An Instantaneously Triggered Short-Circuit Protection Architecture for Boost Switching DC/DC Converters

作者：Xiao Zhiming^*

来源：IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2018, 33(7): 5677-5685.

DOI：10.1109/TPEL.2017.2743170

• Boost converter controller
• dc-dc power converter
• fault tolerance
• output short protection
• power-switch short protection

This paper presents a protection circuit architecture that helps us to reduce the chances of damages in a boost switching converter due to fault conditions of output short-to-ground or power-switch short-circuits. Those two short-circuit faults can cause the inductor current to run away and result in damages. The proposed protection circuit can detect those two fault conditions within a few microseconds and then isolate the converter from its power supply. The fault detection is implemented by sensing the voltage drop across the primary inductor in a 1:1 coupled transformer which replaces the single-winding inductor in a boost converter. If a short-circuit fault happens at either the output load or at the power switch, the secondary inductor will shoot current to turn off a pass PMOSFET, which disconnects the primary inductor from the input supply. The protection circuit was built on the top of a commercial boost converter and was verified under short-circuit faults over a wide load current range. The proposed protection structure effectively reduced the inductor current overshoot during short-circuit event at the expenses of 1.2% drop of the peak efficiency during normal operation.

• 出版日期2018-7