An Overview and Comparison of On

Board Chargers Topologies,

semiconductors choices and synchronous
rectification advantages in Automotive
Applications

Davide GIACOMINI
Principal, Automotive HVICs

Infineon Italy s.r.l.

ATV group
Electrical Vehicle Charger Classification

Level 1: OnBoard Charger Charge Time for 25kWh battery

1.5kW < Power < 3.5kW

16h < Charge Time < 7h

Level 2: Level 3:

External Charger Charger Station

3.5kW < Power < 10kW 10kW < Power < 25kW

7h < Charge Time < 2.5h 2.5h < Charge Time < 1h

http://avt.inl.gov/pdf/phev/phevInfrastructureReport08.pdf
2017-05-11 Copyright © Infineon Technologies AG 2017. All rights reserved. 2
Level 1 AC/DC Onboard Charger
Each Electrical Vehicle has an Onboard charger :
• The output power is between 1.5kW and 3.5kW
• AC input : 16A @ 110V/240V → 2.2kW/3.8kW
• DC Output: 200 - 450V

ONBOARD CHARGER
110V - 240V
200V - 450V
+
High Voltage
- Battery
AC SOURCE

AC/DC PFC DC/DC

http://avt.inl.gov/pdf/phev/phevInfrastructureReport08.pdf
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On Board Charger (AC/DC)
Application

HVD

+
• PFC + DC-DC 400V

• Output voltage HV batt.

250-450V
• Output power from Double
1,5 kWh to 4 kWh Isolation

µP
Output
diodes Out Filter

HV Semiconductor
chipset
HVD PFC
• HV MOSFET or ultra
Fast IGBT
• EASY modules
• Fast gate driver IC
• HV Diodes
2ph • SiC Mosfets
110V/220V Input
AC input In Filter diodes

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On board chargers: simplified schematic
CV/CC
charge

SiC or
FRED
diode

SiC or FRED
diodes

CoolMos
CFDA
CoolMos
CFDA Isolated from GND

Low Side Half Bridge

Driver Driver
I/V Battery
Monitoring
LIN/CAN
Double
Isolation
BMS
Isolation

uP controller

Isolated from GND

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PFC stage:
Conventional Boost PFC
› SB: typically superjunction
› DB: Ultrafast Diode or SiC Schottky for lowest loss
› Can achieve >96% efficiency

Typical operating frequency <70 kHz

• Keep fundamental and 2nd harmonic
below 150 kHz EMI;

Typically Continuous Conduction Mode

• Lower EMI and good balance
between ripple current and switching
losses;

Discontinuous or Critical mode only for

low power applications (not in OBC);
• Higher ripple current but allows ZVS
and switching loss reduction

Dominant loss is input bridge

rectifier
• 1-2% total efficiency loss due to input
bridge

REF: “Circuit topologies for PWM boost rectifiers operated from 1ph ad 3ph AC supplies and using either single or split
dc rail voltage outputs”, J. C: Salmon; IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS, 1995
«Performance Evaluation of Bridgeless PFC Boost Rectifiers», Laszlo Huber, Yungtaek Jang and Milan M. Jovanovic;
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS, VOL. 23, NO. 3, MAY 2008

2017-05-11 Copyright © Infineon Technologies AG 2017. All rights reserved. 6

 PFC stage:
Interleaved Boost PFC
› QBx: typically superjunction
› DBx: Ultrafast Diode or SiC Schottky for lowest loss
› Operation 180° out of phase
› Reduces input/output ripple and achieves >96% efficiency

Doubles the effective switching

frequency
• Reduces EMI and input filter
size
• Reduces output ripple

Can work in Discontinuous or

Critical mode on each section
since current ripple add on input
bridge

Dominant loss is input bridge

rectifier
• 1-2% total efficiency loss due
to input bridge

REF: “An Automotive On-Board 3.3 kW Battery Charger for PHEV Application”, Deepak Gautam, Fariborz Musavi,
Murray Edington, Wilson Eberle, William G. Dunford; VEHICLE POWER AND PROPULSION CONFERENCE (VPPC),
2011 IEEE

2017-05-11 Copyright © Infineon Technologies AG 2017. All rights reserved. 7

 PFC stage:
Dual Boost Bridgeless PFC
› Dual boost configuration, no ripple cancellation
› Saves 2 diodes vs. interleaved boost PFC
› S1, S2: typically superjunction
› D1, D2: Ultrafast Diode or SiC Schottky for lowest loss
VPFC
S1, D1 and S2, D2 work on semi
sinusoids
D1 D2
Only one input diode in conduction
at all times
• 50% losses on input diodes vs.
bridge configuration
Cb RL • Achieves 98% efficiency

Switch losses are dominated by:

• Conduction (especially severe
Da Db for high ripple CrCM and DCM)
• Turn-on speed
• Eoss (energy in Coss) only for
S1 S2 CCM)
• Turn-off speed

Compared to Conventional boost PFC, eliminates 1 diode drop and adds an entire boost stage

REF: «Performance Evaluation of Bridgeless PFC Boost Rectifiers», Laszlo Huber, Yungtaek Jang and Milan M. Jovanovic;
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS, VOL. 23, NO. 3, MAY 2008
2017-05-11 Copyright © Infineon Technologies AG 2017. All rights reserved. 8
 PFC stage:
Totem Pole PFC
› Requires HV switches with good body diode
› Uses only 2 diodes and 2 switches
› S1, S2: cannot be Superjunction, use SiC or GaN
› D1, D2: slow speed low Fwd diodes => eliminates SiC need
Can achieve > 98% efficiency
VPFC
D1 and D2 work on semi
sinusoids, can be replaced by SJ
Mosfets
D2
S2 Only one input diode in conduction
at all times
• 50% losses on input diodes vs.
bridge configuration
Cb RL
CCM mode of operation

Switch losses are dominated by:

D1 • Conduction
• Turn-on speed
• Eoss (energy in Coss)
S1 • Turn-off speed

REF: «Design of GaN-Based MHz Totem-Pole PFC Rectifier», Zhengyang Liu, Fred C. Lee, Qiang Li;
IEEE JOURNAL OF EMERGING AND SELECTED TOPICS IN POWER ELECTRONICS, VOL. 4, NO. 3, SEPTEMBER 2016

2017-05-11 Copyright © Infineon Technologies AG 2017. All rights reserved. 9

 PFC stage:
Full Bridge Totem Pole PFC
› Requires HV switches with good body diode => topology is GaN or SiC enabled
› Uses only 4 switches, all work in PWM mode
› No diodes involved, reduces crossover distortion
› Switches cannot be Superjunction, need fast body diode

VPFC
Can achieve > 98% efficiency
Most complex solution.

No diodes in conduction, except

S2 S4 during dead times
• Reduced cross over distortion

CCM mode of operation

Cb RL
Switch losses are dominated by:
• Turn-on speed
• Eoss (energy in Coss)
• Turn-off speed

S1 S3

REF: «Evaluation of a non-isolated charger», Robert Nystrom, Yuxuan He; Department of Energy and Environment
Division of Electric Power Engineering, CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN 2012

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 Integrated motor drive and battery charger
› Uses existing inverter for double function: traction and charger
› Inverter uses IGBTs, not optimal switches for a charger, efficiency not at top.
› Not isolated from mains => need large EMI filter, more complex monitoring
› Saves BOM and costs but adds complexity Needs a split-winding motor
configuration to avoid torque
during charging

IGBT antiparallel diodes have to

Power be chosen accordingly

Efficiency not at the top

Switch losses are dominated

by:
• IGBT fwd dropout

Power

Boost Inductor
Boost Inductor

REF: «Grid-Connected Integrated Battery Chargers in Vehicle Applications: Review and New Solution», Saeid Haghbin, Sonja
Lundmark, Mats Alaküla, and Ola Carlson; IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS, VOL. 60, NO. 2, FEB. 2013
«Review of Battery Charger Topologies, Charging Power Levels, and Infrastructure for Plug-In Electric and Hybrid Vehicles»,
Murat Yilmaz and Philip T. Krein; IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS, VOL. 28, NO. 5, MAY 2013
2017-05-11 Copyright © Infineon Technologies AG 2017. All rights reserved. 11
Conventional PFC losses in OBC
PFC stage power loss breakdown

› Total losses: 96,5W

Output
32,5%

Source: Design of High Efficiency High Power Density 10,5kW

3ph PBC for (H)Evs, G. Yang and all, PCIM Europe 2016

› In a standard boost PFC the input stage is still today using diodes since:
› No need for control signal;
› HV mosfets so far didn’t have a low enough Rds-on vs price to become competitive
versus diodes. Now the use of new generation technologies or new material allows
this.
Power dissipated in the input bridge is high compared to the global balance;

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DC/DC stage:
ZVS phase shift (ZVS-PS)
› Usually Full Bridge configuration for higher energy density
› S1-S4: HV mosfets or SiC with fast body diode
› D1-D4: Ultrafast Diode or SiC Schottky
› Frequency around 100kHz typically

Vbus
PWM control needs dead time
Lo adjustment with load and Vbus
Vbatt changes

D1 D2 Voltage Mode control uses 50%

duty cycle and needs large value
S1 S2 DC decoupling capacitor at primary
HV
Lr batt. Leading edge switches are more
Co difficult to achieve ZVS at light load

Synchronous rectification at
secondary would require
D3 D4 recontruction signal from primary
diagonals controls.

S3 S4 Relevant losses on output

bridge rectifier

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DC/DC stage:
LLC resonant
› Usually Full Bridge configuration for higher energy density
› Most popular working above resonance (ZVS mode) Input and Output sinusoidal current =>
› S1-S4: Typically Superjunction or SiC easier filtering and lower EMI
› D1-D4: Ultrafast Diode or SiC Schottky
50% duty cycle control
› Frequency range < 200kHz typically
Small or no output inductor => lower
Vbus overvoltage on secondary diodes May
allow 600V mosfet synchronous
Lo rectification
Vbatt
Needs low value high voltage capacitor
D1 D2 for resonance, also providing DC
decoupling
S1 S2
HV Simpler control strategy than ZVS-PS
Lr batt. (frequency variation)
Co
Cr
Synchronous rectification at secondary
would require extra current or voltage
sensing, since phase shift with input
D3 D4 changes with load and Vbus

Relevant losses on output bridge

S3 S4 rectifier

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DC/DC stage:
LLC resonant below resonance
› Full Bridge configuration for higher energy density
› S1-S4: HV mosfets or SiC, need ultrafast body diode
Input and Output sinusoidal current
› Not popular since cannot use Superjunction (ZCS mode) => easier filtering and lower EMI
› D1-D4: Ultrafast Diode or SiC Schottky
› Frequency range < 200kHz typically Small or no output inductor => lower
overvoltage on secondary diodes
May allow 600V mosfet synchronous
Vbus rectification

Frequency reduces at light load

Vbatt where converter operates most of
the time => lower switching losses
D1 D2
Simpler control strategy than ZVS-
S1 S2 PS (frequency variation)
HV
Lr batt. Synchronous rectification at
Co secondary would require extra
Cr
current or voltage sensing, since
phase shift with input changes with
load and Vbus
D3 D4
Relevant losses on output bridge
rectifier
S3 S4

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HV DC/DC –LLC converter in OBC
› LLC stage power loss breakdown

Total losses: 105.1W

Output

50,1%

Source: Design of High Efficiency High Power Density 10,5kW

3ph PBC for (H)Evs, G. Yang and all, PCIM Europe 2016

› In a OBC the output stage is still today using diodes since:

› No need for control signal, however not easily available in a LLC topology, mostly
used in OBCs for its sinusoidal current waveform;
› HV mosfets so far didn’t have a low enough Rds-on vs price, to become competitive
versus diodes. Now the use of new generation technologies or new material allows
this.
Power dissipated in the output bridge is very high compared to the global balance;
many designers are looking for a viable solution
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 Synchonous Rectification easily implemented
Primary Side Secondary Side
Primary gate drivers

uP
controller
SR PWM Optoisolation Gate Driver
generation

SR Gate Signal
AUIRS1170S replaces:
Gate Driver › 1 current sensing IC
Signal Conditioning
› Some SW development in uP
› 1 opto
› 1 Gate driver

REF: «3 kW dual-phase LLC demo board Using 600 V CoolMOS™ P7 and digital control by XMC4400» AN_201703, INFINEON, MARCH 2017
2017-05-11 Copyright © Infineon Technologies AG 2017. All rights reserved. 17
Self controlled, 600V active bridge scheme
Vout
Iout =>

Iin =>
Vinp
Vinm
Output

Vd1 Vd2

› 1x AUIRS1170S + 4 SMD components replace each large diode of the bridge

› As shown this will save around 50% of the losses in the HV-DC/DC converter
output stage and 33% in the input bridge
› This will also greatly reduce the size of heat sinks and save money on
mechanics, to compensate higher cost of Mosfet + SR_IC

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 600V active bridge simulation, sinusoidal
current input
Vout

Vd1 Vd2

Vinp-Vinm

Vg2 & Vg1 &

Vg4-Vs4 Vg3-Vs3

Iout

Iin

Iin= sin. current gen. 4Apeak @ 85kHz, Vout = 500V, Rload = 200W, Cout=100ouF, Pout= 1250W
Gate voltages accurately track the input current, a slight delay (600ns) is visible at turn-on

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 600V active bridge
hardware and test

• No heatsink needed!
• At 8A – 380V output (3kW), Tcase = 45C
• Picture of the HV DC/DC LLC converter
(only 20C above Ta)
prototype, obtained by reworking a 400V-12V
• Saves about 16W power => diodes would demoboard, replacing the transformer and
need at least a <5C/W heat sink to run the output stage, to deliver 380V output
at Ta=100C
• Efficiency gain at 3kW is only 0,5%,
(limited by slow body diodes recovery),
still saves money on cooling solution!!!

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600V active bridge in a 4kW DC/DC stage
Waveforms comparison
400V
Active bridge
Vg1 Vg2 Body Diodes
Iout
Iout

Vprim Vprim

Ultrafast Diodes Low Iout

Iout Vd2 Vg2

Vout
Iout
Vprim Vprim

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 Conclusions
› Several solutions are existing in the market for On Board Chargers, PFC and
DC/DC stages use many different topologies;

› New topologies are enabled and give a significant benefit by using Wide Bandgap
switches, SiC and GaN;

› Input and output diodes represent a large portion of total losses, due to their
high forward dropout, in both PFC and DC/DC stages:
– In a standard boost PFC, around 33% of total power losses are in the input
bridge diodes;
– In a HV-DC/DC converter, around 45-50% power losses are in the output
Ultrafast Diodes rectification;

› Synchronous rectification may allow good reduction of diodes’ losses in both

stages and boost efficiency of standard topologies:
– This will also greatly reduce the size of heat sinks and save money on
hardware, to compensate higher cost of Mosfet+SR_IC;

› Slow body diodes of most very low RDS-on MOSFETs may reduce the Synch-
Rect advantage, use of SiC or GaN switches can avoid this drawback.

› For input bridges the advantage of using synchronous rectification is much more
evident since the lower operating frequency.

2017-05-11 Copyright © Infineon Technologies AG 2017. All rights reserved. 22