System and method for full range control of dual active bridge

A power converter comprising:

• a primary bridge and a secondary bridge;
• a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, the primary bridge being connected to the primary side of the transformer and the secondary bridge being connected to the secondary side of the transformer;
• and
• a controller configured to generate a switching mode map that correlates each of a plurality of switching modes to a respective set of value ranges of system parameters of the power converter, the sets of system parameter value ranges being contiguous and non-overlapping across the switching mode map, each of the plurality of switching modes including a respective set of gate trigger voltage timings for commuting the primary bridge and the secondary bridge,
• the controller further configured to:
• obtain one or more measured system parameter values;
• select from the switching mode map a first switching mode of the plurality of switching modes that correlates to the set of system parameter value ranges containing the one or more measured system parameter values;
• adjust gate trigger voltage timings of the primary bridge and the secondary bridge based on the first switching mode, to transfer power between the primary bridge and the secondary bridge across the transformer;
• determine a change in the one or more measured system parameter values;
• select a different, second one of any of the other plurality of switching modes from the switching mode map responsive to the change that is determined;
• and
• adjust the gate trigger voltage timings of the primary bridge and the secondary bridge based on the second switching mode;
• wherein two or more of the plurality of switching modes are compatible switching modes, wherein the compatible switching modes that are mutually contiguous have their respective sets of trigger voltage timing equations defined to produce mutually compatible waveforms of transformer winding voltages at boundaries of the mutually contiguous switching modes;
• and wherein the controller is further configured, responsive to the first switching mode and the second switching mode not being compatible switching modes, to time transitions between the first switching mode and the second switching mode so that gate trigger voltages of the first switching mode and the second switching mode are at least one of removed or applied at zero-current conditions.

A power converter comprising:

• a primary bridge and a secondary bridge;
• a transformer interconnecting the primary bridge and the secondary bridge;
• and
• a controller configured to generate a switching mode map that respectively correlates plural switching modes to plural sets of value ranges of system parameters of the power converter, each of the plurality of switching modes including a respective set of gate trigger voltage timings for controlling the primary bridge and the secondary bridge,
• the controller further configured to:
• obtain one or more measured system parameter values;
• select from the switching mode map a first switching mode of the plurality of switching modes based on the measured system parameter values;
• control the primary bridge and the secondary bridge based on the first switching mode, to transfer power between the primary bridge and the secondary bridge across the transformer;
• determine changes in the one or more measured system parameter values;
• responsive to each time the changes fall into a different set of the sets of system parameter value ranges, select, in real hard time, a different switching mode of the plurality of switching modes that correlates to the different set;
• and
• control the primary bridge and the secondary bridge based on the different switching mode;
• wherein two or more of the plurality of switching modes are compatible across contiguous boundaries;
• and wherein the controller is further configured, responsive to any two of the switching modes that are successively selected not being compatible, to time transitions between the two successively selected switching modes so that gate trigger voltages of the two successively selected switching modes are at least one of removed or applied at zero-current conditions.