Design and Implementation of a Multiport System for Solar EV Applications

This paper presents a multiport converter for solar electric vehicles (SEVs) that integrates multiple power sources, such as photovoltaic (PV) panels, batteries, supercapacitors, and a DC-link. The primary objective of this design is to address two critical challenges faced by SEVs: 1) the impact of partial shading on different parts of the vehicle, and 2) the power demands during acceleration and deceleration operations. To tackle these issues, the proposed solution utilizes a quad-input LLC (QLLC) converter, which facilitates independent maximum power point (MPP) tracking for each PV panel by dynamically adjusting the switching frequency and phase shifts. Moreover, a bidirectional hybrid DC-DC converter serves as an interface between the storage sources and DC-link. The inclusion of a supercapacitor enhances the battery's longevity by optimizing mutual power flows. The multiport converter design offers several advantages, including a wide voltage gain range, reduced voltage stress on power switches, a common ground for low and high voltage ports, and zero voltage switching (ZVS) characteristics. These features make the proposed multiport converter an efficient and robust solution for SEVs.