Design of optimized PI controller for 7-level inverter: a new control strategy

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Renewable Energy Systems
• Control Theory

Background:

• Photovoltaic (PV) systems exhibit performance variations due to environmental factors like temperature and solar radiation.
• Meeting increasing energy demands requires efficient operation of PV networks at their maximum power point (MPP).
• Energy storage integration is crucial for enhancing the efficiency and performance of renewable energy sources (RES).

Purpose of the Study:

• To design an optimization-assisted Proportional-Integral (PI) controller for a 7-level inverter in photovoltaic systems.
• To dynamically adjust PI controller gains using a hybrid FireFly Integrated-Sea Lion Optimization (FFI-SLnO) algorithm.
• To minimize the error between reference and fault signals for improved dynamic performance.

Main Methods:

• Implementing a 7-level inverter for the photovoltaic system.
• Developing and applying the FireFly Integrated-Sea Lion Optimization (FFI-SLnO) algorithm, combining FireFly Algorithm (FF) and Sea Lion Optimization (SLnO).
• Tuning PI controller gains using FFI-SLnO to achieve optimal system response.

Main Results:

• The proposed FFI-SLnO algorithm effectively tunes PI controller gains for enhanced dynamic performance.
• The optimized PI controller demonstrates a significant reduction in error between reference and fault signals.
• Comparative analysis shows the superiority of the proposed method over traditional models.

Conclusions:

• The developed optimization-assisted PI controller significantly improves the efficiency and dynamic performance of photovoltaic systems.
• The FFI-SLnO algorithm provides an effective approach for tuning control parameters in renewable energy applications.
• This research contributes to more stable and efficient integration of solar energy into the power grid.