load conditions (i.e., minimum duty cycle
presents low impedance to the ripple component operation). At this point, the operating duty cycle of
existing at the output of the filter, and thus shunts the inverter switches becomes 44% from the half-
the ripple component around the load. The capacitor period. Thus, ton is
attempts to hold the output voltage relatively
constant at the average value of the voltage. U out ⋅ T 0.44 ⋅ T
ton = = . (4)
The value of the filter capacitor (C0) must be 2 ⋅U 3 2
relatively large to present a low opposition (XCo) to
the pulsating current and to store a substantial The voltage U3 can be derived from Eq. 4
charge. The rate of the charge for the capacitor is
limited by the low impedance of the AC source (the U out ⋅ T
U3 = = 2.27 ⋅ U out . (5)
transformer), by the small resistance of the diode, 0.44 ⋅ T
and by the counter electromotive force (CEMF)
developed by the coil. Therefore, the RC-charge If Eqs. 4 and 5 are placed in Eq. 1, then
time constant is short compared to its discharge (0.44 ⋅ T / 2) = 2 ⋅ I
time. Consequently, when the pulsating voltage is dI = (2.27 ⋅ U out − U out ) ⋅ outm
(6)
first applied to the LC-filter, the inductor (L0) L0
produces a CEMF which opposes the constantly The filter inductance equation derived from Eq. 6 is
increasing input voltage. The net result is to
effectively prevent the rapid charging of the filter 0.14 ⋅ U out ⋅ T
capacitor (C0). Thus, instead of reaching the peak L0 = . (7)
I outm
value of the input voltage, C0 only charges to the
average value of the input voltage. After the input
voltage reaches its peak and decreases sufficiently, Then if the minimum current Ioutm is specified as 5%
the capacitor (C0) attempts to discharge through the (7.15 A) of the nominal output current Inout the
load resistance (RLoad), what is connected to filter inductance equation is
output. C0 will only partially discharge because of its
relatively long discharge time constant. The larger is 2.8 ⋅ U out ⋅ T
L0 = . (8)
the value of the filter capacitor, the better the I nout
filtering action. However, because of physical size,
there is a practical limitation to the maximum value Based on equation 8, the chosen filter inductor
of the capacitor. inductance has to be at least 6.86 mH.
The first step is to choose an output filter inductor. The next step is to choose output filter capacitor. It
In the filter inductance calculation is assumed that is assumed that the output capacitor size will be
the inductor current is not discontinuous. It is determined by the ripple current and ripple voltage

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specifications only. Assume that the ripple voltage at 2.1 Simulation with the minimal input voltage
the terminals of C0 can be 17.5 V (5% of the output
The output voltage pulse amplitude of an isolation
voltage). The current change in L0 during the “on”
transformer is minimal and the pulse width is
period will mainly flow into C0, and hence the
longest (on-state time of each IGBT transistor is
capacitance value required to give a voltage change
0.4 T).
of 17.5 V can be calculated as follows (the following
equation assumes a perfect capacitor with zero ESR) Fig. 5 demonstrates simulated inductor current (IL)
[3] and output current (Iout) waveforms. The peak-to-
peak inductor current ripple is not exceeding 5%,
dI ⋅ ton which is in the good agreement with the
C0 = . (9)
Ur requirements. Output current ripple is less than 1%.
150A

Thus, the output filter capacitor capacitance

minimum value is 180 µF, if the peak-to-peak ripple
IL
voltage is 5% of the output voltage and the allowed
filter inductor current ramp amplitude is 10% of the 145A

nominal output current.

With the minor modifications the same equations 140A

(1-9) can be applied to the maximum duty cycle

operation (minimal amplitude value of U3). Table 2
shows the duty cycle variation when input voltage Iout
135A

changes. Furthermore, it is shown the values of L0

and C0 to obtain required inductor current ripple
(10%) and output voltage ripple (5%).
130A
12.0ms 12.4ms 12.8ms 13.2ms 13.6ms 14.0ms 14.4ms 14.8ms 15.2ms 15.6ms 16.0ms

Table 2. Calculated filter parameters for the

different operation points Fig. 5. Inductor current (IL) and output current (Iout)
Amplitude value of U3 440 V 795 V waveforms with the maximum switch duty cycle
Switch duty cycle D 0.8(T/2) 0.44(T/2)
Value of L0 2.45 mH 6.86 mH Fig. 6 demonstrates rectifier output voltage (U3) and
Value of C0 327 µF 180 µF converter output voltage (Uout) waveforms. The
peak-to-peak output voltage ripple is less than 1%.

2 Output filter simulations 500V

U3
PSpice simulation circuit of the output LC-filter for 400V

a high voltage DC/DC converter is shown in Fig. 4.

300V

Uout
200V

100V

0V

Fig. 4. PSpice simulation circuit of the output -100V

0s
V(D3:2)
2ms
V(RLoad:2)
4ms 6ms 8ms

Time
10ms 12ms 14ms 16ms

LC-filter
Fig. 6. Rectifier output voltage (U3) and converter
All used components are ideal, what means that the output voltage (Uout) with the maximum switch duty
voltage drops were not considered in simulations. To cycle
simplify the circuit only the resistive load was used.
Two pulse voltage sources were used to simulate the 2.2 Simulation with the maximal input voltage
transformer output voltage. For finding transformer
output voltage amplitude Eq. 2 was used. The output voltage pulse amplitude of an isolation
transformer is reaching its maximum and the pulse
The output filter was proven in two different width is shortest (on-state time of each IGBT
conditions: with maximum switch duty cycle transistor is 0.22 T).
(minimal converter input voltage Uin) and with
minimum switch duty cycle (maximal converter Fig. 7 demonstrates simulated inductor current (IL)
input voltage Uin). Both simulations were made with and output current (Iout) waveforms. The peak-to-
maximum load that is most demanding for the peak inductor current ripple is not exceeding 10%,
output filter design. Values of filter elements to be which is in the good agreement with the
tested are L0=7 mH and C0=180 µF. requirements. Output current ripple is about 1.5%.

120
 160A

Inductor Current
160
IL, A
155A
IL 140
150A

120

145A

100

140A
80

135A
60

130A Iout 40
Output Current, Iout 54 72 t, ms
1 18
501 36
1001 1501 2001
Output Current
125A 160
IOUT, A
140
120A
12.0ms 12.4ms 12.8ms 13.2ms 13.6ms 14.0ms 14.4ms 14.8ms 15.2ms 15.6ms 16.0ms
I(L2) -I(RLoad)
Time

120

Fig. 7. Inductor current (IL) and output current (Iout) 100

waveforms with the minimum switch duty cycle 80

Fig. 8 demonstrates rectifier output voltage (U3) and 60

converter output voltage (Uout) waveforms. The

40
peak-to-peak output voltage ripple is about 1.5%. 1 18
501
Output Voltage,
36
1001
Uout 54
1501
72
2001 t, ms
Output Voltage
800V
410
UOUT, V
700V
U3 390

370
600V

350
500V
330

400V
Uout 310

290
300V

270
200V 1 18
501 36
1001 54
1501
72
2001
t, ms

100V

Fig. 9. Simulated waveforms of the isolated half-

0V
bridge DC/DC converter with proposed LC-filter
-100V
0s
V(RLoad:2)
2ms
V(L2:1)
4ms 6ms 8ms

Time
10ms 12ms 14ms 16ms
The maximum inductor current ripple is about 10%,
Fig. 8. Rectifier output voltage (U3) and converter while the output current ripple is less than 2%. The
output voltage (Uout) with the minimum switch duty voltage ripple of unregulated output is about 1.5%.
cycle The voltage overshoot during load step change is
14%, which can be fully compensated by the
3 Converter dynamic response appropriated control system algorithm.
Above-presented simulations are demonstrating that
Conclusion
filter components were selected properly.
Corresponding voltage and current ripple values are Output filters play a very important role in DC/DC
minimal. Thus, for the prototype it was decided to converters. Important aspects of converters such as
implement the laminated iron-core inductor with dynamic response, size and cost are closely related
inductance value of 5 mH. Two electrolytic to the components of the filter. Small values for the
capacitors (EPCOS B437 560 µF, 450 V) will be filter components improve the performance of the
connected in series with the total capacitance value converters and increase the power density, whereas
of 280 µF. minimum values should be provided to guarantee the
filtering objective.
To test the converter dynamic response with the
selected output filter components the generalized References
mathematical model of the converter was developed
[1] D. Vinnikov, „Research, Design and
by help of Simplorer simulation software.
Implementation of Auxiliary Power Supplies
The converter model was tested with the maximal for the Light Rail Vehicles”, PhD Thesis,
input voltage conditions (4000 V) and during the Tallinn, 2005.
random load step change (see Fig. 9), when the [2] Pressman, A.I., “Switching Power Supply
output current of the converter is changing instantly Design”, Second Edition, McGraw-Hill, 1998.
from some intermediate value (70 A) to a maximal [3] Billings, K.H., “Switchmode Power Supply
value (143 A). Handbook”, McGraw-Hill, 1989.

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