International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive Systems (IJPEDS)

Vol. 14, No. 3, September 2023, pp. 1562~1576

ISSN: 2088-8694, DOI: 10.11591/ijpeds.v14.i3.pp1562-1576  1562

Design and development of modified high efficient high gain

DC-DC converter for SPV standalone systems

Vineeth Kumar Pothera Kariyat, Jijesh Jisha Janardhanan

Department of Electronics and Communication, Sri Venkateshwara College of Engineering, Bangalore, India

Article Info ABSTRACT

Article history: A conventional DC-DC converter is not viable for power conditioning in
standalone solar photovoltaic applications. Switching losses are the primary
Received Nov 11, 2022 reason for the poor performance of conventional DC-DC converters. To
Revised Jan 13, 2023 mitigate the issues in conventional DC-DC converters, a high efficient high
Accepted Feb 6, 2023 gain (HEHG) DC-DC converter is designed and developed in this research
work. Modified HEHG converter utilizes the passive components switched
capacitors, coupled inductor, and resistor capacitor (RC) snubber circuit for
Keywords: minimizing the switching losses and improving the overall power conversion
efficiency of the solar photovoltaic (SPV) system. In addition, a modified
DC-DC converter D-sweep maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm is in-corporate
Efficiency into this system to improve the tracking efficiency of the SPV system.
HEHG converter HEHG for a standalone system is designed using MATLAB/Simulink
Solar photovoltaic applications environment and developed the hard-ware prototype. As a part of the
Voltage gain validation, real-time testing is carried out and compares the performance of
the HEHG converter with a traditional DC-DC converter. The theoretical
efficiency of the HEHG converter is 96.01%, and the real-time efficiency is
95.62%. Found that theoretical and practical values of performance
parameters are closely tallying.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license.

Corresponding Author:
Vineeth Kumar Pothera Kariyat
Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sri Venkateshwara College of Engineering
Bangalore, Karnataka 562157, India
Email: [email protected]

1. INTRODUCTION
The energy crisis is one of the challenges faced by the global community. Conventional sources are
diminishing as the energy demand is tremendously higher. The parallel world is facing global warming,
pollution, and climate change. Therefore, it is essential to change the power generation from conventional to
non-conventional sources systematically. Solar energy is more convenient than other renewable energy
sources by considering the features such as modularity, installation, adaptability, and cost. When it comes to
solar photovoltaic systems (SPV) performance entirely depends on the weather. In general, the solar panel
output voltage is comparatively low. The panel voltage, such as the solar water pump, is insufficient to
operate the standalone load. A conventional DC-DC boost converter is needed to step up the voltage from a
lower to a higher level to meet the rated voltage of the load. Nevertheless, conventional DC-DC converter
fails to step up the voltage from a lower level to a higher level because of a reduction in efficiency. The main
reason for the reduction of the DC-DC converter is due to switching losses. Therefore, the conventional DC-
DC converter is obsolete where the application requires high gain. To overcome this issue, an improved DC-
DC converter is essential in the SPV system.
A modified DC-DC converter's salient features should have high gain without losing efficiency.
There are plenty of topologies available in various literature. The principal reduction in the converter

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efficiency is the self-heating of components, variation of current and voltage in the power converter [1], and
wrong selection of heat sinks. The LLC-based resonant converter is an optimal choice for high voltage high
gain applications, but the converter consists of a transformer that leads to transformer losses [2]. In addition
to this setback, the cost of the LLC converter is more. The modified Cuk converter is another choice of high-
gain application, but the inverted output restricted the widespread usage of the Cuk converter. Combined Luo
converter with flyback topology helps to achieve high gain without losing efficiency. However, the SiC
MOSFET switch used in the hybrid luo-flyback converter is expensive and not applicable to all situations.
Significant research and development are required for cost reduction for the luo-flyback combination. Using
a transformer in the hybrid luo-flyback converter does not make this converter more viable in all
circumstances. The problem with a high step-up DC-DC converter is the requirement for large inductors and
auxiliary circuits [3]. The improved SEPIC converter has the problem of a large inrush current in the
inductor, high peak time, and high settling time value [4]. The quadratic boost converter (QBC) performs
high voltage gain with a reduced duty cycle, But the voltage stress at the power switch is exceptionally high.
QBC with a voltage double circuit is another convenient option, but the count of passive components
increases the overall system size. Interleaved converters are also a convenient option for high voltage, high
gain applications. Nevertheless, a voltage multiplier cell (VMC) with interleaved boost converter is needed to
optimize high gain with high efficiency. However, the VMC increases system size and overall cost. Non-
isolated coupled inductor topologies are a convenient option to perform high gain without compromising
overall efficiency. The isolated converters [5], such as half-bridge converters, full-bridge converters, forward
converters, and push-pull converters, are suitable options for high voltage high gain applications, but the
transformer cost is not viable. Multilevel boost converter (MBC) can produce high gain, but it fails to
produce actual output voltage corresponding to the duty cycle [6]. A proposed switched capacitor converter is
another choice of high voltage high gain application, but eight power switches are used in this topology [6].
As the number of switches increases, the system becomes bulkier and more expensive. The proposed high
efficient high gain converter (HEHG) topology utilized coupled inductor and switched capacitor that helps to
minimize switching losses and EMI issues. Also, it helps to maintain high gains without losing system
efficiency overcome the setbacks of conventional DC-DC converters. This research article is segmented into
the following sections. Section 2 describes the research method; section 3 explains the results and discussion;
and section 4 concludes the paper.

2. RESEARCH METHOD
The overall system comprises a solar photovoltaic panel, a HEHG converter, and a lamp load. In
this system, the design and development of the HEHG converter is a novel concept. The components of the
system are described below:

2.1. Mathematical modeling of solar photovoltaic panel

A solar photovoltaic cell is a transducer that converts light energy into electricity. It works on the
principle of the photovoltaic effect. Different modeling methods are available for the modeling of PV panels,
like single-diode modeling and two-diode modeling [7]. Single-diode modeling of PV cells is represented in
Figure 1. PV cell is considered a current source.

Figure 1. Single diode modeling of PV cell

The characteristics of PV cells are non-linear. The parameters of the PV cell are described below:
current from the PV cell (Iph) is calculated using Kirchhoff's current law shown in (1).

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𝐼𝑃𝑉 = 𝐼𝑝ℎ − 𝐼𝑑 − 𝐼𝑠ℎ (1)

Where Ipv is the output current of the PV cell, Iph is the photocurrent generated by a solar cell, I d is the diode
forward current, and Ish is the shunt current flowing through the resistance Rsh. In a PV cell, the generated
current is directly proportional to solar irradiation. The photocurrent generated by the solar cell is given
by (2).

𝐼𝑝ℎ = 𝐺[𝐼𝑆𝐶 + 𝐾𝑖 (𝑇𝑜𝑝 − 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓 )] (2)

In (2), G represents solar irradiance in W/m 2, Isc is the short circuit current, Ki represents the temperature
coefficient, and Top is the operating temperature. Tref is the reference temperature which is considered 25 °C.
At standard test conditions (STC), solar irradiance is considered 1000 W/m 2. The (3) gives the diode current.
𝑉 +𝐼 𝑅
𝑞( 𝑃𝑉 𝑃𝑉 𝑠 )
𝐼𝑑 = 𝐼𝑠 [𝑒 𝑁𝑠 𝑛𝑉𝑡 𝐶 − 1] (3)

In (3), Is represents the diode reverse saturation current, and the elaborated expression for saturation current I s
is depicted in (4); Vpv is the output voltage of the PV cell, Rs is the series resistance which is considered as
0.01-ohm, Ns is the number of cells connected in series, vt is the terminal voltage, C is the number of cells in
the module and n is the ideality factor.
1 1 𝐸𝑔 𝑞
3 [( − )( )]
𝑇𝑜𝑝 𝑇𝑜𝑝 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓 𝐾𝑛
𝐼𝑠 = 𝐼𝑟𝑠 ( ) 𝑒 (4)
𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓

In (4), q represents the charge of an electron, which is equal to 1.6×10-19 C Eg denotes band gap energy, K is
the Boltzmann constant, and the value of K is 1.38×10-23 J/K. The variable Irs represents diode reverse
saturation current at STC, and the mathematical expression is given by (5).
𝐼𝑠𝑐
𝐼𝑟𝑠 = 𝑞𝑉𝑜𝑐
(5)
(𝐾𝐶𝑇 𝑛)
[𝑒 𝑜𝑝 −1]

The reverse saturation current Irs depends on the short circuit current I sc. The mathematical
expression for shunt current (Ish) is given by (6).
𝑉𝑃𝑉 +(𝐼𝑃𝑉 𝑅𝑠 )
𝐼𝑠ℎ = [ ] (6)
𝑅𝑠ℎ

In (6), Rsh represents the shunt resistance value, as shown in Figure 1. By combining (1)-(6),
a MATLAB/Simulink model is developed, and obtained the PV panel characteristics for 250 W
polycrystalline solar panel. The Simulink model of the 250 W solar panel is illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2. MATLAB/Simulink model of 250 W solar panel

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As mentioned earlier, six modeling equations are made into a subsystem, shown in Figure 2. The
characteristics were plotted to understand the operating features of a given solar panel. The electrical
characteristics, such as I-V and P-V curves, are illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, respectively.

Figure 3. I-V characteristics of PV panel

Figure 4. P-V characteristics of PV panel

Found that the I-V curve is non-linear. The I-V curve obtains the solar panel's open circuit voltage
(Voc) and short circuit current (Isc). Here the Voc is 39 V, and the Isc is 8.21 A. The maximum power can be
estimated using the P-V curve illustrated in Figure 4. Real-time testing of 250 W polycrystalline solar panels
is carried out. The specification of a 250 W solar panel is given in Table 1.
The real-time testing is carried out using a 250 W, Polycrystalline solar panel and obtains the
following results. The P-V curve of 250 W, polycrystalline solar panel is shown in Figure 5 at different time
duration. The I-V curve of 250 W, polycrystalline solar panel is shown in Figure 6 at different time.
The effect of temperature and solar irradiance are studied in this research. Generally, solar
irradiance changes from time to time during the day. As the irradiance is high, the output voltage of a PV
panel increases; this leads to an increase in the output power of the PV panel. The variation of irradiance to
the output voltage of the PV panel is shown in Figure 7.
In Figure 7, irradiance changed from 500 W/m 2 to 1200 W/m2. The maximum voltage across the PV
panel is when the irradiance is 1200 W/m2, and the voltage across the panel is less when the irradiance
changes to 500 W/m2. Temperature is another factor directly impacting the performance of PV panels. In this
study, the temperature of the PV panel varied from 25 °C to 50 °C. As the temperature of the PV panel
increases, the voltage across the solar panel is reduced, as shown in Figure 8. The PV panel is to be operated
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at the optimum temperature specified in the nameplate rating to achieve maximum power output. Moreover,
operating the PV panel during maximum irradiance conditions is desirable. Figures 7 and 8 indicate the study
of the effect of variation of temperature and irradiance in the PV panel.

Figure 5. P-V characteristics of 250 W solar panel in real time testing

Figure 6. I-V characteristics of 250 W solar panel in real time testing

Figure 7. Effect of irradiance on PV panel output

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Figure 8. Effect of temperature on PV panel output

Table 1. Specification of solar panel

System specification Rating
Power rating 250 W
Open circuit voltage, Voc 39 V
Short circuit current, Isc 8.21 A
Operating voltage, Vo 24 V
Series resistance, Rs 0.221 Ω
Shunt resistance, Rsh 415.405 Ω
Nominal temperature, Tn 25 °C or 298 K

2.2. Modes of operation of HEHG converter

HEHG converter consists of a high-side MOSFET switch, a coupled inductor (N1 and N2), and two
switched capacitors (C2 and C3) shown in Figure 9. Switched capacitors are connected through power diodes
D2 and D3, respectively. A DC link capacitor is added to maintain constant voltage from the input supply and
to obtain the ripple-free output capacitor; C0 is placed across the load. A modified ICA with the frequent
sweeping of duty ratio is added as feed-forward control [8]. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control
is connected to the gate of n channel power MOSFET through a gate driver circuit. A 250 W polycrystalline
PV panel is the source, and the DC motor coupled with a centrifugal pump is considered the load [9].
In the HEHG converter, diode D1 and capacitor C1 recycle leakage inductance energy from the
coupled inductor N1 and reduce voltage stress across the switch, thereby minimizing the switching losses.
The switched capacitors of the HEHG converter maintain high voltage gain compared to the conventional
DC-DC converter [10]. The function of each segment is clearly mentioned in Figure 9. The converter can be
driven in continuous conduction mode, discontinuous conduction mode, and boundary conduction mode [11],
[12]. Since the HEHG is selected for solar water pumping application, continuous conduction mode is
selected as the operating mode. The continuous conduction mode is segmented into five segments. Also, the
following assumptions are made for understanding the operation of the HEHG converter:
− All active and passive components used in the converter are ideal.
− Parasitic capacitance of MOSFET switch is neglected.
− Voltage drop across capacitors are considered to be constant.
− Equivalent Series Resistor (ESR) of a capacitor is neglected.
− Parasitic resistance of the coupled inductor is not considered.
The continuous conduction mode (CCM) of the HEHG converter is illustrated in Figure 10. The
HEHG converter is driven in CCM [3]. CCM is segmented into five sub-intervals, as shown in Figure 10.
Among five subintervals, two sub-intervals (1 and 2) are treated as ON intervals, and the remaining three (3,
4, and 5) are considered as OFF intervals. It is observed that sub-intervals 1, 3, and 4 occur in a short
duration of time, whereas sub-intervals 2 and 3 take place over an extensive duration of time.
The sub-interval one starts at t0 and terminates at t1. The MOSFET switch is on during this period.
Magnetizing inductor Lm continuously releases energy to the switched capacitors C2 and C3. The term Lk1

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represents stored energy from the DC source V in. Energy stored in C0 is continuously discharged to the load.
This sub-interval ends when the increasing value of ILK1 equals the decreasing value of ILm at t = t1. The input
voltage Vin is serially connected to condensers C1, C2, and C3. Also, the input voltage is connected to the
second terminals of coupled inductor N2 serially. Lk2 discharges energy stored in output capacitor C0 and load
R. In the meantime, magnetizing inductor L m also acquires energy from the Input voltage V in. Sub-interval 2
ends when the MOSFET switch S is turned OFF at t = t2. Sub-interval 2 ends when the MOSFET switch S is
turned off at t=t2.

Figure 9. Circuit diagram of HEHG converter Figure 10. Modes of operation

The circuit behavior during sub-interval three is shown in Figure 10. In this sub-interval energy
stored in Lk1 is instantly flows through diode D1 to charge capacitor C1. At the same time, energy is
discharged to magnetizing inductor Lm through coupled inductor N2. The sub-interval three ends when
decreasing in ILK1 equals increasing ILM at t equals t3. The time duration of sub-interval 3 is too short. In the
sub interval 4, Lk1 constantly to release energy to charge capacitor C1 through the power diode D1.
Magnetizing inductor Lm transfers energy through the coupled inductor T 1 to the switched capacitors C2 and
C3. Energy stored in the output capacitor C0 is constantly discharged to load R. Sub-interval 4 concludes
when the decreasing ILK1 reaches zero and time t approaches t4. The value of VLM is equal to the negative
value of VCM. Sub-interval 5 occurs when the MOSFET switch is in OFF condition. Sub-interval 5 concludes
when the MOSFET is turned on at the start of the next switching period.

3. DESIGN OF HEHG CONVERTER

The implementation procedure of the HEHG is carried out using the following steps: checking the
input and output parameters, estimating converter parameters and values of magnetics, calculating switched
capacitors, and estimating the leakage inductance values [13]. The system parameters are summarized
in Table 2.

Table 2. System parameters

Parameters of solar panel Rating
PV module power rating 250 W
Available input voltage 30 V
Output voltage of converter 400 V
Switching frequency 50 kHz

The duty ratio is an essential parameter of the HEHG converter. To set the duty ratio of the HEHG
converter turns ratio of coupled inductor is to be decided. The voltage gain of the HEHG converter is
specified in (7).
𝑉0 𝑛𝐷+𝑛+1
= (7)
𝑉𝑖𝑛 1−𝐷

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The turn ratio is selected in the range of 2 to 6. Initially, the select turns ratio is equal to 2, putting the value
of available input voltage and output voltage of the converter in (15), the value of the duty ratio becomes
63.66%. If the converter switch is operated at 63.66%, high forward conduction losses take place in the
circuit, and this results in reducing the overall efficiency. The select turns ratio of coupled inductor is four,
and obtained value of the duty ratio is 40.656%. Whenever the turns ratio is equal to 6, the duty ratio
becomes 32.74% which results in less value of magnetizing inductance but Ipeak over MOSFET. Therefore,
the optimal selection of turns ratio is four, and operate the converter at a duty ratio of 40.656%. The highest
gain provided by the HEHG converter is 13.33. To estimate the magnetizing inductance, the magnetization
time constant τLB is to be determined first.
𝐷(𝐷−1)2
𝜏𝐿𝐵 = (8)
2(2𝑛+1)(𝑛𝐷+𝑛+1)

The value of magnetizing inductance by substituting other parameters in (16) is 2.16×10-3. Once the
value of magnetizing inductance is obtained, calculate the value of magnetization inductance (Lm) using (9).

𝐿𝑚 = 𝜏𝐿𝐵 𝑅𝑇𝑠 (9)

Ts is the pulse period, the reciprocal of the switching frequency (f s), and the calculated value of magnetizing
inductance (Lm) is 27.6 μH. The value of L m is treated as the primary value of Inductance (L1) of coupled
Inductor. Likewise, the secondary inductance (L 2) is calculated using (10).
1
𝑁1 𝐿 2
= ( 1) (10)
𝑁2 𝐿2

The value of the secondary inductance of the coupled inductor is 442 μH. L K1 and LK2 are calculated
using 1% of L1 and L2, respectively. Therefore, the estimated values of L K1 are 0.2765 μH and LK2 4.42 μH,
respectively. The presence of a resistive component in the coupled inductor is calculated using (11).

(𝑉𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘 ×𝐷)2
𝑅𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 = (11)
𝑃𝑛

The obtained value of Rbase is 0.8483 Ω. Pn is considered the power rating of the converter. In the same way,
the per unit value of resistance (Rpu) is determined using (12).
𝑅
𝑅𝑝𝑢 = (12)
𝑅𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒

Lbase is obtained using (21). Also, Lbase depends on the switching frequency of the MOSFET switch (f s) and
Rbase.
𝑅𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒
𝐿𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 = (13)
2𝜋𝑓𝑠

Substituting the values of Rbase and fs in (13), and designed value of L base is 2.701 μH. Per unit value of
inductance is obtained using (14).
𝐿
𝐿𝑝𝑢 = (14)
𝐿𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒

The mean value of the resistive component (Rm) is calculated using (15). The Rm depends on the
value of inductive reactance and the base value of resistance (R base). The estimated value of Rm is 10.23 ohm.
𝑋𝐿
𝑅𝑚 = (15)
𝑅𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒

The values of capacitors are designed using (16), (17), and (18). The input capacitor (C1) is calculated as (16).
𝐼0 ×𝑇𝑠
𝐶1 = (16)
𝛥𝑉𝐶1

Here I0 denotes the current flowing through the load, and ∆V C1 represents ripple voltage which is assumed as
20% of voltage across the capacitor VC1. The obtained value of C1 is 16.98 μF. C2 and C3 have switched
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capacitors in the circuit diagram, which help maintain high gain for the HEHG converter. The design
calculation of switched capacitor is calculated as (17).
𝐼0 𝑇𝑠
𝐶2 = 𝐶3 = (17)
𝛥𝑉𝐶2

The designed value of switched capacitors is 4.425 μF. To maintain the output voltage without
fluctuating, output capacitor C0 is used.
𝐼0 ×𝐷×𝑇𝑠
𝐶0 = (18)
𝛥𝑉0

Using (18), the obtained value of C0 is 0.423 μF. The parameters related to HEHG and the value of magnetics
are designed and tabulated in Table 3. The calculated values and practical values of capacitors are shown in
the Table 4. The detailed design procedures of the coupled inductor and switched capacitors are explained in
detail with certain assumptions. The designed values are used in MATLAB simulation of the HEHG
DC-DC converter.

Table 3. Design parameters of HEHG converter and value of magnetics

Parameters Calculated values Practical values
Voltage gain 13.33 14
Turns ratio 2,4 and 6 4
Duty ratio 63.66%, 40.656%, and 32.74% 40.656%
Magnetization time constant 2.16 ms 2.16 ms
Magnetization inductance (L1) 27.6 μH 30 μH
Magnetization inductance (L2) 442 μH 470 μH

Table 4. Designed values of capacitors

Parameters Calculated values Practical values
C1 16.98 μF 22 μF
C2 4.42 μF 4.7 μF
C3 4.42 μF 4.7 μF
C0 0.42 μF 0.47 μF

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

HEHG converter is designed to meet the system requirements. The simulation and hardware are
implemented using the designed value. Both the simulation and hardware results are explained in this
chapter. Furthermore, the HEHG converter is compared with the conventional DC-DC boost converter to
perform the validation.

4.1. Simulation of HEHG converter

The simulation of the HEHG converter is carried out using the MATLAB/Simulink platform.
Overall Simulink model is segmented into PV panel modeling, converter modeling, and modeling of load.
A modified ICA D-sweep technique is added to the HEHG to improve tracking accuracy. The Simulink
model is developed using the designed values shown in Tables 3 and 4. Feed-forward control is adopted in
this system in the form of the ICA D-sweep MPPT technique. The Simulink model of the HEHG converter is
illustrated in Figure 11.
The model of HEHG converter is simulated for 0.2 s, and the electrical parameters such as voltage,
current, and power are obtained at the input and output of the HEHG converter. The efficiency of HEHG is
also determined. The input variables, such as voltage, current, and available power, are shown in Figure 12.
The available input voltage from the PV panel is 35.92 V. Therefore HEHG converter is operated at 35.92 V.
Input voltage becomes stable at 0.1 s. It is observed that input power and current become stable at 0.08 s. It is
observed that the input current of the HEHG converter is 6.034 A. Also, the available input power from the
SPV panel is 216.7 W. Availability of input power depends on solar irradiance and the operating temperature
of the PV panel. The switching stress on the MOSFET of the HEHG converter is also mentioned in
Figure 12. The average switching stress on the MOSFET switch of the HEHG converter is 28.5 V which can
be mitigated using a regenerative snubber circuit.
The model of HEHG converter is simulated for 0.2 s, and the electrical parameters such as voltage,
current, and power are obtained at the input and output of the HEHG converter. The efficiency of HEHG is

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also determined. The input variables, such as voltage, current, and available power, are shown in Figure 12.
The available input voltage from the PV panel is 35.92 V. Therefore HEHG converter is operated at 35.92 V.
Input voltage becomes stable at 0.1 s. It is observed that input power and current become stable at 0.08 s. It is
observed that the input current of the HEHG converter is 6.034 A. Also, the available input power from the
SPV panel is 216.7 W. Availability of input power depends on solar irradiance and the operating temperature
of the PV panel. The switching stress on the MOSFET of the HEHG converter is also mentioned in
Figure 12. The average switching stress on the MOSFET switch of the HEHG converter is 28.5 V which can
be mitigated using a regenerative snubber circuit.

Figure 11. Simulink model of HEHG DC-DC converter

Figure 12. Input parameters of HEHG converter

The output voltage and current depend upon the load connected to the HEHG converter. The output
voltage sensed through the load is 418.5 V, and the current through the load is 0.49 A. The obtained output
power value is 208.10 W, as indicated in Figure 13. The net efficiency of the HEHG converter is calculated by
taking the output power to input power ratio. The average input power obtained at the HEHG converter is
216.7 W, and the output power across the load is 208.10 W. Found that output parameters such as current,
voltage, and power have become stable at 0.2 s. The efficiency of the HEHG converter is calculated using (19).
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𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦, 𝜂 = × 100 (19)
𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟

Using (27), the obtained value of the efficiency is 96.01%. The efficiency of the HEHG converter is indicated
in Figure 13. The overall voltage gain of the HEHG converter is 11.65. On the other side, it shows high
efficiency without compromising its overall gain. The efficiency of the HEHG converter is obtained
maximum when the simulation time reaches 0.1 s.

Figure 13. Output parameters of HEHG converter

4.2. Hardware implementation of HEHG converter

Hardware prototype includes the development of a power circuit and control circuit [14]. Hardware
components are selected using the simulation carried out using MATLAB/Simulink. Current through each
component and voltage across the components is determined first. Checked the availability of components in
the market and studied the datasheet. Current through the passive and active components, the voltage across
the active and passive components is specified in Table 5.

Table 5. Hardware components of HEHG converter

Name of the component Specification Voltage across Current through
Power MOSFET IRFP250N 120 V 40 A peak spike
Power diode D1 MUR 1560 100 V 20 A peak spike
Power diode D2 MUR 1560 400 V 2 A peak spike
Power diode D3 MUR 1560 100 V 2 A peak spike
Power diode D4 MUR 1560 300 V 10 A
Capacitor C1 22 μF/250 V 92 V 12 A
Switched capacitor C2 4.7 μF/250 V 100.5 V 8.4 A
Switched capacitor C2 4.7 μF/250 V 100.5 V 8.4 A
Capacitor C0 0.47 μF/1200 V 418.5 V 6A
Coupled inductor (L1 and L2) 30 μH and 470 μH 78.05 V, 27.82 V 12.4 A and 18.3 A

The core of the coupled inductor is made up of E55 type. The winding of the coupled inductor is
made up of enameled copper with a thickness of 22 standard wire gauge (SWG). Mylar sheet is provided
proper isolation between the primary and secondary sides of the coupled inductor. The main function of a
mylar sheet is to prevent the arcing of the primary and secondary sides of the coupled inductor. The quality
factor (Q) of L1 and L2 are 72.62 and 68.52, respectively. The components mentioned in Table 5 are
assembled using glass epoxy printed circuit board. ICA MPPT has been developed using AVR Atmega 38
microcontroller. The block diagram shown in Figure 14 helps to understand the hardware implementation
[15], [16] of the HEHG converter.

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The overall circuit is divided into a power and control circuit. The power circuit consists of a solar
panel supplied to the load through a HEHG converter. A pulse width modulation (PWM) is generated in the
form of MPPT using a control assisting circuit [17]–[22]. A 7805-voltage regulator integrated circuit (IC) is
supplied 5 V to AVR Atmega 32, and the output pin of AVR Atmega 32 is fed to gate driver IC and designed
current and voltage sensor circuits to implement MPPT. Here, an optocoupler IC, namely TLP 250, is
selected for the gate driving and isolating power and control circuits, which is operated 15 V DC power
supply shown in Figure 14. The output of TLP 250 and the load is shown in Figures 15(a) and 15(b).

Figure 14. Hardware implementation of HEHG converter

(a) (b)

Figure 15. Output voltage across (a) TLP 250 gate driver IC and (b) the load

A prototype of the HEHG converter is implemented and conducted in the real-time test. Initially, the
PWM corresponding to D-Sweep MPPT is developed using an AVR Atmega 32 microcontroller which is the
control part of the system. A suitable gate driver, TLP 250, is added to ensure the isolation of power and
control circuits [23]. The second stage implements the power circuit and integrates both power and control
circuits. The overall setup of the hardware prototype is shown in Figure 16. It depicts how the components
are assembled. The power part and control parts are illustrated in this section.

Figure 16. Hardware setup of HEHG DC-DC converter

Design and development of modified high efficient high gain … (Vineeth Kumar Pothera Kariyat)
1574  ISSN: 2088-8694

The real-time testing of the HEHG converter is conducted. The following performance parameters
were obtained. Table 6 provides the details of the hardware result. The fundamental components are
assembled on a board. Initially, the components were rigged up on a breadboard, and conducted the testing.
The following parameters were obtained. Table 6 provides the details of the hardware result.

Table 6. Hardware results of HEHG converter

Parameters Rating
Input voltage 32.5 V
Input current 7.2 A
Output voltage 408 V
Current through the load 0.54 A
Voltage stress on the switch 28.5 V

The available input power from the solar panel is 230.4 W, and the output power obtained at the
load is 220.32 W. Therefore, overall power conversion efficiency of the HEHG converter is 95.62%. Another
critical observation is there is a tallying of simulation and hardware results. To validate the work, HEHG
hardware result is compared with conventional DC-DC boost converter [24]–[26]. The hardware set up
(power circuit) of conventional boost converter is shown in Figures 17 and 18.

Figure 17 Prototype of DC-DC boost converter

Figure 18. Hardware set up DC-DC boost converter

The PWM corresponding to MPPT is implemented using an AVR microcontroller. The

comprehensive set of the conventional DC-DC boost converter is shown in Figure 18. An optocoupler IC,
TLP 250, helps to maintain the isolation of power and control circuits. The input voltage of 30 V is used. The
inductance of 0.2 mH, outpour capacitance of 0.2 mF, and power MOSFET-IRFP250N and power diode-
MUR1560 is used for the hardware implementation.

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The comparison of the HEHG converter with the conventional boost converter is given in Table 7.
The parameters include voltage gain, efficiency, voltage stress on the switch, and the number of switches
used. It is observed that a solar photovoltaic system operating in the range of 30 V to 40 V will be boosted
the voltage level of 400 V to meet the load requirements, and both converters can be used. However, as the
voltage gain increases, there is a reduction in the efficiency of the boost converter due to high voltage stress
across the switch. Also, the rate of efficiency of the HEHG converter is superior to that traditional boost
converter. However, the number of passive components used in HEHG is higher than in the conventional
boost converter. Though the count of passive components is more, there is no considerable difference in the
overall hardware implementation cost.

Table 7. Comparison of HEHG converter with conventional boost converter

Parameters Conventional boost converter HEHG converter
Voltage gain 1 𝑛𝐷 + 𝑛 + 1
1−𝐷 1−𝐷
Efficiency 81.25% 95.62%
Voltage stress 58.76 V 28.5 V
Number of power switches 1 1
Number of capacitors used 2 5

5. CONCLUSION
A high efficient power electronic interface is essential for the solar photovoltaic system to overcome
the challenges such as poor conversion efficiency and shading effect. The unsuitability of conventional boost
converters can be overcome by using high efficient high gain converter, especially for high voltage high gain
applications. The presence of switched capacitors and coupled inductors help to reach target of high voltage
gain and reduced switching losses. MATLAB/Simulink model is developed as per the design. The HEHG
converter is designed and simulated for 0.2 s, and the efficiency of the HEHG converter is 96.01% with a
voltage gain of 11.65. A hardware prototype of the HEHG converter is implemented using the same design
values. Performance parameters such as efficiency and voltage gain are measured during real-time testing.
The obtained efficiency of the HEHG converter during real-time testing is 95.62%, with a voltage gain of
12.55. Also, the performance of the HEHG converter with a conventional DC-DC boost converter is
compared in accordance to the value of gain, efficiency, number of passive components used, and voltage
stress on the MOSFET switch. It is concluded that the HEHG converter shows superior performance to the
traditional boost converter. Also, the performance of HEHG converter can be still improved by adding a
regenerative snubber circuit in the HEHG converter.

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BIOGRAPHIES OF AUTHORS

Vineeth Kumar Pothera Kariyat is currently working as an Assistant Professor

in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at Sri Venkateshwara
College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India. He received B.Tech degree in Electrical and
Electronics Engineering from Kannur University, Kerala in 2011. He received M.Tech. degree
in Power and Energy from Amrita Vishwavidyapeetham University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu,
India. His area of interest includes power electronics and renewable energy resources. To his
credit prolifically published eight papers in international conferences and three reputed
international journals. He can be contacted at email: [email protected].

Jijesh Jisha Janardhanan is currently working as Professor and HoD in the

Electronics and Communication Department at Sri Venkateshwara College of Engineering,
Bangalore. He received the B.Tech. degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering
from Kannur University in 2006, and earned M.Tech. degree in Electronics from Visvesvaraya
Technological University, Belguam, in 2010 and awarded Doctorate Degree in the field of
Wireless Communication from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belguam, in 2018-
2019. He has more than 53 publications in his credit in various prestigious journals. His area
of interest includes wireless communication, VLSI, and renewable energy sources. He can be
contacted at email: [email protected].

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