Dual Active Bridge Converter

⚫ The dual active bridge (DAB) converter is an isolated switching

converter that allows bidirectional power flow between two DC
voltage sources that may have different voltage levels; hence, it can
step up or down the voltage in both directions.
⚫ As in most other converters, soft switching can also be used to
improve the efficiency of this topology.
⚫ The DAB converter finds applications where dynamic energy
storage is needed; such as in flywheel-, battery- and ultra capacitor-
based energy storages for renewal energy sources, electric vehicles
or smart-grid distribution

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Dual Active Bridge Converter

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Dual Active Bridge Converter
⚫ Assuming the flow of electrical energy is from left to right, the active
full-bridge B1 produces a square voltage waveform, vT1, feeding into
the primary winding of transformer Tx.
⚫ The voltage at the secondary winding of the transformer, vT2, is
rectified by the bridge converter B2, yielding an average voltage V2.
⚫ Ideally, both vT1 and vT2 are square voltage waveforms with a 50-%
duty cycle and peak amplitudes of V1 and V2, respectively.
⚫ Since there is no DC voltage, the transformer core should not be
saturated.
⚫ The switches in both the full-bridge converters B1 and B2 are usually
implemented using MOSFET or IGBT transistors.
⚫ Note that the switch Sxx consists of a transistor Txx, an anti-parallel
diode Dxx and a capacitor Cxx.
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Dual Active Bridge Converter
⚫ The capacitors Cxx across the switches are used to lower the
switching losses by implementing a resonant or soft switching
technique.
⚫ The resonant frequency is determined by the capacitor Cxx and the
leakage inductance of the transformer.
⚫ During the off-state, the switches of both bridges B1 and B2 block the
voltage sources V1 and V2.
⚫ During the on-state, the current flowing through these switches
depends on the amount of power being transferred.

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Dual Active Bridge Converter

Equivalent circuit of the transformer (a) complete circuit,

(b) simplified equivalent circuit.

Simplified equivalent circuit of the DAB converter.

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 Dual Active Bridge Converter
⚫ Consider the power flow is from the source V1 to V2 and V1 > V2.
⚫ As such, the current is assumed to have positive polarity when it
flows from bridge B1 to bridge B2. The following three cases will be
analyzed:
(a) The phase angle of the current flowing through the leakage
inductances iL is between the phases of the voltages of vT1 and vT2,
i.e., 0 < β < δ.
(b) The current flowing through the leakage inductances iL lags the
voltage vT1 and vT2, i.e., 0 < δ < β.
(c) The current flowing through the leakage inductances iL leads the
voltages vT1 and vT2, i.e., β < 0.

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Dual Active Bridge Converter
⚫ The phase angles of the current and voltages are defined as follows:
(i) θ = 0 as the angle of the rising zero-crossing of vT1, vT1(0) = V1,
(ii) θ = β as the rising zero-crossing of the current, iL(β) = 0,
(iii) θ = δ is the angle of the rising zero-crossing of vT2, and also the
phase shift between the voltage waveforms vT1 and vT2 , vT2(δ) = V2,
(iv) θ = 2π is the switching period.

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Dual Active Bridge Converter
Case (a): 0 < β < δ

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Dual Active Bridge Converter
Case (a): 0 < β < δ

The phase angle

of the current
flowing through
the leakage
inductances iL is
between the
phases of the
voltages of vT1
and vT2

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Dual Active Bridge Converter
⚫ Stage 1:
⚫ Prior to θ = 0, the inductor current is negative (i.e., iL < 0). The
current flows from the positive terminal of V1 through the transistor
T11, diode D23 , into the V2 source, back to diode D24, the inductor L,
transistor T14, and returns to the positive terminal of source V1. The
voltage across the inductor is vL = -V1 + V2, as such the inductor
current has a negative slope.
⚫ At θ = 0, transistors T11 and T14 are turned off with hard switching
and the converter evolves from stage 6 to stage 1. At the same
instant (i.e., θ = 0), diodes D12 and D13 are turned on. The inductor
current is still negative (i.e., iL < 0), but it now has a positive slope
given by (V1 + V2)/L.

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Dual Active Bridge Converter
⚫ During stage 1, the current flows from the negative terminal of
source V1, through diodes D14 and D23, into source V2, back to diode
D22, the inductor L, diode D23 and return to the positive terminal of
source V1.
⚫ During stage 1, power is being extracted from source V2 and
dumped into source V1. Notice that all the transistors (T11, T12, T13,
T14 T21, T22, T23, T24) remain off.
⚫ During stage 1, the gates of T12, T13, T22 and T23 are made high;
however, these transistors do not turn on because their currents flow
in the opposite direction.
⚫ Stage 1 ends when the inductor current iL crosses zero at θ = β.

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Dual Active Bridge Converter
⚫ Stage 2:
⚫ Stage 2 begins when diodes D12, D13, D22 and D23 are naturally
commutated as the inductor current iL reverses its direction.
⚫ Since the gate terminals of transistors T12, T13, T22 and T23 are high
prior to stage 2, they are switched on instantly.
⚫ The current now flows through transistor T13, the inductor L, transistor
T22, into the negative terminal of source V2, back to transistors T23 and
T12 and return to the negative terminal of source V1.
⚫ During stage 2, power is being extracted from both sources V1 and V2.
⚫ The inductor current is now positive (i.e., iL > 0) and increases at a
rate given by (V1 + V2)/L.
⚫ Stage 2 ends when transistors T22 and T23 are forced to turn off at θ =
δ.

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Dual Active Bridge Converter
⚫ Stage 3:
⚫ At θ = δ, transistors T22 and T23 are turned off with hard switching,
and thus diodes D21 and D24 turn on naturally.
⚫ The current now flows through transistor T13, the inductor L, diode
D21, into the source V2, back to diode D24, transistor T12 and return
to the negative terminal of source V1.
⚫ During stage 3, power is continuously being extracted from source
V1 and dumped into source V2.
⚫ The inductor current increases at a rate of (V1 - V2)/L. Stage 3 ends
when the gate signals of transistors T12 and T13 are set low at θ = π.

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Dual Active Bridge Converter
⚫ Stage 4:
⚫ At θ = π, T12 and T13 are turned off with hard switching; thus, diodes
D11 and D14 turn on naturally.
⚫ The current now flows from the negative terminal of source V1 into
diode D14, the inductor L, diode D21, into the source V2, back to
diodes D24 and D11 and return to the positive terminal of source V1.
⚫ During stage 4, power is being extracted from source V2 and
dumped back into source V1.
⚫ The inductor current is still positive (i.e., iL > 0), however, the voltage
across it is now vL = -V1 - V2. As such, the inductor current
decreases at a rate given by (-V1-V2)/L.
⚫ During this stage, the gate signals for transistors T11, T14, T21 and
T24 are set high, however, they do not conduct until the current
reverses its direction.
⚫ Stage 4 ends when the inductor current iL crosses zero at θ = π + β.
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Dual Active Bridge Converter
⚫ Stage 5:
⚫ At θ = π + β, when the current iL changes its direction, diodes D11,
D14, D21 and D24 are commutated off naturally.
⚫ Transistors T11, T14, T21 and T24 are switched on since their gate
signals were high.
⚫ The current flows from the negative terminal of source V1 through
transistors T11 and T24, into the negative terminal of the source V2,
back to transistor T21, into the inductor L, transistor T14 and return to
the negative terminal of source V1. As such, power is being
extracted from both of the sources V1 and V2.
⚫ The inductor is negative (i.e., iL < 0) and its current decreases with a
rate given by (- V1 - V2)/L.
⚫ Stage 5 ends when transistors T21 and T24 are turned off at θ = π +
δ.
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Dual Active Bridge Converter
⚫ Stage 6:
⚫ At θ = π + δ, transistors T21 and T24 are turned off with hard
switching while diodes D22 and D23 are turned on naturally.
⚫ The current flows from the positive terminal of source V1 through
transistor T11, diode D23, into the positive terminal of source V2, back
to diode D22, into the inductor L, transistor T14 and return to the
negative terminal of source V1. As such, power is being extracted
from sources V1 and delivered into source V2.
⚫ The inductor current is still negative and decreases with a slope
given by (-V1 + V2)/L.
⚫ Stage 6 ends when transistors T11 and T14 are turned off at θ = 2π at
the end of the switching period.

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Dual Active Bridge Converter
⚫ As can be seen for the case when the phase angle of the current
flowing through the leakage inductances iL is between the phases of
the voltages of vT1 and vT2, (i.e., 0 < β < δ), all transistors are being
turned off with hard switching and switched on naturally while the
diodes are being turned on and commutated off naturally.
⚫ Hence, the largest losses are produced at the hard turn off of the
transistors as well as during the on state of the switches.

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Dual Active Bridge Converter
Case (b): 0 < δ < β

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Dual Active Bridge Converter
Case (b): 0 < δ < β
When the current flowing
through the leakage inductances
iL lags the voltage vT1 and vT2,
(i.e., 0 < δ < β), DAB’s
transistors in bridge B1 turn off
with hard switching and turn on
naturally.
On the other hand, the
transistors in bridge B2 turn on
with hard switching and turn off
naturally.
As such, switching losses are
produced at the turn off of the
transistors in bridge B1 and at
the turn on of the transistors in
bridge B2.
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Dual Active Bridge Converter
Case (c): β < 0

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 Dual Active Bridge Converter
Case (c): β < 0

When the current flowing

through the leakage
inductances iL leads the
voltages vT1 and vT2, (i.e., β <
0), the transistors in bridge B1
turn on with hard switching and
turn off naturally; while
transistors in bridge B2 turn off
with hard switching and turn on
naturally.
The diodes in bridge B1
generate switching losses
during their turn off.

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