Reconfigured Multi-Switch Fault-Tolerant DC-DC Converter for DC Microgrid Applications

In this paper, a two-stage modified boost dc-dc converter cascaded with a bidirectional non-isolated converter is reconfigured to inherit multiple switch faults to ascertain the continuity in supply making it a reliable converter for secluded dc microgrid. The operations have been studied in detail for various combinations of single and multiple switch faults. A simulation model in MATLAB/Simulink has been developed to verify the fault-tolerant concept of the proposed converter. A low-power laboratory prototype has been developed for the proposed topology. An exhaustive investigation has been performed in both simulation and real-time environments to validate the efficacy of the proposed topology. The simulation and experimental results of the proposed reconfigured fault-tolerant topology ensure the efficacy of the converter not only for uninterrupted power supply without any compromise in the output voltage but also to ensure proper charging and discharging modes of the energy storage device (ESD) involved in the bidirectional converter to meet the remotely operated dc microgrid specifications. A comparative study has been presented for the proposed reconfigured fault-tolerant multiport converters with the topology of existing literature to prove the superiority of the proposed topology.