Current-Fed Power Processing-Ride Through Robustness [Expert View]

Selecting the best power converter topology for a specific application can be somewhat overwhelming considering the advances made in the past 20 years. Many of these advances were accomplished with better semiconductor switches providing faster switching rates, lower on-state voltages, lower power loss, lower power driver requirements, and so on. Selecting the best power converter topology must balance the application's demands with priorities of cost, size/packaging, efficiency, and robustness. Magna-Power Electronics (Magna -Power), a programmable dc power product manufacturer in Flemington, New Jersey, United States, prioritized robustness in its topology selection. The topology choice was driven by the customers' need for high reliability in demanding industrial environments.