A new transformer-less step-up DC-DC converter with high voltage gain and reduced voltage stress on switched-capacitors and power switches for renewable energy source applications

In many modern applications such as renewable energy sources (RESs), DC-DC step-up converters can be used to regulate the input variable and/or low voltage to achieve the desired characteristics such as amplitude and ripples at the output voltage. This article proposes a new transformer-less step-up DC-DC converter which, compared to previously presented converter topologies in the same class, can provide a higher variable voltage conversion ratio besides benefits such as decreased voltage stress on the switched-capacitors and power switches. Since the proposed topology is expandable, it can generate much higher voltage conversion ratios with lower, non-extreme duty-cycles which can be provided by a simple and cheap control circuit. The aforementioned advantages make the converter a suitable candidate for numerous industrial applications such as RES applications. Besides the voltage regulation applications, the proposed converter can be employed to extract the maximum power from RESs such as photovoltaic panels. To prove the converter performance, comprehensive comparisons and experiments are performed.