Interleaved, Multi-Switch, Multi-Phase Boost Converter for Battery Discharge Regulators

Abstract

Non-isolated step-up voltage converters are commonly required as Battery Discharge Regulators (BDR's). The Weinberg and boost derived topologies are traditionally employed in modules up to one or two kilowatts. The Interleaved Boost Converter (IBC) is a distributed power processing approach that provides some advantages: reduced power processing (current) per phase, distributed losses (power semiconductors and magnetics), input and output current ripple cancellation, improved dynamic response and better modularity, among others. The IBC converter as BDR has been previously treated and advantages and drawbacks discussed. In this paper a new approach is proposed, a multi-switch, multi-phase interleaved boost converter (named Multi Interleaved Boost Converter, MIBC) that provides inductor and switching frequency decoupling, which in turn affects in different aspects, such as, magnetics, input and output current ripples or part count. This paper presents and describes the MIBC, the potential benefits compared to the IBC and its application as BDR.