A Soft-Switching Zeta-Based AC-Link Universal Converter

AC-link universal converters are relatively new topologies that can transfer power from different types of sources to various kinds of electrical loads. These converters provide higher reliability by employing small film capacitors instead of large electrolytic ones, which have higher failure rates than other power electronic components. Furthermore, when isolation is needed, universal converters can use compact high-frequency transformers rather than bulky line-frequency transformers. These converters extend the principles of the operation of DC-DC converters to DC-AC, AC-DC, and AC-AC power conversion systems. This paper proposes a soft-switching Zeta-based universal converter that can step up and step down the voltage in a wide range. Compared to Cuk-based converters, the link capacitor in this topology has a lower peak voltage. This paper discusses the principles of the operation of this converter. The performance of the proposed structure is evaluated through simulations in this paper.