Analytical calculation of resonant inductance for zero voltage switching in phase-shifted full-bridge converters

The phase-shift full-bridge (PSFB) converter allows high-efficiency power conversion at high frequencies through zero voltage switching (ZVS); the parasitic drain-to-source capacitance of the metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor is discharged by a resonant inductance before the switch is gated resulting in near zero turn-on switching losses. Typically, an extra inductance is added to the leakage inductance of a transformer to form the resonant inductance necessary to charge and discharge the parasitic capacitances of the PSFB converter. However, many PSFB models do not consider the effects of the magnetising inductance or dead-time in selecting the resonant inductance required to achieve ZVS. The choice of resonant inductance is crucial to the ZVS operation of the PSFB converter. Incorrectly sized resonant inductance will not achieve ZVS or will limit the load regulation ability of the converter. This study presents a unique and accurate equation for calculating the resonant inductance required to achieve ZVS over a wide load range incorporating the effects of the magnetising inductance and dead-time. The derived equations are validated against PSPICE simulations of a PSFB converter and extensive hardware experimentations.