Characteristics of Isolated dc-dc Converter with Class Phi-2 Inverter under Various Load Conditions

The development and application of gallium nitride–heterojunction field-effect transistor (GaN–HFET) has been actively researched. Because GaN–HFETs have advantages in high-frequency operation, it is possible to downsize power converters by increasing the switching frequency. As the switching frequency rises, the switching loss increases in proportion to the frequency; therefore, application of a soft-switching method is needed to decrease the losses and heat generation. The resonant power conversion circuits represented by the class Phi-2 inverter have soft-switching feature; therefore, these circuits realize low-switching-loss operation even in high-frequency regions. However, the operation of these resonant circuits depends on the load conditions, generally. Thus, it is important to investigate the characteristics of the inverter for various load conditions. In this paper, we investigate the characteristics of the non-isolated and isolated class Phi-2 inverters by changing the load resistance and the duty ratio of the boost circuit connecting after the class Phi-2 circuit, which is operated at 13.56 MHz. We also developed a protection system during abnormal operations such as an open circuit. From experimental results, the class Phi-2 inverter has superior characteristics under various load conditions and changes. Moreover, we confirmed the effectiveness of the abnormal operation stop system.