Control to Regulate Voltage Output in DC to DC

converter Ref: Power Electronics by Mohan.

Undeland and Robbins
● The input DC voltage can vary due to variation of input ac supply of the
rectifier
● Variation of output loading
→ As a result output voltage may be different from the reference voltage
selected
A regulator is thus necessary which will adjust duty cycle to control the
output voltage
Control to Regulate Voltage Output with Output Voltage
Feedback

Limit of tolerance band of the output voltage usually  1% around its nominal
(set) value
The control issue: Small variation of the input dc voltage and small
variation of load will not change the output dc voltage significantly so
that it remains within the tolerance limit

●Linearization around a
steady state dc operating
point for small
perturbation

→Application of
Linear feedback
principles
Linearized representation of the feedback control system
State variable description in a continuous conduction mode

Step-1 Identify the state variables

Two circuit states: (1) Switch is on, (2) switch is off
State variables are (1) Average current (over a switching cycle) flowing in the
inductor and (2) Average voltage (over a switching cycle) across the output filter
capacitor. In both the circuit states, same set of state variables will work
Note: In circuit equation the inductor resistance and capacitor equivalent
series resistance (ESR) should be included

The input variable is vd The DC input voltage, it may vary

depending on input ac voltage variation
and/or loading

The output variable vo  Vo  v~o Steady value + small perturbation

x  A1 x  B1vd during d .Ts vo  C1 x during d .Ts

x  A2 x  B2vd during (1  d ).Ts vo  C2 x during (1  d ).Ts
Step-2 Averaging the State Variable description using the Duty ratio

> The equation corresponding to the state equations are time weighted
and averaged over the switching time period

x  [ A1d  A2 (1  d )]x  [ B1d  B2 (1  d )]vd

and ,
vo  [C1d  C2 (1  d )]x

Step-3 Introducing small perturbation and separation into perturbed values

and dc (steady) values

~
x X x
vo  Vo  v~o
~
d  Dd
vd  Vd  v~d
At steady state, since X  0
~ ~ ~
x  A X  B Vd  A x  [( A1  A2 ) X  ( B1  B2 )Vd ]d (1)
 ~ ~
terms containing products of x and d {neglected here}

neglect small perturbation of the input

Where, A  A1 D  A2 (1  D) dc voltage to find out the transfer
function of power+filter+load stage
and ,
B  B1 D  B2 (1  D)
The steady state equation (setting all the perturbation term zero)

A X  B Vd  0
~ ~ ~
Then, from (1) x  A x  [( A1  A2 ) X  ( B1  B2 )Vd ]d
 Similarly, we can find

~ ~ ~
Vo  vo  C X  C x  [(C1  C2 ) X ]d (2)

where,
C  C1 D  C2 (1  D)

The steady state output voltage

Vo  C X
~ ~
Therefore, from (2) v~o  C x  [(C1  C2 ) X ]d

The steady state dc voltage transfer function Vo

 C A 1 B
Vd
Step-4: Transformation of the ac perturbed equation into s-domain to solve for
the transfer function

~ ~ ~
x  A x  [( A1  A2 ) X  ( B1  B2 )Vd ]d

In s-domain
~ ~ ~
sx ( s)  A x ( s)  [( A1  A2 ) X  ( B1  B2 )Vd ]d ( s)
or
~ 1 ~
x ( s)  [ sI  A] [( A1  A2 ) X  ( B1  B2 )Vd ]d ( s)

v~o ( s)
Tp ( s )  ~  C [ sI  A ]1[( A1  A2 ) X  ( B1  B2 )Vd ]  (C1  C2 ) X
d ( s)
Note: The transfer function coefficients depend on steady
operating condition
 v~o ( s )
Example: Obtain the transfer function ~ in a forward converter
d (s)
N1
operating in a continuous-conduction mode. Assume 1 for simplicity.
N2

circuit

Switch on Switch off

With the switch on, the state equation
 Vd  Lx1  rL x1  R( x1  Cx2 )  0
and ,
 x2  Cr2 x2  R( x1  Cx2 )  0

In Matrix form,  Rrc  RrL  rc rL R 

 
 x1   L( R  rc )   x1   
1
L( R  rc )
 x        L Vd
 2  R

1   x2   0 
 C ( R  rc ) C ( R  rc ) 

Therefore,
And,
 Rrc  RrL  rc rL R  1
 L( R  r ) 
L( R  rc ) 
A1   c
 B1   L 
 R 1  0
  
 C ( R  rc ) C ( R  rc ) 
When switch off, the state equation is very similar as obtained in switch on
condition except V  0
d

Therefore, A2  A1
and ,
B2  0
The output voltage in both the circuit states is given by,

vo  R( x1  Cx2 )
Rrc R  Rrc R   x1 
 x1  x2   
R  rc R  rc  R  rc R  rc   x2 

Therefore,
 Rrc R 
C1  C2   
 R  rc R  rc 
Averaged matrices and vectors can be obtained as

A  A1
A  A1 D  A2 (1  D)
B  B1 D
and ,
and ,
B  B1 D  B2 (1  D)
C  C1
Model Simplifications

In all practical circuits, R  (rc  rL )

So, simplified matrices

 rc  rL 1 
 L   C  C1  C2  rc 1
A  A1  A2   L
1 1 
   1
 C CR  L
B  B1 D    D
0
 
  1 1 
 
A1 
LC CR L 
 1 rc  rL 
1  (rc  rL ) / R    
 C L 

The steady state DC voltage transfer function

Vo 1 R  rc
 C A B  D D
Vd R  (rc  rL )
and the transfer function of the power stage with output filter and load

v~o ( s)
Tp ( s )  ~  C [ sI  A ]1[( A1  A2 ) X  ( B1  B2 )Vd ]  (C1  C2 ) X
d ( s)
v~o ( s) 1  srcC
Tp ( s )  ~  Vd
d ( s) 1 (rc  rL ) 1
LC{s 2  s[  ] }
CR L LC
 1 (rc  rL )

v~o ( s) o2 s  z o 
1
,   CR L ,
Tp ( s )  ~  Vd 2o
d ( s)  z s 2  2 o s  o2 LC
1
z 
rc C

Phase plot

Gain plot
 ~
d (s)
Transfer function of the direct duty ratio pulse width modulator
v~c ( s )
vc (t )  Vc  v~c (t )

0  vc (t )  Vr
v~ (t )  a sin(t   )
c

Switching frequency s  2f s  

1.0 if vc (t )  vr (t )
d ins tan (t )  
 0 if vc (t )  vr (t )
Vc a
dins tan (t )    sin(t   )  other high frequency terms
Vˆr Vr
These terms can be ignored as higher frequency
Time variation of
d (t ) switch duty ratio over
components in the output voltage due to this high
frequency components are eliminated because of
one switching interval
filtering effect of the low pass filter at output.
Therefore, ~
d (t )  D  d (t )
Where the dc value Vc
D 
Vr
And,
~ a
d (t )   sin(t   )
Vr
So, the transfer function

~
d ( s) 1
Tm ( s)  ~   Note: It will not introduce any
effective time delay if
vc ( s) Vr switching frequency is much
higher than frequency of the
control signal variation

• The transfer function is essentially a constant with zero phase shift

 PWM IC transfer function

~
d ( s) d 0.95  0
~    0.34
vc ( s) vc 3.6  0.8

It is the slope of the

characteristic
PWM IC: duty-ratio as a function of
the control voltage
Design of compensator

TOL (s)  T1 (s)Tc (s) Open loop transfer function of the feedback
system

Desired characteristic of the open loop transfer function TOL (s)

1. The gain at low frequencies should be kept high to minimize the steady
state error in the power supply
2. The gain crossover frequency cross should be as high as possible
but approximately an order of magnitude below the switching
frequency to allow the power supply to respond quickly to the
transients, such as a sudden change of load.
3. A phase margin in a range of 45o – 60o is desirable for good transient response

PM  OL  180 o OL Is the phase angle of TOL (s)at the

crossover frequency and negative
A General Amplifier for Error Compensation

v~c ( s) Z f ( s)
~   Tc ( s)
vo ( s) Z i ( s)
Selection of Tc (s) • Can be implemented
using a single op-amp
A (s  z )
Tc ( s)  A  0 z   p
s (s   p ) 1 s  z
Tc ( s) 
R1C2 s( s   p )
Error amplifier

1
z 
R2C1
C1  C2
p 
R2C1C2
phase boost at the crossover frequency
 Designing steps

Step-1 Select gain crossover frequency for overall transfer function. This gain
crossover frequency must be one order less than the switching frequency
of the pulse width modulator. At this crossover frequency, phase lag of the
error amplifier should also be minimum.
cross
Step-2 Selection of K-factor Z 
K
 p  Kcross
boost Ref: H. Dean Venable, “The k-factor: A New
K  tan(45o  )
2 Mathematical tool for Stability Analysis and
Synthesis,” Proceedings of powercon 10, San
Diego,CA, March 22-24,1983

Step-3 Define overall Phase Margin (PM) PM 180o  l  c

l   p ( s)  m ( s) Phase angle of T1(s) At gain crossover
frequency
c Phase angle of Tc(s) cross  z   p
 c  90o  boost At gain crossover frequency

Therefore,
boost  PM  l  90o

Once the PM is chosen in a range of 45o-60o, the boost can be computed.

boost
Therefore, K can be computed K  tan(45o  )
2

The next step is to ensure that the overall open loop gain should be equal to 1 at
gain crossover frequency

Tc ( jcross )  T1 ( jcross )  1 1
G1  1
kC2 R1cross
T1 ( jcross )  G1
1
Tc ( jcross ) 
kC2 R1cross
Selection of passive components in the error amplifier and compensator

R1 is selected arbitrarily (in kilo ohm range)

G1
C2 
KR1cross

C1  C2 ( K 2  1)

K
R2 
C1cross
Example problem: The forward converter (shown) is to have a gain crossover
frequency cross  10 rad / s with a phase margin of 30o. The Bode plot is given for
5

the power and filter stage. The PWM transfer function is also given. Calculate the
values of the passive components assuming R1=1 kilo ohm.
 Solution: Boost  PM  l  90o

l  110o at cross  105 rad / s, PM  30o (desired )

boost  50o
boost
K  tan(45  o
)  tan(70o )  2.75
2
PWM characteristic
105
 Z   3.64 104 rad / s
2.75
 p  10  2.75 rad / s
5

power stage Gain at cross  15 dB

~
d ( s) d 0.95  0
   0.34
~
vc ( s) vc 3.6  0.8  Modulator Gain  9.37dB
 G1  15  (9.37)  24.4 dB at cross
1 V
 Gc (at cross )   16.6 Gains are in actual values not
G1 V in dB

R1  1 k ( given) C2 
G1
 220 pF
R1kcross

C1  C2 ( K 2  1)  1.44nF
k
The transfer function of the error amplifier
R2   19.1k
C1cross
The transfer function of the error amplifier is

Z f ( s) s( R2C1 )  1
Tc ( s)  
Z i ( s) s[ s( R1R2C1C2 )  (C1  C2 ) R1 ]