Investigation on performance enhancement techniques for standalone solar photovoltaic system

Abstract

In view of the Environmental degradation and diminution in newlineconventional energy sources, renewable energy sources have gained more newlineimportance in present energy scenario. Among various sources of renewable newlineenergy, Solar Photovoltaics (PV) have gained more importance because of their newlineease availability and economically reliable. Solar PV systems have also been newlinewidely utilized as distributed energy source in remote locations, as they do not newlineneed to depend on utility grid. The significant problem of harvesting power from newlinesolar PV system is its non-linear characteristics, as the power output fluctuates newlinedepending upon varying atmospheric conditions and it results in obtaining power newlineless than the optimal power from PV module. Also, the load connected to the newlinesolar PV system deviates from the maximum operating point under fluctuating newlineatmospheric conditions. Hence, it is always necessary to operate the solar PV newlinesystem at maximum power operating point to extract the maximum available newlineenergy from the source and it is achieved by employing a Maximum Power newlinePoint Tracking (MPPT) controller consisting of a DC-DC power converter and newlineMaximum power point control algorithm to regulate the duty cycle of the newlineconverter. Hence, an investigation on various performance enhancement newlinetechniques for standalone solar photovoltaic system is presented in this research. newlineThe main objective of this research work is to develop a simplified newlineoptimum Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) method to extract maximum newlinepower from solar PV module using a highly efficient DC-DC power converter. newlineIn this research work, Recursive Adaptive Maximum Power Point Tracking newline(RA_MPPT) method has been proposed. The proposed MPPT method provides newlinefaster response in tracking MPP in varying environmental conditions with low newlineripple content on input and output elements as well as reduced oscillations newlinearound MPP. Consequently, the overall productivity of the solar PV system is newlineenhanced. newline