Achieving higher power density in DC-DC converters for photovoltaic applications

This work describes how power density in DC-DC converters can be increased by combining high current ripple and smaller filter inductance. In combination to innovative semiconductor devices, this method presents less switching losses than, e.g., switching frequency increase. Drawbacks of such an approach are presented together with their possible solutions, so that the power density increase results in no considerable reduction in the converter efficiency. The methodology to identify this trade-off covers aspects on both magnetic and semiconductor designs. A 7.5kWmax Boost for photovoltaic applications is used to verify the methodology.