Scalable multi-port converter for solar electric vehicles

An isolated active bridge DC-DC power converter, comprising:

• a control unit;
• a primary side, comprising:
• one or more input power ports arranged to be connected to an input power source;
• a low voltage port arranged to be connected to a low voltage power storage;
• two primary-side switching elements for each of the one or more input power ports;
• a primary-side converter inductance for each of the one or more input power ports;
• each pair of primary-side switching elements and a respective primary-side converter inductance being arranged to form a half-bridge arrangement for bidirectionally converting power between a respective input power port and the low voltage port;
• a primary-side transformer winding for each of the one or more input power ports;
• wherein:
• the control unit is configured to control the primary-side switching elements to convert power between each of the one or more input power ports and the low voltage port;
• a secondary side, comprising:
• a high voltage port, being arranged to be connected to a high voltage power storage;
• two secondary-side switching elements;
• a secondary-side transformer winding, magnetically coupled to the primary-side transformer winding;
• the two primary-side switching elements, the primary-side transformer winding, the two secondary-side switching elements and the secondary-side transformer winding being arranged to form an isolated DC-DC converter between the primary side and the secondary side;
• wherein:
• the control unit is configured to control the two primary-side switching elements and the two secondary-side switching elements for converting power between each of the primary-side ports and the high voltage port.