Four-switch buck-boost based module block for highly modular power architecture

Abstract

This paper presents a novel power architecture that utilizes modular power blocks capable of working as Solar Array Regulator (SAR), Battery Charge Regulator (BCR), and Battery Discharge Regulator (BDR) without the need for hardware reconfiguration, while enabling parallel operation without centralized control. By eliminating the costs associated with hardware reconfiguration, the design and development time of the power subsystem is significantly reduced. Extensive analysis has been conducted to identify the best converter option, resulting in the selection of the four-switch buck-boost topology. To validate the proposed approach, a prototype representing a modular block has been designed and tested.