High-gain DC-DC converters are becoming increasingly popular in renewable energy applications and solar PV systems. This article introduces a non-isolated non-coupled inductor-based high-gain DC-DC boost converter with the desirable features of low voltage stress on controlled power switches and high voltage gain at lower duty ratios. The proposed converter is well suited for boosting the low-input DC voltage obtained from distributed generation units like photovoltaic (PV) or fuel cells to substantially higher DC voltage. The converter comprises only two switches, and a single PWM signal governs its operation. These characteristics result in a topology that is more compact, less costly, lighter weight, and easier to control. The proposed converter is compared with some previously developed topologies of high-gain boost converters across various performance parameters. This comparison illustrates that the proposed model surpasses them in every aspect. A 300 W hardware prototype of a proposed model is developed and tested in a laboratory environment to confirm the theoretical assertions of a proposed model. The proposed topology offers a promising solution and enables a high gain of approximately 12 times the input voltage at a smaller duty ratio, specifically 11.25 at a duty of 0.6 and 17.77 at a duty of 0.7. The efficiency of a proposed converter ranges between 92.5% to 94.5% making it appropriate for numerous medium-high power applications. The uniqueness of the suggested system is its simple design and greater efficiency, which provides a more considerable gain and higher output voltages for sustainable energy systems.

Multilevel converters (MLCs) are widely recognized for their exceptional benefits and have emerged as the preferred choice for medium- and high-power/voltage applications. Their usage has also been extended to low-power applications to overcome issues associated with high switching frequencies and electromagnetic interference (EMI) commonly encountered in two-level converters. Common dc-link MLCs have received particular attention in industry due to their ability to eliminate the need for bulky and inefficient transformers and rectifiers, making them a compelling option for different applications, primarily medium- and high-power/voltage applications such as wind turbine (WT) power conversion systems. Furthermore, common dc-link topologies are required for back-to-back (BTB) configurations, as they facilitate the use of a shared dc-link between the rectification and inversion stages. Despite their popularity, there is currently no comprehensive review article dedicated to common dc-link topologies. This paper addresses this gap by presenting a comprehensive review of common dc-link MLCs, covering their topological evolution, features, topologies comparison, modulation techniques, control strategies, and industrial application areas. Additionally, future perspectives and recommendations are discussed to provide researchers and engineers with a better understanding of the potential applications and advantages of these converters.

The growth of renewable energy in the last two decades has led to the development of new power electronic converters. The DC microgrid can operate in standalone mode, or it can be grid-connected. A DC microgrid consists of various distributed generation (DG) units like solar PV arrays, fuel cells, ultracapacitors, and microturbines. The DC-DC converter plays an important role in boosting the output voltage in DC microgrids. DC-DC converters are needed to boost the output voltage so that a common voltage from different sources is available at the DC link. A conventional boost converter (CBC) suffers from the problem of limited voltage gain, and the stress across the switch is usually equal to the output voltage. The output from DG sources is low and requires high-gain boost converters to enhance the output voltage. In this paper, a new high-gain DC-DC converter with quadratic voltage gain and reduced voltage stress across switching devices was proposed. The proposed converter was an improvement over the CBC and quadratic boost converter (QBC). The converter utilized only two switched inductors, two capacitors, and two switches to achieve the gain. The converter was compared with other recently developed topologies in terms of stress, the number of passive components, and voltage stress across switching devices. The loss analysis also was done using the Piecewise Linear Electrical Circuit Simulation (PLCES). The experimental and theoretical analyses closely agreed with each other.

This paper presents three new and improved non-isolated topologies of quadratic boost converters (QBC). Reduced voltage stress across switching devices and high voltage gain with single switch operation are the main advantages of the proposed topologies. These topologies utilize voltage multiplier cells (VMC) made of switched capacitors and switched inductors to increase the converter’s voltage gain. The analysis in continuous conduction mode is discussed in detail. The proposed converter’s voltage gain is higher than the conventional quadratic boost converter, and other recently introduced boost converters. The proposed topologies utilize only a single switch and have continuous input current and low voltage stress across switch, capacitors, and diodes, which leads to the selection of low voltage rating components. The converter’s non-ideal voltage gain is also determined by considering the parasitic capacitance and ON state resistances of switch and diodes. The efficiency analysis incorporating switching and conduction losses of the switching and passive elements is done using PLECS software (Plexim, Zurich, Switzerland). The hardware prototype of the proposed converters is developed and tested for verification.