Study and Design of a DC-DC Converter for Third Generation Solar Cells

Sammanfattning: The perceived battery capacity of battery-powered devices can be increased by harvesting energy from readily available sources. Third generation solar cells are a good candidate for this purpose since they can be integrated with these battery-powered devices and harvest power from diffused light. For a single third generation solar cell to be useful in the context of charging a Lithium based battery, the voltage must be increased tenfold. To increase this perceived battery capacity as much as possible, efficiency is crucial. In this thesis, DCDC converter topologies and designs are studied from a system design perspective. The specifications of a converter suitable for interfacing Dye-Sensitised Solar Cells with Lithium batteries are described and a market research is conducted based on those specifications. A comparison of the available commercial solutions is presented, highlighting the most suitable options. However, none of the commercial solutions met the specifications to the full extent. The design process of two DC-DC converters is presented, one is a Boost converter operating in Continuous Conduction Mode and the other is a Boost converter operating in Discontinuous Conduction Mode. A comparison of the two designs highlights the advantages of operating the Boost converter in Discontinuous Conduction Mode when interfaced with a Dye-Sensitised Solar Cell. The design with a Boost converter operating in Discontinuous Conduction Mode has an efficiency of 80.3 % and is capable of tracking the Maximum Power Point of the Dye-Sensitised Solar Cell.