State Equations Based Resonant Converters Modeling

Technique
Yingqi Zhang Dr. P.C.Sen, Life Fellow, IEEE
Precision Power Conversion Lab Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
GE R&D Center -- Shanghai Queens University
P.R.China Kingston, Ontario, Canada
yingqi.zhang@ge.com K7L 3N6
senp@queensu.ca

Abstract State equations for resonant converters are systems [6], [7], [8] were proposed to analyze the resonant
developed by using orthogonal circuit synthesis. Low frequency converters. They were based on the slowly varying amplitude
state variables are selected for the resonant circuit, such as and phase transformations. State equations were derived with
envelopes of resonant inductor current and resonant capacitor low frequency state variables. However, these methods are
voltage, phase angle between inverter output voltage and output complicated. PSPICE macro models [9], [10], [11] for
current. For a given resonant tank, its orthogonal counterpart is resonant converters were also derived. When dc, ac and
constructed. These two orthogonal tanks are combined into a transient analysis were performed, time and frequency domain
complex resonant tank. By applying Kirchhoff s Voltage Law responses were obtained. This method is also complicated. In
(KVL) and Kirchhoff s Current Law (KCL) to the complex
[12], general modeling methods for resonant converter
circuit, complex differential equations are derived. By
separating real and imaginary parts of the complex differential
modeling have been proposed.
equations, state equations for the resonant tank are obtained.
For resonant DC/DC converters, other state equations are
derived from rectifier stages. These derived state equations for II. DERIVATION OF STATE EQUATIONS FOR
resonant converters contain only low frequency state variables RESONANT CONVERTERS
and can predict large signal transitions. By perturbing these
The resonant inductor current or resonant capacitor voltage
equations around the DC operating point, transfer functions
such as input-to-output, control-to-output are derived. The
can be expressed as a high frequency variable with its
proposed method is verified by SIMPLIS simulation results. amplitude and angle modulated by low frequency functions.
This method can aid closed-loop control design for resonant We can select the envelopes of resonant inductor current and
converters. resonant capacitor voltage as state variables, since they are
low frequency variables with DC operating points. Also the
phase angle between inverter output voltage and output
current can be selected as one state variable.
I. INTRODUCTION
To accurately control a resonant converter, a dynamic
model of the power converter is necessary. Resonant
converters are more complicated than PWM converters. The
resonant inductor current and the resonant capacitor voltage
are high frequency variables. Since these sinusoidal variations
are large in magnitude, State Space Averaging is not
applicable in the analysis of resonant converters. Fourier
Series Analysis [1] was used to analyze steady state operation
of resonant converters. The principle of superposition was
employed to obtain the response. State Plane analysis [2], [3]
can predict the behavior of resonant converters, but this
Figure 1. Series resonant DC/DC converter
method is limited to the second order resonant converters.
Sampled-data modeling [4], [5] can predict the large signal The resonant tank is simplified in Fig.2 a. It orthogonal
response of resonant converters but suffer from long counterpart is shown in Fig.2 b. The two resonant converters
computation time. Average modeling methods for the mixed can be combined into a complex circuit, with its real part and

978-1-4244-4783-1/10/$25.00 2010 IEEE 1719

imaginary part of its response being equal to the circuits in d ix j ( t ) d j ( t )
Fig.2b and Fig.2a respectively. vL= L e + j ( )Li xe
dt dt
(3)
L C R The resonant capacitor voltage:
1 j (t ) dt
4 vc = ix e
V ssint vosin (t ) C
+

1 d ix i i d j ( t )
i xsin (t ) vC = j x j x e
C
2
dt C C 2
dt
(4)
(a) original resonant circuit The input voltage of the rectifier is:

L C
4 j (t )
R vx = v e (5)
o

V scost 4
v ocos(t ) + Apply Kirchhoff s Voltage Law (KVL) to the complex
resonant tank.
i xcos(t )
V s e jt = v L + vC + v R + v x (6)
(b) orthogonal counterpart of the resonant circuit
jt
Figure 2. two orthogonal resonant tanks
Substitute equations (2-5) into (6), and take e away
from both sides of the equation.
di d
Two orthogonal circuits are combined into a complex V s e j = L x + jL i x jL i x +
resonant tank as shown in Figure 3. The rectifier stage is dt dt
shown in Fig.3(b), with the equivalent current source as 2 . 1 d ix i i d 4
ix + j x j x + R i x + vo (7)
C 2 dt C 2 dt
C

By separating the real and imaginary parts of (7), two state

equations of resonant converters are obtained.
dix 4
La =V s cos R i x v o
dt (8)
d V sin
(a) complex resonant tank (b) rectifier stage La = Z s
dt ix (9)
Figure 3. Complex circuit for the series resonant DC/DC converter
From the rectifier stage,
In the complex circuit, the inductor current is:
d vo 1 2 v
j (t ) = ( i x o )
iL = ix e . (1) dt C o Ro (10)
The voltage across the resistor is:
Where
j (t )
iR = R ix e (2)
La = L +
1
C2 ,
From the definition, the resonant inductor voltage:
d iL 1
vL = L Z = L
C
dt
Substitution of (1) into the above equation,

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 The state equations (8), (9), (10) contain only low
frequency state variables, resonant inductor current envelope
i x , phase angle , and output voltage o . These state
equations can predict large signal transitions such as startup
process or step load response.
By perturbing the state equations around the steady state
(2) Transfer functions of series resonant DC/DC
By perturbing the state equation around the operating point,
v transfer functions are derived analytically. The developed
transfer functions agree with those by SIMPLIS simulation
very well.
B o d e D ia g ra m s

operating point and taking Laplace transformation, transfer

0

-2 0

functions of input to output, control to output are derived. The

Phase (deg); Magnitude (dB)

-4 0

steady state operating point is obtained by letting derivatives -6 0

-8 0

equal to zero in the state equations. 0

-5 0

-1 0 0

-1 5 0

-2 0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5
10 10 10 10 10 10

III. VALIDATION OF THE PROPOSED MODELING F re q u e n c y (ra d / s e c )

METHOD (a) transfer function by the proposed method

One series resonant DC/DC converter has the following

parameters: L =130 H , C = 22nF , R = 0.5 , C o = 47 F ,
R o =8 , V dc =150V , and switching frequency f =100kHz .

The state equations of this resonant converter are first

derived. These state equations are valid for any operating
(b) transfer function by SIMPLIS
point. They can be used to predict any large signal transient
responses, such as startup process, step load transient, step Figure 5. Transfer function of vo ( s ) for series resonant DC/DC
input transients. v dc ( s )
1) Startup process of series resonant DC/DC
Similarly, the transfer function of the switching frequency
The output voltage and the resonant inductor current to output voltage can be derived from the state equations.
envelope by the proposed method are shown in Fig.4a. The B o d e D ia g r a m s

simulation results are shown in Fig.4b. 0

-5 0
Phase (deg); Magnitude (dB)

100 -1 0 0

90
-1 5 0
80
200
70

60
100
50

40 0

30
-1 0 0
20 0 1 2 3 4 5
10 10 10 10 10 10
10 F re q u e n c y ( r a d / s e c )
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

(a) transfer function by the proposed method

time(S) -3
x 10

(a) start-up process by the proposed method

100

50

-50
0s 0 .2 m s 0.4ms 0 . 6m s 0.8ms 1 . 0 ms 1 . 2m s
V ( D I FF 1 : O U T ) I(L)
T i me
(b) transfer function by SIMPLIS simulation
(b) start-up process by PSPICE simulation
Figure 6. Transfer function of vo ( s) for series resonant DC/DC converter
Figure 4. Start-up process of the resonant converter
f ( s)

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 IV. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper, state equations are developed for resonant
converters. The derived state equations contain only low
frequency state variables and can predict large signal
transitions. By perturbing the state equations around the
operating point, transfer functions are derived. The proposed
method is verified by SIMPLIS simulation results. This
modeling technique is applicable to other resonant converters.
It can aid closed-loop design for resonant converters.
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