Master’s Thesis Defense: Interleaved Converter Design for Photovoltaic Applications

On Thursday, November 28, 2019, the Electrical Engineering Department held a master’s thesis defense for student Karrar Saad Faraj at 9:00 AM in Dijla Hall. The thesis, titled “Design and Implementation of an Interleaved Coupled Inductor Converter for Voltage Boosting in Photovoltaic Systems,” was evaluated by the following committee members:

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fadhil Abbas Jumaa – Chair
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Inaam Ibrahim Ali – Member
• Asst. Prof. Dr. Fadhil Abbas Hassan – Member
• Dr. Jasim Farhoud Hussein – Supervisor and Member

The research proposed the application of coupled inductors in interleaved boost converters (IBC). The High Step-Up (HSU) DC-DC IBC design integrated an additional coupled inductor to reset magnetic flux during operation. Detailed mathematical analysis and simulations were conducted to evaluate the advantages of the proposed HSU DC-DC IBC compared to traditional non-coupled and coupled IBCs.

Simulations were carried out using MATLAB/SIMULINK, with a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control algorithm based on the Perturb & Observe (P&O) method for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). Results demonstrated that the proposed converter improved voltage gain, reduced current and voltage ripples at input and output, minimized voltage stress on switches, and enhanced efficiency.

At the conclusion of the defense, the thesis was accepted with minor revisions, and the student was awarded the degree of “Pass with Distinction.”