Abstract:
Solar power being a renewable energy resource has tremendous potential of usage in the imminent future. As the solar energy harvest is dependent on irradiance, temperature and other climatic conditions, it is imperative that a Photovoltaic (PV) system should operate at a Maximum Power Point (MPP) in order to extract maximum power from the system. During sudden variations in irradiance, most of the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controllers take long settling time at MPP point. This paper discusses an effective strategy to maximize solar energy harvest and to minimize disturbance error with a heuristic method for faster dynamic response and lower device stress than conventional designs, for solar electric vehicle (SEV) applications. Study has been done using MATLAB/Simulink for a standalone solar power system controlled with Incremental Conductance (IncCon) MPPT algorithm and heuristic techniques. The IncCon MPPT algorithm provides the fast-dynamic response and well-regulated PV output voltages. Heuristic methods with gathered data for various conditions and multiple locations guarantee a better performance and faster settling time. The number of parameters needed to be monitored in this method is significantly lower than other algorithms, making the implementation more streamlined and cost effective. Simulation of proposed heuristic method for rapid changes in irradiation was found to provide faster settling time and achieved maximum output compared to traditional IncCon algorithm. Experimental results are also provided to confirm the observed scenario.
