A Survey on Bidirectional DC/DC Power Converter Topologies for the Future Hybrid and All Electric Aircrafts

Abstract

DC-DC isolated converters allowing a bidirectional flow of energy between High-Voltage DC and Low-Voltage DC networks have been proposed to be integrated in future on board power distribution systems. These converters must meet the specially stringent efficiency and power density requirements that are typical of the aeronautic industry. This makes it specially challenging to determine which converter topology is best suited for each particular application. This work presents a thorough review of several topologies of bidirectional DC-DC power converters that are considered good candidates to meet certain important aeronautic requirements, as those related with high efficiency and high power density. We perform simulations on virtual prototypes, constructed by using detailed component models, and optimized following design criteria that are in accordance with those typically imposed by aeronautic requirements. This comparative analysis is aimed to clearly identify the advantages and drawbacks of each topology, and to relate them with the required voltage and power levels. As an outcome, we point out the topologies that, for the required power level at the chosen switching frequencies, yield higher efficiency in the whole range of required operation points and that are expected to allow more important weight reductions.