An active-clamp forward converter with a current-doubler circuit for photovoltaic energy conversion

In this paper, an active-clamp forward converter with a current-doubler circuit for photovoltaic (PV) energy conversion is proposed. The proposed converter consists of a PV arrays energy source, a active-clamp forward converter, and a current-doubler circuit. It has the following advantages: 1) maximum power point tracking (MPPT) can be accomplished for PV arrays energy, 2) zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) for active switches of forward converter is implemented to reduce switching and conducting losses, and 3) electricity isolation is naturally obtained. To achieve an optimally dynamic response and adopt a costly effective microcontroller for the proposed dual-input power supply, a digital signal processor (DSP) is investigated and presented to implement MPPT algorithm and power regulating scheme. Finally, a 240 W prototype active-clamp forward converter with a current-doubler circuit is built and implemented. Experimental results are presented to verify the performance and the feasibility of the proposed converter with a current-doubler circuit for PV energy conversion.