With the increasing demand of applications that have two different output voltages, the single-input dual-output (SIDO) converter with fewer components is becoming the cost-effective option instead of employing two single-input single-output converters. However, the cross regulation of different outputs is still a challenge in SIDO converters design. To save cost and obtain improved cross regulation performance, a novel SIDO converter consisting of three active switches is proposed in this paper. Owing to the use of a voltage multiplier circuit, a high step-up voltage conversion ratio is achieved with relatively low voltage stress of switches. Thanks to the independent power flow and two control variables, the cross regulation performance is improved, and simultaneous buck as well as boost output voltages are realized. Additionally, all switches can achieve zero-voltage switching operation, which contributes to a significant switching loss reduction. The operation characteristics, design considerations, and control strategy of the proposed converter are analyzed. To verify the theoretical analysis and measure the power efficiency, a prototype circuit with 48V input and 24V/2A, 200V/1A outputs is built.
To connect renewable energy sources (RESs) with a unity-grid, energy storage (ES) systems are essential to eliminate the weather fluctuation effect, and high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission is preferred for large-scale RESs power plants due to the merits of low cost and high efficiency. This paper proposes a multi-port bidirectional DC/DC converter consisting of multiple modules that can integrate ES system and HVDC transmission. Thanks to the adoption of three-port converters as submodules (SMs), ES devices, for example, batteries, can be decentralized into SMs and controlled directly by the SMs. Additionally, SMs are connected in a scalable matrix topology, presenting the advantages of flexible power flows, high voltage step-up ratios and low voltage/current ratings of components to satisfy the requirements of HVDC transmission. Furthermore, the control flexibility and fault tolerance capability are increased due to the matrix topology. In this paper, the analysis of the novel modular multi-port converter is introduced, and its functions are verified by the simulation results in PSIM.
In high voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission of offshore wind power systems, DC/DC converters are applied to transfer power from wind generators to HVDC terminals, and they play a crucial role in providing a high voltage gain, high efficiency, and high fault tolerance. This paper introduces an innovative multi-port DC/DC converter with multiple modules connected in a scalable matrix configuration, presenting an ultra-high voltage step-up ratio and low voltage/current rating of components simultaneously. Additionally, thanks to the adoption of active clamping current-fed push–pull (CFPP) converters as sub-modules (SMs), soft-switching is obtained for all power switches, and the currents of series-connected CFPP converters are auto-balanced, which significantly reduce switching losses and control complexity. Furthermore, owing to the expandable matrix structure, the output voltage and power of a modular converter can be controlled by those of a single SM, or by adjusting the column and row numbers of the matrix. High control flexibility improves fault tolerance. Moreover, due to the flexible control, the proposed converter can transfer power directly from multiple ports to HVDC terminals without bus cable. In this paper, the design of the proposed converter is introduced, and its functions are illustrated by simulation results.