General control considerations for input-series connected DC/DC converters

This paper discusses the general control problems of dc/dc converters connected in series at the input. As the input voltage is shared by a number of dc/dc converters, the resulting converter relieves the voltage stresses of individual devices and hence is suitable for high input-voltage applications. At the output side, parallel connection provides current sharing and is suitable for high output-current applications. Moreover, series connection at the output side is also possible, resulting in output voltage sharing. Theoretically, from a power balance consideration, one can show that fulfillment of input-voltage sharing implies fulfillment of output-current or of output-voltage sharing, and vice versa. However, the presence of right-half-plane poles can cause instability when the sharing is implemented at the output side. As a consequence, control should be directed to input-voltage sharing in order to ensure a stable sharing of the input voltage and of the output current (parallel connection at output) or output voltage (series connection at output). In this paper, general problems in input-series connected converter systems are addressed. Minimal control structures are then derived and some practical design considerations are discussed in detail. Illustrative examples are given for addressing these general control considerations. Finally, experimental prototypes are built to validate these considerations.