A Novel Multigain Resonant Switched Capacitor DC-DC Converter with Reduced Ratings for High Power Applications

Switched Capacitor Converter (SCC) as replacements for conventional inductor-based switched mode supplies in the interface of renewable systems are of significant interest owing to their benefits such as high energy density, compact size, and elimination of high volume inductors from their design. However, most SCCs operate at a fixed gain, and the closed-loop control of an SCC is a tedious task. Hence, an easily controllable variable gain SCC is of much interest. Converters acting as an interface to renewable systems tend to operate at high gain and medium power levels where the device ratings have to be brought down to reduce the converter’s size and cost. This work proposes a novel SCC topology with features such as multigain, reduced rating of the components, and zero current switching (ZCS). The converter achieves six gain settings with both step-up and step-down operations incorporated within it. All the switched capacitors in the converter are rated for just the input side voltage, and the active switch ratings are also brought down. The design equations and criteria for the selection of various components are established in the work. The analysis is validated with a set of simulation results.