Analysis and Evaluation of Integrated Dual Input Converter with Power Processing and Sharing Capability

Series-connected dc sources are used in different applications such as battery packs and solar panels. A single power processing unit or separate modular converters are used to connect these sources which result in the overloading of sources and complex control, respectively. This work presents a family of multi-port dc-dc power electronic converter topologies used to interface dc-type micro-sources into a common load. The power conversion for the proposed topologies are step-up in nature with all sources connected in series configuration (such as cells in a battery pack). The control switches within these topologies are used for power processing from the source to load and also for power flow management amongst the different sources. The behavior of the proposed topologies have been evaluated using a three-port architecture denoted as the integrated dual input converter (IDIC). The behavior of the IDIC is described and a regulation system involving a pulse width modulation control scheme for the topology has been presented. The theory of converter operation has been validated using preliminary experimental evaluation.