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Regulated output voltage double switch Buck-Boost

converter for photovoltaic energy application

Mohamed Kaouane a,*, Akkila Boukhelifa a, Ahmed Cheriti b

a
Faculty of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene USTHB,
Algiers, Algeria
b
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universite du Quebec a
 Trois-Rivieres, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec,
Canada

article info abstract

Article history: In this paper, a regulated output Buck-Boost DCeDC converter is designed and simulated
Received 15 March 2016 for photovoltaic energy system. The presented Buck-Boost converter has two power
Received in revised form switches; moreover, its output voltage is regulated to a constant value regardless of its
15 June 2016 input. In the presented work, the Buck-Boost is used as a second converter after a Single-
Accepted 16 June 2016 Ended Primary-Inductance Converter (SEPIC) that is controlled with a maximum power
Available online 15 July 2016 point tracking technique (MPPT); Incremental Conductance MPPT algorithm is chosen to be
used because of its simplicity and easy implementation. The Buck-Boost converter is
Keywords: controlled in a way to have a suitable output voltage by introducing the right duty cycle of
Buck-Boost converter the pulse width modulation signals that control the switches of the converter.
SEPIC The proposed configuration of Buck-Boost converter has been simulated in Matlab/
Photovoltaic Simulink environment; the simulation results show that it is a good choice to take in order
PWM to maintain the output voltage constant while ensuring a good energy transfer.
MPPT © 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

of these techniques is the conversion of power from the

Introduction
Solar energy is one of the major renewable power sources that
we rely on, it is free, nature friendly, and it is the best alter-
native choice to replace polluting energy sources to produce
electricity. Photovoltaic technology supplies electricity from
free renewable energy of the sun. It doesn't require any fuel, it
is silent, non-polluting, and a reliable way that requires little
maintenance, but the major problems of this technology are
the high cost of equipment and the low conversion efficiency
per unit of power. The latest researches made in this field aim
to reduce these problems by presenting new techniques; one
generator to the load.
There are lots of articles dealing with power energy con-
version DCeDC or DCeAC [1] presents and simulates a sliding-
mode-controlled SEPIC for photovoltaic applications, in Ref.
[2] a Step-up DCeDC converter with a resonant voltage
doubler is presented, in Ref. [3] an interleaved multi-phase
and multi-switch boost converter for fuel cell applications;
in Ref. [4] a Novel high efficiency DC/DC boost converter for
using in photovoltaic systems.
Other papers deal with the combinations of DCeDC Con-
verters, a high voltage step-up integrated double Boost-Sepic
converter for fuel-cell and photovoltaic applications is pre-
sented in Ref. [5]. Others present comparisons between

* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ213 668002621.

E-mail addresses: mkaouane@usthb.dz (M. Kaouane), aboukhelifa@usthb.dz (A. Boukhelifa), Ahmed.Cheriti@uqtr.ca (A. Cheriti).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.06.140
0360-3199/© 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
20848 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 4 1 ( 2 0 1 6 ) 2 0 8 4 7 e2 0 8 5 7

DCeDC converters, as in Ref. [6] where a Cuk converter is put

in comparison with the conventional Buck-Boost converter.
Many papers present MPPT algorithms for photovoltaic
application, generally these algorithms are implemented to
control DCeDC converters to transfer the produced energy to
DC loads, storage systems or/and inverters [7,8]. The tech-
niques which are based on Perturb and Observe algorithm are
very used, and also are the ones based on Incremental
Conductance algorithms [9e11]. Fig. 1 e Block diagram of the operating of a regulated
The principals of Fuzzy Logic Control and Neural Network output voltage DC/DC converter.
are used in many MPPT controls, their implementation is
more complicated. Modifications and hybridization are made
to improve the maximum power point tracking [12,13]. The electrical energy produced by the photovoltaic gener-
The most of presented works focus on the extracted power ator is transferred to the load through an MPPT converter; this
without paying big attention to the other parameters as latter generally takes into account only the input variations
output voltage and current; this paper presents design and including the input voltage while tracking the maximum
simulation of a regulated output voltage double switch Buck- power point using an appropriate algorithm [15].
Boost DCeDC converter supposed to be used as a second In that case; the output voltage is not controlled and may
converter in the photovoltaic energy system; the purpose of change with a significant value, which can create risks to the
this work is to find a better resolution to protect certain DC load especially those the more sensible. Fig. 2 shows the
loads against the over-voltages while ensuring good perfor- common block diagram of a photovoltaic system based on DC/
mance of the photovoltaic conversion and minimizing losses DC converter.
due to switching. The proposed control of Buck-Boost con- To regulate the output voltage of a photovoltaic system, it
verter takes the values of the input voltage and the output is necessary to add another power stage that performs this
voltage into consideration in order to determine the equiva- function just after the stage of MPPT converter which gives an
lent value of the duty cycle with the required output voltage. unregulated output voltage, the regulation control uses an
This paper is organized as follows: In the second section; appropriate algorithm which compares the output voltage
Description of the proposed photovoltaic system is presented, with a reference that is chosen to be achieved.
this section is divided to subsections that describes the SEPIC It is true that the use of two power converters may increase
and the used MPPT technique, explains the operating of the the losses of the circuit but it is still the best choice to be taken
proposed DCeDC Buck-Boost converter and shows the output to regulate the output voltage and protect certain loads; the
voltage regulation technique; The simulation results of the block diagram of the photovoltaic system to be discussed in
Buck-Boost converter with an unregulated DC source then this paper is shown in Fig. 3. The system consists of a
with a whole photovoltaic system are shown in the third photovoltaic generator; a Single-Ended Primary-Inductance
section; And a conclusion is given at the end of the paper. DCeDC Converter (SEPIC) controlled with a maximum power
point tracking technique, a regulated output voltage double
switch Buck-Boost DC/DC converter controlled by pulse width
Description of the studied system modulation (PWM) technique and the output is connected to a
DC load.
Power electronic converters are widely used in many appli-
cations; the main function of a DC/DC converter is to convert
an input source to a suitable output by varying in the control
parameters (mostly, the duty cycle of PWM signals). So the
output voltage of the converter depends mainly on the input
voltage and the control parameter but it also depends on the
efficiency of the converter [14].
These converters can be controlled in a way that tracks the
variation of the output voltage and thus introduce the
necessary regulations in order to keep this voltage near to a
chosen reference. Controlling the variations in the input
Fig. 2 e Block diagram of the photovoltaic system on DC/DC
voltage may also improve the accuracy and the choice of the
converter.
decision of regulation. These converters are also called
“Closed Loop Converters”. Fig. 1 shows the block diagram of
the basic operating of a regulated output voltage DC/DC
converter.
Among the most important fields where the power con-
verters are commonly used, we quote the photovoltaic con-
version systems. Generally the use of a DC/DC converter is
accompanied by a control that uses the technique of
maximum power point tracking (MPPT). Fig. 3 e Block diagram of the studied photovoltaic system.
 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 4 1 ( 2 0 1 6 ) 2 0 8 4 7 e2 0 8 5 7 20849

The photovoltaic cell Fig. 7 shows the obtained PeV curves for different values of
temperature and a constant irradiance of 1000 W/m2.
The principal element of photovoltaic generators is the solar
cell which is a device that absorbs light and converts it into The Single-Ended Primary-Inductance Converter
electrical energy in the form of direct current thanks to the
photovoltaic effect. The solar cell is manufactured using The first converter in the studied system is the Single-Ended
semiconductor material (usually silicon) to compose the PeN Primary-Inductance Converter (SEPIC) which is a step-down/
junction. step-up converter circuit operates basing on the principal of
Figs. 4 and 5 show respectively the IeV and the PeV curves coupling capacitance storage.
of a photovoltaic cell made by silicon for given irradiance and Fig. 8 shows the basic electrical scheme of the SEPIC, it
temperature (1000 W/m2 and 25  C). The maximum power consists of an input capacitor, Cin; an output capacitor, Cout;
point (MPP) is characterized by its optimal voltage (VOPT), and an AC coupling capacitor, CC; coupled inductors L1 and L2; a
optimal current (IOPT), ISC and VOC are respectively the short diode d and a switch Q [17].
circuit current and the open circuit voltage. The power switch ‘Q’ is controlled with a PWM signal
The delivered power characteristic from any photovoltaic characterised by its duty cycle ‘D’ which equals the time when
generator depends essentially on the temperature that has an
effect on the open-circuit voltage; and on the irradiance
quantity which has a major effect on the short circuit current;
so it affects directly on the current against voltage curve and
also on the power against voltage curve of the photovoltaic
generator [16].
The influence of atmospheric conditions on the photovol-
taic cell characteristic is simulated in MATLAB.
Fig. 6 shows the obtained PeV curves for different values of
irradiance and a constant temperature of 25  C.

Fig. 6 e Influence irradiance on the PV cell characteristic.

Fig. 4 e Current against voltage curve of a PV cell.

Fig. 7 e Influence of temperature on the PV cell

characteristic.

Fig. 5 e Power against voltage curve of a PV cell. Fig. 8 e SEPIC's electrical scheme.
20850 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 4 1 ( 2 0 1 6 ) 2 0 8 4 7 e2 0 8 5 7

the power switch is closed for one time period ‘ton’ divided on - If dPG/dVG > 0, the operating point is on the left of “MPP”,
the period T. - If dPG/dVG ¼ 0, the operating point is on the “MPP”,
- If dPG/dVG < 0, the operating point is on the right of “MPP”
ton
D¼ (1)
T
The derivative of the power “dPG/dVG” can be described by
In the ideal case, the output voltage of SEPIC is given by: the following equation:
D dPG dðIG $VG Þ dVG dIG DIG
V1 ¼ Vg  (2) ¼ ¼ IG $ þ VG $ ¼ IG þ V G $ (5)
1D dVG dVG dVG dVG DVG

The Incremental Conductance MPPT technique
The MPPT technique used with this converter is the Incre-
mental Conductance algorithm shown in Fig. 9, it is based on
knowledge of the change in conductance of the photovoltaic
generator and the impact on the position of the operating
point over a maximum power point “MPP”. Thus, the
conductance “G” of the photovoltaic generator is defined by
the ratio between the generator's current and the generator's
voltage as follows:
 The Buck-Boost converter
G ¼ Ig V g
And a basic change (increment) of conductance can be
defined as:
 A Buck-Boost converter circuit is a cascade combination
dG ¼ dIg dVg
On the other hand, the evolution of the generator's power
“PG” relative to the generator's voltage “VG“ gives the position
of the operating point relative to the “MPP”.
Hence, we can write new conditions on the change in
conductance as those derived on the power:
- If DIG/DVG > IG/VG, the operating point is on the left of
“MPP”,
- If DIG/DVG ¼ IG/VG, the operating point is on the “MPP”,
- If DIG/DVG < IG/VG, the operating point is on the right of
“MPP” [11,18].
(3)
The second DCeDC converter in the studied system is based
on the classical version of the Buck-Boost converter which is a
step-down/step-up DC/DC converter.
(4) topology of Buck converter and Boost converter. As it is
known, the Buck-Boost converter inverses the polarity of its
output compared to its input, this is caused by its configura-
tion; polarized load or batteries must be carefully inserted in
the right position.

Fig. 9 e Algorithm of Incremental Conductance method.

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Fig. 10 shows the basic electrical scheme of the classical

Buck-Boost converter which is composed of a power switch
Q1, an inductor L, a diode d, and an output capacitor C [19].
In this work, the converter uses two switches, Q1, and Q2,
where the second switch replaces the diode, for reasons of
maintaining the circuit operates in continuous conduction
mode, and deleting the inverse diode voltage. The double
switch DCeDC Buck-Boost converter electrical scheme is
shown in Fig. 11. It is controlled by pulse width modulation
Fig. 13 e Second operating mode “Q1 open, Q2 closed” for
technique. The main advantages of this design are the high
(1-D)T Seconds.
efficiency of energy transfer, and the ability of the converter to
operate in a large interval of input and output voltages by
period (s). The duty cycle is defined as the ratio of the “on time”
making the suitable choice of the duty cycle.
of the first switch to the total switching period, it is given by:
The switches, Q1 and Q2 are controlled by pulse width
modulation (PWM) signals which are generated in the control ton1
circuit. In continuous conduction mode, The Buck-Boost con- D¼ (6)
T
verter has two operating modes “switch Q1 closed, switch Q2
During the first operating mode, while the first power
open” and “switch Q1 open, switch Q2 closed”. Figs. 12 and
switch Q1 conducts, the second switch Q2 is open, the con-
13 show respectively the equivalent circuits of these oper-
verter circuit model reduces to Fig. 12. The inductor voltage VL,
ating modes; where V2 and V1 are respectively the output and
the capacitor current iC, and the dc source current i1, are given
the input voltages, the terms I2 and I1 are respectively the
by:
output and input currents. T is the period of the PWM signals
(s), D is the duty cycle of the PWM signal driving the first switch VL ðtÞ ¼ V1 (7)
(%) and ton1 is the operating time of the first switch per one
V2 ðtÞ
iC ðtÞ ¼  (8)
R

i1 ðtÞ ¼ iL ðtÞ (9)

With the assumption that the converter operates with

small inductor current ripple and small capacitor voltage
ripple, the magnetizing current iL(t) and the output capacitor
voltage V2(t) can be approximated by their direct components,
IL and V2, respectively.

VL zV1 (10)

Fig. 10 e Buck-Boost converter basic electrical scheme.

V2
IC z  (11)
R

I1 zIL (12)

During the second operating mode, the first power switch

is open, and the second power switch conducts. The converter
circuit model reduces to Fig. 13. The inductance voltage VL, the
capacitor current iC, and the direct source current i1, for this
operating mode are:

VL ðtÞ ¼ V2 ðtÞz  V2 (13)

Fig. 11 e Double switch Buck-Boost converter electrical
scheme.
V2 ðtÞ V2
iC ðtÞ ¼ iL ðtÞ  zIL  (14)
R R

i1 ðtÞ ¼ 0 (15)

In continuous-conduction mode, since in steady-state

inductor principle, the average inductance voltage VL over
one time period is zero, where VL knows two states, so that
from Eqs. (10) and (13):

< VL > ¼ ½D  V1  þ ½ð1  DÞ  ðV2 Þ ¼ 0 (16)

Fig. 12 e First operating mode “Q1 closed, Q2 open” for DT
So that, the output voltage can be written as next:
Seconds.
20852 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 4 1 ( 2 0 1 6 ) 2 0 8 4 7 e2 0 8 5 7

 
D
V2 ¼ V1  (17)
1D

As it is seen, for D less than 0.5 the converter performs buck

function and for D larger than 0.5 it is a boost topology.
Eqs. (11) and (14) and application of the principle of charge
balance to the output capacitor leads to:
     
V2 V2
< iC > ¼ D   þ ð1  DÞ  IL  ¼0 (18)
R R

From Eqs. (12) and (15), the average input current is given
by:

< i1 > ¼ ½D  ðIL Þ þ ½ð1  DÞ  ð0Þ (19)

The output voltage regulation technique

The regulation of the output voltage is provided by a control

block that uses the algorithm shown in Fig. 14. If we take into
account the converter's efficiency, Eq. (17) will be written as
follows:
 
D
V2 ¼ h  V1  (20)
1D

And therefore, the duty cycle is the parameter that allows

making variations to the output voltage according to the
reference voltage. The efficiency can be written as next:
   
1 V2
h¼ 1  (21)
D V1

The algorithm begins by initialization of the duty cycle to a

chosen value, and then measurement of the input voltage and
redaction of the inserted reference voltage are necessary to
introduce the duty cycle that corresponds to the ideal case.
After that, a delay is important before making a measure-
ment of the output voltage because the system needs time to
react; the obtained output voltage value is compared to the
reference voltage: if the output voltage is bigger, the duty cycle
has to be increased with one step size; and if it is lower, the
duty cycle has to be decreased with one step size.
At the end of the algorithm, measurement of the input
voltage is needed to calculate the efficiency and make sure
that it is bigger than a minimum value; otherwise, the algo-
rithm is reset.
Simulation results and discussion
Simulation with unregulated DC voltage source
The studied Buck-Boost converter has firstly been simulated
for an unregulated DC input source using MATLAB/Simulink
environment. The output of the system is connected to an R-L
load.
Two different Simulink models of it have been tested; the
first one is in open loop mode without regulation and the
second is in regulated output mode. The switching frequency
of the converter is set to 40 kHz; for simulation in open loop
mode, the duty cycle is chosen to be 48.8% and for the
Fig. 14 e Output regulation algorithm.
regulated output mode simulation, the value of the duty
cycle D, is introduced by the control system: it depends on
the variation of the converter's input voltage, its output
voltage, and the reference voltage. Both simulations are
based on the disturbance of the input voltage to see the re-
action of each system.
The simulation results are presented in the next figures:
The input voltage curve is given in Fig. 15; its form is chosen to
be variable on an interval of time to see the reaction of each
configuration and to compare between the two systems. Figs.
16 and 17 show respectively the output voltage curve and the
output current curve for open loop simulation.
The converter's output voltage curve and its zoom for
regulated output voltage mode simulation are respectively
shown in Figs. 18 and 19; also, the curve of the converter's
output current and its zoom are shown in Figs. 20 and 21 for
the same simulation; the duty cycle variation is shown is
Fig. 22; and the output power curve in Fig. 23.
These simulation results show that the regulated output
voltage converter gives a good response when the input
voltage changes; in the presented simulation, the time of
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Fig. 15 e The input voltage curve. Fig. 19 e Zoom of the output voltage curve in regulated
output simulation.

Fig. 16 e Output voltage curve in open loop simulation.

Fig. 20 e Output current curve in regulated output

simulation.

Fig. 17 e Output current curve in open loop simulation.

Fig. 21 e Zoom of the output current curve in regulated

output simulation.

response is very small; The output voltage returns to its

referential value in less than 20 ms (from 0.05 to 0.07 s) when
the input voltage increases with 6 V (from 160.5 to 166.5 V),
and, it also returns to the referential value which is 150 V
when the input voltage decreases with 13.5 V (from 166.5 to
153 V) in less than 25 ms; the ripple output voltage is less than
1 V and the ripple output current is only some milliamps; as
Fig. 23 shows, the output power has a curve which corre-
Fig. 18 e Output voltage curve in regulated output
sponds to the output voltage and the output current.
simulation.
20854 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 4 1 ( 2 0 1 6 ) 2 0 8 4 7 e2 0 8 5 7

Incremental-Conductance algorithm; the proposed double

switch regulated output voltage Buck-Boost converter and an
R-L load. The basic electric scheme of this system is given in
Fig. 24.
The system is tested with variable atmospheric conditions,
starting from the standard conditions (1000 W/m2, 25  C) then
changed in six different levels every 0.2 s as follows:

Case 1: decreasing the irradiance from 1000 W/m2 to

900 W/m2,
Case 2: decreasing both of the irradiance from 900 W/m2 to
800 W/m2 and the temperature from 25  C to 20  C,
Case 3: decreasing the temperature from 20  C to 10  C,
Fig. 22 e The duty cycle variation curve in regulated output
Case 4: increasing the irradiance from 800 W/m2 to 900 W/
simulation.
m2,
Case 5: increasing both of the irradiance from 900 W/m2 to
1000 W/m2 and the temperature from 10  C to 20  C,
Case 6: increasing the temperature from 20  C to 35  C.

The introduced atmospheric conditions variations are

given in Figs. 25 and 26.
Fig. 27 shows the curve of the extracted power from the
photovoltaic generator. The generator's voltage is presented in
Fig. 28. SEPIC's output voltage and its duty cycle are given in
Figs. 29 and 30 respectively; the Buck-Boost converter's output
voltage is shown in Fig. 31. Its output current and its duty cycle

Fig. 23 e The output power curve.

This simulation has showed the reaction of the proposed

Buck Boost converter when the input voltage changes with an
important value, this regulation was made to avoid over-
voltage that can damage some DC loads.

Simulation with the photovoltaic system

After testing the proposed converter with an unregulated

input voltage source; the converter is put under test with the
whole photovoltaic system that uses: Six photovoltaic mod- Fig. 25 e The irradiance curve.
ules; SEPIC DC/DC converter controlled with MPPT based on

Fig. 24 e The basic electric scheme of the studied system.

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Fig. 26 e The temperature curve. Fig. 29 e SEPIC's output voltage.

Fig. 30 e SEPIC's duty cycle.

Fig. 27 e Generator's power.

Fig. 28 e Generator's voltage. Fig. 31 e Buck-Boost converter's output voltage.

curves are given in Figs. 32 and 33 respectively; the Buck-Boost

converter's output power is shown is Fig. 34.
From the power generator curve, it is clear that the
extracted power depends on the temperature and mainly on
the irradiance level. The maximum power point is tracked
for each change of atmospheric conditions. This can also be
seen in the duty cycle curve where changes are noticed every
time. The generator voltage also changes during all the
simulation time; it follows the maximum power point
located in the PeV characteristic; and the important thing to
check is for sure the output voltage of the SEPIC MPPT con-
verter where the curve shows that it changes with important
values, which can even be 13 V. That problem is solved by
adding the second converter as it is seen in the output Fig. 32 e Buck-Boost converter's output current.
20856 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 4 1 ( 2 0 1 6 ) 2 0 8 4 7 e2 0 8 5 7
Fig. 33 e Buck-Boost converter's duty cycle.
Fig. 34 e Buck-Boost converter's output power.
voltage of the regulated Buck-Boost converter, the voltage
stays always constant (around 108 V) regardless of the output
voltage of SEPIC converter, and of course, transitory regimes
are noticed each time the atmospheric conditions change,
but the time of response is not bigger than 0.04 s in the worst
case; also, the voltage variations during these transitory re-
gimes don't exceed 3 V.
The duty cycle of the regulated Buck-Boost converter gives
an explanation of why the output voltage stays constant even
when the input changes; the duty cycle follows those changes
in order to keep the output voltage constant, the output cur-
rent is as can be seen not constant as well, and this is normal
because it follows the curve of the extracted power which is
variable.
The disturbance on voltage has a major effect to certain
loads; if the output of the SEPIC is directly connected to a
sensible DC load that operates at a defined voltage, the load
can be easily damaged if it doesn't have an over-voltage pro-
tection circuit; and even if it does have that circuit, the output
power won't be well controlled which will lead to decreasing
the efficiency of the system.
The output power of Buck-Boost converter presented in
Fig. 34 has almost the same curve as the generated power but
with taking the power conversion system efficiency into ac-
count; however the efficiency is around 92% for the entire
system; so the loss of the circuit represents 8% of the gener-
ated power which means a loss of 28 W of 376 W in the worst
case.
The studied system presents a good stability and a fast
reaction to the variations of atmospheric conditions; the
maximum power point is always achieved and the output
voltage is maintained constant for every case; all this with a
good efficiency of power conversion.
Conclusion
This papers shows that tracking the maximum power point is
essential for photovoltaic energy conversion systems but it is
not enough; it is not only the extracted power that matters but
also other parameters such as the system's output voltage and
the power conversion efficiency. Photovoltaic systems should
be improved by controlling the variations of the quantities
depending to the loads.
In the presented work, a photovoltaic system electronically
constituted of two DCeDC power converters is studied and
simulated with MATLAB/Simulink platform; the Single-Ended
Primary-Inductance Converter (SEPIC) is used as a first con-
verter; it is controlled with the maximum power point
tracking (MPPT) technique that uses the Incremental
Conductance algorithm; the second converter is the double
switch Buck-Boost which is controlled in a way that maintains
its output voltage constant during variation in the atmo-
spheric conditions that can happen at any time.
The obtained simulation results of the studied system
show that the maximum power point is tracked; and they also
show the importance of the output voltage regulation of
photovoltaic systems; this method improves the efficiency of
the photovoltaic system, ensures a good transfer of energy,
and avoids the over-voltages risks that can affect negatively
on the load.
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