Three-port triple-half-bridge bidirectional converter with zero-voltage switching

Abstract—A three-port triple-half-bridge bidirectional dc–dc converter topology is proposed in this paper. The topology comprises a high-frequency three-winding transformer and three half-bridges, one of which is a boost half-bridge interfacing a power port with a wide operating voltage. The three half-bridges are coupled by the transformer, thereby providing galvanic isolation for all the power ports. The converter is controlled by phase shift, which achieves the primary power flow control, in combination with pulsewidth modulation (PWM). Because of the particular structure of the boost half-bridge, voltage variations at the port can be compensated for by operating the boost half-bridge, together with the other two half-bridges, at an appropriate duty cycle to keep a constant voltage across the half-bridge. The resulting waveforms applied to the transformer windings are asymmetrical due to the automatic volt-seconds balancing of the half-bridges. With the PWM control it is possible to reduce the rms loss and to extend the zero-voltage switching operating range to the entire phase shift region. A fuel cell and supercapacitor generation system is presented as an embodiment of the proposed multiport topology. The theoretical considerations are verified by simulation and with experimental results from a 1 kW prototype.