A comparison of AC/DC piezoelectric transformer converters with current doubler and voltage doubler rectifiers

The objective of this study was to develop recommendations for an optimal design of PT AC/DC converters. The paper presents a comprehensive comparison of the two commonly used rectifier topologies in a piezoelectric transformer (PT) based power converters: current doubler and voltage doubler rectifiers. The advantages and disadvantages of the two rectifiers were investigated and the area of their applications with respect to output current, voltage, power capability, load resistance etc. was delineated. Generic principles are proposed for choosing a PT for a given set of requirements, i.e. output voltage, input voltage and load resistance, as well the rectifier type suitable for the given PT and application. Simulation and experimental results support the theoretical study and are found to be in a good agreement with the analysis.