Chapter 4

Isolated switching converters

Overview
⚫ Push-pull Converter
⚫ Half-bridge Switching Converter
⚫ Full-bridge Switching Converter
⚫ Flyback Converter
⚫ Dual Active Bridge Converter

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 2

Transformerized converters
⚫ Isolation between the common or ground of the input supply
and the output load is often desired to isolate the common
returns from different parts of the electronic system to
eliminate ground loops between circuitries
⚫ In switching power supplies, there is always a need to have
multiple outputs with the same or different voltages for
different load requirements
⚫ In switching converters, transformers can also be used to
isolate the output load from the input power supply
⚫ Transformers also provide the necessary voltage scaling, thus
enabling a higher output voltages

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 3

Push-pull converter
⚫ The push-pull converter is derived from two forward
converters working in anti-phase
⚫ The voltage across the transformer and, hence, the peak
collector voltage of the switching transistor is limited to
twice the input voltage
⚫ Since power is not stored in the transformer, more power
can be handled at a greater efficiency and with a better
regulation than the forward converter
⚫ The maximum duty cycle attainable is slightly less than
50%
⚫ The dead time td should, at least, be equal to turn-off
times of the switching transistors
Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 4
Push-pull converter

D4 Los

ic1 (t) +
+ +
Q1
Vi Vc1 Ns RL2 vsm(t)
Cos
- -
Np1
Ns D3
-
D2
+ Lom +
v2 (t) iD2(t) iL(t)
- Nm
-
Rs1
vC2(t) Np2 Com vam(t)
+ RL1
Q2 + Nm v1(t)
Rs2
iC2 (t) - -
D1 iD1(t)
Error
Pulse-width Amplifier
modulator -
& .
+
Base driver Vref

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 5

Push-pull converter
⚫ When the switching transistor Q1 is switched on during the
first half of the switching period, all un-dotted ends of the
transformer windings are now positive as the input supply
voltage is applied across the primary winding, Np1.
⚫ ic1(t) increases linearly from I1 to I2 in time ton.
⚫ The collector at Q2 is now at twice the input voltage since both
the primary windings have the same number of turns.
⚫ The voltage at the anode of the rectifier D1 is a rectangular
waveform of the input voltage: v = V N m .
1 I
Np
Np
⚫ D1 is now forward biased and the current is: iD1(t) = ic1 (t) .
Nm

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 6

Push-pull converter
PWM (Q1)

t
Vce(t)
2VI
VI

t
T
Ic1(t)
I2
I1

t
Vce2(t)
2VI
VI
ton

Ic2 (t)
I2

I1

t
V1 (t)
Np
-VI
Nm

iD1 (t)
Np
I
Np Nm 2
I
Nm 1

t
Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 7
Push-pull converter
⚫ Output waveforms of the push-pull converter
PWM(Q2) (t)

V2(t) T
N
VI sm
Np

iD2 (t)

t
iL (t)

IL

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 8

Push-pull converter
⚫ Voltage conversion ratio of the push-pull converter can be found
using the volt-second products on the output inductor.
⚫ During the on-time, ton, the voltage across the output inductor is:
N
(VI m - Vam )
Np
⚫ During the toff, the voltage across the output inductor is –Vam.
⚫ Thus,
Nm
(VI - Vam ) 2ton - Vam (T - 2ton ) = 0 .
Np

⚫ The voltage conversion ratio is

 N   2t 
Vam = VI  m   on 
N  T 
 p

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 9

Push-pull converter
⚫ The most common failure mode in the push-pull
converter with bipolar switching transistors is
caused by a flux imbalance in the transformer

⚫ This failure mode is less severe in the push-pull

converter with power MOSFET switching
transistors

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 10

Half-bridge switching converter
⚫ The half-bridge topology is primarily used in off-line
switching converters since their switching transistors are
not subjected to twice the input supply voltage as in the
forward and push-pull switching converters
⚫ The half-bridge switching converter requires a more
complex control circuitry
⚫ An isolated driver is required for the switching transistor
The filter capacitors are usually bulky and costly

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 11

 Half-bridge switching converter
+ +
PWM(Q1)
vce1(t) D3
Cf1 Q1

- D2 Lo
+
iD2 (t)
Ns Co va(t)
Cb R
Vi -
Ns D1

+
Cf2 Q2
vce2(t) D4
PWM(Q2)
- -

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 12

Half-bridge switching converter
PWM(Q1)(t)

Ic1(t)
I2
I1

iD2 (t) T

Np
I Np
Ns 1 I
Ns 2

t
Vce1 (t)
VI

t
Vce2 (t)
VI

t
Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 13
 Half-bridge switching converter

⚫ Voltage conversion ratio

 VI N s  2t toff
 - Va  on - Va
 T
=0 .
 2 N p  T

N   ton 
Va = VI  s  2  
N
 p  T 

 V  N  t 
Va =  I - Vce  s - Vd  2  on  .
 2  Np   T 

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 14

Half-bridge switching converter
⚫ The full-wave output of the half-bridge switching
converter results in the use of smaller output
inductor and capacitor when compared to the
forward converter

⚫ The other important feature of the half-bridge

switching converter is that the leakage
inductance spikes are clamped to the input
supply bus

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 15

Full-bridge switching converter

+ + +
PWM(Q1) PWM(Q3)
vce1(t) vce3 (t)
Q1 Q3
D2 Lo
- -
+
iD2 (t)
Ns Co va (t)
R
Vi Np -
Ns D1

+ +

Q2 Q4
vce2 (t) vce4 (t)
PWM(Q2) PWM(Q4)
- - -

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 16

Full-bridge switching converter
PWM(Q1,Q4)(t)

t
Ic1(t),ic4 (t)
I2
I1

iD2 (t) T

Np
I
Ns 1 Np
I
Ns 2

t
vce1(t), vce4(t)
VI

t
vce2(t), vce3 (t)
VI

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 17

Full-bridge switching converter
⚫ Voltage conversion ratio
 Ns  2ton 2toff
 VI - Va 
 T
- Va =0 .
 N p  T

Va  N s   ton 
= 2
 N   T 
,
VI  p

Va  Ns 
=2
 N 
D .
VI  p

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 18

Full-bridge switching converter
⚫ Primarily used in off-line switching converters
⚫ The output power of the full-bridge converter is
double that of the half-bridge converter
⚫ It has good transformer utilization
⚫ However, it requires a more complex driver
circuitry that is capable of driving high-side and
low-side switching transistors
⚫ The flux imbalance is also a potential problem in
the full-bridge converter
Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 19
Flyback converter
⚫ The flyback converter is widely used for high voltage as
well as offline power supplies applications.
⚫ An output inductor is not required, as such, it is attractive
for multiple output application with a better voltage
tracking than most other switching converter topologies.
⚫ The savings in cost and size, due to the absence of the
output inductor, is a significant advantage over other
switching converter topologies.
⚫ The flyback converter is essentially a constant-output-
power switching converter

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 20

Flyback converter
D2

+ Cos Ros Vss

ip (t) Nss
+
-
vp (t)
Np
+ is(t) D1 +
Rs1
Ns Vam
V
I - Com Rom
vs (t)
Rs2
- -

Qs
Error
- Amplifier
Pulse-width -
.
modulator and driver +
Vref

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 21

Flyback converter
⚫ When the switch Qs is
switched on, the dotted ends of
the windings are negative with
respect to the undotted ends.
The output rectifier D1 is
reverse-biased. The output is
maintained by the output
capacitor Co.
di p VI VI
= , I p ,max = ton
dt Lp Lp

⚫ Ip,max does not depend on load

variation, thus, the flyback
converter delivers a constant
power.
Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 22
Flyback Converter
⚫ The switch Qs is switched off at t=ton. Since the magnetic flux
cannot change instantaneously, the voltage across the primary
winding reverses its polarity.
⚫ The dotted ends of the winding are now positive with respect to the
undoted ends.
⚫ The output rectifier D1 is now forward biased and the current flows
from the secondary winding.
⚫ The current in the secondary winding decreases linearly at a rate
determined by: di s Vs
=
dt Ls
⚫ The peak secondary current is related to the peak primary current
and is related to the transformer turn ratio:  Np 
I s , max =   I p ,max .
 Ns 
Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 23
Flyback converter
⚫ The flyback converter first stores the energy in the transformer
during the on-time, and, subsequently, transfers this energy to the
load during the off-time of the switching transistor.
⚫ The input power is defined as:
Lp (I p ,max )2
Pi = .
2T
or
2
(V t )
Pi = I on .
2T L p
⚫ The efficiency is:
1
I s ,max 2 2
P L I 
 = out = 2T = s  s ,max  .
Pi 1
L p I p ,max 2 L p  I p ,max 
2T
Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 24
Flyback converter
⚫ The relationship between the primary and secondary currents can
be found as:
Lp N 
I s ,max =  I p ,max , I s ,max =   p  I p ,max ,
Ls  Ns 

2
since  N p   Lp 
  = 
 s   Ls 
N

⚫ Then, 1  t2 
Ia = I s ,max   .
2 T 

Va N p 2 Ls
t2 = ,
VI N s f R

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 25

 Flyback converter
⚫ The flyback converter is said to be operating in the continuous mode
of operation if the switching transistor is switched on while energy is
being dumped into the load.
⚫ When the switch is on, the current in the primary winding increases
linearly from Ip,min to Ip,max:
I p. max − I p ,min
VI = Lp
ton

⚫ When the switch is off, the current decreases linearly from Is,max to
Is,min: I s ,max − I s ,min
Va + Vd = Vs = Ls
toff
⚫ Since the switching transistor is switched on again before the
secondary current drops to zero, it is being transferred back to the
primary through the current, Ip,min.
Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 26
⚫
Flyback converter
⚫ The secondary current is related to the primary current through the
inverse turn-ratio of the transformer:
Np
I s ,max - I s ,min = (I p ,max - I p ,min ) .
Ns
I s ,max + I s ,min toff
⚫ The average current is Ia = .
2 T

 Ns  D
⚫ The average output voltage is Va = VI   .
N (1 - D)
 p 

Np
⚫ The off-state collector voltage is Vc = VI + Va .
Ns

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 27

Flyback converter

Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 28

Flyback converter
⚫ The continuous mode flyback converter is suited for
those applications that require a constant output voltage.
⚫ The discontinuous mode flyback converter is suited for
those applications that requires a constant current
because it responds more rapidly with a lower transient
output voltage spike to sudden changes in load current
or input voltage when compared to the continuous mode
flyback converter.
⚫ The peak currents in the discontinuous mode flyback
converter are larger than those continuous mode flyback
converter.
Power switching converters Transformerized switching converters 29