Analysis of a Boost-Fed Full-Bridge Converter as a Voltage Stabilizer for a Fuel Cell Source

Fuel cells are an environmentally friendly energy source device. The application of fuel cells as an energy source requires considering the characteristics of fuel cells which tend to produce a decreasing and non-constant output voltage. In this research, a full bridge circuit design is proposed that has a fuel cell energy source with the addition of a Boost DC-DC Converter, with the aim of obtaining a voltage output with minimal ripple by reducing the current density and fixing the problem of voltage drop at the fuel cell voltage output, which is if the fuel voltage output cells with only a full bridge circuit have problems with ripple and are considered less efficient. The modeling of the full bridge DC-DC Converter circuit was carried out with the addition of a PID control system on the Boost Converter taking into account the linear voltage output on the boost converter and the SMC on the Full Bridge Converter which considered the output on the full bridge being non-linear. In this study, a comparative evaluation was carried out between circuits with the addition of a boost converter and without the addition of a boost converter. The research results show that the circuit with the addition of a boost converter has a slower system response than without a boost converter. The circuit with a boost converter obtains an output voltage of 600V in 0.116 seconds, while without a boost converter, it reaches an output voltage of 600V in 0.083 seconds. However, a circuit without a boost converter has less ripple and a better efficient level than a circuit without a boost converter.