Design and implementation of 2-phase interleaved boost converter for fuel cell power source

Abstract

This paper presents a design and implementation of a high power dc distributed system supplied by a fuel cell generator. A proposed parallel power converter with interleaving algorithm is chosen to boost a low dc voltage of fuel cell to a dc bus utility level. The present interleaved step-up converter is composed of two identical boost converters connected in parallel. Modules are controlled by interleaved switching signals, which have the same switching frequency and the same phase shift. During the past decade, power electronics research has focused on the development of interleaved parallel converters. For an interleaving technique with a real fuel cell source, this work is the first presentation; it is not just a fuel cell simulation. So, the design and experimental verification of 1.2-kW prototype converter at a switching frequency of 25 kHz connected with a Nexatrade PEM fuel cell system (1.2-kW, 46-A) in a laboratory are presented. Experimental results corroborate the excellent system performances. The fuel cell ripple current can be reduced. As a result, the fuel cell mean current is nearly equal to the fuel cell rms current.