Recent advances of step-up multi-stage DC-DC converters

A review on classifications, structures and grid applications

Review (2025)
Author(s)

Mahdi Abolghasemi (Shahrood University of Technology)

Iman Soltani (Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin)

Mojtaba Shivaie (Shahrood University of Technology)

Hani Vahedi (TU Delft - DC systems, Energy conversion & Storage)

Research Group
DC systems, Energy conversion & Storage
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2025.02.025
More Info
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Publication Year
2025
Language
English
Research Group
DC systems, Energy conversion & Storage
Volume number
13
Pages (from-to)
3050-3081
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Abstract

In the contemporary landscape of trend industries including sustainable energy sources, high-voltage direct current, and electrified mobility, the need for power conversion units to bridge disparate sections is felt more than ever before. Among these conversion units, the step-up DC-DC converters occupy a pivotal role, elevating the DC voltage levels and facilitating interactions between converters and circuits. However, the multistage DC-DC converters, prevalent in large-scale industries, offer higher voltage gains and power density. This review paper has categorized the multistage DC-DC converters into isolated/non-isolated, voltage-fed/current-fed, unidirectional/bidirectional, hard-switched/soft-switched, and step-up/step-down configurations. It has been followed by a brief review of various voltage boosting techniques, containing an analysis of multi-staging voltage boosting methods and recent advances in converter structures. Then, the multistage DC-DC converters have been classified into several distinct categories: quadratic gain, cascaded, interleaved, modular, multilevel, and hybrid structures. Recent advancements and developments in each of these categories have been meticulously examined, with a focus on their fundamental concepts, advantages, and disadvantages. In particular, the voltage gains, voltage stresses, and current stresses associated with quadratic gain and cascaded DC-DC converters have been analyzed and compared in detail. Furthermore, an in-depth exploration of the structures and configurations of interleaved, modular, and multilevel DC-DC converters has been conducted. This includes a discussion on the combinations of modules, the benefits arising from these integrations, and insights for future developments. The applications of each category of multistage DC-DC converters across various industries—particularly in grid applications—have been thoroughly analyzed. Subsequently, these converters have been evaluated based on several criteria: reliability, component count, control complexity, voltage gain, power level, cost, and weight. The prioritization of these factors has also been systematically presented.