An Ultra High Gain Quadratic Boost Converter with Reduced Electric Stress for Photovoltaic Applications

In high-gain quadratic DC-DC converters, input components often face significant current stress, while output components endure higher voltage stress. To address these challenges, this article introduces a novel ultra-high gain quadratic boost (UHGQB) converter. By implementing an input current-sharing configuration for inductors, the current stress on the input inductor is minimized. Additionally, a switched capacitor cell is utilized to minimize voltage stress on the output diode. This article presents the detailed operation and steady-state analysis of the UHGQB converter. Further, a comparison with the latest converters shows that the UHGQB outperforms others in terms of various performance metrics. A 400 V, 0.5 kW, and 50 kHz laboratory prototype of the UHGQB converter is tested experimentally to validate the theoretical findings. The efficiency analysis confirmed a peak efficiency of 95.5% at rated power. Furthermore, an extended UHGQB converter is derived for cubic voltage gain and verified experimentally. The features like a wide range voltage gain, low inductor currents, low voltage stress, and higher efficiency make the proposed UHGQB converter an excellent choice for photovoltaic systems.