Three-Level Buck dc-to-dc Converter for Low Temperature

A dc-to-dc switching power converter of the three-level, pulse-width-modulated, buck type has been designed, built, and verified to operate at temperatures from ambient down to -196 °C (the temperature of liquid nitrogen). Circuits like this one could be useful for supplying electric power to low-temperature circuits in such diverse applications as cryogenic instruments, superconductive magnetic energy-storage systems, magnetic-resonance imaging systems, high-speed computer and communication systems, and high-power motor and generator systems.