Family of boost and buck-boost converters with continuous input current and reduced semiconductor count for hybrid energy systems

Power converters are the key link to realize energy transfer from hybrid energy systems (HESs) to loads. In this paper, a family of boost and buck-boost DC-DC converters that is highly desirable for HESs is proposed and analyzed. The proposed converters possess continuous input currents that can realize small input current ripples and avoid the use of large input filters. Besides, the semiconductor counts of the proposed converters are low. Two of the converters employ single-switch double-diode while the other two adopt single-switch triple-diode. The reduced semiconductor counts greatly improve converter efficiency and system reliability. In addition, these boost and buck-boost converters have high voltage-boosting capabilities, and wide voltage gain ranges can be achieved when they are applied to HESs. Theoretical analyses and an experimental prototype are used to verify the characteristics and effectiveness of these converters.