Maximum efficiency point tracking (MEPT) method and digital dead time control implementation

An adaptive control method, to be called maximum efficiency point tracking (MEPT), is presented in this paper. This method tracks system efficiency, which is dc-dc converter efficiency in this paper, and adaptively optimizes system parameters to maximize efficiency. The MEPT method is used in this paper to optimize the primary-to-secondary switches' dead-time parameter in an isolated topology to reduce the switches' body diodes conduction during commutation periods and to reduce body diodes conduction and reverse-recovery related losses in order to improve efficiency. MEPT tracks converter efficiency while changing the dead-time and detects the optimized dead-time value at the maximum efficiency point at different load and line conditions. In this paper, the MEPT method is discussed and analyzed, and its digital control algorithm and experimental implementation are presented. Index Terms--Adaptive, converter, dead time, digital control, efficiency, isolated, maximum efficiency point tracking (MEPT) method, non-isolated, tracking.