A silicon-carbide (SiC)-based dc-dc converter is developed for the solarship, a manned solar aircraft for supply delivery in remote locations. The concept of differential power processing (DPP) is utilized to realize a high-efficiency lightweight converter that performs maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to transfer power from the aircraft's wing-mounted solar array to the high-voltage lithium-battery bus. The isolated Ćuk topology is augmented with an unfolder to achieve four quadrant operation and minimize the worst-case processed power. A small-signal model is derived for control design, and it is shown that the compensation strategy differs significantly based on the operating mode. The 2.7-kW prototype is verified at a high frequency (200 kHz), high efficiency (>98%), small mass (0.604 kg), and uses no electrolytic capacitors. MPPT operation is verified on a 376-V commercial solar installation. The DPP Ćuk converter is promising for emerging solar aerospace applications.


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    Title :

    SiC-Based Bidirectional Ćuk Converter With Differential Power Processing and MPPT for a Solar Powered Aircraft


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2015-12-01


    Size :

    2840386 byte




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



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