A Dual-Input Single-Output DC-DC Converter Topology for Renewable Energy Applications

Multi-port power converters are widely used in managing multiple energy sources and loads. To that end, a dual-input single-output dc-dc converter is proposed in this article. The converter integrates two low-voltage dc sources into a dc bus. Pulse width modulation is used to control the transfer energy from the input ports to the output port. The soft-switching operation in the primary side switches is achieved with the help of the secondary side modulation and the discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) operation of the primary inductors. Moreover, the DCM operation helps avoid the high-frequency transformer saturation even when the two input voltages have different magnitudes. Detailed analysis of the proposed dc-dc converter is presented in this article. The steady-state operation, the dynamic performance at the output load variation and input voltage disturbances, and maximum power point operation of the converter are validated through the simulation and experimental results obtained from a 200 W hardware prototype.