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Dear Colleagues,

The deployment of DC energy systems is an attractive alternative to conventional AC-based energy distribution systems, improving the efficiency of energy supplies and promoting renewable energies. Within DC energy systems, industrial electronics and particularly DC–DC converters are the key technologies that establish the interface between individual units of DC energy systems – renewable energy sources, energy storage systems and DC-compatible loads.

Semiconductors and electrolytic capacitors, critical components of DC–DC power converters, are particularly susceptible of suffering faults with potential to lead these converters to a complete standstill. On the other hand, the emergence of more elaborated converter topologies, capable of meeting the requirements of DC microgrids applications, is limited by the availability of advanced control algorithms, like those inspired in predictive models.

Accordingly, novel advancements in the control and operation of DC–DC converters and related industrial electronics technologies require further attention. The integration of fault diagnosis and fault tolerance capabilities on application-oriented converters, the adoption of innovative control approaches, or the development of advanced converter architectures are some of the trending research topics which enable important gains in the efficiency and reliability of DC–DC converters.

This Special Issue focuses on the discussion of emerging solutions suitable for accomplishing efficient and reliable DC–DC industrial power electronics technologies. Potential topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Fault diagnostics and prognostics in DC–DC converters;

- Fault analysis in DC–DC converters;

- Fault-tolerant DC–DC converter topologies;

- Control and operation of DC–DC converters;

- DC–DC components reliability;

- Efficiency analysis and optimisation of DC–DC converters;

- Integration of wide-bandgap devices in DC-DC converters;

- DC–DC converter topologies for emerging applications (renewables integration, LED lighting, EV charging, DC microgrids, etc.).

Dr. Fernando Bento
Dr. Khaled Laadjal
Prof. Dr. Antonio J. Marques Cardoso
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

DC–DC converters
control
diagnostics
fault tolerance
efficiency
converter topologies

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

32 pages, 15820 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

A Two-Degree-of-Freedom PID Integral Super-Twisting Controller Based on Atom Search Optimizer Applied to DC-DC Interleaved Converters for Fuel Cell Applications

by Ramzi Saadi, Mohamed Yacine Hammoudi, Okba Salah, Khaled Laadjal and Antonio J. Marques Cardoso

Electronics 2023, 12(19), 4113; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12194113 - 01 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1008

Abstract

This paper focuses on the real-time implementation of an optimal high-performance control applied to an interleaved nonisolated DC/DC converter designed for fuel cell applications. Three-phase interleaved boost converters are utilized to minimize input current undulation, increase efficiency, and provide a high output voltage in order to ensure the performance of the FC stack. The proposed control strategy contains an outer loop that generates the reference current based on a two-degree-of-freedom PID controller. This controller provides a robust setpoint tracking and disturbance rejection, which improves the system’s response and efficiency. A fast inner regulation loop based on a super-twisting integral sliding mode (STISM) algorithm is developed to achieve a fixed converter output voltage, equitable phase current sharing, and fast regulation against load disturbances in failure operation. The STISM algorithm exhibits a rapid convergence property of the sliding mode and effectively avoids the chattering phenomena frequently observed in conventional sliding modes. The proposed controller’s gains are determined using the atom search optimization algorithm, which ensures exceptional reliability and a high degree of robustness and stability of the controllers under a variety of operational conditions. This method is inspired from the behavior of atoms and their electrons during the excitation process leading to a one-of-a-kind optimization technique which contributes to the controller’s reliability. Using Matlab-Simulink simulation tools, the efficacy and performance of the designed control have first been evaluated and assessed and compared with other optimization algorithms, and then with a dual loop based on a PID controller. Then, they have been verified by real-time hardware implementation on a 1.2 KW prototype FC converter driven by the dSPACE-1104 card under a variety of tests. The suggested approach offers impressive experimental results in dynamic and steady states. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Efficient and Reliable DC–DC Converters and Related Industrial Electronics)

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