Regenerative Clamp Converter
MS thesis · Center for Distributed Energy, Georgia Tech · Advisor: Dr. Deepak Divan
Design and analysis of regenerative clamp converters that recover leakage-inductor energy in high-power isolated converter topologies, reducing device stress and improving efficiency. The clamp architecture was then extended into a multiport interface, so the auxiliary port can integrate PV or another distributed energy resource while still doing its job as a clamp.
The problem
In high-power isolated topologies, energy stored in the transformer’s leakage inductance has to go somewhere at every switching transition. A dissipative clamp turns it into heat and voltage stress on the devices. Recovering that energy instead of burning it buys back efficiency and lets the switches be sized against a lower peak voltage.
What the work covers
- Analysis and modelling of the regenerative clamp, including the conditions under which leakage energy is returned to the source rather than dissipated.
- Reduction of device voltage stress and the resulting effect on converter efficiency in high-power isolated topologies.
- Extension of the clamp into a multiport interface: the auxiliary port carries a PV or DER input while the clamping function is preserved.
- Simulation and hardware validation of the proposed architecture.