Zero-voltage-ripple rectifiers and DC/DC resonant converters

Class E zero-voltage-ripple (ZVR) rectifiers are introduced. The proposed circuits offer a new means of a significant improvement in suppressing the output voltage ripple compared with their predecessors. Therefore, the size of the output filter can be considerably reduced, the rI/sub rms//sup 2/ conduction power loss in the equivalent series resistance of the filter capacitor can be lowered, aluminum or tantalum electrolytic capacitors may be entirely eliminated, filter capacitors with low capacitances and thereby high self-resonant frequencies can be used, and a faster dynamic response becomes achievable. ZVR is accomplished by reducing the AC component of the current at the input of the output filter. Class E/sup 2/ and Class D-E ZVR resonant DC/DC power converters are derived using the Class E ZVR rectifiers. An experimental prototype of a Class E/sup 2/ 30 W/500 kHz DC/DC converter was built and tested. Its output voltage ripple was as much as 20 times lower than that of the corresponding conventional converter. The new converters are suitable for noise-sensitive high-output-current applications.<
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