Enhanced quadratic DC–DC boost converters with super‐wide voltage gain ranges and ultra‐low voltage stress for renewable energy systems

Abstract

Abstract As the promising and ideal clean energies, wind and solar energy systems are in desperate need of high‐performance DC–DC converters to realize efficient and reliable energy transformation. Conventional DC–DC converters for renewable energy systems will work at extreme duty cycles and affect the system efficiency and reliability owing to their limited voltage gains and high‐voltage stress. In this paper, by adopting the hybrid voltage multiplier cells, two enhanced quadratic boost converters (EQBCs) which are highly desirable for renewable energy applications are proposed and analyzed. The EQBCs possess super‐wide voltage gain ranges and ultra‐low voltage stress; therefore, small duty cycle conditions can be achieved and components with low‐rated voltages can be chosen to decrease system volumes and increase system efficiencies. Besides, the EQBCs possess continuous input currents, which can realize small input current ripples and avoid the serious effect of pulsating current on the input sources. What's more, stable output voltages and simple controller circuits are realized by the EQBCs because of the common grounded structures of the input terminal, the single active switch and the output terminal. Detailed principle analyses, parameter designs, performance comparisons and experimental prototypes are conducted to verify the characteristics and feasibilities of the EQBCs.

Keywords

• DC–DC converters
• hybrid voltage multiplier cells
• renewable energy systems
• super‐wide voltage gain
• ultra‐low voltage stress