PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAY MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKING DIGITAL IMPLEMENTATION AND EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS

Authors
Lorio, David B.
Subjects
solar
photovoltaic
stand-alone PV system
buck converter
maximum power point tracking
MPPT
perturb and observe
incremental conductance
real-time simulation
Opal-RT
Advisors
Oriti, Giovanna
Zhang, Di
Date of Issue
2020-09
Date
Sep-20
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
The current United States Navy and Marine Corps warfighting concepts focus on distributed and decentralized operations to increase the lethality and security of the force as a whole. An amplified reliance on electrical energy to power weapon systems and the command and control structure, in conjunction with a dispersed force, escalates the logistical requirements for any unit. Renewable energy resources, such as solar radiation, may be a means of reducing this logistical burden; however, photovoltaic (PV) arrays must operate at their maximum power point for these systems to be more effective. This thesis studies the efficiencies of the controller for a PV power conditioning system implementing the two most common maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms, 'Perturb and Observe' and 'Incremental Conductance.' The system includes a commercial-off-the-shelf PV array, buck DC-DC converter, lead-acid batteries as its energy storage system and load, and an Opal-RT real-time simulator for rapid control prototyping. The efficiency of the MPPT controller was studied via simulation and improved through parameter optimization. The control algorithms were executed in a physical system using a hardware-in-the-loop testing configuration and the measured values were compared to the simulated results. Experimental testing confirmed the MPPT controller performed as designed and achieved the expected efficiency for the various solar irradiances and temperatures under which it was tested.
Type
Thesis
Description
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/10945/66099
Series/Report No
Department
Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)
Organization
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Approved for public release. distribution is unlimited
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