Integral Hierarchical Degradation Management-Oriented Control of Parallel-Connected DC/DC Converters

Abraham M. Alcaide; Sandro Guenter; Jose I. Leon; Ramon Portillo; Ricardo Lizana F; Giampaolo Buticchi; Samir Kouro; Leopoldo G. Franquelo

doi:10.1109/TIE.2026.3672741

Integral Hierarchical Degradation Management-Oriented Control of Parallel-Connected DC/DC Converters

Abraham M. Alcaide^*
, Sandro Guenter
, Jose I. Leon
, Ramon Portillo
, Ricardo Lizana F
, Giampaolo Buticchi
, Samir Kouro
, Leopoldo G. Franquelo

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Research output: Journal Publication › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Power electronics building block (PEBB)-based converters have gained significant industrial interest because of their cost-effectiveness and scalability in complex power conversion systems. In electric vehicle fast-charging stations (EVCSs), PEBB-based converters configured in parallel offer high availability, fault tolerance, and superior output quality. However, uneven operation of PEBB modules can result in an imbalance in their remaining useful lifetime (RUL). This article presents a hierarchical, degradation management-oriented control strategy for parallel-connected DC–DC converters, designed to optimize thermal and harmonic performance while balancing RUL across modules and the coupling capacitor, thereby enhancing the overall availability of the PEBB-based systems. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposal from thermal and harmonic perspectives.

Original language	English
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TIE.2026.3672741
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 2026

Free Keywords

DC-DC converters
Harmonic control
harmonic description
Power converters
Remaining useful lifetime

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Control and Systems Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1109/TIE.2026.3672741

Cite this

@article{c23b02c4012a4ee4bf0858cc8d320d9e,

title = "Integral Hierarchical Degradation Management-Oriented Control of Parallel-Connected DC/DC Converters",

abstract = "Power electronics building block (PEBB)-based converters have gained significant industrial interest because of their cost-effectiveness and scalability in complex power conversion systems. In electric vehicle fast-charging stations (EVCSs), PEBB-based converters configured in parallel offer high availability, fault tolerance, and superior output quality. However, uneven operation of PEBB modules can result in an imbalance in their remaining useful lifetime (RUL). This article presents a hierarchical, degradation management-oriented control strategy for parallel-connected DC–DC converters, designed to optimize thermal and harmonic performance while balancing RUL across modules and the coupling capacitor, thereby enhancing the overall availability of the PEBB-based systems. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposal from thermal and harmonic perspectives.",

keywords = "DC-DC converters, Harmonic control, harmonic description, Power converters, Remaining useful lifetime",

author = "Alcaide, \{Abraham M.\} and Sandro Guenter and Leon, \{Jose I.\} and Ramon Portillo and \{Lizana F\}, Ricardo and Giampaolo Buticchi and Samir Kouro and Franquelo, \{Leopoldo G.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 1982-2012 IEEE.",

year = "2026",

doi = "10.1109/TIE.2026.3672741",

language = "English",

journal = "IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics",

issn = "0278-0046",

publisher = "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Integral Hierarchical Degradation Management-Oriented Control of Parallel-Connected DC/DC Converters

AU - Alcaide, Abraham M.

AU - Guenter, Sandro

AU - Leon, Jose I.

AU - Portillo, Ramon

AU - Lizana F, Ricardo

AU - Buticchi, Giampaolo

AU - Kouro, Samir

AU - Franquelo, Leopoldo G.

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - Power electronics building block (PEBB)-based converters have gained significant industrial interest because of their cost-effectiveness and scalability in complex power conversion systems. In electric vehicle fast-charging stations (EVCSs), PEBB-based converters configured in parallel offer high availability, fault tolerance, and superior output quality. However, uneven operation of PEBB modules can result in an imbalance in their remaining useful lifetime (RUL). This article presents a hierarchical, degradation management-oriented control strategy for parallel-connected DC–DC converters, designed to optimize thermal and harmonic performance while balancing RUL across modules and the coupling capacitor, thereby enhancing the overall availability of the PEBB-based systems. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposal from thermal and harmonic perspectives.

AB - Power electronics building block (PEBB)-based converters have gained significant industrial interest because of their cost-effectiveness and scalability in complex power conversion systems. In electric vehicle fast-charging stations (EVCSs), PEBB-based converters configured in parallel offer high availability, fault tolerance, and superior output quality. However, uneven operation of PEBB modules can result in an imbalance in their remaining useful lifetime (RUL). This article presents a hierarchical, degradation management-oriented control strategy for parallel-connected DC–DC converters, designed to optimize thermal and harmonic performance while balancing RUL across modules and the coupling capacitor, thereby enhancing the overall availability of the PEBB-based systems. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposal from thermal and harmonic perspectives.

KW - DC-DC converters

KW - Harmonic control

KW - harmonic description

KW - Power converters

KW - Remaining useful lifetime

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105041965207

U2 - 10.1109/TIE.2026.3672741

DO - 10.1109/TIE.2026.3672741

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105041965207

SN - 0278-0046

JO - IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics

JF - IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics

ER -

Integral Hierarchical Degradation Management-Oriented Control of Parallel-Connected DC/DC Converters

Abstract

Free Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this