New topology eliminates magnetic cores at 50 kHz NOT 50MHz!

Abstract

This paper introduces new and disruptive technology to forever replacethe perennial buck converter which has been the basic building block of Power Electronics Systems for the last 70 years! Speculations were made for decades that true advancement will be made by going to ultra-high switching frequencies, such as 5 MHz, so that the magnetic core used in the buck converter can be eliminated and a pure air-core inductor used instead. With that not taking place, the switching frequency which would enable that is subsequently moved to 50MHz. The new approach described herein is counterintuitive and surprising. The magnetic core for step-down voltage conversion can be eliminated even at 50 kHz (kilohertz, not a misprint!) switching frequency, a factor of One Thousand Times (1000!) less than the above “dream” 50MHz frequency!What is needed to be accomplished is not some “dream come true” converter topology alone, but instead a completely new switching method, which, in turn, is enabling corresponding unique and novel topology! The new Switching Method, named PWM-Resonant Method, is based on using two resonances and yet regulating the voltage using the classical Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) variable duty ratio, constant switching frequency control. The present PWM switching method and its many True-Resonant and Quasi-Resonant variants simply will not do!