Combining Model-Based and Heuristic Techniques for Fast Tracking the Maximum-Power Point of Photovoltaic Systems (original) (raw)

Using the model of the solar cell for determining the maximum power point of photovoltaic systems

2007

This paper proposes a technique for accelerating the convergence to the maximum power point of photovoltaic (PV) systems based on the model obtained from manufacturer's generator data. The influence of the temperature over the PV array performance is considered, and no measurement of solar radiation is required. No knowledge of the load model and no expensive sensor circuitry are necessary. The tracking speed is much faster than non model-based techniques at the expenses of an increase in the computational complexity. Simulation and experimental results are presented and demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed solution.

Model based rapid maximum power point tracking for photovoltaic systems

This paper presents a novel approach for tracking the maximum power point of photovoltaic (PV) systems so as to extract maximum available power from PV modules. Unlike conventional methods, a very fast tracking response with virtually no steady state oscillations is able to obtain in tracking the maximum power point. To apply the proposed method, firstly, output voltages, output currents under different conditions and temperat ures of a PV module are collected for the fitting of environmental invariant nonlinear model for the PV system. Orthogo nal least squares estimation algorithm coupled with the forward searching algorithm is applied to sort through all possible candidate terms resulted from the expansion of a polynomial model and to come up with a parsimonious model for the PV system. It is not necessary to test all PV modules as the resultant model is valid for other modules. The power delivered by the PV system can be derived from the fitted model and the maximum power point for the PV system at any working conditions can be obtained from the fitted model. Consequently, rapid maximum power point tracking could be achieved. Experimental results are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the fitted model in maximum power point trackin g. Crown

A new algorithm for rapid tracking of approximate maximum power point in photovoltaic systems

IEEE Power Electronics Letters, 2004

This paper presents a new algorithm for tracking maximum power point in photovoltaic systems. This is a fast tracking algorithm, where an initial approximation of maximum power point is (MPP) quickly achieved using a variable step-size. Subsequently, the exact maximum power point can be targeted using any conventional method like the hill-climbing or incremental conductance method. Thus, the drawback of a fixed small step-size over the entire tracking range is removed, resulting in reduced number of iterations and much faster tracking compared to conventional methods. The strength of the algorithm comes from the fact that instead of tracking power, which does not have a one-to-one relationship with duty cycle, it tracks an intermediate variable , which has a monotonically increasing, one-to-one relationship. The algorithm has been verified on a photovoltaic system modeled in Matlab-Simulink software. The algorithm significantly improves the efficiency during the tracking phase as compared to a conventional algorithm. It is especially suitable for fast changing environmental conditions. The proposed algorithm can be implemented on any fast controller such as the digital signal processor. All the details of this study are presented.

Review of the modern techniques of Maximum Power Point Tracking for the solar photovoltaic systems

The energy generation of a solar photovoltaic (SPV) system is directly dependent on solar radiation intensity and its availability. The energy generation from the PV module is also affected due to climatic parameters such as ambient temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind and dust. To extract the maximum power from PV array Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technique is applied. At varying operating conditions, MPPT algorithms automatically detect the maximum power and supply to the load. In the present paper ten different MPPT techniques have been identified and analyzed. These different techniques have been well developed in the papers individually. In the present study a comprehensive review of popular MPPT techniques is presented.

Performance Evaluation of PV Model-Based Maximum Power Point Tracking Techniques

Electronics

Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques extract the ultimate power from the photovoltaic (PV) source. Therefore, it is a fundamental control algorithm in any PV configuration. The research in this area is rich and many MPPT methods have been presented in the literature. However, in the current study, we focus on the PV model-based MPPT algorithms. In this regard, the classification of this category can be mainly divided into curve fitting methods and techniques based on the mathematical model or characteristics of the PV source. The objective of the PV model-based MPPT algorithm is to allocate the position of the maximum power point (MPP). Thus, no searching efforts are required to capture that point, which makes it simple and easy to implement. Consequently, the aim of this study is to give an overview of the most commonly utilized model-based MPPT methods. Furthermore, discussion and suggestions are also addressed to highlight the gap in this area. The main methods from the...

A review study of photovoltaic array maximum power tracking algorithms

There are numerous maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms for improving the energy efficiency of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The main differences between these algorithms are digital or analog implementation, simplicity of the design, sensor requirements, convergence speed, range of effectiveness, as well as hardware costs. Therefore, choosing the right algorithm is very important to the users, because it affects the electrical efficiency of PV system and reduces the costs by decreasing the number of solar panels needed to get the desired power. This paper provides the comparison of 62 different techniques used in tracking the maximum power based on literature survey. This paper is intended to be a reference for PV systems users.

Maximum Power Point Tracking Algorithm for Advanced Photovoltaic Systems

International Journal on Recent and Innovation Trends in Computing and Communication

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are the major nonconventional sources for power generation for present power strategy. The power of PV system has rapid increase because of its unpolluted, less noise and limited maintenance. But whole PV system has two main disadvantages drawbacks, that is, the power generation of it is quite low and the output power is nonlinear, which is influenced by climatic conditions, namely environmental temperature and the solar irradiation. The natural limiting factor is that PV potential in respect of temperature and irradiation has nonlinear output behavior. An automated power tracking method, for example, maximum power point tracking (MPPT), is necessarily applied to improve the power generation of PV systems. The MPPT methods undergo serious challenges when the PV system is under partial shade condition because PV shows several peaks in power. Hence, the exploration method might easily be misguided and might trapped to the local maxima. Therefore, a reasonable...

Comparison of Maximum Power Point Tracking Techniques for Different Types of Photovoltaic Models

The International Conference on Electrical Engineering, 2010

Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques are used in photovoltaic (PV) systems to maximize the PV array output power by tracking continuously the maximum power point (MPP) which depends on panel's temperature and on irradiance conditions. For low-cost implementations, four methods are introduced in this paper in a comparative study: Hill Climbing/the perturb and observe (P&O), Incremental Conductance (IncCond), Fractional Open-Circuit Voltage and Fractional Short-Circuit Current maximum power point tracking algorithms. These are the most commonly used methods due their implementation ease. In this paper, models of different types of photovoltaic such as Single-crystalline, Polycrystalline and Amorphous are implemented and compared based on their characteristics and their MPP tracking efficiency. "MATLAB R2008a" facilities are used for simulation and modeling of different methods of MPPT tracking on different types of PV models mentioned above.

A Review of Maximum Power Point Tracking Algorithm for Solar Photovoltaic Applications

The world's large dependency on conventional energy sources has not only posed a threat to the environment but also they are non-renewable. Therefore, a huge interest is put upon renewable sources of energy. Amongst them, solar technology has become a rapid growing industry for power generation. This paper briefly reviews the technological challenges of maximum power point (MPP) tracking of photovoltaic (PV) energy obtained from solar cells. The paper describes the evolution of several MPP techniques that are popular commercially and presents their basic working, utilisation ability in different scenarios, cost of implementation and new research performed to find better techniques. The study also includes incorporation of soft computing in solar MPP tracking. It is observed that, the MPP tracking techniques are rapidly evolving from simple to complex methods, as per the demands dictates. The simpler methods like perturb and observe are cost effective and have simpler design, but are highly inefficient in terms of efficiencies under drastically changing environment. They find application in streetlights and solar lanterns. The incorporation of soft computing methods like ANNs, FLCs, can drastically increase efficiency, but are cost ineffective. Such techniques find place where efficiency matters the most. In large PV plants, these systems prove to be highly efficient.

Efficient Photovoltaic System Maximum Power Point Tracking Using a New Technique

Energies, 2016

Partial shading is an unavoidable condition which significantly reduces the efficiency and stability of a photovoltaic (PV) system. When partial shading occurs the system has multiple-peak output power characteristics. In order to track the global maximum power point (GMPP) within an appropriate period a reliable technique is required. Conventional techniques such as hill climbing and perturbation and observation (P&O) are inadequate in tracking the GMPP subject to this condition resulting in a dramatic reduction in the efficiency of the PV system. Recent artificial intelligence methods have been proposed, however they have a higher computational cost, slower processing time and increased oscillations which results in further instability at the output of the PV system. This paper proposes a fast and efficient technique based on Radial Movement Optimization (RMO) for detecting the GMPP under partial shading conditions. The paper begins with a brief description of the behavior of PV systems under partial shading conditions followed by the introduction of the new RMO-based technique for GMPP tracking. Finally, results are presented to demonstration the performance of the proposed technique under different partial shading conditions. The results are compared with those of the PSO method, one of the most widely used methods in the literature. Four factors, namely convergence speed, efficiency (power loss reduction), stability (oscillation reduction) and computational cost, are considered in the comparison with the PSO technique.