Optimal Inductor Current in Boost DC/DC Converters Regulating the Input Voltage Applied to Low-Power Photovoltaic Modules

In energy-harvesting applications, inductor-based switching dc/dc converters are usually employed to regulate the operating voltage of the energy transducer and to transfer the harvested energy to a storage unit. In such a context, this paper analyses the optimal inductor current of the converter th...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Reverter Cubarsí, Ferran|||0000-0003-1653-0519, Gasulla Forner, Manuel|||0000-0002-0364-6806
Formato: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2017
País:España
Recursos:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/116549
Acesso em linha:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/116549
https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TPEL.2016.2619482
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Boost converter
burst mode (BM)
dc/dc converter
efficiency
energy harvester
photovoltaic (PV) module
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria electrònica
Descrição
Resumo:In energy-harvesting applications, inductor-based switching dc/dc converters are usually employed to regulate the operating voltage of the energy transducer and to transfer the harvested energy to a storage unit. In such a context, this paper analyses the optimal inductor current of the converter that leads to maximum power efficiency. This is evaluated assuming a low-power photovoltaic (PV) module connected to a boost dc/dc converter operating in burst mode so as to reduce the switching losses. The theoretical analysis and the experimental results reported herein prove that this optimal inductor current does not depend on the power generated by the PV module provided that the control circuit is powered from the output, but it does on the output voltage level of the storage unit. Experimental tests with a commercial boost dc/dc converter show that the use of this optimal inductor current provides up to 10% increase in efficiency.