Design and analysis of a resonant inverter fed from a Cuk converter for use in a remote area telecom system

Abstract

In remote areas various security forces and law enforcing agencies need to use modem tools and communication equipments for national interest and security. Also, in hilly areas and tactical points of the country, the military forces need to use modem communication equipments and electronics. All these need to investigate alternative supply sources and delivery mechanisms for those systems. Community participation in off-grid electrification projects, using renewable energy sources, is a fast -growing method of increasing access to electricity. Storage power supplies, such as, batteries and fuel cells have been used in situations where electric power from the grid is unavailable; in remote area power systems, earth orbiting satellites or space probes, consumer systems, e.g. handheld calculators or wrist watches, remote radiotelephones and water pumping applications. Presently, solar arrays are used to supply communication equipments in remote areas. Users in remote areas use DC equipment and systems suitable for storage power or alternative power sources. Historically, solar cells have been used in situations where electric power from the grid is unavailable. Recently solar cells are particularly used in assemblies of solar modules (photovoltaic arrays) connected to the electricity grid through an inverter, often in combination with a net metering arrangement. In this research work proposed equipments that are built to accept DC power supplies of solar system at 12V or 24V DC. In such applications common communication or telecom apparatus of 120V AC 60/50 Hz or 230V AC 60/50 Hz cannot be used. If a power supply unit using such a system may be designed and fabricated to provide conventional AC voltage at 50/60 Hz, then commercially available communication equipments may be used in remote installations without customised modules. This paper describes a new strategy for converting the solar power for use in a commercial telecom/communication set using a Resonant Inverter and a Cuk Converter. The main objective is to investigate the solar electric system. The comprehensive system consists of PV array, Cuk converter, resonant inverter, battery and battery charger. The Solar array, Cuk converter and resonant inverter have been widely studied. A useful discussion has also been included.