Multistage DC-DC Step-Up Self Balanced and Magnetic Component Free Converter for Photovoltaic Applications – Hardware Implementation

This article presents a self balanced multistage DC-DC step-up converter for photovoltaic applications. Proposed converter topology is designed for unidirectional power transfer and provides a doable solution for photovoltaic applications where voltage is required to be stepped up without magnetic components. The output voltage obtained from renewable sources will be low and must be stepped up by using a DC-DC converter for photovoltaic applications. (2K-2) diodes and (2K-2) capacitors along with two semiconductor switch are used in the proposed converter to obtain an output voltage which is (K+1) times the input voltage. The conspicuous features of proposed topology are i) Magnetic components free ii) Continuous input current iii) Low voltage rating semiconductor devices and capacitors iv) Modularity v) Easy to add a higher number of levels to increase voltage gain vi) Only two control switches with alternating operation and simple control. The proposed converter has been designed with rated power of 60W, input voltage is 24V, output voltage is 100V and switching frequency is 100 kHz. The performance of the converter is verified through experimental and simulation results.