2007 IEEE Canada Electrical Power Conference

An MPPT Controller Design for Photovoltaic (PV) Systems Based on the Optimal Voltage Factor Tracking
J. Ghaisari, Member, IEEE, M. Habibi, and A. Bakhshai, Member, IEEE
Abstract-- Achieving the maximum power is the major and important task in the PV applications. Many of Maximum Power Point Tracking, MPPT, methods are developed based on optimal voltage or current factors, which are assumed to be constant. In
this paper, a PV system is modeled such that variations of the optimal voltage factor over the environmental conditions are highlighted. An adaptive cascade MPPT controller is proposed to follow the optimal voltage factor in each insolation level, in

to be constant [2], and [4]. However, they vary when the insolation level and PV environmental conditions change. In this paper, an MPPT approach based on optimal voltage factor is proposed. The PV optimal voltage factor is adjusted

usng

addition to regulating the output power at its maximum possible value via a boost converter. Simulations are performed to verify the validation of the proposed NIPPT system.

to generate suitable gating signals such that the maximum possible power in a given condition, transfer from PV to the load. Finally, simulations are carried out in PSCAD. Simulation results ability of the Indexerms Maxmum owerPoint Tracing,approach and itS validate theperformance inproposed MPPT excellent adjusting and Photovoltaic, Adaptive Controller, Boost Converter. tracking the optimal voltage factor when the insolation level is changed. The simulations are also executed when the PV I. INTRODUCTION supplies the load without the MPPT controller. Simulation Photovoltaic (PV) panels are one of the major devices to results demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed collect solar energy, as a clean and inexhaustible renewable MP otolrt civ aiu oe ncmaet on th diecl conncte to th load. energy source. However nonlinear and temperature dependent the s characteristics, besides high cost and low energy conversion efficiency, cause some drawbacks in usages of PVs. II. PHOTOVOLTAIC MODELING Maximum Power Point Tracking, MPPT, techniques are Photovoltaic cells have nonlinear and temperature developed based on power electronics converters and control theories to achieve maximum possible energy from PVs [1], dependent characteristics which are also affected by environmental conditions such as illuminance, surface and [2]. So far, some valuable research efforts have been performed contamination and shades on the PV panel. In [8], a nonlinear model of the PV is given as: regarding different aspects of MPPT techniques. MPPT methods can be split in to two main categories: hill-climbing, Nln 'Sc itv+ MI0 )_ NRSi and computational. In the hill-climbing approaches, the VP n ) M optimization algorithms seek maximum power point using the MIo slope of P-V characteristic [1], and [3]. In spite of good results Wh in slow fluctuating illuminance, hill-climbing can't satisfy MPPT in presence of fast changes in operating conditions [4]. vPV The output voltage of the PV panel. Computational methods employ mathematical model of PV The output current of the PV panel. panel and the maximum output power is obtained as a function ipv: of the PV short circuit current [2], and [4]-[6] or PV open The panel short circuit current that represents ISC circuit voltage [2], [4], and [7]. These approaches show faster insolation level. performance in response to changes of PV illuminance. PV The reverse saturation current. Io: optimal voltage and current factors play important roles in Series cellresistance. R s MPPT computational methods. These factors usually assume A constant coefficient that depends on the A:
Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156, Iran (e-mail:
J. Ghaisari is with the Department of Electrical and Computer M. Habibi is with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156, Iran. Engineering,

an offline look up table when insolation level is changed. A PWM boost converter is designed and employed to supply a load by the PV. The MPPT controller is designed

ghaisdri cD JudIUQ..{*

M:

N:

NumbDer of series cells per string.

Number of parallel strings.

cell material.

A. Bakhshai is with the Department of Electrical and Computer

Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada (e-mail:

Is strongly depends on solar insulation level as well as the PV

a1ireza. bakhshaiW queensu ca). & 1-4244-1445-8/07/$25.00

C2007 IEEE

359

Authorized licensed use limited to: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. Downloaded on October 21, 2009 at 01:34 from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.

2007 IEEE Canada Electrical Power Conference2

surface contamination. More insolation causes greater 'sc and corresponding photovoltaic voltage, v>, are achieved. In vise versa [8]. In this research work, the MSX6O is taken up consequence the optimal voltage factor, M>, is calculated from Solarex Company [9]. Parameters of this PV model are usn ()

given as:
M =1

~ <4.8A ~0.0001 J~ N =36

R5 ~16mQ Pmax =60 W.

2~18.99It can be seen that the M *is changed about o14 over the range of Is variations. As mentioned before, the Is is

uig()

By substituting the PV parameters in (1), the nonlinear model of the MSX60 is obtained and represented by (2):
+ .000 0

directly influenced by insolation level and environmental

conditions. Table I will be used as a look up table in the next section to modify the desired value of the optimal voltage factor.

SX60forload Fig.I Fig.ere1 showes theofvalues adPIcuvsofteMS6 o VIs different ~~~~~

shws Vte andP-1curvs ofthe
60
Isc 4.8

Fig. 2 shows a PWM boost converter employed to supply a by PV output power. The converter is implemented the Maximum Power Point Tracking strategy. The main objective of the boost converter is transmission the maximum possible power, in a given condition, to the load.
PV model

Isc

36

Rs-0. 016 Ohmfs

9 mH

10 -s

1 3.5 0.5 1 2 2.5 4.5 3 4 5~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~swtc

Fig. 1. v-I and P-I character

..~~Potoolai ar olneradcodto depe den The voltage factor, M is ...an PV imoran characteristic...systems..Thus, the contrlsrtge eint aesrh of photovoltaic cells [7] is defined reliableandefficientperformanceforPV systems are major~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ which as: VPV challenges a the e. Inthis cascade~~~~arin ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . VOC an adaptivepaper, The MPPT controller is proposed on~~~~.................. approach~~~~~~~~~~~~~ftmin different conditions. tob-al iteFbasedwell 4o7dp as=5. asorack the optimal voltage factor tt WheV0Cthecircvuoilt ofegathepPVaneThed.la ititherno p, opocMPPTtnosed rolisredesisuchit~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . . . In~~~........................... risopen e gnthat ........

~~~Istcs 24 ~ of.the.M....fordifferet.value.of.'Sc

1.5~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~............................... PVuC r(A)ten Fi2.bPg.WMocosnvteschrmet.~ r~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . . . . . .

- PV

(4)e

cotoller Fonvrteacschore irutcurntenopia cascade.2PW

v htooltae taictr Ma,ri senlietdaro the lookitup tabepIenden Usually iotisassued fathat the optanimalpoltage fhaactoristi substequenTlyscmaewihthe aeisdsgoltagefactr, Mhe actuolst v reisbl iVssesappled taorth cfpontanotand itls valueicisusedfine coptainlsPT:hc obaindedfusieng (3).oThen,cte eror
methods.
Vc

3)

Inputhof papeonrollherMPToachieveother isuial ontolesignal r b

For th PVmdel X6O, he opimal oltag factr,aM, to cralculathe Mopthepaeloupu M voltage,fconifrn ,csouditos be isobaiede i vothage is MPcotheoplen cirueitnsc voversthe opVn operautin rolange. Tablhe IVlutates. The masurin,ted fromphesstemad

maxfor differen posintblevleso: calulaedry.5) In table I, some optional shortFcircuithcusrentsbarekchosen.m According equationca(2),eforneachlshortr to circuitocurcentuthererVOCt,1an9opnima

0fth.0001dadptv

loi g isualluniqu ope circuiedtha hvoltage. i.1 fortoaiven squnlcmae wit 0t001cua votae(5)o, v pia sehort circuitfcurrentntthelmaximumhipower,e suitabeasonwell asgits T clulteM .th anl upu vlag,360oldb Fo te VmoelMX6, h otia vlt fctr M
.

Authorized licensed use limited to: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. Downloaded on October 21, 2009 at 01:34 from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.

2007 IEEE Canada Electrical Power Conference

TABLE I The PV electrical variable corresponding to some different values of I,.

(A)
1.2

isc

it

Voc

1.8 2.4 3.0 3.6 4.2 4.8

(V) 13.92 13.77 13.96 14.1 14.27 14.3 14.25

(A) 1.05 1.57 2.1 2.61 3.12 3.63 4.15

(V)

(W)

Pmax

17.8 18.57 19.11 19.54 19.88 20.17 20.43

0.7820 0.7415 0.7305 0.7216 0.7178 0.7090 0.6975

13.92 21.61 29.32

36.97 44.51 51.90 59.13

Tracking controller

lS

*1

TAW7 6 UP
<1 SC +

*l

*1

| 1

PI

l~~~As

U.UUU 1

Vo

Vfi

Ip

Fig. 3. Block diagram of the proposed adaptive cascade MPPT controller.

IV. SIMULATION RESULTS The proposed MPPT controller and the designed boost converter are used to improve the PV efficiency and to deliver the maximum power to the load. Simulations are carried out in the PSCAD software. A scenario is considered to simulate the PV system. In this scenario two steps changes is applied to the PV itcurrent. is changed from 4.8A a .5 Aa to t=0. lsec and then it is changed from 2.5A to 3.6 A at t=1.5sec. These step changes represent fast variations in the insolation level and other conditions which are affected the Isc directly. The simulation scenario is repeated in two states:

shorandthcirc

Fig. 4 shows the load power when the proposed MPPT is in used. It is clear that the proposed MPPT successes to drive the maximum possible power to the load in each condition perfectly. The maximum possible power is given in Table I. Also, small amount of PV power loses over the boost converter. To evaluate the performance and efficiency of the proposed MPPT and the load connected tois repeated, when the MPPT turns off strategy, the simulation the PV

directly. Fig.

5 illustrates the load power received from the PV. Comparing Fig. 4 to Fig. 5 verifies that the proposed MPPT increases the achieved output power at least about 50 percent.

V. CONCLUSIONS In this paper, an adaptive MPPT strategy is proposed to staey1 rpsdt n paper,an supply a load at the maximum possible power obtained from a htvlacpnl h pia otg atri dutdi The simulation results are obtained and plotted in Figs. 3-5. Fig. 3 illustrates the voltage factor and its optional valueprsneoevinm tcndinvaain.Al,th which is adapted based on the insolation level. It can be also proposed MPPT controller drives a boost converter to seen that the proposed MPPT controller adjusts and regulates exchange maximum power between PV and load. Simulation the voltage factor at the optimal point excellently. results demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed MPPT method to transfer maximum power even if the 361
*

1) The proposed MPPT controller is in used. 2) PV is connected to the load without the MPPT strategy.

th%1s

adp1ve%01-C MPPT"

Authorized licensed use limited to: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. Downloaded on October 21, 2009 at 01:34 from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.

2007 IEEE Canada Electrical Power Conference4

insolation level changes over a wide range. Furthermore, the MPPT increases the PV energy system efficiency significantly
[4] T. Noguchi, S. Togashi, and R. Nakamoto, "Short current pulse-based maximum power-point tracking method for multiple photovoltaic and IEEE Trans. Industrial Electronics, vol. 49, module in compae to sstem ithou the PPT PV in copare othePVthsysem withut theMPPT ontroler.no.1, pp. 223, Feb.system," 2002. [5] 5. M. Alghuwainem, "Matching of a dc motor to a photovoltaic generator using a step-up converter with a current-locked loop," IEEE os8 0.78 -Trans. Energy Conversion, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 192-198, Mar. 1994. [6] N. Toshihiko, T. Shigenori, and N. Ryo, "Short-current pulse based 0.76 -1 adaptive maximum-power-point tracking for photovoltaic power 0.74 -II generation system," in Proc. 2000 IEEE ISIE 02, vol. 1, pp. 157-162,

conroller.converter

0.72 -i

~~~~~ 0.
0.660.62-

[7] M. A. S. Masoum and H. Dehbonei, "Optimal power point tracking of ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~photovoltaic system under all operating conditions," in I 7thCongress of 0.68 -the World Energy Council, Houston, TX, Sept. 12-18, 1998. [8] M. A. Green, Solar Cells: Operating Principles. Technology and 0.64 -System Applications. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall, 1982. [9] MSX60 Datasheet available in www.solarexxcom.
0.4

00

0. 1

0.15

0.2

time, (sec)

0.25

0.3

0.35

Fig. 4. Voltage factor and its optimal value when Is, is chenged.

so0
70-

60e

~50
40-

3020-

111

0.15

0.2

0.25 time (see)

0.3

0.35

0.4

Fig. 5. Load power when 'sc is changed and MPPT is in use.

25-

.1

0.15

0.2

0.25 time (see)

0.3

0.35

0.4

Fig. 6. Load power obtained from the PV without the MPPT controller.

VI. REFERENCES

[1]

Y. Kuo, T. Liang, J. Chen, "Novel maximum-power-point-tracking controller for photovoltaic energy conversion," IEEE Trans. Industrial Elcrois vol48 no. 3, pp. 594-6 , June 2001.

Authorized licensed use limited to: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. Downloaded on October 21, 2009 at 01:34 from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.