High‐efficiency dual‐input converter with high‐voltage gain and internal charge function

Abstract

In this study, a high-efficiency dual-input converter with an internal charge circuit is developed. The proposed coupledinductor- based converter can boost the voltages of two input power sources with different low-voltage levels to a controllable high-voltage DC bus. The high-voltage DC bus can be taken as the main power for a high-voltage DC load or the front terminal of a DC?AC inverter. The charge circuit inside the proposed dual-input converter can provide the redundant energy from the major source for the auxiliary power source (e.g. battery module) to save the manufacturing cost. According to the operation of power management, the operational states of the proposed dual-input converter can be divided into three situations including a standalone power-supply state, a charge state and a unify power-supply state. The techniques of voltage clamping and soft switching are employed in this converter, and the corresponding device specifications are adequately performed. Thus, the goal of high-efficiency dual-input power conversion with high-voltage gain can be achieved. Some experimental results via a 1.5 kW-level prototype are given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed dual-input converter in practical applications.