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

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.