A Five-Terminal Impedance Network Based Three-Port Converter

A novel three-port converter for renewable energy applications is proposed based on a five-terminal impedance network, which is different from the traditional four-terminal (two-port) impedance network, therein, this impedance network characterizes unique features of the proposed converter. It is composed of three ports, i.e., one input port for renewable energy inputs like solar energy, one port of energy storage units for energy harvesting and supplying, while the last one is for loads. The proposed converter with reduced number of components can operate in different conditions of intermittent renewable energies. A detailed analysis is presented within three practical cases. Furthermore, a close loop control strategy is designed and applied in the proposed converter. It is followed with parameters design and components stresses analyses, finally, its effectiveness is verified by an experimental prototype.