Switched-capacitor power electronics circuits

TLDR

Switching‑mode converters that use only switches and capacitors eliminate inductors and transformers, yielding lightweight, compact, high‑power‑density supplies ideal for mobile electronics. Switched‑capacitor converters offer large voltage conversion ratios and promise high‑efficiency, low‑EMI power supplies capable of steep step‑down or step‑up voltages for integrated circuits, automotive, and telecom applications. This tutorial reviews key results and design principles of switched‑capacitor converters.

Abstract

One of the main orientations in power electronics in the last decade has been the development of switching-mode converters without inductors and transformers. Light weight, small size and high power density are the result of using only switches and capacitors in the power stage of these converters. Thus, they serve as ideal power supplies for mobile electronic systems (e.g. cellular phones, personal digital assistants, and so forth). Switched-capacitor (SC) converters, with their large voltage conversion ratio, promise to be a response to such challenges of the 21st century as high-efficiency converters with low EMI emissions and the ability to realize steep step-down of the voltage (to 3 V or even a smaller supply voltage for integrated circuits) or steep step-up of the voltage for automotive industry or Internet services in the telecom industry. This paper is a tutorial of the main results in SC-converter research and design.