Abstract
Alongside the rapid increase in distributed power generation and load, the demand for highly efficient and reliable power converters is increasing. This has resulted in the rise of grid interfaced renewable energy sources (RES), rapid deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESS) coupled with energy managment systems (EMS), and DC based grid. This paper presents a center-tapped transformer-based single-stage single-phase full-bridge (FB) bidirectional AC-DC converter and its control strategy to improve controllability and reliability in applications such as DC distribution, PV/BESS grid interfacing, vehicle to grid (V2G), and so on. In contrast to conventional galvanically isolated topologies, a single-phase center-tapped transformer is introduced. It links and galvanically isolates the converters and the grid and provides its leakage inductance as the needed inductor required for current control (depending on the design). Furthermore, it reduces the number of conventionally required power conversion stages by employing a wide DC-bus voltage control strategy, resulting in a single converter that undergoes a single power conversion. Additionally, the voltage level can be increased to further enhance the output quality by cascading multiple converters (Multi-Level). The structure, operation, and basic control scheme are discussed in detail. Verification through a 220 Vrms, 1.8 kVA, and 45∼100 VDC simulation and small-scale experimental prototype (60∼100 VDC voltage) for practical validation of the topology is also presented.