A Low Switch Stress and High‐Gain DC‐DC Converter for Renewable Energy Applications

Abstract

In this article, a novel nonisolated step‐up DC‐DC converter is proposed for renewable energy generation systems. Integrating a two‐winding coupled inductor, voltage multiplier cells, and two power switches with synchronous turn‐on/off operation, the converter achieves prominent performance advantages, including high voltage gain, low voltage stress on switches and diodes, high conversion efficiency, and common ground between input and output. The coupled inductor not only enhances the voltage gain significantly but also enables flexible voltage regulation by adjusting the turns ratio. Furthermore, the clamp circuit associated with the two switches effectively mitigates voltage spikes during the switch turn‐off process and recovers the leakage inductance energy, thereby improving the system reliability and efficiency. The operating principle of the converter is elaborated in detail, followed by theoretical calculations of voltage and current stress and power losses. The conversion efficiency under different voltage gain conditions is thoroughly investigated. Finally, a 200‐W experimental prototype is fabricated in the laboratory, with a measured conversion efficiency of 94.66%. The experimental results validate the effectiveness and high efficiency of the proposed converter.