Multi-Port DC-DC Power Converter for Renewable Energy Application

Abstract

As traditional energy sources diminish, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are crucial for sustainable power generation. The intermittent nature of these sources means that their output must be conditioned to meet grid requirements, typically through power converters. Current systems use separate converters for wind and solar, leading to high component counts and inefficiencies. The suggested system integrates various energy sources using a four-port converter: two input ports of wind and solar power, a bidirectional storage port, one an isolated load port. By adopting zero voltage switching, the system reduces costs, improves power flow management, and ensures seamless integration of renewable sources with the grid. This setup allows for more intelligent power flow between household users, the grid, and distributed generation units. The resulting DC voltage from the converter can be used directly for DC loads or converted to AC for household use, optimizing efficiency and resource use.

Introduction

Summary:

As fossil fuel reserves decline and environmental concerns rise, renewable energy sources like solar and wind power become essential for sustainable energy supply. Solar and wind are abundant and increasingly cost-effective but suffer from intermittency due to their dependence on weather and time of day. Combining these sources helps mitigate variability, supported further by energy storage systems such as batteries, which store excess energy for use during low production periods.

Technological advances in photovoltaic cells and wind turbines have improved efficiency and lowered costs, driving global growth in renewable energy adoption. Efficient power management is critical for integrating multiple energy sources into the grid. Multiport DC-DC converters enable seamless combination of solar, wind, and battery inputs, managing energy flow effectively while improving reliability and reducing losses through advanced control techniques like fuzzy logic.

A proposed four-port DC-DC converter uses zero-voltage switching and microcontroller control to balance energy from solar, wind, and batteries, ensuring stable power supply despite renewable intermittency. This approach suits both grid-connected and small-scale hybrid systems.

The photovoltaic system converts sunlight directly into electricity via PV cells modeled as current sources with diodes and resistances. Boost converters paired with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) methods—such as Perturb and Observe—optimize power extraction by dynamically matching load resistance.

Overall, integrating solar and wind power with advanced converters and storage solutions offers a reliable, eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels, playing a vital role in the transition toward a sustainable energy future.

Conclusion

The proposed multiport DC-DC converter is designed to optimize power management for multiple renewable energy sources. By reducing the number of switches, the converter simplifies the topology while managing energy flow from hybrid generation systems and energy storage systems. It supports simultaneous power management and achieves soft switching through an isolated high-frequency transformer, ensuring efficient energy transfer. The converter operates in both buck and boost modes, controlled by the switching mechanism, and facilitates bidirectional power flow between two DC sources without altering voltage polarity. This system remains stable and controlled under various load conditions, including normal, large, small, and even load scenarios, demonstrating robust performance. The closed-loop control enhances the converter\'s stability and adaptability, making it suitable for diverse energy systems. Furthermore, advancements in multi-port DC-DC and DC-AC converters expand their application in renewable energy systems, such as solar and wind. By exploring modular configurations, advanced control techniques, and efficient topologies, the research improves the converters’ ability to integrate multiple renewable sources seamlessly. These studies highlight the importance of efficiency and adaptability in managing renewable inputs, contributing to the reliable incorporation of clean energy into modern power grids. This progress is vital for advancing sustainable energy technologies and shaping the future of renewable energy integration.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Ms. Grishma Bahadure, Prof. Chetan Jambhulkar, Prof. Ganesh Wakte. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.