Analysis and evaluation of a series-combined connected boost and buck-boost dc-dc converter for photovoltaic application

In this paper it is presented an approach for power conditioning of a PV (photo-voltaic) cell array. In particular, an array of solar cells is employed as an alternative renewable resource (ARR) to provide clean electric energy to remote rural residential or industrial nonlinear loads. The approach employs a series-combined connected boost and buck-boost dc-dc converter for power conditioning of the dc voltage provided by a photo-voltaic array. The input voltage to the combined converters is 100 V provided from two series-connected PV cells, which is converted and increased to 400 V at the dc output voltage. Series-combined connected boost and buck-boost dc-dc converters operate in alternate fashion each other. This helps to reduce the input ripple current and provide the required 400 Vdc on a sinusoidal PWM three-phase inverter. Analysis of the two series-combined dc-dc converters is presented along with simulation results. Evaluation of the combined and series connected topologies is carried out to compare their performance against individual and separate power conditioning structures. Simulations of the series-combined dc-dc converters are presented with an output dc voltage of 400 V and a maximum output load of P/sub o/ = 600 W.