Quantifying Incomplete Zero-Voltage Switching Losses Using Equivalent HardSwitching Losses

With fast switching wide band-gap semiconductors conquering high-power application, zerovoltage switching (ZVS) topologies are crucial to increase converter efficiency by minimizing switching losses. However, ZVS criteria cannot always be fulfilled in the entire operating range of the converter. In this case, the converter enters incomplete ZVS (iZVS). The losses during iZVS cannot be quantified using conventional double-pulse tests, but require calorimetric measurement setups, and separation of turn-on, conduction, and turn-off losses. This can be obtained for discrete devices, but is not possible for power modules. In this paper, a method to estimate the switching losses during iZVS using equivalent hard-switching losses is presented and experimentally verified, allowing to quantify the losses in power modules.