Analysis, Simulation and Testing of the π-CLC Resonant Converter

High-frequency resonant power converters are an attractive choice for high power density applications, e.g., on aerospace vehicles. Until recently, most of the attention was paid to resonant converters with 2 energy-storage elements. However, it was recently pointed out that some of the drawbacks of this class of converters (including poor load regulation, discontinuous mode operation and poor transient response) could be overcome by adding a third energy-storage element to the resonant circuit. Among the many 3-element resonant converter topologies that have not yet been thoroughly investigated is one that we will refer to as the π-CLC topology. This paper will present the results of theoretical analysis and computer simulations performed on this converter topology. Specifically, we will show analytical results on its steadystate characteristics (including input impedance, resonant frequencies, input-output transfer function, individual component voltage and current stresses, and efficiency). In addition, the results of computer simulations are provided to verify the analysis.