Power conditioning system for energy sources

1. Apparatus for conditioning power generated by an energy source, comprising:

an inverter for converting a first DC input voltage to a first AC output voltage;

a multiphase first converter for converting said first AC output voltage from said inverter to a second AC output voltage; and

a second converter for increasing a voltage output by the energy source to said first DC input voltage, said second converter including a coupled inductor having a first winding for conducting DC current and a second winding for conducting AC current of said voltage output by the energy source for generating a substantially ripple free current from said voltage output.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein said first AC output voltage comprises a high frequency square wave AC output voltage and said second AC output voltage comprises a sine wave AC output voltage.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein said inverter comprises a plurality of switches that are turned on and off at a predetermined duty pulse to generate said high frequency square wave AC output voltage.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 , wherein said plurality of switches of said inverter are connected in a multi-level arrangement with said first AC output voltage being output between a select pair of said switches.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein said converter is sine wave modulated to generate said sine wave AC output voltage.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein said first converter comprises a pair of bidirectional switches for each phase of said sine wave AC output voltage.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein energy source comprises at least one fuel cell (FC).

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein said energy source comprises a photovoltaic array.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising an active power filter connected to input of said first converter for reducing a low frequency ripple current in said first DC input voltage.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a transformer for transmitting said first AC output voltage from said inverter to said first converter.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein said multiphase first converter comprises a full bridge AC/AC converter.

12. Apparatus for conditioning power generated by an energy source, comprising:

a boost converter for increasing a voltage output by the energy source to a first DC input voltage, said boost converter including a coupled inductor having a first winding conducting DC current and a second winding conducting AC current;

a DC/AC inverter for converting said first DC input voltage to a first AC output voltage;

a multiphase AC/AC converter for converting said first AC output voltage from said inverter to a second AC output voltage; and

means for transmitting said first AC output voltage from said inverter to said AC/AC converter.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12 , wherein said DC/AC comprises a plurality of switches connected in a multi-level arrangement with said first AC output voltage being output between a select pair of said switches.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 12 , wherein said AC/AC converter comprises a pair of bidirectional switches for each phase of said sine wave AC output voltage.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 12 , wherein said multiphase AC/AC converter comprises a full bridge AC/AC converter.

16. A power electronic system for conditioning power from a fuel cell, such system comprising:

a boost converter adapted to boost a voltage of a direct current (DC) output voltage from the fuel cell, and to substantially cancel input ripple current at the fuel cell through mutual inductance;

a high frequency converter with a plurality of switching elements adapted to convert the direct current (DC) voltage from the boost converter into a square wave alternating current (AC) voltage; and

an AC to AC converter adapted to reduce a current in each of the switching elements of the high frequency converter substantially to zero before a switching element is switched for converting the AC voltage from the high frequency converter to AC output voltage.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein said boost converter comprises a coupled inductor having a first winding conducting DC current and a second winding conducting AC current.