2018 14th International Scientific-Technical Conference APEIE – 44894

Bidirectional DC-DC Conversion in the Traction

Drive
M. E. Vilberger1, D. P. Vislogusov1,
1
Novosibirsk State Technical University, Novosibirsk. Russia

Abstract – The paper considers questions of energy storage [3, 4]. A self-commutated voltage inverter consists of six
devices used in electric transport, especially in electric fully controllable IGBT transistors and DC buffer link
traction drive of trolley bus, in order to provide an (C1). There is a smoothing-inductor (L1), which limits the
autonomous motion, overhead system’s load leveling and consumption currents and voltages pulsation. In addition,
energy recovering. For efficiency of the proposed system it is
the inductor is necessary to limit the rate of current rise in a
used a bidirectional DC-DC converter. During the simulation
regulation curves of the bidirectional DC-DC converters were short-circuit case, which makes a safety automatic
obtained. disconnection. A diode (VD1) is required to cut off the
recuperation of braking energy to the network for reason
Index Term – converter, recuperation, energy efficiency, that the traction substations’ power rectifiers are
electric transport, energy storage. unidirectional. In the standard circuit, to dissipate the
braking energy it is used the external braking resistor (RB),
which is switched on by the VTB transistor.
I. INTRODUCTION

I N THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY, including urban

electric transports, the use of energy storage devices
becomes relevant with relation to development, existing
energy storage devices' application in the electric energy
system and increasing the energy efficiency of the electric
transport complex. In addition, the energy storage devices'
implementation to the trolleybus traction drive makes it
possible to prolong the vehicle’s routes in urban settings
without the building of additional mains supplies, which
provides for secluded city districts by green transports
under the least costs. In addition, energy storage devices
can solve the problems not only of traction drive’s self-
contained supply, but also smooth out peak loads in
overhead systems, take energy recovery, etc.
Currently, the most power efficient energy storage
devices are supercapacitors. In the proposed traction drive,
a bidirectional DC-DC converter is used as a connecting
link between the electric energy storage device, the electric
motor and the overhead system.

Fig. 1. The functional diagram of the energy efficient electric drive.

II. PROBLEM DEFINITION
To improve the energy efficiency of the electric vehicle,
The functional diagram of the energy efficient trolley a bidirectional pulse width DC-DC converter is included in
electric drive’s power contour is shown in Fig. 1, where U1 the typical VSI circuit [5, 6, 9]. For vehicle modernization,
is a DC supply voltage; U2 – output voltage of DC-DC it is important, that pulse-width DC-DC converters have
converter or energy storage device; PWM-VSI – self- such advantages as the cheapness, easy to implement and
commutated voltage inverter with pulse-width modulation; small weight-size parameters. Such DC-DC converter
VD – diod; VT – IGBT transistor; RB – braking resistor; M consist of two operated alternately devices. First of them is
– AC motor. the boost converter, which transforms DC link voltage (U1)
The typical power layouts of AC motor from DC supply 550 V to higher voltage of the energy storage device (U2)
consist of a self-commutated voltage inverter with pulse- 550-1100 V, and it is made up of inductance L2,
width modulation (PWM-VSI) [1, 2]. It allows transistorized module VT2 and bypass diode VD2. The
implementing the frequency and vector control algorithms second is down converter, which transforms the high
of an AC motor with a velocity transducer and without it voltage 1100-550 V of the energy storage device into a

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 XIV Международная научно-техническая конференция АПЭП – 2018

voltage 550 V. A block of electric double-layer capacitors

t2
(ionistors) is used as an energy storage, which combine 1 1 U12γ 2 1
with a high specific capacity (104…105 W/kg), an energy IL2 =  L2 2 L2 max 2 2 U 2 − U1 fL2 ,
I dt = I t = (1)
density (about 50 kJ/kg), a multiplicity of charge-discharge 0
cycles (range from one hundred thousand to one million), where t2 = L2 ⋅ I L2 max U 2 − U1 = U1 ⋅ γ U 2 − U1 , T –
charge time (up to 30 sec), a wide temperature operating (–
50…+100°С), high efficiency (more than 95%), a long period, γ = t1 ⋅ T −1 – pulse ratio, f – VT switching
time of energy storage (hundreds of hours), practically frequency, I L2 max = U1γ L2 .
unchanged discharge rate at all the operating temperature
range [7, 8, 10]. The average current of the DC-DC boost converter is:
I L1 = (U 2 − U1 ) ⋅ 2γ ⋅ ( f ⋅ L1 ) .
−1
(2)
III. MATHEMATICAL DESCRIPTION AND According to expressions (1) and (2) the Fig. 3 shows the
FUNCTIONAL CHART OF THE DC-DC CONVERTER regulating characteristics of boost (a) and down (b) DC-DC
ACTUATING SYSTEM converters, which are constructed with the following
parameters: U1=550 V; U2=1100 V; L2=10 µH; L1=100
The operation of the first step-up DC-DC converter is µH; f=6 kHz.
formed from three time segments over a period that Fig. 2 To simplify the controlling system calculation of the
shows. boost DC-DC converter a linearization was made at rated
values. Fig. 4 shows the current loop structure of the boost-
and-down DC-DC converters.

Fig. 4. Current circuit of DC-DC converter.

Fig. 2. Voltage and current waveforms of a DC-DC Converter. The free frequency of the current circuit is slower than
the sampling frequency, so the current circuit operation can
Transistor VT1 is switched on during first time interval t1. be viewed as a linear stationary object. Based on this, a
At this moment inductance L2 is connected to «+» and «-» DC-DC converter can be considered as an instantaneous
of DC link С1. The current rise rate and its maximum value element with a transfer factor Kd. The integral gain of DC-
(ILmax) depend on the inductance value L2 and the voltage DC converters is calculated based on the frequency-sharing
value U1. During second time interval t2 a transistor VT1 condition:
has been switched off, and the flowing through the diode Ω1
VD2 current, accumulated in the inductance, charges the ki = , (3)
energy storage device Cs. The third time interval t3 is no- K d kdI2
current condition, when the diode VD2 limits a current −1
backflow from the energy storage device to DC link.
where Ω1 = 2π ⋅ f ⋅ kmd , kmd – motion division
The operation of the DC-DC down-converter is similar to coefficient; f – switching frequency of transistor,.
the boost converter, however, the transistor VT2 commutes
instead of the transistor VT1, and the time interval t1 is
equal to t2.

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2018 14th International Scientific-Technical Conference APEIE – 44894

Fig. 3. Regulating characteristics of DC-DC Converters.

Fig. 6. The operation algorithm of the bidirectional DC-DC converter.

If the motor torque is positive (accelerated mode and

preset speed maintaince) and the voltage of energy storage
device is more than 570 V, then the DC-DC down
converter is switched on and no current is consumed from
Fig. 5. Mathematical modeling in the Matlab program. the power grid. In this case, the braking energy stored in
The mathematical model (Fig. 5) consists of an induction the accumulator goes to the DC link of the VSI and is
motor model with a vector control, boost and down DC-DC consumed by the electric motor. If the motor torque is
converters and their control system. negative (braking mode) and the voltage of energy storage
device is less than 1100 V, then a DC-DC boost converter
operates. The energy store maximum voltage is limited by
IV. CONTROL ALGORITHM AND DIGITAL value of 1100 V. When this voltage is reached, the VTB
SIMULATION OF ENERGY-EFFICIENT VEHICLE transistor switches on, and the excess braking energy is
dissipated into the resistor RB.
The operation algorithm of the bidirectional DC-DC
converter is based on the evaluation of the motor’s torque
sign that is shown in Fig. 6.

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 XIV Международная научно-техническая конференция АПЭП – 2018

Fig. 7. Transient processes of an energy-efficient electric motor drive: 1-discharge of an energy storage, 2- an electric drive operation from an overhead
system and 3-charge of an energy storage.

[5] S. Inoue, H. Akagi, “A Bidirectional DC-DC converter for an Energy

storage system With Galvanic Isolation,” IEEE Transactions on
V. RESULTS Power Electronics, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 2299-2306, 2007.
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During the simulation, which was carried out in the Up/Down Ratio Isolated Modular Multilevel DC-DC Convertor
Matlab/Simulink software package, the following system Battery Energy Storage Systems on Microgrids,” 2016 IEEE Green
Technologies Conference (GreenTech), pp. 24 – 28, 2016.
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acceleration/deceleration time (7 sec); capacity of the controller design in 400 V DC-powered green data centers,” 2016
energy storage device (2.5 F), power of an induction motor IEEE International Telecommunications Energy Conference
(200 kW), engine rated speed (1480 rpm). Fig. 7 shows the (INTELEC), pp. 1 – 5, 2016.
[8] E. G. Bakhoum, “New mega-farad ultracapacitors,” EEE Transactions
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multi-input DC-DC/AC converter,” 2016 IEEE International
VI. CONCLUSION Conference on Power System Technology (POWERCON), pp. 1 – 6,
2016.
The work deals with the operation of a bidirectional DC- [10] V.V. Biryukov, A.V. Kulekina, “The calculation features of the
DC converter. A functional scheme of energy-efficient electrical energy storage devices parameters in transport,” 11
International forum on strategic technology (IFOST 2016), vol. 2, pp.
power supply, a mathematical description of a bidirectional 41-43, 2016.
DC-DC converter, the operation algorithm of electric drive
and simulation modelling are proposed in the paper. Denis P. Vislogusov --- Altai Territory (Western
The proposed engineering solution for the trolleybus’ Siberia) in 1990, post graduate student of
electric motor modernization by applying the bidirectional ”Electric Drive and Automation of Industrial
Units” department of Novosibirsk State
DC-DC converter and supercapacitors makes it possible to Technical University. His research interests are
increase energy efficiency of urban electric transport's currently focused on increased reliability control
system and reduce the peak power demand of the supply algorithms of electric drives in autonomous
mains. In addition, it can be used both in existing systems objects. (Address: 20, [Link], Novosibirsk,
630073, Russian Federation. Email:
and in newly manufactured ones. visloguzovdenis@[Link]).
Mikhail E. Vilberger, dean of mechatronic and
automation faculty of Novosibirsk state
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