Patent ID: 7848118

Claim:
A bi-directional DC-DC converter which comprises a high voltage side switching circuit, connected between a first DC power source and a transformer, for executing an electric power conversion between a direct current and an alternating current, a low voltage side switching circuit, connected between a second DC power source and said transformer, for executing an electric power conversion between a direct current and an alternating current, and a control circuit for controlling ON/OFF of switching elements included in each of said switching circuits and in which an electric power is transmitted and received between said first and second DC power sources, wherein said high voltage side switching circuit includes a first vertical arm in which a first upper arm switching element and a first lower arm switching element are serially connected, a second vertical arm in which a second upper arm switching element and a second lower arm switching element are serially connected, a first smoothing capacitor connected in parallel to said first and second vertical arms and said first DC power source, and an object connected in series which is connected between a series node of said first upper arm switching element and said first lower arm switching element and a serial node of said second upper arm switching element and said second lower arm switching element and is constructed by a resonance capacitor, a resonance reactor, and a primary winding of said transformer, said low voltage side switching circuit includes a first switching element group which is connected to said second DC power source and a secondary winding of said transformer and includes a plurality of switching elements, a smoothing reactor connected to said first switching element group and/or the secondary winding of said transformer, a second smoothing capacitor in which one end is connected to one end of the switching elements included in said first switching element group and the other end is connected to one end of said smoothing reactor and which is connected in parallel to said second DC power source, and a voltage clamping circuit which is connected to the switching elements included in said first switching element group and has a second switching element group including at least one switching element and a clamping capacitor, and said control circuit includes first switching means for switching the switching elements in an OFF state in said second switching element group to ON for a period of time during which both of said first upper arm switching element and said second lower arm switching element are in an ON state and second switching means for switching said first lower arm switching element and said second upper arm switching element to ON while keeping the switching elements switched to ON by said first switching means in the ON state.