Interleaved Wide-bandgap Semiconductor-based Power Converters for Fuel Cell Powered Electric Vehicles

Based on the metal-air fuel cell technology continuous improvements, a hybrid powertrain comprised of a parallel configuration of aluminium-air fuel cells and ultracapacitors is proposed and evaluated. Owing to the powertrain's expected advantages and limitations, suitable switching converters are proposed, with a particular focus on efficiency and reliability, leading to the adoption of interleaved DC/DC converter topologies, using wide-bandgap semiconductors. Further contribution is the developed strategy for the system's modulators and controllers, enabling fault-tolerant operation, while accounting for the different response times of the energy storage systems, allowing stable operation, with low voltage and current ripple and minimal total harmonic distortion.