DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SOFT- SWITCHING DC DC CONVERTER USING SiC MOSFET

Authors: 

Siddhi P, Snehal P, Dipali J, Prajkta T

Abstract- This work introduces the design and development of a soft-switching DC-DC converter using silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs for high efficiency, low switching losses, and better thermal management. In traditional hard-switching DC-DC converters, there are large switching losses and electromagnetic interference (EMI), especially at high switching frequencies. To overcome the drawbacks of hard-switching converters, a zero-voltage switching (ZVS) method is used by incorporating an auxiliary resonant circuit, which allows soft-switching of the main switching devices. The proposed DC-DC converter design is discussed, and the design parameters such as resonant component design, switching scheme, and gate drive circuit design are also discussed. Simulation results performed in MATLAB/Simulink environments have validated the soft-switching process and shown a significant reduction in switching losses. A hardware setup is also built to test the system performance. The results have shown improved efficiency, low switching losses, and high reliability compared to traditional hard-switching DC-DC converters. The results have confirmed that soft-switching technology and SiC MOSFETs are a promising combination for high-frequency and high-efficiency power conversion applications.

Keywords—Soft-switching, DC–DC converter, Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET, Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS), Zero Current Switching (ZCS), High-frequency switching, Power electronics, Switching losses, High efficiency, Wide bandgap semiconductor devices, Electromagnetic interference (EMI), Thermal performance.