Design of multi-level output voltage power supply for high-efficiency linear power amplifier

Parametric array transducers are used for long-range and highly directional communication in underwater environment. The power amplifiers for parametric array transducers should have sufficient linear output characteristic and high efficiency to avoid communication errors, system heating, and fuel problems. But the conventional power amplifier with fixed source voltage is very low efficient due to large power loss by the big difference between the fixed source voltage and the amplifier output voltage. Thus to solve the problems this paper proposes a new multilevel variable output voltage AC/DC Converter for power supply of power amplifiers used in underwater acoustic sensors. The proposed multilevel variable output voltage AC/DC Converter is composed of two parts. One as the input section is the high efficiency phase-shifted PWM full bridge DC-DC converter to get multiport power sources. The other as the output section is composed of two flying-capacitor 3-level DC-DC converters and a diode bridge circuit to get fast-response and multilevel variable output voltage for an envelope amplifier. Also the paper proposes the power balanced control method between 3-level converters and the voltage balanced algorithm for flying capacitors. Its characteristics should be verified by the detailed simulation results. It is anticipated that the proposed converter will be used very well for power amplifiers used in underwater acoustic sensors.