High-Voltage Tapped-Inductor Buck Converter Utilizing an Autonomous High-Side Switch

A high-voltage tapped-inductor buck converter utilizing a novel autonomous high-voltage valve is presented in this paper. Its application as auxiliary power supply for high-power cascaded-converter submodules is discussed, followed by a presentation of the most challenging problems in designing a low-power high-voltage step-down converter. The TI-buck converter topology is analyzed, which together with the novel autonomous high-voltage valve overcomes most of the problems. Analytical expressions describing the operation as well as circuit simulations are presented. Finally, an experimental evaluation of a 3-kV 70-W prototype converter utilizing the proposed autonomous high-voltage valve with series-connected super-junction MOSFETs is presented.