FUZZY CONTROLLED COMBINED CUK-SEPIC HYBRID DC-DC CONVERTER FOR STANDALONE APPLICATIONS

Varun Jo Abu, Sija Gopinathan, Ninu Joy

Abstract: The difference between the energy demand and the available energy is increasing every year due to the limitation in the conventional energy resources in the earth. This extra demand can be easily covered by the efficient utilization of the abundant renewable energy resources around us. Energy from these sources can be utilised in rural electrification, domestic standalone systems, etc. The main challenge related with the renewable energy sources is their fluctuating nature, i.e., it is incapable of maintaining a constant output. Hybridization technique is utilized to overcome this problem. Here, a multi-input DC-DC converter is proposed which is capable of supplying a constant output voltage. A solar array and a fuel cell can be connected as the inputs to the converter. When compared with the conventional multi- input converters, the proposed circuit has a lower active and passive component count. The sources can meet the load individually or simultaneously depending on their availability. So, the converter is able to provide the required constant output voltage taking power from both/either of the sources. The converter is a combination of the basic Cuk and SEPIC converters. The output side inductor and capacitor of the basic Cuk and SEPIC converters are integrated into a single inductor and capacitor to realize this multi input converter. Solar array output is connected to the input port of the Cuk converter section and the fuel cell is connected as the input to the SEPIC converter section. The control of the converter is established using Fuzzy Logic Control. Experimental results are observed to check the performance of the converter. The microcontroller used in the setup is dsPIC30F2010. In the experimental setup, a servo motor has been connected as the load, through a two leg inverter.

Keywords: Hybrid system, Cuk-SEPIC converter, PV system, Fuel cell, Fuzzy logic control, Servo motor

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2017.0605019