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Abstract
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High-voltage (HV) pulses are widely used in many applications. This study proposes a new HV unipolar pulse
generator based on Single-Ended Primary-Inductance Converter (SEPIC) for electroporation applications. The converter in the
proposed pulse generator operates in discontinuous conduction mode with continuous input current. The proposed structure
uses voltage-boosting modules that are fed from a relatively low voltage DC source with a reduced number of semiconductors.
The number of semiconductor devices and the voltage stress across them are important issues for HV pulse generators. The
proposed approach does not have any chopping switches at the output stage, which greatly affects cost, efficiency, and system
control. The employed semiconductor switches and diodes in the proposed topology have low voltage and current stresses, so
the structure can be implemented with the market-available semiconductor technology. Mathematical analysis is presented
along with a full design of the system components. Finally, simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the
proposed concept.
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