Bidirectional Operation of High Step-Down Converter

In this paper, a high step-down bidirectional converter, utilizing one coupled inductor and two energy-transferring capacitors, is presented. In the step-down mode, the capacitor is connected between input voltage and coupled inductor, which plays a role to step down the input voltage. Therefore, the corresponding voltage conversion ratio is much lower than that of the traditional buck converter and also can be lower than that of the tapped-inductor buck converter. Moreover, the output voltage varies with the duty cycle linearly, making control easier. In the step-up mode, one capacitor is first charged by the coupled inductor, and then releases the energy along with the coupled inductor and the other capacitor connected in series. Therefore, a higher voltage gain can be obtained. Furthermore, the leakage inductance energy can be recycled. Therefore, the switching losses can be reduced and the efficiency can be improved. In this study, the operating principles and experimental results are provided to verify the effectiveness and performance of the proposed converter.