A High-Performance Hybrid Active Switched Reactance Converter for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

This article introduces a novel high-performance DC-DC converter topology specifically designed for fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) applications in line with global efforts to advance clean and green energy solutions. The proposed converter, named the Hybrid Active Switched Reactance Converter (HASRC), eliminates the need for cascaded architectures or coupled inductors, instead utilizing a unique combination of switched-inductor (SL) and switched-capacitor (SC) modules to achieve substantial voltage boosting. The HASRC is proposed and developed to deliver high output voltage while effectively minimizing voltage stress across critical components, particularly the output diode and the semiconductor switches. The converter's design allows for further voltage extension without requiring additional circuitry for peak inverse voltage (PIV) suppression, ensuring continuous input and output currents and stable outputs over a wide range of dynamic uncertainties. This makes the HASRC especially well-suited for FCEV applications, where power density, efficiency, and reliability are paramount. The converter's performance is rigorously analyzed, and its effectiveness is demonstrated through the development of a hardware prototype capable of handling up to 400W at a switching frequency of 50kHz.