A New Class of Single-Phase High-Frequency Isolated Z-Source AC–AC Converters With Reduced Passive Components

In this paper, a class of single-phase Z-source (ZS) ac-ac converters is proposed with high-frequency transformer (HFT) isolation. The proposed HFT isolated (HFTI) ZS ac-ac converters possess all the features of their nonisolated counterparts, such as providing wide range of buck-boost output voltage with reversing or maintaining the phase angle, suppressing the in-rush and harmonic currents, and improved reliability. In addition, the proposed converters incorporate HFT for electrical isolation and safety, and therefore can save an external bulky line frequency transformer, for applications such as dynamic voltage restorers, etc. The proposed HFTI ZS converters are obtained from conventional (nonisolated) ZS ac-ac converters by adding only one extra bidirectional switch, and replacing two inductors with an HFT, thus saving one magnetic core. The switching signals for buck and boost modes are presented with safe-commutation strategy to remove the switch voltage spikes. A quasi-ZS-based HFTI ac-ac is used to discuss the operation principle and circuit analysis of the proposed class of HFTI ZS ac-ac converters. Various ZS-based HFTI proposed ac-ac converters are also presented thereafter. Moreover, a laboratory prototype of the proposed converter is constructed and experiments are conducted to produce output voltage of 110 Vrms / 60 Hz, which verify the operation of the proposed converters.