Soft-switching techniques in PWM converters

Abstract

A number of soft-switching pulse-width-modulated (PWM) converter techniques have been proposed, aimed at combining the desirable features of both the conventional PWM and resonant converters while avoiding their respective limitations. In this paper, three classes of zero-voltage soft-switching (PWM) converters (namely the zero-voltage-switched (ZVS) quasi-square-wave converters, ZVS-PWM converters, and zero-voltage-transition PWM converters) and two classes of zero-current soft-switching PWM converters (namely, the zero-current-switched PWM converters and zero-current-transition PWM converters) are reviewed, and their merits and limitations are assessed. Experimental results of several prototype of converters are presented to illustrate each class of converter.