DC–DC Boost Converter With a Wide Input Range and High Voltage Gain for Fuel Cell Vehicles

Abstract

In fuel cell vehicles, the output voltage of the fuel cell source is typically much lower than the voltage required by the dc bus, and also this output voltage drops significantly as the output current increases. In order to match the output voltage of the fuel cell source to the dc bus voltage, a new dc–dc boost converter with a wide input range and high voltage gain is proposed to act as the required power interface, which reduces voltage stress across the power devices and operates with an acceptable conversion efficiency. A prototype rated at 300 W/400 V has been developed and the maximum efficiency of the proposed converter was measured as 95.01% at 300 W. Experimental results are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed converter.