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Technical Article
How Using Bi-directional DC/DC Converters for an
Elevator Automatic Rescue Device Improves Efficiency
and Reduces Cost

Pawan Nayak
Because elevators transport millions of people every day, operational safety is of prime importance. Have you
ever thought about what happens when the mains supply to the elevator shuts down? Will the elevator drop
down the hoist way, or get stuck somewhere between landing doors? To prevent the first consequence, fail-safe
braking mechanisms ensure that the elevator car comes to a stop as soon as the mains power goes off. After
stopping, to keep those inside the elevator from being stuck inside until the power comes back on, an automatic
rescue device (ARD), also called the elevator emergency power supply, comes into play.
The ARD is a backup power unit that continuously monitors the elevator mains supply. An unexpected shutdown
may occur because of a power-grid fault or if faulty wiring breaks the input phase to the elevator drive. The ARD
detects such fault conditions, immediately begins powering the elevator drive and sends a fault signal to the
elevator controller. The controller then releases the motor drive brake and slowly brings the car to the closest
landing door. The direction of the car is based on what will take the least amount of power to bring it to the
landing door. Once at the closest floor, the elevator door opens and an audio/visual indicator indicates that it’s
safe to exit. After a pre-defined time, the elevator door closes again and the supply to the elevator drive shuts
down.
Figure 1 illustrates the connection from a conventional ARD into the elevator system. A three-phase mains
supply connects to the traction drive through a mains contactor. The mains contactor is interlocked with the
ARD contactor, which connects the output of ARD to the traction drive. Interlocking ensures that both contactors
do not turn on simultaneously, avoiding any shorting of mains with the ARD output. A single-phase output
tapped from the mains supplies the rest of the elevator system components through the contactor, like the
controller, door motor control, brakes and safety chain.” The contactor is also interlocked with the ARD’s
single-phase output contactor. During normal operation, the ARD charges the backup battery; its inverter output
is disconnected from the elevator system. A power shutdown switches on the interlocked contactors and the
ARD powers the elevator system.

Figure 1. Conventional ARD system connection in an elevator

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The ARD system shown in Figure 2 has an AC/DC charger power stage to charge the battery. A DC/DC
converter boosts the battery voltage to a high voltage and a DC/AC inverter generates an AC output to power
the elevator traction drive and elevator controls. A circuit continuously monitors the AC mains input for blackout
and single-phase conditions and enables or disables the required power stages inside the ARD.

Figure 2. Conventional ARD system

Another approach is to use a bidirectional DC/DC converter like the 2kW, 48V to 400V, >93% Efficiency, Isolated
Bidirectional DC-DC Converter Reference Design for UPS to implement an ARD, as shown in Figure 3 and
Figure 4. Such a converter can transfer energy from both directions. In an ARD, the converter connects directly
to the DC link of the elevator traction drive. During normal operation, the converter works like a battery charger,
charging the battery from the DC link. When there is no mains power, the converter works like a boost converter
powering the DC link from the battery. Another inverter stage inside the ARD generates a single-phase AC
voltage for the controls.

Figure 3. An ARD system with a bidirectional DC/DC converter connected into an elevator system

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Figure 4. An ARD with a bidirectional DC/DC

Comparing the two approaches, Table 1 shows how the bidirectional DC/DC converter approach offers more
benefits.
Table 1. Comparison of conventional ARD and an ARD with a bidirectional DC/DC converter
Parameter Conventional ARD system using an ARD system with a bidirectional DC/DC
uninterruptible power supply (UPS) converter
No. of converter stages Three: Two:
• An AC/DC charger to charge the battery. • An AC/DC battery charger and DC/DC
• A DC/DC converter to boost the battery boost converter combined in a single
voltage to a high voltage. bidirectional converter.
• A DC/AC inverter to generate an AC • A DC/AC inverter to generate a
output for the traction drive and elevator single-phase output for elevator control
control systems. systems. The DC/DC converter is
eliminated and the inverter is directly
powered from the DC bus.

Efficiency Lower efficiency: High efficiency:

• Losses in three switching converter • Only two switching power stages.
stages. • Bidirectional converter connects directly
• Battery power is converted to AC power to the DC link of the traction drive.
by the ARD and then converted back into
a DC link voltage by the AC/DC rectifier
of the traction drive.

Cost High: Low:

• Requires interlocked contactors • Does not require interlocked contactors
(highlighted with red box in Figure 1) to for the drive power, as there is no
supply AC to the traction drive and avoid possibility of the bidirectional converter
shorting of the ARD output with the mains output shorting with mains.
supply. • Wiring is simpler and is single phase.
• Three-phase wiring is required on the • Lower BOM cost to implement two
input and output of the ARD. converter stages.
• Three converter stages mean a higher
bill-of-materials (BOM) cost.

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Typical battery voltages for an elevator ARD are 24 V, 36 V, 48 V and 60 V. The nominal DC link voltage for
a three phase 400-VAC-powered elevator traction drive is ~600 V. The isolated bidirectional DC/DC converter
reference design is a 2-kW, 48-V to 400-V, digitally controlled bidirectional power stage operating as a half-
bridge battery charger and current-fed full-bridge boost converter in the opposite direction. The design is
scalable to different power levels and input battery voltages by simply redesigning the transformer and selecting
appropriately rated metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors.

Additional resources
• Learn more about the reference design discussed in this article by watching the video, “2-kW isolated
bidirectional DC/DC converter reference design for UPS.”
• Explore TI’s elevators and escalators portfolio.

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