Power electronics converters for DC–DC conversion are extensively used in various applications. Further, with an increase in demand for integrating multiple sources with distinct I–V characteristics, a change over from single input DC–DC converters to multiple input converters (MICs) has been observed in the recent past. MICs are widely used for effective integration of energy sources in various applications ranging from milliwatt to megawatt power levels and millivolt to several kilovolts of voltage levels. The combination of sources with respective energy buffering units allow for a new configuration and topology, which are quite confusing and challenging to pick one for a specific application. MICs are categorised based on their characteristics, and each category has its pros and cons depending on the application. Further, this study categorises and comprehensively reviews the MICs based on their characteristics. In this regard, this study aims to provide a clear picture of MICs and the general rules and framework for the selection of MIC topology for a specific application. Also, the key features and limitations of a few recently proposed MICs, followed by the selection of MICs for different applications are discussed.

中文翻译：

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多输入转换器选择和综合的比较分析：综述

用于DC-DC转换的电力电子转换器广泛用于各种应用中。此外，随着集成具有不同I–V特性的多个源的需求不断增加，最近已观察到从单输入DC-DC转换器到多输入转换器（MIC）的转变。MIC在从毫瓦到兆瓦的功率水平以及从毫伏到几千伏的电压水平的各种应用中被广泛用于能源的有效集成。源与各自的能量缓冲单元的组合允许一种新的配置和拓扑，这对于为特定应用选择一个是相当混乱和挑战的。MIC是根据其特征进行分类的，并且每个类别都有其优缺点，具体取决于应用程序。进一步，本研究根据MIC的特征对它们进行分类和全面评估。在这方面，本研究旨在为MIC提供清晰的图像，并为特定应用选择MIC拓扑选择的一般规则和框架。此外，还讨论了一些最近提出的MIC的关键特征和局限性，然后讨论了针对不同应用的MIC选择。