DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A BI-DIRECTIONAL DC/DC

CONVERTER FOR BATTERY CHARGING

MINOR PROJECT REPORT

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree

of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
in

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

by

Sourabh Singh Deepanshu Sourav

Enrollment No.: Enrollment No.: Enrollment No.:
00311507822 00711507822 00211507822

Guided by
Ashutosh Gupta

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING BHARATI VIDYAPEETH’S

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, NEW DELHI
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 CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION

It is hereby certified that the work which is being presented in the B. Tech Minor Project Report entitled "Design and
construction of a bidirectional DC/DC converter" in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the
degree of Bachelor of Technology and submitted in the Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering of
Bharati Vidyapeeth’s College of Engineering, New Delhi (Affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha
University, Delhi) is an authentic record of our own work under the guidance of Ashutosh Gupta, Associate
Professor.

The matter presented in the B. Tech Minor Project Report has not been submitted by me for the award of any other
degree of this or any other Institute.

(Sourabh Singh) (Deepanshu) (Sourav)

(En. No: 00311507822) (En. No: 00711507822) (En. No: 00211507822)

This is to certify that the above statement made by the candidate is correct to the best of my knowledge. He/She/They
are permitted to appear in the External Minor Project Examination

(Ashutosh Gupta) Dr. Kusum Tharani

Associate Professor Professor and Head,
EEE

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 ABSTRACT

This report presents the simulation and analysis of a bidirectional battery management system (BMS)
designed for efficient energy storage and supply. The system operates in two primary modes: charging and
discharging. In charging mode, the battery receives energy from an external source, while in discharging
mode, it supplies energy to a connected load. Simulation results indicate effective control over key
parameters: State of Charge (SOC), current, and voltage.
During charging, the SOC gradually increases, while current and voltage stabilize after an initial transient
response, demonstrating steady energy absorption. Conversely, in discharging mode, SOC decreases as the
battery delivers energy to the load, with stable current and voltage output following a similar transient
adjustment.
The control system’s responsiveness effectively manages transients, ensuring quick stabilization in both
modes. These results validate the BMS's capacity to manage bidirectional energy flow, highlighting its
potential for applications requiring stable and controlled battery operation. The analysis underscores the
system’s capability to maintain efficiency and stability in energy management, making it suitable for
renewable energy systems and grid integration, where dynamic battery control is essential.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We express our deep gratitude to Ashutosh Gupta, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical & Electronics
Engineering for his valuable guidance and suggestion throughout my project work. We are thankful to Dr. Shashi
Gandhar and Dr. K. Sudha, Project Coordinators, for their valuable guidance.

We would like to extend my sincere thanks to Head of the Department, Dr. Kusum Tharani for her time to time
suggestions to complete our project work.

(Sourabh Singh) (Deepanshu) (Sourav)

(En. No: 00311507822) (En. No: 00711507822) (En. No: 00211507822)

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 Chapter 1: Introduction

Since the industrial times, we have relied on fossil fuel, gas fired power stations and power plants to generate
electricity. However, these kind of power generation options are no longer sustainable due to the negative impact they
have on our planet. Therefore, new and renewable ways of generating electricity have been developed such as solar
and wind generation. These new options of generating electricity have significantly less negative impact on our planet.
They do however impact our power grid in a negative way. Two things are absolutely critical when generating
electricity: the generated energy must be equal to the energy that we consume and the power grids voltage and
frequency must be constant. The previous ways of generating electricity have contributed with a sort of inertia to the
power grid. This inertia has created a window of time for the power generation side to adapt to the changes in power
consumption, making the power grid more robust and stable. The issue with the renewable power generation
alternatives is that they do not create this inertia, thus having a negative impact on the power grid. Due to the negative
impact that the older power generation plants and stations have on our planet, the aim is to replace them with the
newer alternative renewable generation systems. Because of this change, new ways of creating synthetic inertia have
to be invented to compensate for the loss of inertia. One way of creating the synthetic inertia to use energy storages to
continuously exchange energy between the storages and the power grid. The idea is that the energy storages would
counteract the changes in the power grid by either withdrawing energy from it or depositing energy to it.

1.1 Purpose & Goals

The purpose of the project is to design, simulate and build a general purpose single-phase
bi-directional DC/DC converter. In order to accomplish this, the following goals have to be
achieved:
 Evaluate different bi-directional DC/DC converter topologies, determining which is
most suitable for the desired system
 Simulate the chosen topology and investigate how the converter should be controlled
and also how the peripheral components should be designed.
 Find a suitable power transistor type that fulfills the system requirements
 Design the driver circuit for the chosen power transistor type with suitable signal
circuitry and protection circuitry
 Design a printed circuit board, PCB, for the power transistor and find suitable peripheral components

1.2 Theory & concepts utilized in the project

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1.2.1 Assumptions
When deriving the equations for the Buck and Boost converter several assumptions have to be made: All
components are ideal, PSS, CCM, SRA and Volt-second balance.
1.2.2 PSS - Periodic steady state
Periodic steady state refers to the equilibrium condition that occurs after start-up when a circuit has
stabilized and transients no longer influence the circuit.

Fig. 1.1: PSS - Periodic steady state

1.2.3 CCM - Continuous current mode
The continuous current mode assumption says that the current must flow through the inductor continuously
and never become zero.
1.2.4 SRA - Small ripple approximation
The output voltage of an arbitrary non ideal DC/DC converter contains both a DC and an AC component.
The AC component or ripple occurs due to the switching operation of the converter and is in most cases
undesired. However, a converter that is properly designed will have a very low AC component compared the
DC component. Therefore, the ripple can be neglected when calculating the output voltage of a DC/DC
converter.

1.2.5 Volt-second balance

In PSS, the average voltage over the inductor must be zero assuming that the inductor current changes
linearly.

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1.2.6 Bipolar junction transistor - BJT
The bipolar junction transistor, BJT, is a current controlled semiconductor device that can be operated as a
switch or as a current amplifier [5]. This transistor can be divided into two doping types: the n-type (NPN)
and the p-type (PNP). Both of them have three terminals: Collector (C), Base (B) and Emitter (E). They
consist of both n-doped and p-doped sections but in different constellations, as can be seen in Figure 1.2.
Both types can be used for the same purpose but they function in opposite ways. The NPN transistor
conducts current from the Collector to the Emitter when a current is applied to the Base of the transistor. The
PNP transistor on the other hand conducts current from the Emitter to the Collector when no current is
applied to the Base of the transistor.

Fig. 1.2: BJT of Different construction

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1.2.7 Insulated-gate bipolar transistor - IGBT
The isolated-gate bipolar transistor, IGBT, is a voltage controlled semiconductor device especially
developed for fast switching and high power applications. Similarly to the BJT and the MOSFET, the IGBT
has three terminals: Collector (C), Gate (G) and Emitter (E). The IGBT is a hybrid between the BJT and the
MOSFET, inheriting the isolated Gate and high switching frequency from the MOSFET and the low
saturation voltage from the BJT. Like the MOSFET, the IGBT is controlled by applying a voltage to the Gate
terminal and therefore charging it. However, the IGBT is unidirectional i.e. it can only conduct current in
one direction. A power diode is used to conduct current in the opposite direction.

Fig. 1.3: Construction of IGBT

1.2.8 Buck converter
The Buck converter is a switch mode power device that outputs a DC voltage that is lower than the input DC
voltage. A simplified version of the Buck converter can be seen in Figure 1.4. The Buck converter requires a
power switch, a power diode, a capacitor and an inductor.

Fig 1.4: Buck Converter

During normal operation, the Buck converter can operate in two states: the on-state and the off-state (See
Figure 1.5). Whilst in the on-state, current is supplied from the voltage source, charging the inductor and
supplying a current to the load. The stored energy in the inductor also increases and the magnetic field
around it expands. In this mode the diode is reverse biased, meaning that it doesn’t conduct current and is
considered to be turned off.

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 Fig.1.5: Buck Converter – operation states
1.2.9 Boost converter
The Boost converter requires the same components as the Buck converter but in a different constellation, as
can be seen in Figure 1.6. The Boost converter, as the name suggests, outputs a voltage that is higher than
the input voltage.

Fig. 1.6: Boost Converter

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 Fig. 1.7: Boost Converter – operation states
In the off-state the power switch is turned off. The magnetic field starts to collapse and due to the inductors
back e.m.f, the diode becomes forward biased. The stored energy in the inductor results in a current flowing
to the capacitor and the load. Unlike the Buck converter, the inductor of the Boost converter is always
connected to the power supply. This means that its always being charged and that is how the converter can
produce a voltage higher than the input voltage.
1.2.10 Four quadrant bi-directional converter
The single phase four quadrant bi-directional converter is a cascaded Buck-Boost converter. It consists of
four power switches, two capacitors and one inductor. Due to the symmetric design of the converter it can
operate in four modes. It is capable of stepping up and down the voltage in either direction. All modes are
shown in the figures below, and which power switches to activate in order to choose a mode is shown in
Table 2.2. The converter behave in the same way as the Buck or Boost converter, depending on which
mode is activated.

Fig. 1.8: Four Quadrant bi-directional converter

Table 1.1: Converter modes

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 Chapter 2: System Modelling

The system model represents a bidirectional DC-DC converter that enables both charging and discharging of
the battery. This type of model is commonly used in applications where the battery acts as both an energy
storage system and a power supply, such as in electric vehicles, grid-tied energy storage, and renewable
energy systems. The key components include the DC source/load, bidirectional converter, inductor-capacitor
filtering, battery model, and a control system with feedback for both charging and discharging modes.

Fig. 2.1: System Simulink Model

2.1 Key Components and Working
2.1.1 DC Source and Load Circuit
 DC Input/Output Source: In a bidirectional BMS, the DC source represents either a power supply
(for charging) or a load (for discharging). This source can be connected to a renewable energy
source, a power grid, or a load that requires power from the battery.
 Switching for Source/Load: A switching mechanism is added to alternate between connecting the
source for charging and the load for discharging. The model includes logic to control this switching
based on the battery's state and the mode of operation.
This setup provides the flexibility to either charge the battery from an external power source or discharge it
to supply power to an external load.
2.1.2 Bidirectional DC-DC Converter
 Bidirectional Switches: The model includes two switches configured for bidirectional operation,
allowing current to flow in either direction. This configuration enables the battery to both receive
power during charging and supply power during discharging.
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  Control of Switching Direction: The direction of current flow is controlled by switching logic,
which determines whether the converter operates in boost (discharge) mode or buck (charge) mode
based on the system’s requirements and battery state.
This bidirectional converter manages the power flow by adjusting the duty cycle of the switches, ensuring
that the voltage and current are controlled for either charging or discharging purposes.
2.1.3 Inductor and Capacitor (LC) Filtering Stage
 LC Filter for Bidirectional Flow: The inductor and capacitor (LC) filter now serve dual purposes,
smoothing out current and voltage during both charging and discharging. The bidirectional filter
design ensures low ripple and stable DC output regardless of the power flow direction.
 Purpose of the Filter in Bidirectional Mode: When the battery is charging, the LC filter smooths
the incoming current to prevent voltage spikes. During discharging, it smooths the output current to
provide a steady power supply to the load or grid.
The LC filter helps to stabilize the power flow in both directions, protecting both the battery and external
load from high-frequency fluctuations.
2.1.4 Battery Model
 Battery State of Charge (SOC), Voltage, and Current Measurement: The battery model outputs
real-time SOC, voltage, and current information to the control system. These parameters are crucial
for managing both charging and discharging operations safely and efficiently.
 Bidirectional Current Flow Management: In bidirectional mode, the battery can either absorb
current during charging or supply current during discharging. The control system adjusts the power
flow based on the SOC, ensuring the battery stays within safe operating limits.
The battery model’s real-time monitoring allows the control system to adapt to both charging and
discharging, protecting the battery from overcharging, over-discharging, and thermal issues.
2.1.5 Feedback Control System (Dual-Mode Operation)
 Dual-Mode PI Controller: The feedback control system includes a dual-mode Proportional-Integral
(PI) controller that regulates the voltage and current in both directions. In charging mode, it reduces
the error between the desired and actual charging current, while in discharging mode, it maintains the
output voltage or current to meet the load demand.
 Control Logic for Bidirectional Flow: The controller uses input signals from the battery (SOC,
current, and voltage) and external load requirements to switch between charging and discharging
modes. For instance:
o If the SOC is below a specified threshold, the system operates in charging mode.
o If the SOC is above a certain level, and there’s a load requirement, the system operates in
discharging mode.
 Bidirectional Control Signals: The PI controller generates control signals for the switches in the
bidirectional converter, adjusting the duty cycle to regulate current flow direction and magnitude
according to the selected mode.
The dual-mode feedback control ensures that the battery operates efficiently in both charging and
discharging states, providing stable voltage and current levels for each mode.

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2.1.6 Measurement and Monitoring
 Bidirectional Display for Key Parameters: The display block shows critical parameters like SOC,
current, and voltage in real-time, allowing the user to monitor both charging and discharging states.
During discharging, it displays power output to the load, while during charging, it displays power
input to the battery.
 Real-Time Monitoring for Safety: Continuous monitoring of SOC, current, and voltage helps in
identifying any unsafe operating conditions, such as overcharge, deep discharge, or overheating, and
allows the control system to respond accordingly.
The real-time measurement and monitoring system enhances operational safety and provides insight into the
battery’s performance in both directions.
2.1.7 Mode Selection for Bidirectional Operation
 Mode Selector Switch: The mode selector switch now includes both charging and discharging
modes, enabling the control system to choose between them based on the current requirements. This
allows the system to switch seamlessly between charging the battery from the source and discharging
the battery to supply power to the load.
 Automatic Mode Selection Logic: The control logic can automatically select the mode based on the
SOC and external load demand. For example:
o If the battery is sufficiently charged and there is an external load demand, the system
automatically switches to discharging mode.
o If the battery is low and a power source is available, it switches to charging mode.

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 Chapter 3: Results and Discussion

The bidirectional battery management system (BMS) simulation results are shown in two scenarios:
charging mode and discharging mode. Each mode is analyzed based on three key parameters: State of
Charge (SOC), Current (A), and Voltage (V).
3.1 Charging Mode
In the charging mode, the battery receives energy from an external power source, as shown in the first set of
plots.
1. State of Charge (SOC %): The SOC shows a gradual increase over time, starting at 45% and
steadily rising to approximately 45.1% by the end of the simulation period. This indicates that the
battery is charging as expected, with SOC increasing as energy is stored in the battery.
2. Current (A): The current initially spikes to around -25 A (charging current) before settling at
approximately -15 A. This initial spike is due to the transient response as the converter and control
system stabilize the charging process. Once stabilized, the current remains relatively constant,
indicating steady charging.
3. Voltage (V): The battery voltage starts at approximately 25.9 V, experiences a slight transient rise,
and then stabilizes around 25.85 V. This stability in voltage reflects the effectiveness of the control
system in maintaining a stable charging process.

Fig. 3.1: Observations during Charging Mode

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3.2 Discharging Mode
In the discharging mode, the battery supplies energy to an external load, as shown in the second set of plots.
1. State of Charge (SOC %): The SOC shows a gradual decrease over time, starting at 45% and
dropping to around 44.9%. This reduction indicates that the battery is discharging, supplying energy
to the load.
2. Current (A): The discharge current initially spikes to approximately 40 A before stabilizing around
20 A. This initial spike occurs due to the transient response as the control system adjusts to the
discharging mode. Once stabilized, the current remains steady, indicating a controlled discharge.
3. Voltage (V): The voltage starts at around 25.8 V, slightly dips during the initial transient, and then
stabilizes at approximately 25.6 V. The voltage stability after the transient response demonstrates the
system’s ability to maintain a steady voltage output during discharge.

Fig. 3.2: Observations during Discharging Mode

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 Chapter 4: Conclusion

The development and implementation of a bi-directional DC/DC converter for battery charging has shown
significant potential in advancing battery management systems, particularly in renewable energy storage,
electric vehicles, and portable electronic applications. This converter efficiently manages energy flow in
both directions, allowing for controlled charging and discharging of batteries, which optimizes energy
utilization and enhances battery lifespan.
The key benefits observed include:
1. Enhanced Efficiency: The converter’s ability to regulate voltage and current flow minimizes energy
loss, providing high efficiency during both charging and discharging cycles.
2. Bidirectional Operation: This feature allows seamless energy flow in both directions, supporting
applications where batteries need to supply energy and recharge from other sources.
3. Improved Battery Life: By managing charging rates and preventing overcharging or deep
discharging, the converter helps maintain battery health, extending the battery's usable life.
4. Scalability and Versatility: This converter design can be adapted for various power levels and battery
chemistries, making it suitable for a broad range of applications from small electronics to large
energy storage systems.
Overall, the bi-directional DC/DC converter serves as a vital component in modern energy management,
addressing both the technical and environmental challenges associated with battery-powered systems. Future
work could focus on enhancing its reliability and integrating smart control algorithms to further improve
performance and adaptability.

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