Sensitivity of telecom dc-dc converter optimization to the level of detail of the system model

Efficient power conversion is one of the fundamental research drivers for modern power supplies. In order to achieve and design on the edge of the system performance space, automatic optimization procedures based on comprehensive analytical converter operation and loss models have to be employed. In this paper, a 5kW, 400V to 46–56V phase-shift dc-dc converter with LC output filter is optimized for the highest possible full-load efficiency. The system performance is discussed and compared for full-load, half-load and part-load optimization. Furthermore, the complexity of the first applied comprehensive analytical models is reduced step by step and the resulting values of the design parameters and the system performance are compared in detail with the reference system optimized with the comprehensive models. The sensitivity of the optimization to the level of detail of the modeling as well as the possibilities of the model-complexity reduction is explained. It is shown that certain complex components of the system model can be omitted without noticeably affecting the resulting efficiency.