Novel maximum-power-point-tracking controller for photovoltaicenergy conversion system

A novel maximum-power-point-tracking (MPPT) controller for a photovoltaic (PV) energy conversion system is presented. Using the slope of power versus voltage of a PV array, the proposed MPPT controller allows the conversion system to track the maximum power point very rapidly. As opposed to conventional two-stage designs, a single-stage configuration is implemented, resulting in size and weight reduction and increased efficiency. The proposed system acts as a solar generator on sunny days, in addition to working as an active power line conditioner on rainy days. Finally, computer simulations and experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed technique     

基于PSpice的光伏并网系统仿真研究

采用DC／DC和DC／AC两级拓扑结构对光伏并网系统进行了研究和设计,采用改进的定电压跟踪法（CVT）实现最大功率点闭环跟踪,并将PWM控制器引入并网逆变中,采用三角波比较方式实现SPWM电压逆变和输出电流的波形跟踪与控制,在电压、电流内环的基础上引入功率外环以实现系统前后级功率平衡和能量管理,采用基于PSpice的光伏电池仿真模型对所设计光伏并网系统进行了仿真。仿真结果表明,基于PSpice的光伏仿真模型能够有效地模拟实际光伏并网系统的行为特征,将PSpice软件用于光伏发电系统的仿真是可行的。     

Development of a microcontroller-based, photovoltaic maximum powerpoint tracking control system

Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is used in photovoltaic (PV) systems to maximize the photovoltaic array output power, irrespective of the temperature and irradiation conditions and of the load electrical characteristics. A new MPPT system has been developed, consisting of a buck-type DC/DC converter, which is controlled by a microcontroller-based unit. The main difference between the method used in the proposed MPPT system and other techniques used in the past is that the PV array output power is used to directly control the DC/DC converter, thus reducing the complexity of the system. The resulting system has high-efficiency, lower-cost and can be easily modified to handle more energy sources (e.g., wind-generators). The experimental results show that the use of the proposed MPPT control increases the PV output power by as much as 15% compared to the case where the DC/DC converter duty cycle is set such that the PV array produces the maximum power at 1 kW/m² and 25°C     

Integrated photovoltaic maximum power point tracking converter

A low-power low-cost highly efficient maximum power point tracker (MPPT) to be integrated into a photovoltaic (PV) panel is proposed. This can result in a 25% energy enhancement compared to a standard photovoltaic panel, while performing functions like battery voltage regulation and matching of the PV array with the load. Instead of using an externally connected MPPT, it is proposed to use an integrated MPPT converter as part of the PV panel. It is proposed that this integrated MPPT uses a simple controller in order to be cost effective. Furthermore, the power converter has to be very efficient, in order to transfer more energy to the load than a directly-coupled system. This is achieved by using a simple soft-switched topology. A much higher conversion efficiency at lower cost will then result, making the MPPT an affordable solution for small PV energy systems     

Modeling and Control of PV Charger System With SEPIC Converter

The photovoltaic (PV) stand-alone system requires a battery charger for energy storage. This paper presents the modeling and controller design of the PV charger system implemented with the single-ended primary inductance converter (SEPIC). The designed SEPIC employs the peak-current-mode control with the current command generated from the input PV voltage regulating loop, where the voltage command is determined by both the PV module maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control loop and the battery charging loop. The control objective is to balance the power flow from the PV module to the battery and the load such that the PV power is utilized effectively and the battery is charged with three charging stages. This paper gives a detailed modeling of the SEPIC with the PV module input and peak-current-mode control first. Accordingly, the PV voltage controller, as well as the adaptive MPPT controller, is designed. An 80-W prototype system is built. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is proved with some simulation and experimental results.     

基于Buck拓扑的光伏充电控制器设计

介绍了一种基于Buck拓扑的光伏充电控制器,以PIC16F1829为主控MCU,实现具有MPPT和恒压充电的分段充电功能,实验结果表明,该充电控制器可充分利用太阳能电池板,具有较高的工作效率。     

Neural-network-based maximum-power-point tracking of coupled-inductor interleaved-boost-converter-supplied PV system using fuzzy controller

The photovoltaic (PV) generator exhibits a nonlinear V-I characteristic and its maximum power (MP) point varies with solar insolation. In this paper, a feedforward MP-point tracking scheme is developed for the coupled-inductor interleaved-boost-converter-fed PV system using a fuzzy controller. The proposed converter has lower switch current stress and improved efficiency over the noncoupled converter system. For a given solar insolation, the tracking algorithm changes the duty ratio of the converter such that the solar cell array voltage equals the voltage corresponding to the MP point. This is done by the feedforward loop, which generates an error signal by comparing the instantaneous array voltage and reference voltage corresponding to the MP point. Depending on the error and change of error signals, the fuzzy controller generates a control signal for the pulsewidth-modulation generator which in turn adjusts the duty ratio of the converter. The reference voltage corresponding to the MP point for the feedforward loop is obtained by an offline trained neural network. Experimental data are used for offline training of the neural network, which employs a backpropagation algorithm. The proposed peak power tracking effectiveness is demonstrated through simulation and experimental results. Tracking performance of the proposed controller is also compared with the conventional proportional-plus-integral-controller-based system. These studies reveal that the fuzzy controller results in better tracking performance.     

Photovoltaic Power Conditioning System With Line Connection

A photovoltaic (PV) power conditioning system (PCS) with line connection is proposed. Using the power slope versus voltage of the PV array, the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller that produces a smooth transition to the maximum power point is proposed. The dc current of the PV array is estimated without using a dc current sensor. A current controller is suggested to provide power to the line with an almost-unity power factor that is derived using the feedback linearization concept. The disturbance of the line voltage is detected using a fast sensing technique. All control functions are implemented in software with a single-chip microcontroller. Experimental results obtained on a 2-kW prototype show high performance such as an almost-unity power factor, a power efficiency of 94%, and a total harmonic distortion (THD) of 3.6%.     

A Variable Step Size INC MPPT Method for PV Systems

Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques are employed in photovoltaic (PV) systems to make full utilization of PV array output power which depends on solar irradiation and ambient temperature. Among all the MPPT strategies, the incremental conductance (INC) algorithm is widely used due to the high tracking accuracy at steady state and good adaptability to the rapidly changing atmospheric conditions. In this paper, a modified variable step size INC MPPT algorithm is proposed, which automatically adjusts the step size to track the PV array maximum power point. Compared with the conventional fixed step size method, the proposed approach can effectively improve the MPPT speed and accuracy simultaneously. Furthermore, it is simple and can be easily implemented in digital signal processors. A theoretical analysis and the design principle of the proposed method are provided and its feasibility is also verified by simulation and experimental results.     

Residential photovoltaic energy storage system

This paper introduces a residential photovoltaic (PV) energy storage system, in which the PV power is controlled by a DC-DC power converter and transferred to a small battery energy storage system (BESS). For managing the power, a pattern of daily operation considering the load characteristic of the homeowner, the generation characteristic of the PV power, and the power-leveling demand of the electric utility is prescribed. The system looks up the pattern to select the operation mode, so that powers from the PV array, the batteries and the utility are utilized in a cost-effective manner. As for the control of the system, a novel control technique for the maximum power-point tracking (MPPT) of the PV array is proposed, in which the state-averaged model of the DC-DC power converter, including the dynamic model of the PV array, is derived. Accordingly, a high-performance discrete MPPT controller that tracks the maximum power point with zero-slope regulation and current-mode control is presented. With proposed arrangements on the control of the BESS and the current-to-power scaling factor setting, the DC-DC power converter is capable of combining with the BESS for performing the functions of power conditioning and active power filtering. An experimental 600 W system is implemented, and some simulation and experimental results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system     

5kW光伏并网发电系统及其仿真研究

随着新能源发电的迅速发展,越来越多的可再生能源被转化为电能并通过并网逆变器输送到电网。利用MATLAB仿真工具箱建立了由光伏阵列输出、Boost升压电路、逆变器、控制器、电网等组成的5 kW光伏并网发电系统的仿真模型,研究了光伏并网系统的特性。采用变结构模糊PID控制器实现5 kW光伏发电系统的MPPT;采样电网电压作为逆变器电流的参考信号,利用滞环比较法控制逆变器,实现系统输出电流与电网电压同频同相,功率因素近似为1。仿真结果表明,系统较好地实现了光伏发电系统的MPPT及安全并网,对实际光伏并网系统的设计有参考意义。     

Performance evaluation of a MPPT controller with model predictive control for a photovoltaic system

ABSTRACT

Efficiency has been a major factor in the growth of photovoltaic (PV) systems. Different control techniques have been explored to extract maximum power from PV systems under varying environmental conditions. This paper evaluates the performance of a new improved control technique known as model predictive control (MPC) in power extraction from PV systems. Exploiting the ability of MPC to predict future state of controlled variables, MPC has been implemented for tacking of maximum power point (MPP) of a PV system. Application of MPC for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) has been found to result into faster tracking of MPP under continuously varying atmospheric conditions providing an efficient system. It helps in reducing unwanted oscillations with an increase in tracking speed. A detailed step by step process of designing a model predictive controller has been discussed. Here, MPC has been applied in conjunction with conventional perturb and observe (P&O) method for controlling the dc-dc boost converter switching, harvesting maximum power from a PV array. The results of MPC controller has been compared with two widely used conventional methods of MPPT, viz. incremental conductance method and P&O method. The MPC controller scheme has been designed, implemented and tested in MATLAB/Simulink environment and has also been experimentally validated using a laboratory prototype of a PV system.     

Dual-Module-Based Maximum Power Point Tracking Control of Photovoltaic Systems

The improved maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control method for small-scale dual-module photovoltaic (PV) systems is presented in this paper. With this method, the voltage and current information of each module are shared and utilized for the detection of the maximum-power point (MPP) without measuring power. This approach can be implemented in a simple structure, especially due to the elimination of memory and multiplication devices. The proposed method is verified by a hardware prototype of grid-connected dual-module PV systems with the proposed analog-implemented MPPT controller. In addition, practical issues of the proposed scheme are considered.     

Energy-Balance Modeling and Discrete Control for Single-Phase Grid-Connected PV Central Inverters

This paper presents a two-control loop design considering the nonlinear time-varying characteristics of a single-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) full-bridge central inverter. The control scheme design is based on the energy-balance modeling of the PV system and enables the design of a voltage loop linear discrete controller ensuring the stability of the system for the whole range of PV array operating conditions. A set of experimental results carried out on a laboratory prototype is provided to validate the proposed approach.     

A high-efficiency single-phase three-wire photovoltaic energy conversion system

A single-phase three-wire photovoltaic energy conversion system with single-stage structure using a novel maximum power-point tracking (MPPT) algorithm is presented. An equivalent model of the proposed system is derived to analyze the characteristics of the system and to design the controller. Owing to the linear relation of the PV array parameters versus insolation, the model is easy to analyze. The proposed system employs a three-leg inverter to control the MPPT process, the line current, and neutral line current. A current-controlled MPPT algorithm controls the MPPT. A neutral line-mode controller maintains a utility neutral line current of zero. A line-mode controller controls the line current so as to provide power to the utility with a unity power factor. The proposed system acts as a solar generator on sunny days and functions as an active power filter on rainy days. Computer simulation and experimental results demonstrate the accuracy and the superior performance of the proposed technique.     

Maximum Power Point Tracking Controller for Thermoelectric Generators with Peak Gain Control of Boost DC–DC Converters

An analog maximum power point tracking (MPPT) circuit for a thermoelectric generator (TEG) is proposed. We show that the peak point of the voltage conversion gain of a boost DC?CDC converter with an input voltage source having an internal resistor is the maximum power point of the TEG. The key characteristic of the proposed MPPT controller is that the duty ratio of the input clock pulse to the boost DC?CDC converter shifts toward the maximum power point of the TEG by seeking the peak gain point of the boost DC?CDC converters. The proposed MPPT technique provides a simple and useful analog MPPT solution, without employing digital microcontroller units.     

On the necessity of joint adoption of both Distributed Maximum Power Point Tracking and Central Maximum Power Point Tracking in PV systems

In this paper, the main causes that are able to limit the efficiency of Distributed Maximum Power Point Tracking (DMPPT) are analyzed in detail. It will be shown that, to get full profit from DMPPT, it is necessary that the bulk inverter voltage belongs to an optimal range whose position and amplitude are functions of the following factors: the number of PV modules and dedicated DC/DC converters in a string, the atmospheric operating conditions characterizing each PV module (irradiance and temperature values), the voltage and current ratings of the physical devices the DC/DC converters are made of, and the adopted DC/DC converter topology. Moreover, it will be given proof of the necessity to couple the DMPPT function with a suitable centralized MPPT function carried out by the inverter through the proper control of its own DC input voltage. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Single-Phase Voltage-Controlled Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System With Power Quality Conditioner Functionality

Future ancillary services provided by photovoltaic (PV) systems could facilitate their penetration in power systems. In addition, low-power PV systems can be designed to improve the power quality. This paper presents a single-phase PV system that provides grid voltage support and compensation of harmonic distortion at the point of common coupling thanks to a repetitive controller. The power provided by the PV panels is controlled by a Maximum Power Point Tracking algorithm based on the incremental conductance method specifically modified to control the phase of the PV inverter voltage. Simulation and experimental results validate the presented solution.     

Real-Time Identification of Optimal Operating Points in Photovoltaic Power Systems

Photovoltaic power systems are usually integrated with some specific control algorithms to deliver the maximum possible power. Several maximum power point tracking (MPPT) methods that force the operating point to oscillate have been presented in the past few decades. In the MPPT system, the ideal operation is to determine the maximum power point (MPP) of the photovoltaic (PV) array directly rather than to track it by using the active operation of trial and error, which causes undesirable oscillation around the MPP. Since the output features of a PV cell vary with environment changes in irradiance and temperature from time to time, real-time operation is required to trace the variations of local MPPs in PV power systems. The method of real-time estimation proposed in this paper uses polynomials to demonstrate the power–voltage relationship of PV panels and implements the recursive least-squares method and Newton–Raphson method to identify the voltage of the optimal operating point. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is successfully demonstrated by computer simulations and experimental evaluations of two major types of PV panels, namely: 1) crystalline silicon and 2) copper–indium–diselenide thin film.     

基于双并联Boost电路的光伏系统最大功率点跟踪控制方法

光伏电池的输出功率取决于外界环境（温度和光照条件）和负载状况,需采用最大功率点跟踪（MPPT）电路,才能使光伏电池始终输出最大功率,从而充分发挥光伏器件的光电转换效能.在比较了常用光伏发电系统控制的优缺点后,依据MPPT控制算法的基本工作原理,主电路采用双并联Boost电路,具有电压提升功能,并且能够提高DC-DC环节的额定功率和减小直流母线电压的纹波.针对传统扰动观察法存在的振荡和误判问题,提出了一种新型的基于双并联Boost电路的改进扰动观察法最大功率跟踪策略.在Matlab/Simulink下进行了建模与仿真,仿真结果表明,当外界环境发生变化时,系统能快速准确跟踪此变化,避免算法误判现象的发生,通过改变当前的负载阻抗,使之与光伏电池的输出阻抗等值相匹配采满足最大功率输出的要求,使系统始终工作在最大功率点处,并且在最大功率点处具有很好的稳态性能.最后通过实验验证了该算法的有效性.