IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS, VOL. 18, NO.

1, JANUARY 2003 105

Positive Output Super-Lift Converters

Fang Lin Luo, Senior Member, IEEE, and Hong Ye, Member, IEEE

Abstract—Voltage lift technique has been successfully employed

in design of dc/dc converters, e.g., four series Luo converters. How-
ever, the output voltage increases in arithmetic progression. This
paper introduces a novel approach—super-lift technique that im-
plements the output voltage increasing in geometric progression. It
effectively enhances the voltage transfer gain in power law.
Index Terms—Arithmetic/geometric progression, power series,
super-lift technique, voltage lift technique, voltage transfer gain.

I. INTRODUCTION

V OLTAGE LIFT (VL) technique is a popular method

widely used in electronic circuit design. It has been
successfully employed in dc/dc converter applications in
(a)

recent years, and opened a way to design high voltage gain

converters. Four series Luo converters [1]–[9] are the examples
of VL technique implementations. However, the output voltage
increases in stage by stage just along the arithmetic progression
[10]. This paper introduces a novel approach—super-lift (SL)
technique that implements the output voltage increasing in (b)
stage by stage along the geometric progression. It effectively
enhances the voltage transfer gain in power series.
In order to sort these converters different from existing VL
converters, we name these converters “positive output super-lift
converters.” There are two subseries: main series and additional
series. Each circuit of the main series has one switch , induc-
tors, capacitors, and ( ) diodes. Each circuit of the addi-
tional series has one switch , inductors. capacitors
(c)
and diodes. The conduction duty ratio is , switching
frequency is (period ), the load is resistive load . Fig. 1. Elementary circuit.
The input voltage and current are and , out voltage and
current are and . Assume no power losses during the con- flowing through inductor increases with voltage
version process, . The voltage transfer gain during switching-on period and decreases with voltage
is : . during switching-off period . Therefore,
the ripple of the inductor current is [11]–[18]
II. MAIN SERIES
(1)
The first three stages of positive output super-lift con-
verters—main series are shown in Figs. 1–3. For convenience
to explain, we call them elementary circuit, relift circuit, and (2)
triple-lift circuit, respectively. We can number them as 1,
The voltage transfer gain is
2, and 3.

A. Elementary Circuit (3)

The elementary circuit and its equivalent circuits during The input current is equal to during switching-on,
switching-on and switching-off are shown in Fig. 1. The and only equal to during switching-off. Capacitor current
voltage across capacitor is charged to . The current is equal to during switching-off. In steady-state, the av-
erage charge across capacitor should no change. We have
Manuscript received August 24, 2001; revised September 9, 2002. Recom- the following relations:
mended by Associate Editor K. Smedley.
The authors are with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 - - - -
(e-mail: [email protected]).
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TPEL.2002.807198 - -
0885-8993/03$17.00 © 2003 IEEE

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106 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS, VOL. 18, NO. 1, JANUARY 2003

and average input current

(4)
Considering and

the variation ratio of inductor current is

(a)
(5)

The ripple voltage of output voltage is

Therefore, the variation ratio of output voltage is

(6)
(b)

B. Relift Circuit
The relift circuit is derived from elementary circuit by adding
the parts – – – – – . Its circuit diagram and
equivalent circuits during switching-on and switching-off are
shown in Fig. 2. The voltage across capacitor is charged
to . As described in previous section the voltage across
(c) capacitor is .
Fig. 2. Relift circuit. The voltage across capacitor is charged to . The current
flowing through inductor increases with voltage during
switching-on period and decreases with voltage—
during switching-off period . Therefore, the ripple
of the inductor current is
(7)

(8)
(a)
The voltage transfer gain is

(9)

Analogously, we have obtained

(b)

So, the variation ratio of inductor current is

(10)
(c)
The variation ratio of inductor current is
Fig. 3. Triple-lift circuit.

If inductance is large enough, is nearly equal to its av-

erage current . Therefore
(11)
- and the variation ratio of output voltage is

- (12)

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LUO AND YE: POSITIVE OUTPUT SUPER-LIFT CONVERTERS 107

C. Triple-Lift Circuit D. Higher Order Lift Circuit

Triple-lift circuit is derived from relift circuit by secondly re- Higher order lift circuit can be designed by just multiple re-
peating the parts – – – – – . Its circuit diagram peating the parts – – – – – . For nth order lift
and equivalent circuits during switching-on and -off are shown circuit, the final output voltage is .
in Fig. 3. The voltage across capacitor is charged to . As The voltage transfer gain is
described before section the voltage across capacitor is
, and voltage across capacitor (20)
is .
The voltage across capacitor is charged to . The current The variation ratio of current through inductor
flowing through inductor increases with voltage during is
switching-on period and decreases with voltage—
during switching-off . Therefore, the ripple of
(21)
the inductor current is
The variation ratio of output voltage is
(13)
(22)
(14)

III. ADDITIONAL SERIES

The voltage transfer gain is
All circuits of positive output super-lift converters—addi-
tional series are derived from the corresponding circuits of the
(15) main series. We can find only two diodes and two capacitors
– – – to be added in the circuits. The first three
Analogously, we have obtained stages of this series are shown in Figs. 4–6. For convenience
to explain, we call them elementary additional circuit, relift
additional circuit, and triple-lift additional circuit, respectively.
We can number them as 1, 2, and 3.

A. Elementary Additional Circuit

This circuit is derived from elementary circuit with adding
two diodes and two capacitors – – – . Its circuit
and switch-on and switch-off equivalent circuits are shown
Therefore, the variation ratio of current through inductor in Fig. 4. The voltage across capacitor is charged to
is and voltage across capacitor and is charged to .
The current flowing through inductor increases with
voltage during switching-on period and decreases with
(16) voltage— during switching-off . Therefore

The variation ratio of current through inductor is (23)

and
(24)

(17) The output voltage is

(25)
The variation ratio of current through inductor is
The voltage transfer gain is

(26)
(18)
We have the following relations:

The variation ratio of output voltage is - -

(19) - -

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108 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS, VOL. 18, NO. 1, JANUARY 2003

(a)

(a)

(b)

(b)

(c)
Fig. 6. Triple-lift additional circuit.

- -

- -
(c)
Fig. 4. Elementary additional circuit. - - -

- -

- - -

- -

If inductance is large enough, is nearly equal to its av-

(a) erage current . Therefore

(b) Its verification is

Considering and

(c)
Fig. 5. Relift additional circuit.

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LUO AND YE: POSITIVE OUTPUT SUPER-LIFT CONVERTERS 109

Therefore, the variation ratio of current through inductor Therefore, the variation ratio of output voltage is
is
(35)
(27)

The ripple voltage of output voltage is C. Triple-Lift Additional Circuit

This circuit is derived from relift additional circuit by adding
the parts – – – – – . Its circuit diagram and
equivalent circuits during switching-on and -off are shown
Therefore, the variation ratio of output voltage is
in Fig. 6. The voltage across capacitor is charged to .
As described in previous section the voltage across is:
(28)
and voltage across is

B. Relift Additional Circuit

This circuit is derived from elementary additional circuit by
adding the parts – – – – – . Its circuit diagram The voltage across capacitor is charged to and
and switch-on and -off equivalent circuits are shown in Fig. 5. voltage across capacitor and is charged to . The
The voltage across capacitor is charged to . As described current flowing through inductor increases with voltage
in previous section the voltage across is: during switching-on period and decreases with
. voltage— during switching-off . Therefore
The voltage across capacitor is charged to and
voltage across capacitor and is charged to . The (36)
current flowing through inductor increases with voltage
during switching-on period and decreases with and
voltage— during switching-off . Therefore (37)

(29) The output voltage is

and (38)
(30)
The voltage transfer gain is
The output voltage is
(39)
(31)

The voltage transfer gain is Analogously, we have the following relations:

(32)

Analogously, we have obtained

Considering and
So, the variation ratio of inductor current is

Therefore, the variation ratio of current through inductor

(33) is
The variation ratio of inductor current is

(34)

The ripple voltage of output voltage is

(40)

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110 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS, VOL. 18, NO. 1, JANUARY 2003

and the variation ratio of current through inductor is

(41)

and the variation ratio of current through inductor is

(42)

The ripple voltage of output voltage is

Therefore, the variation ratio of output voltage is

(43)
Fig. 7. Family of positive output super-lift converters.

D. Higher Order Lift Additional Circuit

of previous two sections we can have the common formula to
Higher order lift additional circuit is designed by multiple re- calculate the output voltage
peating the parts – – – – – . The output voltage
of order lift additional circuit is

.
The voltage transfer gain is
The voltage transfer gain is
(44)

Analogously, the variation ratio of current through inductor (47)

is .

In order to show the advantages of super-lift converters, we com-

pare their voltage transfer gains to that of

Buck converter,
(45)
where Forward converter,

is the is the transformer turns ratio

and Cuk-converter,
is the -
Fly-back-converter,
The variation ratio of output voltage is
is the transformer turns ratio
(46)
Boost converter,

IV. SUMMARY OF POSITIVE OUTPUT SUPER-LIFT CONVERTERS and positive output

All circuits of positive output super-lift converters as a family Luo converters
can be shown in Fig. 7 as the family tree. From the analysis (48)

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LUO AND YE: POSITIVE OUTPUT SUPER-LIFT CONVERTERS 111

TABLE I
VOLTAGE TRANSFER GAINS OF CONVERTERS FOR THE CONDITION k = 0:2

TABLE II Fig. 8. Simulation results of triple-lift circuit at condition k = 0:5 and f =

VOLTAGE TRANSFER GAINS OF CONVERTERS FOR THE CONDITION k = 0:5 100 kHz.

TABLE III
VOLTAGE TRANSFER GAINS OF CONVERTERS IN THE CONDITION k = 0:8

Fig. 9. Simulation results of triple-lift additional circuit at condition k = 0:5

and f = 100 kHz.

spectively, and current waveforms (its average value

A), and . The simulation results are shown in Fig. 9.
The voltage values are matching the calculated results.

Assume the conduction duty is 0.2, the output voltage VI. EXPERIMENTAL RESULT
transfer gains are listed in Table I.
A test rig was constructed to verify the design and calculation
Assume the conduction duty is 0.5, the output voltage
results, and compare with PSpice simulation results. We still
transfer gains are listed in Table II.
chose V, mH, all F
Assume the conduction duty is 0.8, the output voltage
and k , and using and kHz. The
transfer gains are listed in Table III.
component of the switch is a MOSFET device IRF950 with the
rates 950 V/5 A/2 MHz. We measured the values of the output
V. SIMULATION RESULTS
voltage and first inductor current in the following converters.
To verify the design and calculation results, PSpice simula-
tion package was applied to these converters. Choosing A. Experimental Results of a Triple-Lift Circuit
V, mH, all F and After careful measurement, we obtained the current value of
k , and using and kHz. A (shown in Channel 1 with 1 A/Div) and voltage
value of V (shown in Channel 2 with 200 V/Div).
A. Simulation Results of a Triple-Lift Circuit The experimental results (current and voltage values) in Fig. 10
We obtain the voltage values , and of a triple-lift are identically matching to the calculated and simulation results,
circuit to be 66 V, 194 V, and 659 V, respectively, and inductor which are A and V shown in Fig. 8.
current waveforms (its average value mA),
and . The simulation results are shown in Fig. 8. The voltage B. Experimental Results of a Triple-Lift Additional Circuit
values are matching to the calculated results. The experimental results (voltage and current values) are
identically matching to the calculated and simulation results as
B. Simulation Results of a Triple-Lift Additional Circuit shown in Fig. 11. We obtained the current value of A
We obtain the voltage values , , and of triple-lift (shown in Channel 1 with 1 A/Div) and voltage value of
additional circuit to be 57 V, 165 V, 538 V, and 910 V, re- V (shown in Channel 2 with 200 V/Div). The

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112 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS, VOL. 18, NO. 1, JANUARY 2003

equipment. To compare the simulation and experimental

results, we listed them in Tables IV and V. All of the results are
successfully identified in each.

D. Transient Process and Stability Analysis

The transient process is very quick in only few milliseconds.
It is difficult to demonstrate it in this paper. We would like to
state the transient process and circuit stability analysis in other
papers.

Fig. 10. Experimental results of triple-lift circuit at condition k = 0:5 and VII. CONCLUSION
f = 100 kHz. (Positive output SL main series using f 5: I = 0:62 A, V =
660 V.) A new series of dc/dc converters—positive output super-lift
converters has been successfully created. It largely increases the
voltage transfer gain in power-law. Very high output voltage is
easily obtained. Simulation and experimental results verified the
design and calculations. This series Luo converters will be ap-
plied in industrial applications with very high output voltage.

REFERENCES
[1] F. L. Luo, “Positive output Luo converters, voltage lift technique,” Proc.
Inst. Elect. Eng., vol. 146, no. 4, pp. 415–432, July 1999.
[2] , “Negative output Luo converters, voltage lift technique,” Proc.
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[3] , “Double output Luo converters, advanced voltage lift technique,”
Proc. Inst. Elect. Eng., vol. 147, no. 6, pp. 469–485, Nov. 2000.
[4] F. L. Luo, H. Ye, and M. H. Rashid, “Multiple-quadrant Luo converters,”
Fig. 11. Experimental results of triple-lift additional circuit at condition k = Proc. Inst. Elect. Eng., vol. 148, no. 1, pp. 9–18, Jan. 2002.
0:5 and f = 100 kHz. (Positive output additional series using f 6: I = 1:8 A, [5] F. L. Luo and H. Ye, “DC/DC conversion techniques and nine series Luo
V = 910 V.)
converters,” in Power Electronics Handbook, M. H. Rashid, Ed. San
Diego, CA: Academic, Aug. 2001, ch. 17.
[6] F. L. Luo, “Seven self-lift converters, voltage lift technique,” Proc. Inst.
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COMPARISON TO SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OF [7] , “Six self-lift converters, voltage lift technique,” IEEE Trans. Ind.
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[8] , “Re-lift converter: Design, test, simulation and stability analysis,”
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[9] , “Re-lift circuit: A new dc–dc step-up (boost) converter,” IEEE
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[10] H. Ye, F. L. Luo, and Z. Z. Ye, “High-efficiency, widely-adjustable high
voltage regulated power supply,” in Proc. Int. IPEC’99 Conf. , Singa-
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COMPARISON TO SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OF A [11] K. M. Smedley and S. Cuk, “Dynamics of one-cycle controlled Cuk
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LUO AND YE: POSITIVE OUTPUT SUPER-LIFT CONVERTERS 113

Fang Lin Luo (M’84–SM’95) was born in Yichang, Hong Ye (S’00–M’02) was born in Xi’an, China, in
Hubei, China. He received the B.Sc. degree (with 1973. She received the B.S. degree (with first class
first class honors) in radio-electronic physics from honors) and the M.Eng. degree in power engineering
Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, in from Xi’an Jiaotong University, China, in 1995
1968 and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering and 1999, respectively, and is currently pursuing
and computer science from Cambridge University, the Ph.D. degree in the School of EEE, Nanyang
Cambridge, U.K., in 1986. Technological University, Singapore.
He was with the Chinese Automation Research In- She was with the R&D Institute, Xi’an Instrument
stitute of Metallurgy (CARIM), Beijing, China, as a Group, XIYI Company, Ltd., China, as a Research
Senior Engineer after leaving Sichuan University. He Engineer from 1995 to 1997. She has authored one
was with Entreprises Saunier Duval, Paris, France, chapter in a book and more than 30 technical papers
as a Project Engineer, from 1981 to 1982. He was with Hocking NDT, Ltd., in IEEE TRANSACTIONS, Proceedings of the Institute of Electrical Engineers,
Allen-Bradley IAP, Ltd., and Simplatroll, Ltd., U.K., as a Senior Engineer after other international journals, and various international conferences. Her research
receiving the Ph.D. degree. He is with the School of Electrical and Electronic interests are in dc/dc converters, signal processing, and operations research.
Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He has published
one book and 186 technical papers in Proceedings of the Institute of Electrical
Engineers, IEEE TRANSACTIONS, and various international conferences. His
present research interest is in power electronics, dc and ac motor drives with
computerized artificial intelligent control (AIC) and digital signal processing
(DSP), ac/dc and dc/dc converters, and dc/ac inverters.

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