Study of magnetic saturation in a boost converter: modeling and nonlinear control

This paper investigates a large-signal model for a boost DC-DC converter with a nonlinear controller, considering the nonlinear magnetic characteristics of the inductor that might affect system stability. The converter is designed with an optimized inductor core for space-constrained applications where output voltage quality is less critical, such as wind turbine kites and wave energy generators. Traditional linear controllers may underperform due to inductor nonlinearity. This study investigates the impact of magnetic saturation on the system's performances using a trajectory controller and shows that neglecting these effects degrades control performance. Under unmatched conditions on inductance’s value, the eigenvalues of the controlled system change. The simulation results align with the system's eigenvalues by explicitly incorporating the inductor's nonlinear characteristics, confirming the model's accuracy.