High Step-Up DC-DC Converter for Traction Drives Supplied by Fuel Cells

Step-up DC-DC converters play a determinative role in traction vehicles by providing the required DC- link voltage for traction drives supplied by battery packages or fuel cells. Bi-directional converters are preferred to be used in the construction of battery-based traction drives to charge batteries when drivetrains system work in the generation mode. However, due to the fact that fuel-cells cannot be charged electrically, the bi-directional structure is not required for fuel cell-based traction drives. The proposed step up converter benefits from the resonance between its elements to provide the soft- switching condition for the converter switches. The resonance assists to transmit high power from input and to output while there is no high-frequency transformer or coupled inductor in the converter topology. In brief, the generated resonance not only leads to a high power density converter but also result in a soft-switching which means higher efficiency in comparison to previously introduced high-step up converters working in hard switching condition. So, the proposed high-efficiency high power density high step-up (HHH) converter could be employed as a reliable DC-DC converter for traction vehicles supplied by fuel cells.