| dc.description.abstract | With the ever-growing developments of sustainable energy sources such as fuel
cells, photovoltaics, and other distributed generation, the need for a reliable power
conversion system that interfaces these sources is in great demand. In order to provide
the highest degree of flexibility in a truly distributed network, it is desired to not only
interface multiple sources, but to also interface multiple loads. Modern multi-port
converters use high frequency transformers to deliver the different power levels, which
add to the size and complexity of the system. The different topological variations of the
proposed multi-port dc-dc converter have the potential to solve these problems.
This thesis proposes a unique dc-dc current source converter for multi-port power
conversion. The presented work will explain the proposed multi-port dc-dc converter's
operating characteristics, control algorithms, design and a proof of application. The
converter will be evaluated to determine its functionality and applicability. Also, it will
be shown that our converter has advantages over modern multi-port converters in its ease
of scalability from kW to MW, low cost, high power density and adaption to countless combinations of multiple sources. Finally we will present modeling and simulation of
the proposed converter using the PSIM software.
This research will show that this new converter topology is unstable without
feedback control. If the operating point is moved, one of the source ports of the multiport
converter becomes unstable and dies off supplying very little or no power to the
load while the remaining source port supplies all of the power the load demands. In
order to prevent this and add stability to the converter a simple yet unique control
method was implemented. This control method allowed for the load power demanded to
be shared between the two sources as well as regulate the load voltage about its desired
value. | en |
