A Family of Transformerless Boost Converters for Pulsed Electrolysis

Abstract

This article introduces a family of nonisolated dc–dc converters designed to amplify lower dc voltages to higher levels. These converters are particularly suitable for use in the dc link of pulse converters in hydrogen electrolyzers. The primary structure serves as a base for additional configurations with greater voltage amplification and reduced component stress. Two supplementary categories are examined based on the main structure, offering improved functionalities, and decreased pressures. The proposed topologies' specific parameters are evaluated in both ideal and nonideal operating scenarios. In addition, thorough comparisons are made among the converters from various perspectives. These topologies feature a single switch and minimal voltage stress, which provides a significant advantage in high-voltage scenarios by limiting the number of switches and their associated stresses. This study achieves a notable increase in voltage amplification without relying on high-frequency transformers, resulting in increased power density and reduced volume and mass. To validate the proposed designs, experimental findings are provided and compared with theoretical predictions.