DC-to-DC converters for electric and hybrid vehicles

Abstract

Various types of DC-to-DC converters are discussed with the objective to determine their suitability for use in electric and hybrid vehicles. The functional blocks of DC-to-DC converters and the components used in converters are reviewed. Other topics discussed include the design and use of converters such as the control schemes, protection features, input-to-output isolation for safety, centralized and distributed power architectures, guidelines for component layout, thermal management, and compensation of the converter output voltage as a function of auxiliary battery temperature for proper auxiliary battery charging.