A Safety Enhanced, High Step-Up DC-DC Converter for AC Photovoltaic Module Application

• Published in: IEEE transactions on power electronics Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 1809 - 1817
• Main Authors: CHEN, Shih-Ming, LIANG, Tsorng-Juu, YANG, Lung-Sheng, CHEN, Jiann-Fuh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.04.2012; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: AC module; Applied sciences; Capacitors; Circuit properties; Circuits; Convertors; coupled inductor; Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation; Electric currents; Electric power; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical equipment; Electrical machines; Electrical power engineering; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; high step-up voltage gain; Inductors; Inverters; Natural energy; Photoelectric conversion; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaic conversion; Photovoltaic systems; Signal convertors; single switch; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Switches; Switching circuits; Windings; Upconversion; High voltage convertor; Power system economics; AC module; Inductor; single switch; Electric risk; Frequency converter; Photovoltaic array; Power markets; Selector switch; Safety; High performance; DC AC converter; Transformation ratio; Up converter; Power production; Direct current convertor; Photovoltaic system; Connection; Power electronics; high step-up voltage gain; DC-AC power convertors; High voltage; coupled inductor; High efficiency; Electric power production; Gain
• ISSN: 0885-8993; 1941-0107
• DOI: 10.1109/TPEL.2011.2170097

Within the photovoltaic (PV) power-generation market, the ac PV module has shown obvious growth. However, a high voltage gain converter is essential for the module's grid connection through a dc-ac inverter. This paper proposes a converter that employs a floating active switch to isolate energy from the PV panel when the ac module is off; this particular design protects installers and users from electrical hazards. Without extreme duty ratios and the numerous turns-ratios of a coupled inductor, this converter achieves a high step-up voltage-conversion ratio; the leakage inductor energy of the coupled inductor is efficiently recycled to the load. These features explain the module's high-efficiency performance. The detailed operating principles and steady-state analyses of continuous, discontinuous, and boundary conduction modes are described. A 15 V input voltage, 200 V output voltage, and 100 W output power prototype circuit of the proposed converter has been implemented; its maximum efficiency is up to 95.3% and full-load efficiency is 92.3%.