Analysis of nonlinear dynamics of a quadratic boost converter used for maximum power point tracking in a grid-interlinked PV system

In this paper, the nonlinear dynamics of a PV-fed high-voltage-gain single-switch quadratic boost converter loaded by a grid-interlinked DC-AC inverter is explored in its parameter space. The control of the input port of the converter is designed using a resistive control approach ensuring stability at the slow time-scale. However, time-domain simulations, performed on a full-order circuit-level switched model implemented in PSIM c software, show that at relatively high irradiance levels, the system may exhibit undesired subharmonic instabilities at the fast time-scale. A model of the system is derived, and a closed-form expression is used for locating the subharmonic instability boundary in terms of parameters of different nature. The theoretical results are in remarkable agreement with the numerical simulations and experimental measurements using a laboratory prototype. The modeling method proposed and the results obtained can help in guiding the design of power conditioning converters for solar PV systems, as well as other similar structures for energy conversion systems.