A Stacked Symmetrical Non-Isolated High Step-Up Voltage Gain Converter with High Efficiency and Low Voltage Stress on Components

This paper introduces a cascaded symmetrical non-isolated high step-up voltage gain converter with high efficiency and low voltage stress on components combining a non-isolated buck-boost converter and voltage doubler structure. In the proposed converter, the input source is connected in series to the output load; hence, a part of the source energy is directly delivered from source to load, not through the switching branch, improving efficiency. Furthermore, the appropriately stacked voltage doubler stage not only amplifies the high step-up voltage gain ratio but also considerably diminishes the voltage stress on all semiconductor devices and capacitors. As a result, the costless low internal resistance and low voltage components can be employed for higher efficiency, higher power density, and lower cost. To demonstrate the practicality of the proposed topology, the operating principle is outlined, and the steady-state characteristics are thoroughly analyzed. Furthermore, a 360 W prototype converter has been fabricated to confirm the efficiency of the proposed converter.