Reconfigurable Half-Bridge Based on Dickson SC Converter for Wide Input Voltage Range Applications

Achieving high efficiency across a wide voltage range of operation is inherently challenging because optimal operation cannot be maintained at all operating conditions. In this article, a reconfigurable half-bridge based on switched-capacitor structure is proposed to help power converters achieve wide input voltage range of operation while maintaining optimal operation. The proposed solution is based on a modular structure that is freely expandable for ultrawide input voltage range applications. Since the proposed solution acts like a half-bridge, it represents a widely adaptable solution that can be combined with a variety of different substages to form different designs, with or without galvanic isolation. In this article, the characteristic of the proposed reconfigurable half-bridge is studied based on a buck converter implementation, under pulsewidth modulation. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by the superior efficiencies achieved with the experimental prototype when the input voltage is operated between 21 and 160 V (almost 8:1 ratio).