Analysis of the influence of diode reverse recovery on the operation and design of high-frequency rectifiers

Diode reverse recovery can cause anomalies in high-frequency rectifier operation, including self-sustaining quasiperiodic oscillations. The output voltage can increase considerably beyond that predicted by the usual analysis. This nonlinear effect is analyzed using a piecewise-linear diode model. The theoretical results agree with experimental measurements. Design guidelines are presented to avoid overvoltage and instability in practical converters.