Department of Electrical Engineering,

Queens University, Kingston, Canada

Design & Control of LLC Resonant

Converter
By

Ahmad Jamal Roll No: 20117148

A report submitted in fulfillment of the requirements

for the project of

ELEC 831 – Power Electronics

Department of Electrical Engineering,

Queens University

Under the supervision of

Dr. Suzan Eren

Designation: Assistant Professor
Email: [email protected]

Date: 12/14/2018

i
LLC Resonant Converter

Table of Contents
List of figures ..............................................................................................................................iii

List of tables ............................................................................................................................... iv

Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... v

Problem statement .................................................................................................................... 5

Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ 6

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 8

FHA Modelling for LLC Converter................................................................................. 11

Operation of Resonant Converter .................................................................................... 13

Design Choices ......................................................................................................................... 13

LLC Resonant CONVERTER ........................................................................................... 13

PowerSimuLATOR (PSIM)................................................................................................ 16

Closed loop system.................................................................................................................. 18

Types of systems used in feedback.................................................................................... 19

Closed loop psim circuit ....................................................................................................... 20

Simulation Results .................................................................................................................. 23

Future Research ...................................................................................................................... 26

References .................................................................................................................................. 27

ii
LLC Resonant Converter

LIST OF FIGURES

Number Page

1. Increase in Global Energy Consumption over the years 2000 – 2014 ………….05

2. Energy Production by Different Fuels in Pakistan, India, World ………………06

3. Resonant Converter Model ..…………………………………………………...08

4. SRC Schematic ………………………………………………………………...09

5. PRC Schematic ………………………………………………………………...10

6. LLC Schematic ………………………………………………………………...11

7. FHA Modelling of LLC Converter …………………………………………….12

8. Relationship of Peak Gain with Quality Factor ….…………………………….14

9. LLC Resonant Converter PSIM Model ...……………………………………...16

10. Tank Voltage for Open Loop Model ..................................................................17

11. Open Loop Output Voltage of LLC Converter ..................................................17

12. Open Loop Output Currnet of LLC Converter ..................................................18

13. Feedback Loop Block Diagram ……….….………………..………………....19

14. Closed Loop LLC PSIM Model ……………………………………………...21

15. Control System PSIM Model ………………………………………………...21

16. Input & Output Voltage for Closed loop LLC ……………………………….23

iii
LLC Resonant Converter

17. Output Currnet for Closed loop LLC ………………………………………24

18. Error Voltage for Closed loop LLC ………………………………………..24

19. Tank Waveform for Closed loop LLC ……………………………………..25

LIST OF TABLES

Number Page

1. Advantages & Disadvantages of SRC …………………………………….09

2. Advantages & Disadvantages of PRC …………………………………….10

3. Advantages & Disadvantages of SRC……………………………………..11

4. Difference in systems used in feedback …………………………………..20

iv
LLC Resonant Converter

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Suzan Eren (Asst. Prof Queens
University), Dr Nauman Ahmad Zaffar (Associate Professor LUMS, Pakistan) for their
utmost and unmatched dedication to this learning course of Power Electronics during my
undergrad and post-grad. All that I have accomplished in this project would be very
difficult without the assistance of my seniors who helped me understand all where I
lacked.

Also, I would like to dedicate this to my parents who have always been a source of
comfort and support during all this time. I would like to express gratitude to my fiancé who
always motivated me that I could do everything that I wanted. I could get into one of the
top engineering schools in Canada and become a great engineer

v
LLC Resonant Converter

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The gap between demand and supply of power consumption in the world is increasing at a
very rapid rate which is causing the energy crisis to aggravate and consequently affecting the
industrial units, agricultural farms and local households. This, as a result, is having a negative impact
on our economy as well as living conditions of our citizens. [1] Since these non-renewable sources
are depleting and getting expensive day by day, it is important to look for renewable sources such as
Solar PVs, Wind Turbines etc. This will not only overcome the deficit generation, but it will also
provide a long-term solution to the energy crisis. One of the most important renewable sources of
energy are Solar PVs. Solar panels can be easily installed on rooftops and plain areas. The solar
energy will be extracted from PV Panels and converted to electrical energy using inverters to drive
household loads. It will not just help in improving socio-economic conditions but will have a very
positive impact on the environment unlike coal/oil/gas power generation.
According to the Energy Information Administration of the US,global electricity
consumption will increase from 13934 TWh in 2001 to 24673 TWh in 2025 at an average annual
rate of 2.4%. The figure below shows the above-mentioned trend.

Fig. 1: Increase in Global Energy Consumption over the years 2000 – 2014 [2]
5
LLC Resonant Converter

ABSTRACT

The scope of this project is to deal with the design and simulation of a LLC Resonant
Converters. As discussed in previous paragraph, energy demand is on a rise. Global increase in
population, industrialization, mounting wealth in global markets, augmented globalization and
concerns over energy security are the main factors driving an increase in energy demand. This leads
to a need to renewable integration for power generation. Not only this, non-renewable energy
resources such as coal, gas etc also have a negative impact on environment whereas Solar Energy
provides clean energy. The figure below provides percentage of power production from various
sources.

Fig. 2: Energy Production by Different Fuels in Pakistan, India, World [3]

According to the pie chart, only 3% of the global energy is produced using renewable energy
resources. This has led to a drastic decrease in the amount of fossil fuels available for use. Now
moving forward from renewable sources, we need efficient converters to make use of these sources.
There have been various converters that are being used in Solar harvesting which includes buck,
boost, fly-back, LLC, LCC, series resonant, parallel resonant converters etc. The scope of this project

6
LLC Resonant Converter

is to choose LLC resonant converter, design it according to design problems, simulate (open loop
and closed loop) and verify results. The report starts with introduction to resonant converters,
different topologies along with their advantages and disadvantages. As my project was LLC resonant
converter, I’ll dive down into its details.

The report goes through the first harmonic approximation (FHA) for modelling purposes and
shows the simulation results. In the later part, the implementation of feedback loop is discussed.
Various topologies are named, and one is chosen to proceed with. The end again shows the
simulation results along with future research potential.

7
LLC Resonant Converter

INTRODUCTION

Switched-mode Power Supplies (SMPS) are center of attention in 21st century. The aim is to
achieve highest efficiency with lowest cost. In this case, DC-DC converters are suitable as most of
energy storage elements e.g batteries are DC sources. This reduces the conversion from AC to DC
and vice versa, saving energy and efficiency.

A conventional resonant converter consists of 3 blocks i) switching network ii) resonant tank
and iii) rectifier circuit as shown in the image below:

Fig 3: Resonant Converter Model [4]

So, as discussed before, there are 4 types of resonant converters:

• Series Resonant Converter (SRC)

• Parallel Resonant Converter (PRC)
• LLC Resonant Converter
• LCC Resonant Converter

8
LLC Resonant Converter

Series Resonant Converter:

The resonant tank has a capacitor and inductor in series as shown in image below:

Fig 4: SRC Schematic [5]

Advantages Disadvantages

Short circuit protection Output voltage cannot be regulated for no-

load condition

Current is directly proportional to load so Poor Cross regulation and poor transient
for lighter loads, less current responses

Table 1: Advantages & Disadvantages of SRC [5]

9
LLC Resonant Converter

Parallel Resonant Converter:

The resonant tank has a capacitor and inductor in series as shown in image below:

Fig 5: PRC Schematic [5]

Advantages Disadvantages

Short circuit protection Current independent of load

Regulated output at no-load condition Has circulating current which can cause
problems in fluctuating voltage

Table 2: Advantages & Disadvantages of PRC

10
LLC Resonant Converter

LLC Resonant Converter:

This type of converter is a combination of SRC and PRC as shown in below diagram:

Fig 6: LLC Schematic [5]

Advantages Disadvantages

Reduced switching loss through ZVS Output voltage gains only within certain
input voltage range

Narrow frequency variation over wider Narrow frequency operation is a

loads disadvantage in various applications

Table 3: Advantages & Disadvantages of LLC

FHA MODELLING FOR LLC CONVERTER

For the scope of this project, we only consider the first harmonic approximations
(fundamental modelling). When the wave reaches the resonant tank, it produces a square wave. We
are aware that a square wave is a combination of a large number of harmonics. FHA states that only
11
LLC Resonant Converter

the fundamental portion from the square wave would contribute to the power transfer to the circuit.
The FHA model for the LLC resonant tank is shown in below figure:

Fig 7: FHA Modelling of LLC Tank [3]

Solving the above model, we get the below equation for the Vsec and RAC which is the
equivalent resistance of secondary circuit:

The transfer function is computed to be the following for stability purposes:

12
LLC Resonant Converter

OPERATION OF RESONANT CONVERTER

DESIGN CHOICES

Requirements

• Input 20-40V DC
• Output 400-420V DC
• Power Rating ~300W

Possible Converters that can be implemented

• Series Resonant Converter

• Parallel Resonant Converter
• LLC Resonant Converter
• LCC Resonant converter

LLC RESONANT CONVERTER

• Mathematical Analysis

𝒌+𝟏
• 𝑴𝒎𝒊𝒏 = = 𝟏. 𝟏𝟒
𝒌

𝑽𝒎𝒂𝒙
• 𝑴𝒎𝒂𝒙 = 𝒊𝒏
× 𝑴𝒎𝒊𝒏 = 𝟐. 𝟐𝟖
𝑽𝒎𝒊𝒏
𝒊𝒏

13
LLC Resonant Converter

𝑵𝒑 𝑽𝒊𝒏𝒎𝒂𝒙
• 𝒏= = × 𝑴𝒎𝒊𝒏 = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟏
𝑵𝒔 (𝑽𝒐 +𝟐𝑽𝒇 )

𝟖𝒏𝟐 𝑽𝟐𝒐
• 𝑹𝒂𝒄 = × = 𝟓. 𝟕𝟔
𝝅𝟐 𝑷𝒐

• 𝐟𝐫 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝐤𝐇𝐳

The following assumptions were made during the calculations:

K=7

Fig 8: Relationship of Peak Gain with Quality Factor [6]

The figure above gives us a value of Quality Factor corresponding to the value of k. As k is
chosen to be 7 and gain values are computed above, we choose value of Q which is then used for our
tank component calculations.

14
LLC Resonant Converter

However, considering the non-ideality of components, I had to tweak the values a little to
get desired output voltage gains.

The values came out to be as follows:

Cr = 1.2u

Lr = 3.00uH

Lp = 10uH

15
LLC Resonant Converter

POWERSIMULATOR (PSIM)

In order to simulate the circuits of all the Power Electronics converters, I used PSIM v9
because of its low time consumption, easy to use Interface, large precision and most importantly
availability of Power Modules such as Solar Panels. Following simulations were performed.

• Open Loop LLC Resonant Converter

Fig. 9: Open Loop LLC Resonant Converter

16
LLC Resonant Converter

As was shown in introduction of resonant converters, the circuit contains a switching

network followed by the resonant tank circuit and the rectification circuit at the end.

The figures below show simulation results for the open loop LLC Resonant Converter.

Tank Output:

Fig 10: Tank Output Voltage & Current for Open loop

The above figure shows voltage and circuit plotted on same axis to provide a snapshot of Zero
Voltage Switching where the current lags the voltage.

Output Voltage:

Fig 11: Open Loop Output Voltage of LLC Converter

17
LLC Resonant Converter

Output Current:

Fig 12: Open Loop Output Current of LLC Converter

CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM

For every practical system, a closed (feedback) loop is incorporated for the following
reasons:

• To eliminate Steady state errors

• Moderate the system sensitivity to disturbances and parameter changes

• Modify the gain or phase of system over a desired frequency range

• Finally, make an unstable system, STABLE.

The below figure shows a general block diagram of a feedback loop.

18
LLC Resonant Converter

Fig 13: Feedback System block diagram [5]

TYPES OF SYSTEMS USED IN FEEDBACK

• Analogue control

o Voltage Controlled Oscillations (VCO)

o Self-Sustained Oscillation (SSO)

o Asymmetrical Pulse Width Modulation (APWM)

o Secondary-Side Control (SSC)

• Digital Control

o Digital Signal Processors

o Microcontrollers

19
LLC Resonant Converter

Variable Frequency Pulse Width Modulation Digital Control

Control

Gate driver signal with a Gate driver signal with a varying Gate driver signal is
fixed duty cycle but duty cycle but with a fixed manipulated with a combination
varying frequency frequency of both to get optimal result

Table 4: Difference in systems used in feedback [7]

CLOSED LOOP PSIM CIRCUIT

The design specifications remain the same for the closed loop system. In my system, I will
introduce a disturbance i.e change the input voltage from 20V to 40V and my system will
automatically respond to the disturbance. There are two ways of introducing disturbance, i) place a
step voltage at input in series with original input voltage source and set it to provide a step response
after a certain amount of time and ii) run the simulation & pause the simulation when the disturbance
is required, change the input voltage and resume the simulation.

The figure below shows the main circuit for the closed loop followed by the control system.
It can be seen that voltage is sensed at the output and is compared with the reference voltage (400V)
and the error is fed to the control loop. The control loop then produces a square wave which when
compared to the saw-tooth waveform, produces a 50% duty cycle square wave. This is the revised
gate signal fed to the switching network with changed frequency to cater to the error voltage.

20
LLC Resonant Converter

Main circuit

Fig 14: Closed loop LLC PSIM Model

Feedback sub-circuit

Fig. 15: Control Circuit PSIM Model

21
LLC Resonant Converter

The figure above shows the control circuit designed for LLC Resonant Converter. The
control method chosen was Voltage Controlled Oscillations (VCO) controller. This was due to
number of reasons, major one being that the duty cycle is kept constant so there is absolutely no
over-lapping in switching circuit. Also, this prevents the circuit from going into discontinuous
mode.

Control Tuning Methods

Once the controller system is implemented, it needs to be tuned according to the circuit
components. Every circuit that has different component values will need to be tuned differently.
This is because each circuit has a different resonant tank network hence behaves differently. The
few very common methods of tuning are as below:

• Auto tune using MATLAB

• Manual Tuning

• Ziegler-Nichols Tuning

• Tyreus-Luyben Tuning

• Damped Oscillation Method

As the top 2 names suggest, auto tune method in MATLAB uses the transfer function of the
circuit to provide Kp and Ki values which are fed into the control system. The manual tuning involves
playing around with the values until you reach a sweet spot. Ziegler-Nicols method involves setting
the derivative (D) and integral (I) values to zero and optimize the proportion value (P). Same is the
case of TL Tuning. The damped oscillations method by finding the gain at which the process has a
damping ratio of ¼. and the frequency of oscillation at this point, then similar to the Ziegler-Nichols
method, these two parameters are used for finding the controller settings. [8]

22
LLC Resonant Converter

For the scope of this project, during my literature review, I found a research paper of VCO
implementation that had similar design specifications and had used the transfer function of the circuit
to come up with the Kp & Ki values. However, as the resonant tank components had different value,
I used manual tuning on pre-researched values to get the perfect response for my circuit.

SIMULATION RESULTS

Input & Output Voltage:

The disturbance was introduced at 0.1 seconds which is reflected in the figure below:

Fig 16: Input & Output Voltages of Closed Loop LLC Converter

23
LLC Resonant Converter

Output Current:

Fig 17: Output Current of Closed Loop LLC Converter

Error Voltage:

Fig 18: Error Voltage waveform sensed at output

24
LLC Resonant Converter

Tank Output Waveform:

Fig 19: Tank Voltage for Closed Loop System

As can be seen from above figure, the current waveform is quite a distorted one. This is
because our resonant tank is optimized not for range of frequencies but for a certain frequency. It
can deviate a bit from the operating frequency but when a voltage difference of around 35kHz is
implemented (because of higher input voltage, operating frequency goes down to 65kHz), the
resonant tank is no longer optimized and hence behaves differently. This shows that there is a room
for further research in this area which is summarized in the next and the last portion of the report.

25
LLC Resonant Converter

FUTURE RESEARCH

To conclude my report, I would point out a few research potentials that I thought of during
my literature review. These researches can lead not just efficiency boost but also cost saving which
is a concern for overall public today.

To begin with, there can be significant improvement in the rectifier model of LLC Resonant
Converter. This is because in certain conditions, the loading causes the circuit to go into
discontinuous mode which results in loss of power and hence the efficiency.

Secondly, a very powerful topic is the bidirectional power flow. As the name suggests, this
research would majorly take over the concern of not just the power direction from source (battery)
to load but also the other way around.

Thirdly, with continuous improvements coming in switching technology, newer types of

transistors and diodes coming up (better conductors/base layers being discovered), the research can
be continued to come up with better options to minimize switching losses, better optimization on a
wider frequency range etc.

Lastly, what if there was a method for circuit to self-tune itself? This type of research could
potentially cater to the effect of aging capacitance, parasitics and also the variations in components
due to changing temperatures.

26
LLC Resonant Converter

REFERENCES

[1] Habiba, Ume. " Pakistan's Power Crisis”: October 2015 Web. 08 Sept. 2016.
[2] IEA. World Energy Statistics. Publication. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print

[3] Kugelman, Michael. Pakistan’s Interminable Energy Crisis: Is there any way out?. Woodrow
Wilson International Center for Scholars. Washington, DC. 2015. Pp. 157.

[3] FANG, XIANG. ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OPTIMIZATION OF RESONANT DC-DC

CONVERTERS. 2012, https://etd.fcla.edu/CF/CFE0004229/Dissertation_Xiang_Fang.pdf.

[4] Simone, S. D., et al. “Design-Oriented Steady State Analysis of LLC Resonant Converters Based on
FHA.” Design-Oriented Steady-State Analysis of LLC Resonant Converters Based on FHA - IEEE
Conference Publication, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=1649771

[5] B. Cheng, "MODELLING AND CONTROL OF THE LLC RESONANT CONVERTER", 2012.
[Online]. Available: https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/download/pdf/24/1.0073435/2

[6] Choi, H. (2007). Design Considerations for an LLC Resonant Converter. [online] Available at:
https://www.fairchildsemi.com/technical-articles/Design-Considerations-for-an-LLC-Resonant-
Converter.pdf.

[7] P. Kowstubha, K. Krishnaveni and K. Ramesh Reddy, "Review on different control strategies of LLC
series resonant converters - IEEE Conference Publication", Ieeexplore.ieee.org, 2014. [Online]. Available:
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6838481/
[8] M. Shahrokhi and A. Zomorrodi, "Comparison of PID Controller Tuning Methods", semanticscholar.org.
[Online]. Available: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/116c/e07bcb202562606884c853fd1d19169a0b16.pdf.

27