Non-isolated high gain DC-DC converter with ripple-free source current

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Power Electronics
• Renewable Energy Systems

Background:

• Traditional DC-DC converters face limitations in achieving high voltage gain efficiently.
• Interleaved Boost Converters (IBCs) offer improved performance but require further enhancement for very high gain applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel interleaved DC-DC converter with enhanced high voltage gain capability.
• To improve efficiency and reduce stress on components in high voltage gain applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesizing a converter from a coupled-inductor (CI) based interleaved boost converter (IBC).
• Incorporating voltage-lift capacitor and diode-capacitor multiplier (DCM) cells for gain extension.
• Validating the design through simulation and experimental testing of a 185W prototype.

Main Results:

• Achieved a high voltage gain, converting 18V to 380V at a 50kHz switching frequency.
• Switches experienced low voltage stress (10.5% of output voltage) and halved current rating due to interleaving.
• Demonstrated significantly reduced input current ripple (11%) and reduced diode voltage stress.

Conclusions:

• The proposed hybrid gain extension concept effectively enhances voltage gain capability.
• The converter exhibits superior performance, including reduced component stress and improved efficiency.
• Benchmarking confirms the advantages over existing state-of-the-art converters.