Switched capacitor high voltage gain DC-DC Converters for hydrogen vehicles: a detailed comprehensive analysis

• SC converters boost low FC voltage without bulky magnetic parts. • PEMFCs are optimal for EVs due to high efficiency and fast startup. • Hybrid SC topologies offer improved gain, efficiency, and scalability. • Advanced control and soft switching reduce stress and power losses. • MATLAB simulation validates the performance of SC-based converters. At present, Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVS) are used worldwide because of their efficiency, clean energy production, and exceptional energy storage capabilities, positioning them as a viable alternative to conventional fossil-fuel-based transportation. However, the low-voltage output of fuel cells requires high-gain DC-DC converters to meet the necessary voltage levels for the DC bus in FCEVS. In this work, the first objective is the analysis of various categories of fuel cell models, and the identification of suitable fuel cells for hydrogen vehicles has been done in terms of operational temperature and efficiency. After that, the identification of the various switched capacitors DC-DC converters for fuel cell voltage enhancement has been studied by considering the parameters, are inductive elements used for the development of converters, capacitors selected for stabilising the voltage levels, and power semiconductor diodes. Also, the converter voltage gains, implementation cost, voltage stress appearing across diodes, advantages, limitations, and design complexity parameters are discussed for hydrogen vehicle systems. Finally, the third objective gives the ongoing trends of advanced control techniques for DC-DC converters, and their importance is discussed by utilising the MATLAB/Simulink environment.