Input-Parallel Output-Series DC-DC Boost Converter With a Wide Input Voltage Range, For Fuel Cell Vehicles

An input-parallel, output-series dc-dc Boost converter with a wide input voltage range is proposed in this paper. An interleaved structure is adopted in the input side of this converter to reduce input current ripple. Two capacitors are connected in series on the output side to achieve a high voltage gain. The operating principles and steady-state characteristics of the converter are presented and analyzed in this paper. A 400 V/1.6 kW prototype has been created which demonstrates that a wide range of voltage gain can be achieved by this converter and it is shown that the maximum efficiency of the converter is 96.62% and minimum efficiency is 94.14%. The experimental results validate the feasibility of the proposed topology and its suitability for fuel cell vehicles.