History of DC-DC converters

  When semiconductor technology is in its infancy, direct current (DC) supply voltage is converted to higher voltage by using vibrators, boost transformers, and rectifier components. This is feasible for low power applications.
      However, for high power applications, an electric motor is needed to drive a generator at the right voltage. It turns out that such a process takes a lot of time to set up procedures, involves high costs, and is generally less efficient.
      With the rise of semiconductor devices and integrated circuits, conversion circuits can be efficiently designed and implemented with components that are compact, economically feasible, and easy to use. The advantage is the ability to design energy-efficient processes using solid-state switching mode conversion, rather than the age-old method of dissipating excess energy in the form of heat.

  A power converter is a device that continuously converts one type of energy to another. There are several such devices, with varying degrees of complexity, reliability, and performance [2]. Similarly, power conversion mechanisms can occur in various forms, including mechanical, chemical, and electrical processes.
    For applications in power electronics systems, converters capable of dynamically performing energy translation using electrical processes. Components commonly used for this purpose include switches as well as passive components such as inductors, capacitors and transformers. Avoid using resistors to reduce possible power loss. The way these components are interconnected depends on the power translation method required.
    The simple form of power conversion is to convert a polyphase AC voltage of one amplitude, phase, and frequency to another size, phase, and frequency. In this sense, a DC input or output can be viewed as an AC of zero phase and frequency.
A DC-DC converter is an electronic circuit that facilitates the conversion of DC current from one voltage level to another on demand. The power converter is capable of operating at a wide range of power levels from very low power (such as batteries) to very high power, such as large high-voltage power generation systems.
    Some sample DC-DC converter circuits are shown in Figure 2. A DC-DC converter can efficiently generate regulated voltage from a source that may or may not be controlled to a constant or variable load, ensuring proper system regulation in addition to the desired voltage level change.

  Figure 2. Sample DC-DC converter. Depending on the application, the converter circuit may consist of just a switch, an inductor, and a capacitor, or may be complex due to the use of integrating multiple components into a particular way to achieve the desired Power conversion.

Operating principle

  DC-DC converter circuits use switches and other passive components to adjust the output voltage by using high-frequency conversion to eliminate switching noise. The arrangement of energy storage elements is determined by step or step requirements and the application at hand.
      DC driven oscillators can be used to drive simple diode-capacitor voltage multiplier networks, flying capacitor voltage converters, diode-driven charge pumps or boost transformers, and rectifier networks. [3] These are the way most electronic DC-DC converters operate.
      The basic idea behind the operation of a DC-DC converter circuit is that the inductors and capacitors used in the circuit should somehow form a network of low-pass filters. This helps to reduce or eliminate AC ripples in the output voltage or possible superposition of other components due to the switching action.

Key point

  A power converter is a device that continuously converts one type of energy to another.
      A DC-DC converter is an electronic circuit that facilitates the conversion of DC current from one voltage level to another on demand.
      DC-DC converter circuits use switches and other passive components to adjust the output voltage by using high-frequency conversion to eliminate switching noise.