Four-quadrant converter [/spl plusmn/600 A, /spl plusmn/12 V] prototype for LHC

The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project will make extensive use of true bipolar power converters [/spl plusmn/600 A, /spl plusmn/12 V]. The need to install the power converters in excavated caverns underground requires considerably reduced dimensions and high efficiency. Moreover, the LHC machine demands a very high level of performance from the power converters, particularly in terms of DC stability, dynamic response and also with regard to ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC). To meet these requirements, soft-switching techniques are used. The design and the performance (DC stability, bandwidth, efficiency, EMC...) of a compact (6U) and high frequency (30 kHz) four-quadrant power converters are presented.