Interleaved Zero-Current-Transition Buck Converter

This paper introduces interleaved zero-current-transition (ZCT) converters where two sets of switches are operating out-of-phase and share the load power equally. Turn-on transitions at zero current and a significant reduction of the losses associated with diode reverse recovery are accomplished through addition of two small inductors. This paper describes a 30-kW (300 V/100 A) interleaved ZCT buck converter operating at 32-kHz effective switching frequency. Losses and efficiency of the experimental prototype compare favorably against the standard and interleaved hard-switched buck converters. Constant frequency operation with low switching losses and low output current ripple is very well suited for the realization of dc power supplies in plasma processes.