Battery charger based on a resonant converter for high-power LiFePO4 batteries

Abstract

A new battery charger, based on a multiphase resonant converter, for a high-capacity 48 V LiFePO4 lithium-ion battery is presented. LiFePO4 batteries are among the most widely used today and offer high energy efficiency, high safety performance, very good temperature behavior, and a long cycle life. An accurate control of the charging current is necessary to preserve the battery health. The design of the charger is presented in a tight correlation with a battery model based on experimental data obtained at the laboratory. With the aim of reducing conduction losses, the general analysis of the inverter stage obtained from the parallel connection of N class D LCpCs resonant inverters is carried out. The study provides criteria for proper selection of the transistors and diodes as well as the value of the DC-link voltage. The effect of the leakage inductance of the transformer on the resonant circuit is also evaluated, and a design solution to cancel it is proposed. The output stage is based on a multi-winding current-doubler rectifier. The converter is designed to operate in open-loop operation as an input voltage-dependent current source, but in closed-loop operation, it behaves as a voltage source with an inherent maximum output current limitation, which provides high reliability throughout the whole charging process. The curve of efficiency of the proposed charger exhibits a wide flat zone that includes light load conditions.