Analysis and Extended Design of Two Inductor Based High Gain DC-DC Converters For Microgrid Applications

Microgrids rely heavily on stand-alone renewable sources like PV (Photovoltaic) and FC (Fuel cells) to power high voltage DC buses. When a conventional DC-DC converter is deployed as an interfacing device, it must work at a high duty ratio to provide the required bus voltage. This may have serious ramifications for the reliability and longevity of the device. The diode reverse recovery issues, undesirable transient response, losses, and reduced efficiency are just a few examples. High gain converters are typically recommended to deal with such unfavorable circumstances. This article aggregates and analyses several switched inductor (SL) and capacitor (SLC) based dc-dc converters, followed by a proposed expanded novel topology with superior characteristics over existing ones. This novel converter not only enhances gain but also has the lowest voltage stress across the switches, as well as minimal voltage ripples and continuous current on the input side, making it appropriate for renewable-based systems. Moreover, its architecture is free from any complex network such as coupled inductor, transformers or cascaded designs. The analysis of the converter has been carried out in different modes of operation followed by its validation through simulation and experimental results.