A Comparative Study of High Power, High Step-up DC/DC Converters for Fuel Cell Range Extender Vehicles

Industry and researchers are investigating both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHVs) for the future of sustainable passenger vehicle technology. To combine the advantages of both technologies, fuel cell range extender vehicles (FCREVs) with a plug-in battery and smaller fuel cell can allow convenient overnight charging and high-efficiency operation for the regular commute and allow longer driving ranges and quick refueling for long-distance driving days, when the fuel cell is used. In a FCREV, a high-power high step-up DC/DC converter is required to connect the low-voltage fuel cell to the high-voltage battery, but little research has focused on this power electronic challenge. Thus, this paper provides a detailed analysis comparing four potential high step-up DC/DC converter topologies for the FCREV application. Extensive simulation results are presented, which show that the boost converter with switched capacitor boost cell is a promising candidate for high step-up and high-power applications.