Nonlinear Inductor-Based Single Sensor Current Balancing Method for Interleaved DC–DC Converters

The nonlinear characteristics of inductors, especially those with soft magnetic powder cores, are often perceived as undesirable and should be typically either avoided or mitigated. However, this letter presents an innovative method to take advantage of the nonlinear behavior of inductors in interleaved dc–dc converters. By analyzing the total current shape after interleaving, a novel single-sensor current balancing method is proposed, which is realized by using peak current sampling and exploiting the inductor's nonlinearity. The proposed method not only achieves low-cost current balancing with just one current sensor but also reduces the hardware volume and complexity of the converter. In addition, it also provides inspiration for various current balancing applications. Experimental validations for an interleaved dc–dc converter confirm the effectiveness of the proposed current balancing scheme.