Half-Bridge Integrated Phase-Shifted Full-Bridge Converter with High Efficiency Using Center-Tapped Clamp Circuit for Battery Charging Systems in Electric Vehicles

In this article, a half-bridge (HB) integrated phase-shifted full-bridge (PSFB) converter with a new center-tapped clamp circuit is proposed to achieve high efficiency in electric vehicle battery charging systems. The proposed converter has the benefits of HB integrated PSFB converters, such as the extended zero-voltage-switching range and the reduced conduction loss on the primary side. In addition, by using a new center-tapped clamp circuit, which consists of two diodes and one capacitor, the proposed converter can solve the drawbacks of conventional PSFB converters, such as the substantial circulating current, the severe voltage stress and switching loss in the secondary full-bridge rectifier, and a large output inductor. With these improvements, the efficiency is fairly increased, and the volume of the output inductor is reduced. In order to validate the feasibility of the proposed converter, a 3.3-kW prototype was built and tested.