A New Single-Switch Structure of a DC-DC Converter with Wide Conversion Ratio for Fuel Cell Vehicles: Analysis and Development

Abstract

In this paper, a new single-switch transformerless boost dc-dc converter is proposed for fuel cell vehicles. The developed topology utilizes a switched-capacitor multiplier and an integrated LC 2D output network in order to enhance the voltage gain of the converter and reduce the voltage stress on the power switch. In addition, the proposed converter has a wide voltage gain range to suit the wide voltage swings of the fuel cell. The operating principles and the steady-state analyses of the proposed converter when it operates in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) are illustrated in this paper. Additionally, the dynamic modeling and the compensator design for the developed converter are discussed. A scaled-down 800-V, 1.3-kW experimental prototype was built using a gallium nitride (GaN) transistor and silicon carbide (SiC) diodes to validate the theoretical analyses of the proposed converter.