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Novel High-Efficiency High Step-Up DC–DC Converter with Soft processes Article Novel High-Efficiency High Step-Up DC–DC Converter with Soft Switching and Low Component Voltage Stress for Photovoltaic System Yu-En Wu * and Jyun-Wei Wang Department of Electronic Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +886-7-6011000 (ext. 32511) Abstract: This study developed a novel, high-efficiency, high step-up DC–DC converter for pho- tovoltaic (PV) systems. The converter can step-up the low output voltage of PV modules to the voltage level of the inverter and is used to feed into the grid. The converter can achieve a high step-up voltage through its architecture consisting of a three-winding coupled inductor common iron core on the low-voltage side and a half-wave voltage doubler circuit on the high-voltage side. The leakage inductance energy generated by the coupling inductor during the conversion process can be recovered by the capacitor on the low-voltage side to reduce the voltage surge on the power switch, which gives the power switch of the circuit a soft-switching effect. In addition, the half-wave voltage doubler circuit on the high-voltage side can recover the leakage inductance energy of the tertiary side and increase the output voltage. The advantages of the circuit are low loss, high efficiency, high conversion ratio, and low component voltage stress. Finally, a 500-W high step-up converter was Citation: Wu, Y.-E.; Wang, J.-W. experimentally tested to verify the feasibility and practicability of the proposed architecture. The Novel High-Efficiency High Step-Up results revealed that the highest efficiency of the circuit is 98%. DC–DC Converter with Soft Switching and Low Component Keywords: step-up DC–DC converter; photovoltaic (PV) systems; three-winding coupled inductor; Voltage Stress for Photovoltaic voltage doubler circuit System. Processes 2021, 9, 1112. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9071112 Academic Editors: Chang-Hua Lin 1. Introduction and Jahangir Hossain With the rapid development of science and technology and the progress of human civilization, the demand for energy has also greatly increased. The energy employed has Received: 31 May 2021 also changed from reliance on the kinetic energy produced by animals to the now-common Accepted: 23 June 2021 use of coal and fossil fuels as energy sources. This evolution in the acquisition and use of Published: 25 June 2021 energy has made daily life more convenient and comfortable [1]. However, because of rapid growth of the world’s population, the demand for energy Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral increases day by day, fossil fuels are gradually being depleted, and the excessive use of with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- fossil fuels has severely damaged the environment, as indicated by extreme weather and iations. global warming. This damage is the most urgent problem for humanity to address. The field of green energy is experiencing a boom in Taiwan, with solar and wind power being the most widely used forms. However, these green energies are highly dependent on natural conditions and require high investment and maintenance costs, resulting in low power efficiency and high total power generation cost. In addition, the output voltage of Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. reusable energies is low and unstable. Such energy must be converted using a first-stage Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. step-up power converter before it can be used in households. Moreover, the output voltage This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and of photovoltaic (PV) modules is too low at approximately 12–48 V. If PV modules are to conditions of the Creative Commons be used effectively, the voltage must be increased to 380 ± 20 V through a high step-up Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// converter, which enables the inverter to convert and connect to the grid, as illustrated in creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ Figure1. The conversion ratio of this type of high step-up converter must be at least 8. 4.0/). To satisfy this requirement, many high step-up converter structures have been recently Processes 2021, 9, 1112. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9071112 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/processes Processes 2021, 9, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 14 Processes 2021, 9, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 14 high step-up converter, which enables the inverter to convert and connect to the grid, as Processes 2021, 9, 1112 illustratedhigh step-up in Figure converter, 1. The which conversion enables ratio the inveof thisrter type to convert of high andstep-up connect converter to the must grid,2 of be 14as atillustrated least 8. To in satisfyFigure this1. The requirement, conversion many ratio ofhigh this step-up type of converterhigh step-up structures converter have must been be recentlyat least 8.researched To satisfy andthis developedrequirement, [2–9]. many This high study step-up developed converter a novel structures high-efficiency have been highresearchedrecently step-up researched and converter developed and with developed [2– an9]. input This [2–9]. study voltage This developed of study48 V andadeveloped novel output high-efficiency voltagea novel ofhigh-efficiency high380 V. step-up After conversionconverterhigh step-up with by converter the an inputinverter, with voltage the an converter input of 48 Vvoltage and is connected output of 48 voltageV andto the output of grid 380 andvoltage V. After can of conversionfunction 380 V. Afterwith by hightheconversion inverter, efficiency by the andthe converter inverter,at low cost. is the connected converter to is the connected grid and to can the function grid and with can high function efficiency with andhigh at efficiency low cost. and at low cost. High step- Extra up/step-downHigh step- Application DC BUS BUS (380 DC Extra Energy source Conversion up/step-down Application DC BUS BUS (380 DC DC Load Energy source Conversion DC Load Renewable DC-DC Energy Converter Renewable DC-DC ± Energy Converter VDC20 micro-grid) ± DC-AC inverter AC Grid 20 VDC20 micro-grid) DC-AC inverter AC Grid Figure 1. Block diagram of green energy application. Figure 1. Block diagram of green energy application.application. 2. Literature Review 2. Literature Review 2. LiteratureThe architecture Review of the converter proposed in this paper improves on that of the tra- The architecture of the converter proposed in this paper improves on that of the ditionalThe Z-source architecture step-up of the converter. converter This proposed section in details this paper the converters improves withon that Z-source of the tra-ar- traditional Z-source step-up converter. This section details the converters with Z-source chitectureditional Z-source that have step-up been documentedconverter. This in sectthe ionliterature. details Z-sourcethe converters step-up with converters Z-source are ar- architecture that have been documented in the literature. Z-source step-up converters are dividedchitecture into that two have categories: been documented isolated and in nonithe literature.solated. Figure Z-source 2 displays step-up the converters circuit dia- are divided into two categories: isolated and nonisolated. Figure2 displays the circuit diagram gramdivided of a into traditional two categories: Z-source isolatedstep-up converand nonitersolated. [10–15]. Figure The traditional 2 displays Z-source the circuit step-up dia- of a traditional Z-source step-up converter [10–15]. The traditional Z-source step-up is isgram achieved of a traditional using the Z-sourcevolt-second step-up balance. conver Theter voltage [10–15]. gain The of traditional the converter Z-source is: step-up achieved using the volt-second balance. The voltage gain of the converter is: is achieved using the volt-second balance. The voltage gain of the converter is: V ==o 1 GVo Vo 1 (1) GVo = VDVo= 12−1 (1) G V==in 1 − 2D Vo in − (1) VDin 12 However,However, the the disadvantages of of traditional traditional Z-source Z-source step-up step-up converters converters are are the the dis- dis- continuouscontinuousHowever, input input the currents, currents, disadvantages high high voltage voltage of traditional stress stress of of Z-sourcethe the capacitor, capacitor, step-up and converters the input and are theoutput dis- terminalsterminalscontinuous of of inputnonisolated nonisolated currents, converters converters high voltage not not sharing stress of a common the capacitor, ground. and the input and output terminalsToTo compensate of nonisolated for the converters shortcomings not sharing of tr traditionaladitional a common Z-source ground. step-up converters, the conceptconceptTo ofcompensate of the the quasi-Z-source quasi-Z-source for the shortcomings network network was was of prop proposed traditionalosed [10,11,16–18]. [10 Z-source,11,16–18 ].step-up This architecture converters, has the thetheconcept same same of voltage the quasi-Z-source gaingain asas thethe Z-sourceZ-source network architecture architec was propture butosed but solves solves[10,11,16–18]. the the problems problems This ofarchitecture of discontinuous discontinu- has ousinputthe inputsame currents, currents,voltage excessive gain excessive as the capacitor capacitorZ-source voltage voltagarchitec stress,e stress,ture but and and solves nonisolated nonisolated the problems converter converter of discontinu- inputinput and outputoutputous input terminals terminals currents, not not excessive sharing sharing acapacitor common voltag ground. e stress, and nonisolated converter input and output terminals not sharing a common ground. Z-source network Z-source network D1 L1 D2 כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ D1 L1 D2 כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ C1 C2 + Vo Vin C1 C2 S Co Ro + - Vin S Co Ro Vo L2 - כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ L2 כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ כּ FigureFigure 2.
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