High-Efficiency Power Conversion System for Kilowatt-Level Stand-Alone Generation Unit With Low Input Voltage

Abstract

<para xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> This paper mainly focuses on the development of a high-efficiency power conversion system for kilowatt-level stand-alone generation units with a low output voltage, such as photovoltaic modules, fuel cells, and small-scale wind generators, and it aims at having the same output ac voltage, i.e., <formula formulatype="inline"><tex>$110\ \hbox{V}_{\rm rms}/\break60\ \hbox{Hz}$</tex></formula> as the utility power for the utilization of a stand-alone power supply. This high-efficiency power conversion system includes one high-efficiency high-step-up dc–dc converter and one soft-switching dc–ac current-source inverter. This dc–dc converter is capable of solving the voltage spike problem while the switch is turned off, and it can achieve the objectives of high efficiency and high voltage gain. Because the techniques of soft switching and voltage clamping are used in the dc–ac current-source inverter, the conversion efficiency could greatly be improved. The effectiveness of the designed circuits is verified by experimentation, and the maximum efficiency of the entire high-efficiency power conversion system is over 91% based on the experimental measurements. </para>