Small Signal Model of LCC Resonant Converter using Charge Mode Control with

Capacitor as Output Filter

Sren Kjrulff Christensen*
*Bang & Olufsen A/S, Struer, 7600
DK (Tel: 0045-9684-4973; e-mail: skn@ bang-olufsen.dk)
Abstract: In this paper, a small signal model of a LCC resonant converter with charge mode control is
described. Based on measurements, it is shown that the small signal loop gain for the LCC resonant
converter with charge mode control has the same gain and phase curves as normal frequency controlled
LCC converter. The frequency controlled LCC resonant converter has load dependent gain opposite to the
converter with charge mode control, which has a gain independent of load. It is the aim with this paper to
show that charge mode control off LCC resonant converter will give a simple small signal gain model,
which is independent of load. This independence of load gives a very simple model, which is obvious to
use in later calculations and simulations.

1. INTRODUCTION
In hunt of smaller and more compact power supplies,
resonant converters with three and four storage elements have
been investigated since the 1980th (Steigerwald, 1988). It has
been shown (Batarseh, 1994) that from three storage elements
there are 36 variants or combination possibilities. Among
them, the two most preferred types are LLC and LCC
converters. A LCC converter is shown in Fig. 1. The name
comes from the arrangement of inductive and capacitive
components. In Fig. 1, we have a series parallel resonant
converter with capacitive load. Ls and Cs are series resonant
component in series with the load and Cp is parallel to the
load. Therefor the name LCC.
Resonant converters have higher efficiency compared to
pulse with modulation (PWM) topologies, less switching loss
and can go to higher switching frequency. This give more
compact designs with less electromagnetic interference. The
resonant converters are more difficult to model due to many
stats and non-linear control characteristic. In this paper, we
look at a LCC series parallel resonant converter, which is
capacitive loaded as shown in Fig. 1.
Steady state calculations are well documented for the LCC
resonant converter with capacitive load (Bhat, 1991) but
when it comes to small signal analysis, only a few models
have been made by (Fabiana & Kolar, 2005) and (MartinRamos, Dias, Pernia, Lopera, & Nuno, 2007). Unfortunately
they are complicated to use. Moreever, in (Fabiana & Kolar,
2005) the small signal gain depends on load when frequency
control is used. Variation in small signal gain with load will
lower the total open loop gain of a feedback system.
To overcome the small signal gain variation with load an idea
to regulate on charge from cycle to cycle instead of frequency
a patent (Nielsen & Christensen, 2005) has been made which
eliminates the gain dependence of the load. In section 3, it

will be shown that charge mode control only affects the gain
without moving or introducing new poles or zeros into the
system, and small signal gain will not change with load. This
is achieved by introducing a new inner loop on the primary
side of the LCC converter equivalent to current mode control
in PWM control.
In 1994, small signal models were made of different resonant
converters. Extended describing function were used to make
mathematic DC equations. When introducing small
perturbation on the DC equations, the small signal gain can
be found (Agarwal & Bhat, 1994). However, this is done on a
LCC converter with inductors as output load. The first model
seen with a LCC converter with capacitive load is found in
2005 (Fabiana & Kolar, 2005) again here DC steady state
solution is found and with this equation small perturbation is
added to find small signal gain. No model is made but small
signal gain is calculated with use of a MATLAB program.
The aim of this paper is to make a simple model, which is
easy to use. It will be shown in section 3 that there will be no
gain variation of the small signal gain with respect to load, if
charge mode control is used.

LCC
V in

Transformer.

Fig. 1. LCC resonant converter. Series-parallel resonant converter.

Cs and Ls are in series with the load and Cp are parallel to the load.
Output are capacitive loaded.

Section 2 shows how the small signal gain is measured.

Section 3 gives the results of the measurements from which
the model is made. In section 4, a small signal gain model for
LCC converter with charge mode control is made and finally
in section 5, conclusions are made.

mode control. The small signal gain and phase are measured
with the following component values.
Ls = 330 uH

Cs=22 nF

Cp = 5 nF

N = 37/16

Vin = 400 V

Vout = 70 V

Cout = 2 x 100 uF
First, a short description on how the small signal gain is
measured on a circuit with and without charge mode control.
Fig. 2 shows a LCC converter with an input voltage that will
have no variation. Only DC input. We like to find the small
signal gain (1) from the control voltage input to output
voltage.
(1)
gain = v~ / v~
out

control

In a system with very high gain, this cannot just be done by

putting in a DC control voltage with a small perturbation on
top of it and then measure the perturbation signal on the
output voltage as in Fig. 2.

With gain phase meter HP4194 and a test setup like Fig 3,
small signal gain and phase were measured from Vcontrol to
Vout. Measured small signal loop gains with use of the
method in Fig. 3. is shown in Fig. 4.

Measured gain. Frequenc y mode c ontrol.

gain (dB)

2. METHODE

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
10
20
30
40
10

100

110

110

110

frequency (Hz)

LCC
Converter.

Rload =
Rload =
Rload =
Rload =

350 Ohm
70 Ohm
35 Ohm
28 Ohm

To control the output voltage and keep it stable, a normal

feedback system is made as in Fig. 3 and a measuring signal
is introduced in the feedback loop. This is further described
in (R.D.Middlebrook, 1975). The small signal gain is
measured between two points with low output impedance and
high input impedance, which gives the voltage gain.

vref

vcontrol
+-

vout
vout

Aol =

vout
vin

Apower = vout
vcontrol

gain (dB)

Measured gain. Charge mode control.

Fig. 2. A control vcontrol regulate the output. The DC part will give
the DC working point and small perturbation give the small signal
gain in this DC working point.

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
10
20
30
40
10

100

110

110

110

frequency (Hz)
Rload =
Rload =
Rload =
Rload =

350 Ohm
70 Ohm
35 Ohm
28 Ohm

Fig. 4. Measured small signal loop gain for LCC converter with
frequency control and with charge mode control for different load
conditions.

vin

4. DISCUSSION
Fig. 3. Small signal power gain is measured in a closed loop setup.
A signal is introduced in the loop and the voltage gain are measured
from Vcontrol to Vout.

3. RESULTS
To demonstrate the difference in small signal loop gain for
the power stage in Fig. 1. with frequency control and charge

The curves in Fig. 4 show the difference in small signal gain

between frequency control and charge mode control of a LCC
converter. With frequency control, the gain will change with
different load, contrarily nearly no change is seen with charge
mode control.
Above 10 kHz gain drops with lower load resistance or
higher converter output power. In (Martin-Ramos, Dias,
Pernia, Lopera, & Nuno, 2007) similar drop in gain in the

theoretical model for the frequency-controlled converter is

seen. The double pole which comes from this gain drop is
dependent on how close the switching frequency at the given
load is to the series resonance of Ls, Cs in Fig. 1. When Rload
decreases, the switching frequency is lowered and comes
closer to the series resonance of Ls and Cs which gives a
bigger influence on small signal gain from the double pole.
Series resonance for the given values is 59 kHz and with 28
load, the switching frequency is 96 kHz.
From measurements on small signal gain with charge mode
control seen in Fig. 4, we can make a model as shown in Fig.
5.
Ipower

Rload

Vout

Fig. 5. Small signal ac gain model of LCC converter with charge

mode control.

Pole _ sw (Pout )
(2)

I power = K

(
)
(
)
P
+
s
f
Pole _ sw out

Current generator Ipower has double pole as shown in (2). The

model in Fig. 5. can be used in small signal gain calculation
and simulations for LCC converters with charge mode
control. K is found from DC calculations or from the
measurements in Fig. 4. If frequency mode control is used, a
similar model is used but then K will depend on output load.
2

Model gain. Charge mode control.

gain (dB)

Next step is to make a theoretical model for the LCC

converter with charge mode control. That can support the
model.

REFERENCES

The model in Fig. 5 have Cout with an equivalent series

resistance. Rload is the load of the LCC converter.

110

110

110

frequency (kHz)
Rload =
Rload =
Rload =
Rload =

Measurements on small signal gain for a frequency and

charge mode controlled LCC converter were made and a
model for the charge mode controlled converter was made.
This model is simple in use and shows the advantage of
charge mode control compared to frequency control,
particular that the small signal gain does not change with
load.

Runo Nielsen has invented charge mode control. This work

will not have been possible without his contribution.

Resr

100

5. CONCLUSION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Cout

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
10
20
30
40
10

to the curves in Fig. 4, except for the blue 70 load curve.

The reason for this difference could be measurement errors.

350 Ohm
70 Ohm
35 Ohm
28 Ohm

Fig. 6. Gain curve over LCC model with charge mode control.

If the model in Fig. 5 is used for the given values for the LCC
converter, we get the curves in Fig. 6, which are quite similar

Agarwal, V., & Bhat, A. K. (1994). Small signal analysis of

the LCC-type parallel resonant converter using
discrete time domain modeling. Power Electronics
Specialists Conference. 2, pp. 805 - 813. Taipei:
IEEE. doi:10.1109/PESC.1994.373771
Batarseh, I. (1994, Jan). Resonant Converter Topologies with
Three and Four Energy Storage Elements. IEEE
Transactions on Power Electronics, 9(1), 64-73.
doi:10.1109/63.285495
Bhat, A. K. (1991, MAY). Analysis and design of a seriesparallel resonant converter with capacitive output
filter. IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications,
523-530. doi:10.1109/28.81837
Fabiana, C. d., & Kolar, J. W. (2005). Small-Signal Model of
a 5kW High-Output Voltage Capacitive-Loaded
Series-Parallel. IEEE Power Electronics Specialists
Conference, (pp. 1271-1277).
doi:10.1109/PESC.2005.1581793
Martin-Ramos, J. A., Dias, J., Pernia, A. M., Lopera, J. M., &
Nuno, F. (2007, AUG). Dynamic and Steady-State
Models for the PRC-LCC Resonant Topology With a
Capacitor as Output Filter. IEEE Transactions on
Industrial Electronics, 54(4), 2262 - 2275.
doi:10.1109/TIE.2007.894763
R.D.Middlebrook. (1975). Measurement of loop gain in
feedback systems. International Journal of
Electronics, 38(4), 485-512.
Runo Nielsen, Sren Kjrulff Christensen (2005, MAY).
Charge Mode Control of a Series Resonance
Converter. World Intellectual Property
Organization, International Publication Number WO
2005/046037 A1.
Steigerwald, R. L. (1988, APR). A Comparison of HalfBridge Resonant. IEEE Transactions on Power
Electronics, 3(2), 174-182. doi:10.1109/63.4347