Khaligh, Dusmez issued patent for power converter

Associate Professor Alireza Khaligh (ECE/ISR) and ECE Faculty Research Assistant Serkan Dusmez were issued U.S. Patent No. 9,419,522 for a power converter on August 16.

ZVS DC/DC converter for converting voltage between a battery and a DC link in a hybrid energy storage system and method thereof is a bi-directional DC/DC converter with zero voltage soft switching (ZVS) capability. This results in a higher efficiency and provides reduction of switching losses due to higher switching frequencies.

Because the converter operates in higher frequencies, passive components such as inductors and capacitors can be made smaller. The converter can operate at three voltage levels in both power flow directions, providing flexibility in voltage control. This also allows the device to attain lower inductor current ripple and switch voltage ratings.

The converter provides an interface between two different energy storage components—for example, a battery pack and an ultracapacitor module—in a variety of mobile and stationary applications. These include electric vehicle powertrains, next-generation electric ships, more electric aircraft, and stationary grid-tied energy storage systems.

Published August 26, 2016