CHAPTER 3

ZERO-VOLTAGE SWITCHING TOPOLOGIES

3.1 CONCEPT OF ZVS TOPOLOGIES:

In this section, we investigate the zero-voltage switching (ZVS) quasi-resonant converter family.
Similar to ZCS configurations, M-type and L-type switch structures are applicable. In these
topologies, the power switch turns on at zero voltage, and it also turns off under zero-voltage
conditions. During the off period, a peak voltage appears across the switch, leading to greater
voltage stress compared to hard-switching PWM circuits.

A flyback diode, often the internal body diode, dampens the voltage across the switch capacitor,
achieving zero voltage switching. The capacitor employed might either be an external component
or the switch’s parasitic capacitance. The internal body diode can sometimes be substituted by a
faster external diode to enhance performance.

We consider a MOSFET switch setup that includes an internal body diode and parasitic
capacitor. Parasitic capacitances like Cgd and Cgs are assumed negligible for simplicity. If the
built-in diode (DS) is unsuitable for the specific application due to speed or power constraints, it
can be bypassed using an external fast-recovery diode.

In such configurations, D1 blocks DS while D2 conducts the reverse current. Both current-mode
and voltage-mode control techniques operate alongside direct PWM duty ratio control to regulate
the power switch’s on and off durations.

Over recent years, numerous zero-voltage resonant converter variants emerge, each with unique
improvements. In this work, we specifically analyze quasi-resonant soft-switching ZVS
topologies. Their operational characteristics and control behavior are examined in detail. Despite
differences in design, these converters share several essential functional features

3.2 Resonant Switch Arrangements:

Resonant switch arrangements control switching transitions by using LC resonance
to minimize losses. These switches operate by shaping voltage and current
waveforms into smooth, sinusoidal patterns. Two common types of resonant
switches are L-type and M-type configurations. The L-type switch connects the
resonant inductor in series with the power switch. The M-type switch positions the
inductor and capacitor differently to suit specific converter designs. Both types can
work in half-wave or full-wave modes depending on current direction. They create
natural zero-current or zero-voltage points during switching operations. These
arrangements allow the switch to turn on or off without significant power loss.
Resonant switches also reduce electromagnetic interference and improve converter
efficiency. They remain widely used in quasi-resonant and soft-switching power
converter circuits.

3.3 BASIC OPERATION

The circuit utilizes the natural oscillations of an LC network to achieve zero-voltage switching.
Initially, with the switch in the closed state, the inductor current Io flows through both the switch
and the resonant inductor Lr. At this instant, both diodes D1 and Ds remain non-conducting,
while the voltage across the resonant capacitor Cr and the switch is zero. The switch then opens
at zero voltage, diverting the current Io into Cr and causing the capacitor voltage to rise linearly.
As soon as Cr’s voltage reaches the input voltage Vs, diode D1 becomes forward-biased,
forming a resonant loop with Vs, Cr, and Lr. This underdamped circuit begins a sinusoidal
exchange of energy between the inductor and capacitor. When Cr’s voltage drops back to zero,
diode Ds turns on, conducting the negative inductor current. At this moment, the switch is
reactivated for a zero-voltage turn-on. The inductor current then rises positively, turning Ds off,
and the current shifts back to the switch. When the current returns to Io, diode D1 turns off,
restoring the circuit to its initial conditions and completing the switching cycle

3.4 STEADY STATE ANALYSIS:

3.4.1 MODES OF OPERARTION

 MODE-1[0 ≤ t ≤ t2]
At time t = 0, the switch opens while the voltage across it remains zero. At that instant,
the current through the resonant capacitor Cr becomes equal to Io, which causes the
voltage across Cr, initially zero, to rise in a linear manner over time. During this period,
the voltage across the resonant inductor Lr remains zero because its current is constant
and equal to Io.
The voltage at the input side of the output filter, denoted as Vx(t), is the difference
between the source voltage Vs and the linearly increasing capacitor voltage VC(t). This
makes Vx(t) a linearly decreasing function starting from Vs and reducing as VC(t)
increases.
 At time t = t1, when VC(t) reaches Vs, the diode turns on, initiating the resonant stage.
The time t1 can be calculated using the relation:
t1 = Vs * Cr / Io
From this, the expression for Vx(t) during this interval is given by:
Vx(t) = Vs (1-t / t1)
This defines a linear voltage drop at the filter input until diode conduction begins.

 MODE -2
After diode D1 becomes forward-biased, it maintains 0 V across its terminals. At this
moment, the circuit behaves as shown in Fig. 9-2c. Applying Kirchhoff’s voltage law
around the loop, the relationship between the inductor current and capacitor voltage is:
Lr ​diL ​(t)/dt ​= vC ​(t)
Differentiating both sides with respect to time gives:
Lr ​d 2iL ( t ) /dt=dvC ​( t) ​/dt

The capacitor’s current is related to the rate of change of its voltage by:
dvC ( t ) /dt=​iC ​(t) ​/Cr

Since during this interval the inductor current and capacitor current are equal
(IL(t)=iC(t) the previous equation can be combined to yield a second-order
differential equation:
 2 d 2iL ( t ) /dt+ 1/ Lr ​Cr ​​iL ​(t)=0

Solving this standard second-order differential equation, and using the initial
condition that iL(t1)=Io the inductor current during this resonant period is
expressed as:
iL ​(t)=Io ​cos [ω 0 ​(t−t 1 ​) ]
where the resonant angular frequency is:
ω 0 ​=1/ √ Lr ​Cr ​​1
Simultaneously, the voltage across the capacitor can be obtained by
integrating the inductor current:
t
vC ​(t)=Cr ​1∫ ❑iL ​(τ ) dτ +vC ​( t 1 ​)
t1

simplifying this, and noting vC(t1) = Vs at the start of this mode, we get:
vC ​(t)=Vs ​− Io ​Z 0 ​sin[ω 0 ​(t−t 1)]
The peak value of the capacitor voltage during this oscillation is expressed
by:
vC , peak ​=Vs ​+ Io ​Z 0
This value also represents the maximum reverse voltage stress that appears
across diode Ds and exceeds the input source voltage.
During this resonant stage, the input to the filter Vx(t) falls to zero because
diode D1 conducts. To find the instant t₂ at which the capacitor voltage
returns to zero, we set vC (t2)=0v_C(t_2) = 0 in Equation 9-32 and solve for
it
t 2 ​=t 1 ​+ ω 0 ​1 ​sin−1(Io ​Z 0 ​Vs ​​)
At this instant, diode Ds turns on to clamp the capacitor voltage at zero,
preventing it from going negative and continuing the resonant cycle safely.
 MODE-3
After time t2t_2t2, both diodes D1 and Ds conduct simultaneously. The
voltage across the resonant inductor Lr now equals the source voltage Vs As
a result, the inductor current iL(t) begins increasing linearly during this
interval.
At this point, the switch is reclosed immediately after t2t_2t2 while the
capacitor voltage Vc is zero, ensuring a zero-voltage turn-on condition.
During this phase, the diode Ds carries a negative inductor current.
The expression for iL(t) in this interval is given by:
iL ​(t)=Lr ​1 ​∫ t 2 ​t ​Vs ​dλ+ iL ​(t 2 ​)
Simplifying the integral yields:
i L ( t )=Lr ​Vs ( t−t 2 ) +iL ( t 2 )

Here, the initial current iL(t2) is obtained from the previous oscillation phase
as:
iL ( t 2 ) =Io ​cos [ ω 0 ( t 2 ​− t 1 ) ]

The inductor current continues to rise linearly until it reaches Io at t3.

Setting iL(t3) = Io in the above expression, we solve for the time instant
t3t_3t3:
Io ​= Lr ​Vs ( t 3 ​−t 2 ) + Io ​cos [ ω 0 ( t 2 ​−t 1 ) ]
 Rearranging to isolate t3t_3t3:
t 3 ​=t 2 ​+ Vs ​Lr ( Io ​− Io ​cos [ ω 0 ( t 2 ​− t 1 ) ] )

Simplified:
t 3 ​=t 2 ​+ Vs ​Lr ​Io ( 1−cos [ ω 0 ( t 2 ​−t 1 ) ] )

During this time interval, the input voltage to the output filter vx(t) remains
zero:
At t3 once iL(t) equals Io, diode D1 turns off, and the resonant cycle resets
to the initial state

 MODE-4
During the time interval from t3t_3t3 to T, the power switch remains closed,
while both diodes D1 and Ds remain off. In this state:
The inductor current iL(t) flows entirely through the closed switch.
These current stays constant at Io, supplying the output load.
The current in the switch is:
iL ( t )=Io ​, for t 3 ​≤ t ≤ T
At the same time, the voltage at the input of the output filter, vx(t), rises
back to match the source voltage Vs since the switch directly connects the
input to the filter:
vx ( t )=Vs ​, for t 3 ​≤ t ≤ T

In this interval, the resonant components (the inductor Lr and capacitor Cr

do not participate in energy transfer because the switch’s conduction
bypasses the resonant path. The circuit holds this condition steadily until the
switch is turned off again at t=Tt to initiate the next switching cycle.

The duration of this time interval, T−t3, is not determined by the resonant
components but by the external control signal, which sets the switching
frequency fs=1/t of the converter. This completes one full switching cycle,
after which the operation repeats starting again at t=0.
STEADY STATE WAEFORMS FOR ZVS BUCK CONVERTER