Impulse commutated high-frequency soft-switching modular current-fed three-phase DC/DC converter for fuel cell applications

K. Radha Sree, Akshay Kumar Rathore

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Current-fed converters offer enormous potential as power conditioning units for fuel cell applications, owing to precise fuel cell stack current control, short-circuit protection, voltage gain, and stiff fuel cell dc current. Aspects such as low current ripple and smaller input current slope ensure energy efficient operation and better fuel utilization, and enhance the lifetime of the fuel cell stack. However, the demerits of turn-off voltage spike across semiconductor devices limits the operating frequency. This paper proposes, analyzes, and implements a simple and cost-effective impulse commutated modular three-phase circuit to eliminate and solve the associated turn-off spike problem. Impulse commutation permits soft turn-off of devices and clamps the device voltage. The converter efficiently handles the variations in the fuel cell stack voltage and current with variable frequency modulation. Detailed steady-state operation, analysis, and performance of the proposed modular converter with impulse commutation are reported. The proposed impulse commutated three-phase circuit is a potential candidate for high-current applications. The validation of the converter operation on a 1-kW proof-of-concept hardware prototype is performed to substantiate the claims.

Original languageEnglish
Article number7636978
Pages (from-to)6618-6627
Number of pages10
JournalIEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics
Volume64
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Current-fed converter
  • dc/dc power converter
  • fuel cells
  • impulse commutation
  • zero-current switching (ZCS)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Impulse commutated high-frequency soft-switching modular current-fed three-phase DC/DC converter for fuel cell applications'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this