Abstract
This paper presents an efficiency-improved modulation and control approach referring to the interleaved boost with coupled inductors (IBCI) dc-dc converter topology. Pulse-width modulation approaches for this converter allow various degrees of freedom, which should be exploited in order to minimize conduction and switching losses. On the basis of a detailed analysis of the topology, favorable switching sequences are identified for all the feasible converter's operating points, deriving a modulation scheme that allows significant efficiency improvements as compared to classical modulation approaches. Actually, considering an experimental prototype rated 1:5kW, it is shown that the achieved efficiency performance is close to the optimal one found by a brute force characterization of the prototype. Finally, the obtained modulation scheme is integrated into a closed-loop control of the converter's power flow, achieving low power losses also during non steady-state conditions and tracking of given references. Three different implementation techniques are discussed, based on a look-up table, a neural network, and a piecewise linear approximation approach, and compared in terms of accuracy, computational complexity, and memory utilization when deployed in a digital controller.