DC/DC Converters for Automotive Applications; Systems

Training
Colin Gillmor: (HPC)
Presentation Video: https://training.ti.com/how-design-multi-kw-dcdc-
converters-electric-vehicles-evs-ev-system-overview?cu=1128387

PSFB vs. LLC: https://training.ti.com/2018-south-asia-industrial-webinar-

series
Colin Gillmor
Applications Engineer
• Career
– MEngSci, University College Cork, Ireland
– PSU designer with Artesyn,
– PSU Controller systems and Applications support with TI

• Expertise
– PSU System and Applications design

• TI Information – Selective Disclosure

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Training summary
DC/DC Converters for Automotive Applications; summary:
• The demand for Electric Vehicles (EV) is increasing rapidly. This training session with a look at a typical
EV system block diagram and then focus on the DC/DC applications within these systems.

Training level: Intermediate

Course Details:
Audience: All

Specific TI Designs & Parts Discussed:

What you’ll learn:. • TID #’s: PMP7246
• Learn about a typical EV power system block diagram • Part #’s: UCC28951-Q1, LM4132-Q1
• Understand why they are designed in this way UCC21520 + Others
• WEBENCH tools: N/A
• How the Phase Shifted Full Bridge topology is used in
EV applications

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Detailed agenda
• Electric Vehicle power systems – Block diagrams

• Introduction to Battery Charging

• Designing multi-kW power supply systems using the UCC28951-Q1

– The Phase Shifted Full Bridge
– High Power Battery Charger using the UCC28951-Q1

• TI Information – Selective Disclosure

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Electric Vehicle power systems

• TI Information – Selective Disclosure

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HEV/EV – Powertrain EE* overview

Engine Transmission HEV/EV Powertrain Power

Management • Manual, • Battery Sensors Steering
• Gasoline & Diesel Automatic, & Shift- Management • Pressure • Electric Power
Engine ECU by-Wire • On-board Charger • Position Steering
Transmission • Inverter
• Engine Actuators • Temperature • Hydraulic Power
• Transmission • DC/DC Converter Steering
Actuators • Exhaust
• Regenerative • Knock • Steer-by-Wire
Braking
• Speed
• Fluid
Concentration/
Quality

*EE = End Equipment

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HEV/EV DC/DC Converters

DC/DC Converter Bidirectional 48V-12V

Bidirectional HV-LV Unidirectional 48V-12V

Unidirectional HV to LV – On Board Charger

Analog Loop

Unidirectional HV to LV – Auxiliary Power Supplies

Digital Loop

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System Block Diagram

External Link Vehicle

Grid Connection EVSE* AC/DC Battery

AC Power This system is characterised by:

Signalling Proximity Sensor High Power levels
DC Power GFCI* Dangerous voltages
SAE Dangerous currents
Level 1: Single phase: AC power, 1.92kW Harsh environment
*EVSE – Electric Vehicle Service Equipment
Level 2: Split phase: AC power, 19.2 kW *GFCI – Ground Fault Current Interruptor
Level 3: DC power, 240kW http://www.ti.com/lit/ug/tidub87/tidub87.pdf

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On-Board Charger (OBC)
What is the On-board Charger? What does this EE consist of?
• An On Board Charger is used in an electric vehicle (EV) • PFC Controller and Rectification
or hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) to charge the traction • High Efficiency rectification with lowest harmonic
battery (48V or HV usually ~400V) impact to the grid
• This includes: • Controller
• Converts the grid 50/60Hz into DC • Analog or Digital Control (<2kW to >100kW)
• Adjusts the DC level to the levels required by the • Adjusts the DC level to the levels required by the
battery and provides the galvanic isolation battery
• Usually includes a Power Factor correction (PFC) • Galvanic Isolation
• Galvanic Isolation Grid to Battery
• Bias Supply
• Diagnostics
• Temperature Sensing
• Current & Voltage Sensing
• Iso Barrier

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 System Block Diagram

• TI Information – Selective Disclosure

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 System Block Diagram
Potential DC/DC
Applications for
UCC28951-Q1
(green)

Unidirectional

High Power

ZVS for low loss

on HV inputs

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Introduction to Battery Charging

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Lead Acid battery

Chargers operate in CI and CV modes

Compensation for battery temperature

12V / 48V nominal battery voltages are common ≈70% 98%

2.35V per cell (typ) when charged Lead Acid 100%
1.9V per cell (typ) when discharged

33-42 Wh/kg energy density

Battery damage if not fully charged – Sulfation

Float charge compensates for self-discharge
Ideal float voltage is a function of temperature

Deep discharge damages battery

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Lithium Ion battery

400V nominal battery voltage

300V minimum when discharged
120-240 Wh/kg energy density
85% 100%
Very tight end voltage tolerances Lithium Ion
Typ 4.2V/cell ±50mV (±1.2%) → OVP
Over Charging can damage battery 3%
Temperature rise during charging → OTP
Battery pack cell balancing – not considered here
Tradeoff
Charge Rate vs Charge Time vs Battery Life
Final Charge vs Battery Life vs Range - Fully charging Li Ion battery can reduce lifetime
70% charge / 20% discharge cycle for extended lifetime – but reduced range.
Preconditioning phase if deeply discharged – not shown here
Periodic ‘top up’ charge – not a continuous trickle charge
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Battery Charger output regulation

Two regions
Constant Voltage regulation
Regulation down to zero current
Tight regulation tolerances
Temperature dependence

Constant Current regulation

Regulation down to approx half nominal Vout
If Vo drops below this –
Micro controller decides action
Li Ion battery ‘top up’ behaviour and final
charge levels determined by MCU – this is a
system level decision and trades stored
charge against lifetime.

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Designing multi-kW power supply systems using the
UCC28951-Q1

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Systems Overview
• Problem: Electric vehicles need systems to convert AC power into DC for storage in high
(HV) and low voltage (LV) batteries and to convert the stored energy back to AC to drive
the Motors. We’ve seen the overall system block diagram now we will examine how to
design the DC/DC link between the PFC stage output and HV Li Ion and LV Lead Acid
batteries.
• Solution: The UCC28951-Q1 is a sophisticated device that controls the PSFB stage to
achieve high efficiency at high power levels in conjunction with other TI devices.
• Description of system solution: The PSFB power system is a key component of this
system, specifications are shown in the next slide.
• Key components: Texas Instruments offers a wide variety of devices for PSFB
applications in H/EV. A few examples: The UCC28951-Q1 PSFB controller. The multi
channel UCC21520 8kV isolated gate driver. The LM4132-Q1 Reference with 0.05%
accuracy. INA520-Q1 and INA199-Q1 Current sense amplifiers, TLV316-Q1 op-amp

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 Example applications
Phase Shifted
Full Bridge
12V Lead Acid battery charger
Input from PFC stage, Output UCC28951-Q1
charges battery
Min Nom Max
Vin 370V 390V 410V
Hold Up time n/a 400V Li-Ion battery charger
Vout 8V 12V 15V Input from PFC stage, Output
Power Out 1kW charges battery
Modes CI, CV, Float Min Nom Max
Battery Lead Acid Vin 370V 390V 410V
Max Iout 83A Hold Up time n/a
Temp comp Ext Vout 300V 400V 420V
Power Out 3.3kW
Modes CI/CV/OFF
Battery Li Ion
Max Iout 8.25A
Temp comp Ext

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The PSFB in multi-kW power supply systems
The PSFB is the topology of choice for high input voltage, high power
applications because:
• It achieves Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS) which significantly reduces
switching losses.
• It uses the full flux swing available from the transformer core so that a
smaller transformer is possible.
• The transformer primary is driven with the full input voltage minimising
primary currents.
• Efficiencies of greater than 99% can be achieved.

The main disadvantage is that it requires four active switches on the

transformer primary.

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Phase Shifted Full Bridge
Active Leg Passive Leg
• Four switches, transformer, two rectifiers, inductor QC, QD
QA, QB
– Double ended topology
• Buck like output stage
• Four switching states per cycle
– Two power transfer
– Two freewheeling
• Four ZVS transitions per cycle
• Phase between legs controls conversion ratio
– Complex control, requires IC
• High power (1kW and upwards)
• Can achieve zero voltage switching
– Important for high Vin applications

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Phase Shifted Full Bridge
Active Leg Passive Leg
• Can achieve zero voltage switching QC, QD
QA, QB

• ZVS and reduced cross conduction requires:

– Dead time between QA OFF and QB ON
– Dead time between QC OFF and QD ON
• Reduced body diode conduction requires
– Dead time between QA OFF and QF OFF
– Dead time between QB OFF and QE OFF

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Phase Shifted Full Bridge
Active Leg Passive Leg
QA, QB QC, QD

𝑁𝑆
Buck Derived topology 𝑉𝑂𝑈𝑇 = 𝐷 𝑉𝐼𝑁
𝑁𝑃
OUTA, OUTB – reference pair
D controlled by phase shifting OUTC & OUTD
QE, QF are SRs, Diode rectification is possible Mouse over the waveforms to play the animation
TI Information – Selective Disclosure
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 Timing Diagram: Energy Transfer
• QA, QD, QF are ON: others are OFF
• First energy transfer interval
• I_PRI is Iout /N* + Imag.
• QF current is Iout
• Current flow in red (pri) and blue (sec) paths

Currents at end
of interval,
solid red / blue

*N is the I_LOUT: increasing

turns ratio
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 Timing Diagram: ZVS
QD turns off
• QA, QD, QF are ON: QC is OFF
DELCD – allows time for Node B transition
• QD turns OFF
QC turns on at 0V (ZVS)
• Node B charges to Vin as I_PRI current
moves out of QD and into QC Body Diode*
• QC: turns ON

Leakage
Inductance
Current in QD
L_lk goes to zero
during interval

Uses L_lk energy.

Faster than Node A
*ZVS transition, because
transition I_LOUT is at maximum

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 Timing Diagram: Freewheeling
• QA, QC, QE, QF are ON: others are OFF
• T1 Primary is short circuited, VXFMR = 0V
• T1 Sec is short circuited by QE & QF
QE turns on
• Output current supplied by Lout
• Current flows asymmetrically in T1 Sec !

½ ΔI_Lout
½ ΔI_Lout + Iout

QE turns ON
Secondary is I_LOUT: decreasing
shorted
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 Timing Diagram: ZVS DELAB – allows time for node A transition
QA turns off
• QA, QC, QE are ON: QB is OFF
• QA turns OFF
– Node A charges to GND as I_PRI current
moves out of QA and into QB Body Diode
• QB: turns ON DELEF
QF turns off
after DELEF

Leakage
Inductance
QB turns on at 0V (ZVS)

Uses L_lk energy.

QF turns OFF Slower than Node B
Removes sec transition, because
short I_LOUT is at minimum

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 Timing Diagram: Energy Transfer
• QB, QC, QE are ON: others are OFF
• Second energy transfer interval
• I_PRI is Iout /N* + Imag
QC turns off
• QE current is Iout
• Current flow in red (pri) and blue (sec) paths

*N is the I_LOUT: increasing

turns ratio
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 Timing Diagram: ZVS
QC turns off
• QB, QC, QE are ON: QD is OFF
• QC turns OFF DELCD –allows time for
node B transition
• Node B charges to Gnd as I_PRI current
moves out of QC into QD Body Diode*
• QD: turns ON

Leakage
Inductance

*ZVS QD turns on at 0V (ZVS)

transition
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 Timing Diagram: Freewheeling
• QB, QD, QE, QF are ON: others are OFF
• T1 Primary is short circuited, VXFMR = 0V
• T1 Sec is short circuited by QE & QF
• Output current supplied by Lout
• Current flows asymmetrically in T1 Sec QF turns on

½ ΔI_Lout
½ ΔI_Lout
+ Iout

QF turns ON
Secondary is
shorted
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 Timing Diagram: ZVS DELAB - allows time for
QB turns off Node A transition
• QB, QD, QF are ON: QA is OFF
• QB turns OFF
– Node A charges to Vin as I_PRI current
moves out of QB into QA Body Diode
• QA: is turned ON DELEF
QE turns off
after DELEF

Leakage
Inductance
QA turns on at 0V (ZVS)

Uses L_lk energy.

QE turns OFF Slower than Node B
Removes sec transition, because
short I_LOUT is at minimum

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Phase Shifted Full Bridge – reminder !
Active Leg Passive Leg
QA, QB QC, QD

𝑁𝑆
Buck Derived topology 𝑉𝑂𝑈𝑇 = 𝐷 𝑉𝐼𝑁
𝑁𝑃
OUTA, OUTB – reference pair
D controlled by phase shifting OUTC & OUTD
QE, QF are SRs, Diode rectification is possible
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On Board Charger < 3.3kW (UCC28951 Control)

MCU for system supervision

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 On Board Charger: Sec Bias Flyback
• Small Flyback PSU for Secondary side power
• UCC28700-Q1 for example
• Primary side regulation – no need for an optocoupler
• Simple, low cost transformer 12V output
• Small size, 6 pin SOT23
• Efficiency probably about 75%
– power level is low – estimate 5W
• Variable frequency – as with all DCM flyback devices
• Cable compensation (CBC) probably not needed – tie CBC pin to GND
• Design tools available http://www.ti.com/product/UCC28700/toolssoftware
– Webench
– Reference designs
– Evaluation Modules

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 On Board Charger: Pri Bias Flyback
• Small Flyback PSU for Primary side power
• UCC28700-Q1 for example
• Primary side regulation – no need for an optocoupler
• Simple, low cost transformer 12V output
• Small size, 6 pin SOT23
• Efficiency probably about 75%
– power level is low – estimate 5W
• Variable frequency – as with all DCM flyback devices
• Cable compensation (CBC) probably not needed – tie CBC pin to GND
• Design tools available http://www.ti.com/product/UCC28700/toolssoftware
– Webench
– Reference designs
– Evaluation Modules

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 On Board Charger: Isolated Driver, Option 1
• Primary/Secondary Isolation
• Switching of Primary side MOSFETs
• High Side and Low Side outputs needed
• 4 isolated outputs in total
• 2 high side drives, 2 low side drives
• Isolation to 5.7kVRMS

• 2 x UCC21520-Q1, 4A, 6 A driver

• Low Propagation Delays
• Good Propagation Delay Matching
• Adjustable Dead Time
• Safety Features, UVLO etc.
• As with all drivers, PCB layout is critical

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 On Board Charger: Isolated Driver - Option 2
• Pri/Sec Isolation High
• ISO7740-Q1 provides pri/sec isolation Side
– 5kV RMS
• 0/10V signal from UCC28951-Q1 needs
attenuation (2:1) to meet ISO7740-Q1
input level. Low
• Gate drivers drive the MOSFETs Side

• ISO7740FQDWQ

• F option – outputs default LOW !

ISO7740F-Q1

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 On Board Charger: Rectification – General
• Choice of secondary rectification depends on -
– Output Voltage
– Output Current
400Vout:
Diodes – Simple solution, a good choice for 400V
Full Wave or Bridge options
Reverse recovery losses makes SiC a good choice
12Vout:
SR – Good option at 12V out, body diode reverse recovery losses can be significant
Full wave with centre tap or Bridge with single secondary winding options
SRs require a MOSFET driver
Schottky diodes might be an option higher losses but easier drive and no reverse
recovery problems
Current doubler with SR is a good option – single sec. winding
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 On Board Charger: Rectification – 12V output
• SRs are large rectifier MOSFETs.
• UCC27424-Q1 is a dual non-inverting MOSFET driver.
• MOSFETs see 2 x Vin_max Ns/Np + margin
– Use 30V devices for 12V output
– Reverse recovery losses in SR can be significant
• Centre tapped secondary
• Half of sec winding ‘idle’ at a given time
• ‘Idle’ half may cause proximity losses

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 On Board Charger: Rectification – 12V output
• Current Doubler output with Schottky Rectifiers
– Current Doubler – suited to high current outputs
– Requires Current Mode Control
– Ripple current cancellation in Cout
• Single winding on transformer secondary
– best use of transformer winding window
• Two output inductors needed
– Each inductor carries half the output current
• Vf losses are significant – depends on diode Secondary Centre Current
– Heatsinking requirements significant Tapped Doubler
Ind Current I_out I_out/2

• Electrically – this is the simplest option Ind Freq 2 fSW fSW

Inductance L_out <Lout*
• Significant losses in Diodes.
* Depends on Duty Cycle

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 On Board Charger: Rectification – 12V output
• Current Doubler output with Synchronous Rectifiers
– http://www.ti.com/lit/an/slua121/slua121.pdf
• MOSFETs see 2 x Vin_max Ns/Np + margin
• Reverse recovery losses in SR can be significant
• SRs are ground referenced – simple driver
• UCC28951-Q1 OUTE and OUTF signals are driver inputs
• May need to parallel several MOSFETs
– Use separate gate drives
– or separate gate drive resistors
– Needs careful layout to avoid HF oscillations

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 On Board Charger: Rectification – 12V output
• Full wave rectification with SR
• Simplest transformer
– Single secondary winding
• Single output inductor
• Two SR voltage drops in current path
• SRs see Vin_max Ns/Np + margin
• Reverse recovery effects in SR diodes
• SR drive complexity
• 2 low side drives, 2 high side drives

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 On Board Charger: Rectification – 400V output
• SiC diodes are simplest solution
• Positive temp coefficient of Vf
• Relatively low currents allow use of centre tapped
secondary
• V stresses on diodes are 2 x Vin_max Ns/Np + margin
• Use 1200V rated SiC diodes
Infineon IDH10G120C5

• Full Bridge rectification

– Halves V stresses
– Simplifies secondary
– Increases rectifier losses

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 On Board Charger: Error Amplifiers (I and V)
• Measure output current
Lowest error ‘wins’ and
• Compare to reference
controls the output
• Output error signal (power demand)
• Measure output voltage
• Compare to reference
• Output error signal (power demand)
• Diode ‘or’ errors – lowest error ‘wins’
– Automatic CV / CI transition
– This is the usual technique

Low side sense

at 400Vout
High side sense
- +
at 12Vout is
possible
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 On Board Charger: Input current sensing
• Current Transformer in the input power rail senses input
current
• In this position, it senses the full bridge current
• Senses any ‘shoot through’ events
– QA and QB or QC and QD ON simultaneously
• CS signal used for Peak Current Mode (PCM) control of PSFB
• PCM gives cycle-by-cycle control of peak current in primary
• Protection against transformer saturation

• CS signal is used for regulation in both CV and CI modes

• Regulation setpoint depends on whether the CV or CI error
amplifier is in control

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 Summary
• We have seen that the UCC28951-Q1 PSFB may be used in unidirectional DC/DC
converters for charging high and low voltage batteries from high voltage sources like PFC
outputs. This controller and topology can cover the power range from several hundred
Watts to several kW.

• The UCC28951-Q1 can play a big role in chargers, where the power level is relatively low.
For charger applications some external intelligence needs to be added, current sensing, a
small Micro for control monitoring, temperature compensation of output voltage etc. At the
same time the UCC28951-Q1 can manage the power stage.

• For higher power applications Micro controllers play the main role due to high power
requirement of the OBC (<20kW for on board, 50-100kW for off board). However
UCC28951-Q1 could also cover some of these applications – especially if Multiple-Phase
or Master/Slave techniques were used.

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Summary

MCU for system supervision

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Thank You

Colin Gillmor, HPC

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