Step-Up DC/DC Converters With Cascaded Quasi-Z-Source Network

This paper is devoted to the step-up dc/dc converter family with a cascaded quasi-Z-source network (qZS-network). The cascaded (two-stage) qZS-network could be derived by the adding of one diode, one inductor, and two capacitors to the traditional quasi-Z-source inverter (qZSI). The proposed cascaded qZSI inherits all the advantages of the traditional solution (voltage boost and buck functions in a single stage, continuous input current, and improved reliability). Moreover, as compared to the conventional qZSI, the proposed solution reduces the shoot-through duty cycle by over 30% at the same voltage boost factor. Theoretical analysis of the two-stage qZSI in the shoot-through and non-shoot-through operating modes is described. The proposed and traditional qZS-networks are compared. A prototype of a step-up dc/dc converter with the cascaded qZS-network was built to verify the theoretical assumptions. The experimental results are presented and analyzed. Finally, a further optimization method of the cascaded qZS-network is proposed, and some practical design issues are discussed.