A Comparative Analysis of DC - DC Boost Converter Voltages for Renewable Electrolysis

Abstract

The process that is responsible for changing a particular DC voltage to another DC voltage is termed as DC- to-DC voltage conversion. There are three types of DC-to-DC power converters. They are Buck Converter, Boost Converter and Buck-Boost Converter. Buck converter steps down voltage from its input to its output while a buck-boost converter maintains higher or lower output, which depends on the source voltage. A boost converter is a system where voltage at the output terminal is higher than the source voltage. It is generally referred by the name "step-up" converter because of its source voltage stepping up capability. Since, power must always be conserved; current at the output terminal is lower than the current at the input terminal. Power requirement for the boost converter can be fulfilled using some efficient DC source, such as batteries, PV panels and DC generators. Boost converter finds application in consumer electronics, DC motor drives, photovoltaic systems and so on. This paper presents a detailed analysis of DC-to-DC boost converter voltages for renewable electrolysis. The paper presents two circuit topologies of the boost converter viz. one with transformer and the other without transformer. A comparative analysis of these circuit topologies is done and MATLAB simulation results are obtained. It has been proved that the topology using a voltage-matching transformer of high frequency is better. In the analysis, the topology with transformer is proved better for renewable electrolysis due to its regulated output voltage and ripple-free characteristic.