An optimal design approach on energy storage elements of DC/DC converters via matching principles

Abstract DC/DC converters are ubiquitous in renewable energies such as photovoltaic power systems. A novel and general approach is proposed that consists of three matching principles, which enables one to assign a best set of energy storage elements to a DC/DC converter to meet both desirable transients and small ripples, facilitating the design of a controlled DC/DC system. First, the principle of specification matching introduces a ‘virtual’ lower order model to meet the prescribed specifications. Second, the rule of order matching augments the ‘virtual’ model to a higher order, the same as that of the actual DC/DC circuit if necessary. Third, the principle of parameter matching helps derive desirable element parameters through solving an optimization nonlinear function with constraints. These principles are realized through a specific design method for boost DC/DC converters of a photovoltaic power system. Given some specifications, a numerical optimal design is executed to verify the effectiveness of the specific design tool as well as the proposed theory. A photovoltaic power system with the designed boost DC/DC converter is implemented in both the simulated environment and the physical environment.The experimental results show that both transient responses and steady state responses (or ripples) meet the given specifications. The proposed theory can either work alone in simple designs or assist in advanced control designs for a better performance.