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Title Operation Analysis of Resonant DC/DC Converter able to Harvest Thermoelectric Energy
Authors Hyeok Jin Kim ; Gyo-Bum Chung ; 烈Kwan-Youl Cho ; Jaeho Choi
DOI 10.6113/TKPE/2010.15.2.150
Page pp.150-158
ISSN 1229-2214
Keywords Resonant DC/DC converter; Self switching; Energy harvesting; Thermoelectric module
Abstract The operational characteristics of a resonant DC/DC converter, which can harvest thermoelectric energy, is analyzed, depending on the relative magnitudes of the input voltage and the load voltage. The resonant converter consists of LC resonant circuit connected to DC input source and a resonant pulse converter in which the input energy is transferred to the load as the resonant capacitor voltage is peak. The resonant capacitor doubles the input voltage by the resonance phenomenon. By the relative magnitude between the input voltage and the output voltage, the resonant DC/DC converter operates in three different modes. For boost mode, the peak voltage of the resonant capacitor is smaller than the load voltage. For hybrid mode, the peak voltage of the resonant capacitor is bigger than the load voltage and every switching period has both the boost mode and the direct mode. For the direct mode, the input voltage is bigger than the load voltage and the converter transfers directly the input energy to the load without the switching operation. Operation principles and the feasibility of the converter for the thermoelectric energy harvesting are verified with PSPICE simulation and experiment.