An extendable high‐efficiency triple‐port SEPIC–SEPIC converter with continuous input currents for DC microgrid applications

Abstract

Summary An extendable triple‐port single‐ended primary‐inductor converter (SEPIC)–SEPIC (TPSS) converter is proposed as a compact and efficient multiport interface, with less number of components for integrating RES in a microgrid system. It accommodates two power sources at the input to supply continuous power to a DC load, simultaneously or independently. The presented converter features high efficiency, unidirectional power flow, continuous current at all input ports, and single‐stage power conversion between input sources and the load port. Both input ports share an output inductor reducing the number of active and passive components. There is continuous current at all the input ports, hence less power loss. The operation modes are presented, and various states of operation are discussed using the equivalent circuits. The TPSS converter is simulated using MATLAB/Simulink. The laboratory prototype of the designed TPSS converter is tested successfully. A performance comparison between the proposed converter and other recent converters is made to show its merits.