An Optimized Converter for Battery-Supercapacitor Interface

A converter topology suitable for bidirectional power flow control between a supercapacitor bank and a stiff voltage source is presented. Main feature of the topology is the reduced ratings of the solid state devices used in the converter, as compared to conventional solutions. For the same capabilities in terms of energy extraction, reduction of up to 50% in the ratings of the silicon switching devices is achieved. Both simulations and experiments are performed to validate the principle.