Design of a Power Conditioning Unit for Nonlinear Source-Load Systems

This paper describes the development, design, and operation of an electronic device which performs dynamic matching between electric energy sources and their respective loads. This matching is achieved by monitoring the output power of the energy source and modulating a control signal which, in turn, regulates appropriately the operation of a source-load interface device. This device is characterized by a simple structure and an ability to continuously match the characteristics of the source to those of the load, for maximum power transfer, even when these characteristics are randomly time-varying. The device may be used with existing energy systems, without significant changes, and operates effectively even when the utility grid substitutes for the load. Its operation is described in terms of a configuration involving renewable energy sources, such as wind electric conversion systems and photovoltaic arrays, as the primary energy generators. The latter are attracting the growing interest of many investigators recently.