Design Optimization of Power Electronic Converters in More Electric Aircraft

System reliability and design optimization are the main concerns in power electronic converters of more-electric aircraft (MEA). The dual active bridge (DAB) is the topology usually considered to link the HVDC bus to the LV network onboard the aircraft. This paper proposes a design and control algorithm that maximizes the power transmission efficiency by minimizing the transformer RMS current while considering the converter parasitic elements in the process. The optimization methodology includes two layers of optimization through a genetic algorithm (GA); optimization of transformer turns ratio and DAB inductor and phase angle optimization by using triple phase shift (TPS) control mode. The high-turn ratio of the isolating transformer utilized in this application results in a considerable effect on the converter performance. The parasitics effect is discussed and FEA simulations are carried out in Ansys Q3D from which the stray inductances are extracted and fed to the optimization algorithm.