Intelligent magnetic-amplifier-controlled soft-switching method for amplifiers and inverters

This paper proposes a simple efficient soft-switching method for switching power converters, inverters and amplifiers. Soft switching of a DC/AC H-bridge power converter is realized by paralleling two auxiliary switches and a magnetic amplifier with the load. The auxiliary switches are turned on at a predetermined time before the commutation of the main switches. The magnetic amplifier then automatically determines the necessary amount of redirection current to ensure soft switching of all switches under any load conditions. This method requires no expensive sensors or complex control circuitry. It is ideal for class-D audio power amplifiers, where the load current is widely changing. Further applications include DC/DC power converters, motor drivers, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), communication and space power applications, where high efficiency, low electromagnetic interference (EMI) and small size are crucial.