Received: 30 April 2019 Revised: 5 June 2019 Accepted: 8 July 2019

DOI: 10.1002/cta.2681

RESEARCH ARTICLE

A new design strategy for DC/DC LLC resonant converter:

Concept, modeling, and fabrication

Soheil Khosrogorji | Sepehr Soori | Hossein Torkaman

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Shahid

Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran,
1658953571
Correspondence
Hossein Torkaman, Faculty of Electrical
Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University,
A.C., Tehran, Iran, 1658953571.
Email: h_torkaman@sbu.ac.ir
Summary
In this paper, a new design procedure for LLC converter has been introduced.
In fact, this method is a computer‐based design algorithm based on a numeri-
cal technique. In the process of designing, the value of the resonant element is
obtained by solving the LLC converter fundamental equation. This converter
will be controlled by using state feedback, such as output voltage variable. As
a matter of fact, in a control system, the change of output voltage (because of
load variation) will affect the switching frequency, so the output voltage will
be tuned. In the designing process, the fundamental equations of LLC con-
verter are obtained, and the value of the resonant elements is calculated. Also,
a comparison analysis is carried out between the proposed and typical
methods. The simulation is done to investigate the validity of the proposed
method. Moreover, a prototype is manufactured, and the experimental test is
done to evaluate its applicability.

KEYWORDS
converter design, DC‐DC converter, LLC, series‐parallel resonant converter

1 | INTRODUCTION

The increasing growth of power demand and low volume converters in power electronics interest designers to high‐
frequency converters. Using high frequency in switching has some advantages and disadvantages. One of the benefits
of high switching frequency is the reduced volume of passive elements such as filters, transformers, etc. within the con-
verters.1 High switching losses in the switches will generate heat within the converter like traditional converters that are
used in PV cells,2 boost regulator,3,4 and buck converters. Not only does overheating make the cooling system more
expensive, but also it can endanger converters' switches. According to some statistics, using resonant converter is grow-
ing immediately in power electronics. Resonance converter can be utilized in different cases, such as LED drivers,5 HF
inverters,6 electronic ballasts,7 battery chargers,8,9 motor drive,10 multilevel converters,11,12 LCD TV power supply,13
renewable energy,14,15 and even for Maglev due to high performance of these converters.16
In Wan and Yang,17,18 a general grouping of this type of converter has been stated: series resonant converter (SRC),
parallel resonant converter (PRC), and series‐parallel resonant converter (SPRC). The SPRC has two general types: LLC
and LCC. SRC has some defects such as lack of regulation in light loads despite ZVS in switching which needs

Nomenclature: Vin(nom), Nominal input voltage; Vin(min), Minimum input voltage; Vout, Output voltage; Pout, Output power; V f , Forward voltage of
diode; Vpri, Transformer primary voltage; Mmin, Resonant tank minimum gain; Mmax, Resonant tank maximum gain; M, Resonant tank maximum
output gain; Rac, Efficient load resistance referred to primary side; n, Turns ratio; η, Efficiency; Lr, Series inductance; Lm, Parallel inductance; Cr,
Series capacitor; Llk1, Primary leakage inductance; Llk2, Secondary leakage inductance

Int J Circ Theor Appl. 2019;47:1645–1663. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cta © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 1645
1646 KHOSROGORJI ET AL.

additional control system and this is not simple19; however, in Lin and Nian,20 this topology has been used for soft‐
switching in a converter with shard lagging‐leg switches and fixed switching frequency. Existence of high circulating
energy in resonant tank of SRC that can be made by the high difference between the input and output voltage of con-
verter is the other defect of SRC. In PRC, the problem of the voltage regulation in the light load is solved; however, the
high circulation energy in resonant tank exists. In the LCC type of SPRC, high circulation energy in the resonant tank is
solved, but in the high variation of input magnitude voltage, lack of output voltage regulation is resulted. Not only the
last defect is improved in the LLC type of SPRC, but also the defects of SRC and PRC are solved. As a result, the LLC
resonant converter is the best choice in all types of resonant converters.21,22 In Albertoni et al,23 a full‐bridge class‐DE
resonant converter has been studied. In this paper, a method for transforming a series‐parallel resonant network to
series form has been introduced.
Historically, the LLC converter has been introduced for the first time in Czarkowski and Kazimierczuk.24 Afterward,
other references have been studied on new methods for designing this type of converters. In Hangseok,25,26 a step‐by‐
step method for designing LLC converters has been introduced that has a large weakness. In the design procedure, a
coefficient named K has been used in which the value of the coefficient is not clear mathematically. This coefficient
has an important role in the design procedure. In Groot,27 an optimal design method has been introduced, and a digital
control has been devised by DSP. In Adragna et al,28 a design method for optimization of converter efficiency has been
introduced. In Beiranvand et al,29 a design method with using FHA for large input and output voltage variations has
been introduced. In Abramovitz and Bronshtein,30 two design methods have been introduced: operation in CCM mode
with ZCS switching and operation in DCM mode with ZVS switching. In this method, the problem of coefficient K has
not been solved yet. In Cheng and Chung,31 the LLC resonant converter has been designed for operating in the DCM
region for LED driver application.
In Jee‐Hoon et al,32 an equation of switching time delay and the maximum value of parallel resonant inductor has
been calculated. The design method in Musavi et al33 has some defects such as, first, the turns of the transformer cannot
satisfy the output voltage and, second, the undetailed resonant element design. In Jee‐Hoon et al,32 a complex method
based on nonlinear algorithm for limiting switching frequency has been introduced. In Gu et al,34 a synthetic converter
has been presented which is formed from half bridge LLC resonant and full bridge PWM converter. In Junjun et al,35 a
method is introduced based on switching frequency limiting, and the K coefficient is omitted in the designing proce-
dure. In Khoobroo et al,36 an optimized designing procedure based on GA algorithm is introduced. In Yang et al,37,38
an investigation on resonant transformer flux has been undertaken. In Sideng et al,39 a designing method is introduced
based on the voltage and value of resonant capacitor, and all operation modes of the LLC converter such as ZVS and
ZCS have been investigated. But the resonant inductor design has not been discussed. In Fang et al,40 a design proce-
dure similar to the latter reference is introduced. In this method, the resonant inductor design is provided. In
Kazimierczuk and Czarkowski,41 it is mentioned that for improving the efficiency of the LLC converter, the switch
bridge is better to be utilized instead of the diode bridge. The LLC transformer design is the most important aspect
in the LLC converter design. In Zhang et al,42 an optimal design of LLC transformer has been studied, and the effect
of the transformer gap on converter efficiency has been investigated. In addition, in Lin et al,43 the utilizing step‐gap
structure of the transformer in the LLC converter has been studied due to this structure improves holdup time without
adding additional auxiliary circuit.
In this paper, a new design strategy for the LLC resonant converter will be introduced. This method is computer‐
based design algorithm in which the value of the resonant element is obtained through solving the LLC converter fun-
damental equations. In Section 2, the converter operation area for the LLC converter will be described. In Section 3, the
design procedure will be introduced. In Section 4, a comparative study between the proposed design and another con-
ventional design will be presented. In Section 5, simulation and experimental results will be presented. Finally, the con-
clusion remarks will be described in Section 6.

2 | CONV ER T E R O PE R AT I ON A R E A

As introduced, the LLC converter versus traditional converters has more benefits including higher efficiency, lower loss,
and smaller cooling system. In general, LLC resonant converters have three operation areas and two resonant frequen-
cies named upper resonant frequency and lower resonant frequency. These areas have been illustrated in Figure 1. First
operation area fs < fr1: the other name of this area is ZCS operating mode, in which the switch experiences a high peak
current that may cause damage. Second operation area: the other name of this area is CCM‐ZVS.
KHOSROGORJI ET AL. 1647

FIGURE 1 LLC converter region [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

According to Yang et al,37 the converter has the highest efficiency in CCM‐ZVS. Third operation area: the other name
of this area is DCM‐ZVS, in which the efficiency of the converter may be decreased. In Groot and Adragna et al,27,28 the
converter is in the third operation area, but in other references, converters work in the second operation area. Working
in ZVS mode means that before the switch is turned on, the reverse current from the body diode will decrease, and the
drain‐source voltage along the switch will decrease to zero. This is why the switch is turned on at the zero voltage. This
issue helps to increase the efficiency of the converter.
The main reason for dividing the ZVS mode into two areas is to clarify this idea that in the DCM part the voltage gain
of the converter is less than 1, so the converter can be used as a buck converter; moreover, if the designer likes to design
a boost converter, the transformer ratio should be increased. In addition, it means that copper losses of the converter
will escalate. However, in the CCM part, the gain is more than 1, and the designer can reduce the transformer ratio;
therefore, converter efficiency will elevate.

3 | DESIGNI N G PR OCE D U R E

The schematic of the circuit is shown in Figure 2. Refer to the load and the leakage reactance from the secondary side to
the primary of the circuit that is shown in Figure 2. According to the existence of the diode bridge in the secondary and
the middle gap transformer, the effective output load can be explained in Equation (1).

8n2
Rac ¼ Ro (1)
π2

According to Equation (1), the initial turn ratio of the transformer (n) can be explained with Equation (2). This
equation is used in many references such as Hangseok.25

N1 V inðnomÞ
nint ¼ ¼
 (2)
N 2 2 V out þ 2V f

FIGURE 2 Designing circuit

1648 KHOSROGORJI ET AL.

The voltage output referring to the primary side is calculated by Equation (3):

4nV out
V pri ¼ : (3)
π

Operation of the converter in the CCM‐ZVS region should be guaranteed. Therefore, the minimum and maximum
gain must be calculated. In addition, when the output load increases, the gain should be elevated. If the maximum gain
is chosen for normal condition, the converter may be run in the ZCS region. In normal operation mode in which the
voltage is within the nominal value, the converter must have a minimum gain. According to the previous part, this min-
imum gain must be chosen so that the converter works in the second region. The minimum gain and the maximum gain
are illustrated in Figure 3.

2V pri
M min ¼ (4)
V inðnomÞ

Also, according to Figure 3, the converter has two frequency points in the CCM‐ZVS region. f0 is the resonance
frequency between Cr and Lr; besides, fP is the resonant frequency between Cr and Lp. Lp and Lr values are referred
in Equations (5) and (6).

1
ω0 ¼ pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi (5)
Lr :Cr

1
ωp ¼ pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi (6)
Lp :C r

Lp ¼ Lm þ Llk1 (7)

Lr ¼ Llk1 þ Lm ‖Llk2 (8)

After the calculation of the minimum resonant gain, the final turn ratio of the transformer must be calculated. For
this purpose, Equation (9) is used.

nfin ¼ roundðM min :nint Þ (9)

Note that the value of Equation (9) is not integer and must be rounded.
The coefficient K that is used in Hangseok25,26 and did not have a specified definition is defined as below. As it can be
seen in this definition, there is no need for a complex method used in references.

FIGURE 3 DC gain diagram [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

KHOSROGORJI ET AL. 1649

1 Lm
K¼ ¼ (10)
M min − 1 Llk1

According to the minimum input voltage and prevent operation in region 1 (because of ZCS), the maximum gain
must be defined as Equation (11).

V inðnomÞ
M max ¼ M min (11)
V inð minÞ

To prevent ZCS operation, 10% bandwidth is considered.

M ¼ 1:1M max (12)

According to references, the general equation for the resonant tank gain can be explained as Equation (13).
 2

ω
ωp

M¼      2   2   2   (13)
ω
M : j ω
: 1 − ω0 ω0 ω
Q: ωp þ 1 − ωp
min ω
0

According to Equation (13), it can be seen that the gain is dependent upon the upper and the lower resonance fre-
quency. This issue will make the design procedure more complex. For reducing this complexity, Equation (14) has been
introduced.
 2
ω0 Lp ðK þ 1Þ2
¼ ¼ (14)
ωp Lr 2K þ 1

Equation (14) is substituted with Equation (13), and it resulted to Equation (15).

1
M¼ rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
  2   
 2 (15)
ω ω0 ω0 2
M min : ω0 − ω Q þ 1− ð2Kþ1 Kþ1Þ 2 : ω

In Equation (15)), dependency to lower resonant frequency is omitted. This issue will result in calculation
acceleration.

A. Procedure of load coefficient obtaining

According to the previous section, the first maximum gain of the resonant tank is calculated and used to find the
value of the coefficient Q. For finding Q, the gain diagram is drawn for deferent frequencies including Q. In the follow-
ing, according to Mmax, a margin is defined. Based on Q, the resonant element is calculated. The recognizing process of
the Q is as follows:

• Step 1: Get the initial value for Q.

• Step 2: Change the value of ω from 0 to 2ω.
• Step 3: Put the new value into Equation (15).
• Step 4: Determine the 10% limitation for Mmax to prevent entering into the ZCS region.
• Step 5: Does 10% limitation exist for Mmax?
• Step 6: If the condition of step 5 is fulfilled, the Q value is appropriate. If no, go back to step 1 and change the initial
value.

B. Resonant element calculation

Another equation was introduced for resonant gain in many references such as Yang et al.37 Because of simplicity and
increasing the speed of the calculation, Equation (16) is used for finding the upper and the lower resonant frequencies.
1650 KHOSROGORJI ET AL.

1
M ¼ s
ffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi (16)
 2 2   2
1−K þ K: f1 þ Q: f n − f1
n n

According to the value of the upper resonant frequency and Q, the value of the resonant inductors and capacitor can
be defined as following equations. The f0 can be calculated by Equation (5), so Equation (17) will be created.

1
f0 ¼ pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi (17)
2π Lr Cr

The value of Cr can be calculated by Equation (19), when the fn is equal to f0 in Equation (16).

1
Cr ¼ (18)
2π f 0 Q Rac

According to Equation (19), Lr can be defined as

1
Lr ¼ : (19)
ð2π f 0 Þ2 C r

According to Equation (14), Lp can be defined as

!
ðK þ 1 Þ2
Lp ¼ Lr : (20)
2K þ 1

According to the existence of the transformer instead of Lr and Lp, Equations (7) and (8) can be used to calculate Lm,
Llk1, and Llk2. Figure 4 shows the design algorithm of this paper.
This algorithm has calculated the value of Lm, Llk1, and Llk2; however, to design a transformer with these values,
some references like Zhang et al, Saini et al, and Ayachit et al42,44,45 can be used.

C. Influence of K coefficient on converter operation mode

Both K coefficient and turn ratio have important roles in converter operation mode, and also with selecting appro-
priate K coefficient the resonant tank current can be reduced to the desired value. In fact, the effect of K coefficient
has been studied clearly in Ayachit and Kazimierczuk and Ayachit et al46,47; however, they did not analyze LLC con-
verters. If the K value increases, the resonance current will decrease; in addition, the increase of K of certain extent
has no significant effect on current magnitude regarding the exponential relation between K and resonant current mag-
nitude. This issue has been shown in Figure 5. For a constant load design, if the K value is low enough, the converter
operates in the ZCS region (First operation area in Figure 1), and if K value is high enough, the converter operates in the
DCM ZVS region (Third operation area in Figure 1). In fact, according to Equation (10), the K value and Mmin value are
inverse, so if Mmin decreases and approaches to 1 (CCM‐ZVS and DCM‐ZVS boundary), the K value increases to infinite.
Also, the Lm value will increase in comparison with Llk1. It means that the resonance current will decrease because of
Lm elevation. As it can be seen in Table 1, undue increasing in the K coefficient just causes a larger resonant capacitor
that is not suitable as in columns 4 and 5 of Table 1 According to the latter paragraph, Figure 5 shows the low decre-
ment in current versus a large increment in K, and this confirms exponential relation between K variations and reso-
nant tank current. According to Table 1, a relation between K coefficient and resonant tank peak current has been
obtained and depicted in Figure 6.
As it has already been studied, in constant input voltage and constant load, increasing K coefficient results decreasing
magnitude of resonant tank current, and this will cause less stress on switches. Less stress will guaranty longer life time
of switch.
KHOSROGORJI ET AL. 1651

FIGURE 4 Design algorithm [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

FIGURE 5 Influence of K coefficient on resonant tank current

1652 KHOSROGORJI ET AL.

TABLE 1 Influence of K coefficient on resonant element

K 2 3 4 5

Cr 598 nF 897 nF 1.068 μF 1.35 μF

Llk1 48.5 μH 34 μH 29.1 μH 23.2 μH
Llk2 134 nH 117 nH 113 nH 103 nH
Lm 97.1 μH 102.1 μH 116.6 μH 116.2 μH
N 19 17 16 15

FIGURE 6 Switches stress variation vs K variation [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

4 | A C AS E S TUDY AND COMPAR ATIVE ANALYS IS

In this part, a prototype converter is designed, and the comparative analysis between the proposed design method and
the design method in Beiranvand et al29 is made. The designing consideration is shown Table 2. In Table 3, the values
obtained from the proposed design and the design method of Beiranvand et al29 are shown.

TABLE 2 Design parameter

Description Value

Maximum input voltage 370 V

Efficiency 95%
Maximum output current 3A
Minimum output voltage 35 V
Maximum output voltage 165 V
Maximum switching frequency 315 kHz
Diode forward voltage 0.3 V

TABLE 3 Designing result

Description Proposed Value Beiranvand et al29 Value Difference

Cr 3.4 nf 6.6 nf 48%

Llk1 37 μH ‐ ‐
Lm 180 μH 161 μH 10%

Llk2 0.756 μH ‐ ‐
Lr ‐ 243 μH ‐
n 7 2.33 300%
KHOSROGORJI ET AL. 1653

FIGURE 7 Output data. A, Current; B,

voltage

FIGURE 8 Resonant tank current. A,

Design method in Beiranvand et al29; B,
represented method [Colour figure can be
viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

FIGURE 9 Switch current. A, Design

method in Beiranvand et al29; B,
represented method [Colour figure can be
viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

FIGURE 10 Resonant capacitor

voltage. A, Design method in Beiranvand
et al29; B, represented method in
Vout = 35 (V) [Colour figure can be
viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
1654 KHOSROGORJI ET AL.

All simulations are conducted in equal conditions such as constant terminal voltage and load current. The simulation
results are achieved in Vout = 35 (V) and Iout = 3 (A).
The proposed design method for reaching Figure 7 output situation needs to be operated in 315 kHz, and the
designed converter with the method of Beiranvand et al29 needs to be operated in 153 kHz.
According to Figure 8, the peak current in the represented method has almost decreased for as much as half percent
which causes lower switch current. This means that in constant input voltage, there is less stress on switches, and this

FIGURE 11 Resonant tank current in Vout = 165 (V) [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

FIGURE 12 Resonant capacitor

voltage. A, Design method in Beiranvand
et al29; B, represented method in
Vout = 165 (V) [Colour figure can be
viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

FIGURE 13 Efficiency vs output power in different conditions [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
KHOSROGORJI ET AL. 1655

will improve the switch life time. On the other hand, less resonant tank current will cause less power losses in the
switches, and in the following the efficiency is improved.
According to Figures 9B and 8B, negative current and continuous resonant tank current show that the converter
works in the CCM ZVS region. One of the main design objectives in the proposed method was CCM ZVS operation
mode that also is approved according to Figures 9B and 8B. According to Figure 10, in a constant current and voltage

FIGURE 14 Performance indicated

[Colour figure can be viewed at
wileyonlinelibrary.com]

TABLE 4 Converter element value

Parameter Value

Lm (μH) 32
LLk1 (μH) 7
LLk2 (μH) 0.2
Cr (nF) 68
n 6
C (μF) 1000
fres (kHz) 135

FIGURE 15 (A, Upper) Output voltage. (B, Lower) Output current [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
1656 KHOSROGORJI ET AL.

of the load, the resonant capacitor voltage in the proposed method is less than the resonant capacitor voltage in
Beiranvand et al.29 The capacity of the resonant capacitor is less than the one of the methods of Beiranvand et al29
according to Table 2. Less capacity and operation voltage will cause less volume of the capacitor.
The simulation for Vout = 165 (V) has been conducted according to Table 3. Resonant tank current is shown in
Figure 11. The converter condition with the proposed method element and element value in Beiranvand et al29 is almost
similar, but there is a partial difference in resonant capacitor voltage and operating frequency.
Resonant capacitor voltage is shown in Figure 12. According to this figure, there is a partial difference in the resonant
capacitor voltage that has no significant effect on the resonant capacitor volume.

A. Efficiency comparison

FIGURE 16 Switch's voltage and current in resonance condition [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

FIGURE 17 (A) Resonant current and (B) resonant capacitor voltage in 200‐W power; (C) resonant current and (D) resonant capacitor
voltage in 100‐W power [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
KHOSROGORJI ET AL. 1657

According to the previous sections, two designing methods have been studied from the stress condition, output volt-
age and current, and input voltage and current. In this part, two designing methods are studied from the efficiency point
of view.
In higher power (Vo = 165 V and Io = 3A), the designing method has the same efficiency. According to Figure 13,
the proposed method has better efficiency in 100‐W power (half‐load); however, both designing methods have the same
efficiency in 200‐W power (full load). Efficiency variation in the proposed method has less variation from the low power
to a high power nearly in the range of 0.83%, but the designing method in Beiranvand et al29 has a wide range nearly
1.455%. In Figure 14, two design methods have been compared while they were supplying a 100‐W load.

5 | VALIDATION OF THE P ROPOSED DESIGN METHOD

In this part, the validation of the design method is proved using simulation results and experimental results.

A. General control system in resonant converter

Taking case 1 as an example, the output voltage is higher than the nominal output voltage. The control system
according to Figure 1 must increase the switching frequency to decrease the resonant tank gain. Assume case 2; in this

FIGURE 18 (A) Input voltage, (B) output voltage, and (C) output current of the transformer in 200‐W power [Colour figure can be viewed
at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
1658 KHOSROGORJI ET AL.

case, the output voltage is lower than the nominal output voltage. The control system according to Figure 1 must
decrease the switching frequency to increase the resonant tank gain. Also, the control system should be able to stay sta-
ble when the output voltage is in the hysteresis band that is 2% of the output voltage tolerance.

B. Simulation results and analysis

In this section, the LLC converter is simulated. This converter is shown in Figure 2. In this simulation, the input volt-
age is equal to 100 V, and the output voltage is 12 V, and the converter is designed so as to deliver 200‐W power to the
load side. The converter inductor and the capacitance are designed according to the presented method, and the value is
written in Table 4.
In Figure 15, the output voltage of the converter is shown under various load situations. According to Figure 15, the
control system fixes the output voltage nearly on 12 V by the means of changing the switching frequency.
In Figure 16, the switch current and voltage are shown. For a better understanding, in this case, the soft switching of
the current is shown in 5× scale in comparison to the switch voltage. According to the switch current and voltage, it can
be seen that the converter works in ZVS mode. ZVS mode is caused by the negative current which is drawn from the
body diode of the switch. However, at the turning off moment, the switch experiences a hard switching. Only one point
which allows soft switching in the moment of turn‐on and turn‐off is the boundary zone between ZCS and ZVS.
In Figure 17A‐17D, resonant capacitor voltage and resonant current are shown in various load conditions. As it can
be seen in both of scenarios, the converter works in ZVS mode. In larger loads for regulating the output voltage, the
converter gain is increased which makes larger voltage on the resonant capacitor. This issue can be seen in Figure 18
as well. The impulse current in the transformer output is due to the existence of the capacitive filter in the terminal
of the converter.
If this converter operates in the constant switching frequency, the output current and voltage status is changed to
Figure 19. There are many ways to control the LLC output converter like switching frequency control or using another
converter to regulate LLC output voltage. One of better controlling methods in this type of converters is the switching
frequency control. In the next section, the experimental data are presented.

C. Experimental results and analysis

In this section, a prototype of the presented LLC converter is built and tested in the laboratory. The converter ele-
ment value is written in Table 5. The fabricated converter is shown in Figure 20. The switching signal is shown in

FIGURE 19 (A, Upper) Output voltage. (B, Lower) Output current without control system [Colour figure can be viewed at
wileyonlinelibrary.com]
KHOSROGORJI ET AL. 1659

TABLE 5 Converter element value for experimental

Elements Company Description

S1‐S2 International rectifier IRFP350

D1‐D2 ON semiconductor MUR460
Switch driver International rectifier IR2110
Controller STMicroelectronics L6599
Lr and Lm JSF EER Core 34 μH and 6 μH 5A
C1 YAGEO 680 μF 400 V
CO YAGEO 1000 μF 25 V
Cr WIMA 68 nF 250 V
n ‐ 7
RO ‐ 10 Ω
fsw ‐ 135 kHz

FIGURE 20 The fabricated converter [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

FIGURE 21 Switching signal [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

1660 KHOSROGORJI ET AL.

Figure 21. Duty cycle is fixed at 50%, and switching frequency is equal to 135 kHz. The input voltage of the converter is
100 V, and the output is 12 V. The schematic of this converter is like Figure 2.
Resonant tank current is shown in Figure 22A. ZVS operation of the converter can be seen in this figure. For current
measurement, a shunt resistance is used. Current oscillation in ZVS turn on moment is because of low response of
switch body diode. Pick current is equal to 1.5 A. Resonant capacitor voltage is shown in 0.1× scale in Figure 22B.
As can be seen, this voltage is matched with simulations.
The transformer primary and secondary voltages are shown in Figure 23A,B. The transformer ratio is 7. Because the
transformer output diode conducts the voltage, the primary and the secondary voltages have a little difference. Over

FIGURE 22 A, Resonant tank current; B, capacitor resonant voltage [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

FIGURE 23 (A) Primary and (B) secondary voltages of the transformer [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

FIGURE 24 Output voltage [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

KHOSROGORJI ET AL. 1661

voltage that is seen in Figure 23A is due to the nonconducting inner switch diode. The output diodes have this problem,
too, which makes oscillations in transformer output voltage.
The converter output voltage is shown in Figure 24A. According to Figure 24A, the output voltage is regulated in
12 V. The output voltage ripple is due to the little capacitor in the output. In the simulation, the output filter is equal
to 1000 μF, but in the experimental test, this value cannot be chosen because of the losses. According to the experimen-
tal results, the accuracy of the design method and control method is proved.

6 | CONCLUSION

A new design procedure has been introduced in this paper for wide input and output voltage variations based on the
LLC resonant converter. Although for this propose, the introduced methods in the other references have already offered
wide frequency ranges, this paper shows that a narrow frequency range can get to handle a wide input‐output voltage
range. The results were compared with other methods. According to the results, the efficiency is improved in low output
power, and because of nearly 50% decrement of input current in low output power, the stress has been decreased sig-
nificantly in this situation. Also, the less switching stress will guaranty a longer life time of the converter. One of the
benefits of LLC converters is the higher switching frequency. More switching frequency will result in the less volume
of the converter. In the following, a control system is designed and implemented based on the LLC state space equation.
Finally, a prototype was built to investigate the validity of the proposed design method.

ORCID
Soheil Khosrogorji https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4835-1569
Hossein Torkaman https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6342-0972

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How to cite this article: Khosrogorji S, Soori S, Torkaman H. A new design strategy for DC/DC LLC resonant
converter: Concept, modeling, and fabrication. Int J Circ Theor Appl. 2019;47:1645–1663.https://doi.org/10.1002/
cta.2681