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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number EP/C015924/1
Title Behavioural modelling, design and digital control of high-order resonant power supplies
Status Completed
Energy Categories Energy Efficiency(Residential and commercial) 10%;
Not Energy Related 90%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator Dr MP Foster
No email address given
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
University of Sheffield
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 01 December 2005
End Date 31 May 2007
Duration 18 months
Total Grant Value £118,272
Industrial Sectors Electronics
Region Yorkshire & Humberside
Programme Process Environment and Sustainability
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Dr MP Foster , Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Sheffield (100.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract All electronic goods require a power supply, whether they be as advanced as a computer games console or as ordinary as a mobile phone battery charger. Therefore, the power supply one of the most important elements in any electrical system. By minimising the size of a power supply, product designers can shoehorn more features within a given volume envelope. Furthermore, increased efficiencies can extend battery life and reduce weight. Together these ingredients have fueled the recent explosion in portable electronic devices such as PDAs, mobile phones and pocket MP3 players.The majority of power supplies in consumer electronic goods employ switching technology to achieve high-efficiency. The size of this type of power supply being related to the switching rate. Using faster switching rates significantly reduces the size of the power supply unit and, therefore, manufacturer's strive to employ the highest switching frequency realistically achievable to minimise size. Ultimately, however, there is a maximum limit to which the switching frequency can be increased (and the size reduction that can be achieved) because of limitations imposed by switching losses in the transistors. To overcome this, designers are utilising resonant circuit technology to shape the voltage and/or current through the transistors so as to achieve, what is termed, "low-loss switching".Resonant converters are one example where manufacturers utilise resonant circuit technology to improve the performance of their system by allowing product designers to push the boundaries of size, performance and cost. Indeed, Philips, for example, employ resonant converter based power supplies in their computer monitors and televisions, while Bang & Olufsen use resonant converters to power their high-end audio-visual systems. However, although these forward thinking companies forsee the advantages offered by this technology, many others are reluctant to adopt resonant converters for their power conversion requirements. The main reason for this is the difficulty in accurately predicting the operational behaviour of this type of power supply, since, the output voltage is highly dependent on the load, and in applications where the load could change suddenly (such as in a computer), designing such a power supply remains very challenging.This project aims to develop a more generic approach to designing resonant converters by incorporating dynamic effects with the more traditional static considerations. The outcome will be a design recipe which will provide a system designer with the actual component values that are required to build a power supply with a specific output voltage given a range of operating conditions. Specifically, the project will provide a step towards automating the design of these high-efficiency power supplies
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 01/01/07