Application of Soft-Switching Cell With Inherent Redundancy Properties for Enhancing the Reliability of Boost-Based DC-DC Converters

In this article, the inherent fault-tolerant capability of the soft-switching cell for boost-based dc-dc converters is investigated. The main switch of boost-based dc-dc converters withstands high-temperature stress, which is expected to be failed with a higher probability than other devices. Providing soft-switching condition for the main switch and employing fault-tolerant capability are effective approaches to solve this problem. When a fault occurs for the main switch, the proposed converter can be reconfigured such that the soft-switching cell can change its duty to continue the normal operation of the converter without interruption. Inherent redundancy, low failure rate, high integration, and high efficiency are the specifications of the presented converter. The reliability analyses are presented and the functionality of the active soft-switching cell to provide soft-switching condition and fault-tolerant capability are verified by experimental results.