Versatile Methodology for Optimized Design of Galvanically Isolated Modular DC-DC Converters

In the design of galvanically isolated dc-dc converters, modularity significantly increases the degrees of freedom and provides flexibility. At the same time, the relationship between single design choices and overall converter performance complicates. This paper proposes a versatile design methodology that covers the design choices of submodule interconnection and number, semiconductors, and passive components. The proposed method is based on the discrete choices of semiconductors and results in the analytical comparison of design variants based on the application’s requirements on converter characteristics. Instead of relying on time-series simulation, it uses analytical descriptions of the submodule topology to calculate large varieties of design variants. The methodology is applied to an example application, and results are discussed.