Liquid-Solid Hybrid Power Converter For High Frequency Energy Conversion

Liquid-Solid Hybrid Power Converter For High Frequency Energy Conversion | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Liquid-Solid Hybrid Power Converter For High Frequency Energy Conversion Yihua Hu, Zhuang Li, Jun Zhang, Chao Gong, jiadong LU, Haiying Nie This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8740315/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Conventional solid-state power converters are constrained by fixed topologies and high-frequency alternating current losses from skin and proximity effects, limiting adaptability in modern energy conversion systems. Here we introduce a liquidsolid hybrid power converter (LHPC) in which all current-carrying paths and reconfigurable interconnects are formed by electrically actuated gallium-based liquid metal. Using an electric field to manipulate the motion of the liquid metal conductor (LMC), the converter reconfigures between two pairs of topologies: Flyback and Half-bridge, Buck and Boost. We demonstrate open-loop bidirectional reconfiguration between Flyback and Half-bridge modes, and closed-loop bidirectional reconfiguration between Buck and Boost modes. The power electronic circuits are fully constructed from LMC and all converters are implemented on boards fabricated from laser-cut poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), enabling repeatable and reversible topology transitions under different high-frequency conditions with stable performance. Unlike conventional printed circuit board (PCB)-based planar converters, our approach supports rapid circuit deployment, fast recycling, and the creation of multidimensional converter structures, which are made possible by injecting or pumping LMC into PMMA boards. Scientific community and society/Business and industry/Engineering/Electrical and electronic engineering Physical sciences/Engineering/Electrical and electronic engineering Power converter liquid-solid hybrid power converter Reconfigurable Liquid metal conductor Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryMovie1.mp4 Supplementary Movie 1 SupplementaryMovie2.mp4 Supplementary Movie 2.mp4 SupplementaryMovie3.mp4 Supplementary Movie 3 SupplementaryInformationLHPC.pdf Supplementary_Information Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8740315","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":588817235,"identity":"466482eb-4d5b-4ea3-86bb-a66b8ad54ae8","order_by":0,"name":"Yihua Hu","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA0ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACZh4QeYCBn4eB8QBYhIdYLZI9IJIoLQxQLQZniNVicJz3mMQPhjuJm88cfnCAocYOqPcAAS2H+dKAbnqWuO1sm8EBhmPJDAZnGwhp4TGT4GE4nLjtPA/QYWxAF54n5DCgFsk/QC2b+0Fa/hGpRRpkywbeHoYDjG0HCDtM8jCPsbWMwWHjGWeOGRxI7EvmkSTkfb7zZwxvvqk4LNvfk/zwwYdvdnJ8ZxLwa1EAG2kA5SUQE5HyBBw+CkbBKBgFo4CBAQAaZEaIMnSidgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"King’s College London","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yihua","middleName":"","lastName":"Hu","suffix":""},{"id":588817236,"identity":"09737b1d-f569-414a-9fff-4efb0f07fe9b","order_by":1,"name":"Zhuang Li","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4471-1741","institution":"King's College London","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zhuang","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":588817237,"identity":"9040cc8e-75c5-47d2-b3bc-dd21cef3854b","order_by":2,"name":"Jun Zhang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"King's College London","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jun","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":588817238,"identity":"91e53940-b8a4-4410-aa3f-df7498067683","order_by":3,"name":"Chao Gong","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"King's College London","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chao","middleName":"","lastName":"Gong","suffix":""},{"id":588817239,"identity":"14a1d479-f67e-46d2-bbd5-2a59093882d6","order_by":4,"name":"jiadong LU","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Northwestern Polytechnical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"jiadong","middleName":"","lastName":"LU","suffix":""},{"id":588817240,"identity":"361492e7-5c26-42de-ac5b-a36f6e8e1724","order_by":5,"name":"Haiying Nie","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"King's College London","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Haiying","middleName":"","lastName":"Nie","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-30 10:52:23","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8740315/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8740315/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104786117,"identity":"a95d39f0-6fe8-474f-81c2-c3bebb550273","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-17 08:15:29","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":9472725,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"NatureelectronicsLHPC.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8740315/v1_covered_3f829783-c0c9-4093-85fa-737c0740dd34.pdf"},{"id":104558829,"identity":"f4328206-a1b3-449a-89c4-f2f36f1d628c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-13 09:43:18","extension":"mp4","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":63134537,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplementary Movie 1","description":"","filename":"SupplementaryMovie1.mp4","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8740315/v1/3099862571829bc582f7dab2.mp4"},{"id":104558808,"identity":"09fe255a-234b-4e10-9ea9-9294418c4e53","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-13 09:43:07","extension":"mp4","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":39537850,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplementary Movie 2.mp4","description":"","filename":"SupplementaryMovie2.mp4","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8740315/v1/bc2f5c7c7757ced45f555089.mp4"},{"id":104558802,"identity":"4c48994d-d5f8-42a4-84dc-52d8e935df3a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-13 09:43:04","extension":"mp4","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":76304539,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSupplementary Movie 3\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"SupplementaryMovie3.mp4","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8740315/v1/b9e478adcd0d719411bf2629.mp4"},{"id":104782175,"identity":"45b34b45-4e4e-4ade-9505-9003d0d5fdbc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-17 07:56:55","extension":"pdf","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":13092613,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplementary_Information","description":"","filename":"SupplementaryInformationLHPC.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8740315/v1/88d95c9ec5aed40c6770edf9.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Liquid-Solid Hybrid Power Converter For High\nFrequency Energy Conversion","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-portfolio","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Nature Portfolio","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Power converter, liquid-solid hybrid power converter, Reconfigurable, Liquid metal conductor","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8740315/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8740315/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"Conventional solid-state power converters are constrained by fixed topologies and\r\nhigh-frequency alternating current losses from skin and proximity effects, limiting\r\nadaptability in modern energy conversion systems. Here we introduce a liquidsolid\r\nhybrid power converter (LHPC) in which all current-carrying paths and\r\nreconfigurable interconnects are formed by electrically actuated gallium-based\r\nliquid metal. Using an electric field to manipulate the motion of the liquid metal\r\nconductor (LMC), the converter reconfigures between two pairs of topologies: Flyback\r\nand Half-bridge, Buck and Boost. We demonstrate open-loop bidirectional\r\nreconfiguration between Flyback and Half-bridge modes, and closed-loop bidirectional\r\nreconfiguration between Buck and Boost modes. The power electronic\r\ncircuits are fully constructed from LMC and all converters are implemented on\r\nboards fabricated from laser-cut poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), enabling\r\nrepeatable and reversible topology transitions under different high-frequency\r\nconditions with stable performance. Unlike conventional printed circuit board\r\n(PCB)-based planar converters, our approach supports rapid circuit deployment,\r\nfast recycling, and the creation of multidimensional converter structures, which\r\nare made possible by injecting or pumping LMC into PMMA boards.","manuscriptTitle":"Liquid-Solid Hybrid Power Converter For High\nFrequency Energy Conversion","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-13 09:42:40","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8740315/v1","editorialEvents":[],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-communications","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"NCOMMS","sideBox":"Learn more about [Nature Communications](http://www.nature.com/ncomms/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://mts-ncomms.nature.com/","title":"Nature Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Nature Communications","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"79dca09e-4cc2-4fb8-a188-0847184c9dc9","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 13th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":62642172,"name":"Scientific community and society/Business and industry/Engineering/Electrical and electronic engineering"},{"id":62642173,"name":"Physical sciences/Engineering/Electrical and electronic engineering"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-13T09:42:40+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-13 09:42:40","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8740315","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8740315","identity":"rs-8740315","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}