Dc/dc converters meet competition

The need for dc/dc converters is ever expanding. They are important for many applications and are used extensively by OEMs and system integrators for applications in the healthcare, communications, computing, storage, business systems, test and measurement, instrumentation, and industrial equipment industries. The different types include those used for Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture systems (ATCA), high-voltage dc/dc converters that can be used for PFC modules, isolated dc/dc converters to precisely match the needs of low-voltage semiconductor devices (for example, Intermediate Bus Converters), non-isolated dc/dc converters for memory power & voltage regulator modules for processors (including voltage regulator modules), low profile converters, and power modules, as well as for microTCA system power modules that implement power conversion, management and protection. You can find the latest research from Frost and Sullivan ( www.frost.com/prod/servlet/report-brochure.pag?id=N6B0-01-00-00-00) that indicates a surging market, despite the frailty of world economies.

A recently emerging competitor to dc/dc converters in the photovoltaic (PV) market is the micro inverter. However, improvements in energy efficiency and greater electricity production from a given PV array will be ensured by either architecture, says a new report from Darnell. The 75-page first edition of “Disruptive Technologies Affecting the PV Industry, Micro Inverters and DC-DC Solutions: Economic Factors, Application Drivers, Architecture/Packaging Trends, Technology and Regulatory Developments” (www.powerpulse.net/story.php?storyID=21785) addresses the details about the competition between these two architectures.

The shortcomings inherent in the central inverter architecture for PVs are expected to provide a host of opportunities for several new technologies. In fact, a growing number of companies are developing products and technology specifically designed to generate more power from the PV panels already on the market. A distributed converter architecture using either of two specific disruptive technologies, micro inverters or dc/dc solutions, is expected to present a significant challenge to the conventional central inverter architecture over the coming years.

A significant advantage both of these technologies have over traditional central inverter technology is the ability to perform maximum power point tracking (MPPT) at the panel level. In addition to improvements in efficiency, the ability to reconfigure PV arrays without additional complex string calculations and improved operational flexibility, another opportunity for both micro inverter and dc/dc solutions is the further development and availability of communications systems for both commercial and residential PV systems. Manufacturers of disruptive technologies such as micro inverters and dc/dc solutions have picked up on this trend and are incorporating them into their respective systems.

The demand for technology to address the problem of PV shading is another area of opportunity for both micro inverters and dc/dc solutions. Due to the nature of solar array configuration, small amounts of shade (for example, shading of less than 10% of the surface area of a PV system) can lead to disproportionate power losses. Common causes of shade include structural objects such as trees, chimneys and dormers, and intermittent debris including falling leaves, bird droppings, dust and clouds passing overhead. These are unavoidable challenges that cannot be engineered out of an installation.

In an effort to promote the use of disruptive technologies such as micro inverters and dc/dc solutions, and avoid an outright battle in front of potential customers, a number of micro inverter and dc/dc solution manufacturers have adopted a strategy of partnerships and alliances within the industry. In fact, a number of solar suppliers and utilities have made either alliances or acquisitions of distributed electronics vendors in what is clearly a validation of the potential for both of these new disruptive technologies.

Paul O’Shea