Design and real-time implementation of a new auto-tuned adaptive MPPT control for a photovoltaic system

• Published in: International journal of electrical power & energy systems Vol. 64; pp. 792 - 803
• Main Authors: Pradhan, Raseswari, Subudhi, Bidyadhar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Adaptive systems; Algorithms; Auto-tuned PID controller; Control systems; Direct current; Maximum power; MPPT; Photovoltaic cells; Polynomial PV model; RLS method; Solar cells; Weather conditions; Polynomial PV model; Auto-tuned PID controller; MPPT; RLS method
• ISSN: 0142-0615; 1879-3517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijepes.2014.07.080

•Designed an auto-tuning based adaptive MPPT for a PV system.•Polynomial curve-fitting approach is employed to model the PV system.•Parameters of the PV model are identified on-line using a RLS algorithm.•Real-time performance was validated on a prototype PV system.•This is simple and exhibits accurate MPP tracking. This paper presents design of an auto-tuning based adaptive maximum power point tracker (ATAMPPT) for a photovoltaic (PV) system. The maximum power point (MPP) of a PV system varies continuously in accordance with changing weather conditions. To cope up with fast varying weather conditions, there is a necessity of an adaptive MPPT system in which MPP of the PV system needs to be quickly estimated and tracked. The proposed ATAMPPT comprises of a DC/DC boost converter equipped with an adaptive MPPT algorithm. This ATAMPPT is incorporated between the PV system and load. In this new MPPT system, a polynomial curve-fitting approach is employed to model the PV system whose parameters are identified on-line using a Recursive-Least-Square (RLS) algorithm. Further, the real-time performance of the proposed MPPT system is validated by using a prototype PV control system set-up developed in our laboratory. The performances of the proposed ATAMPPT have been compared with that of three existing MPPTs namely Perturb and Observe (P&O) and an adaptive P&O MPPT. From the obtained results it is observed that the overall approach of the proposed ATAMPPT control is simple, user-friendly and it exhibits accurate MPP tracking.