Investigation of a compact, input power-limited capacitor charging supply

Charging large, high-voltage capacitor banks from a lower voltage, power-limited source requires an adaptive DC-to-DC power converter. This situation is further complicated if the power converter is physically small. This investigation explores the theoretical development and the limitations of a current-controlled converter that uses a rechargeable battery as a primary power source. The converter is designed to draw the maximum amount of power possible from the battery-based power source so that the capacitor bank is charged in a minimum amount of time. A PSpice computer simulation of the converter is constructed and used to verify the theoretical results. The converter is, theoretically, 90% efficient and remains operational even with the power source voltage reduced by 75%.