Abstract

Green hydrogen generation, i.e. water electrolysis powered by renewable energy, is a trending topic toward a sustainable energy mix. In this context, photovoltaic (PV)-based solutions are of main importance, where off-grid direct DC-DC structures have shown their advantage. From a power electronics perspective, Partial Power Converters (PPCs) are very attractive solutions allowing improvements in terms of efficiency, power density and costs among others. However, PPCs typically rely on the use of a transformer, even if resulting in a non-galvanically isolated solution. This paper proposes a transformerless PPC in the context of off-grid PV-fed green hydrogen production. A dedicated modulation strategy is introduced, enabling a wider output voltage range than existing PPC solutions, thereby improving compatibility with electrolyzer operation requirements. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the validity and interest of the proposed transformerless AC-link PPC.