Study on the Reversible DC-DC Converter as Interface between Low and Medium Voltage DC Networks

This paper introduces an isolated reversible DC-DC converter with a particular topology, which benefits from both the NPC (neutral point clamped) structure and the series-parallel connection of converters. The key property of the proposed topology is the output voltage elevation above the blocking capabilities of each switch, without taking to a delicate synchronization of series-connected semiconductors. The converter is composed by two identical cells, each containing a full bridge, a medium frequency transformer and an NPC converter, connected in parallel at the input and in series at the output. The operation principle of each cell, into which a trapezoidal modulation was implemented, is similar to a DAB (dual active bridge). A new model improves the dynamic performance of the controller. Simulation and experimental results verify the proposed topology, its control and start-up strategy.