Development of Voltage Control Unit Using a Coupled Inductor with a New Structure for Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle

Honda has developed an electric powertrain for the new model plug-in hybrid vehicle. In order to realize the EV performance, it was necessary to increase the power output of the high-voltage DC-DC converter to boost the battery voltage (referred to as a “Voltage Control Unit (VCU)” below). An interleaved circuit using the newly developed coupled inductor was employed to reduce the magnetic flux leakage to the exterior as the method of increasing the power density of the VCU. The application of the inductor has increased the continuous power density of the VCU approximately 2.8-fold in comparison with the conventional unit employed in previous Honda hybrids.