Multiple-to-single maximum power point tracking for empowering conventional MPPT algorithms under partial shading...

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Renewable Energy Systems
• Power Electronics

Background:

• Partial shading conditions (PSC) in photovoltaic (PV) systems create multi-peak power-voltage (P-V) curves.
• Conventional maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms often get trapped in local maxima under PSC, reducing energy yield.
• Existing solutions may require hardware modifications or complex algorithms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel Multi-Peak to Single-Peak Conversion (MSMPPT) framework.
• To enable conventional MPPT algorithms (e.g., Perturb & Observe, Incremental Conductance) to reliably track the global maximum power point (GMPP) under PSC without modifications.
• To enhance PV system performance and reliability in shading environments.

Main Methods:

• The MSMPPT framework uses dynamic estimation of optimal voltage boundaries to reduce the GMPP search space.
• Active voltage regulation is employed to enforce operation within the narrowed zone, transforming the P-V curve.
• The framework is integrated with conventional MPPT algorithms (MSMPP-P&O, MSMPP-INC).

Main Results:

• MSMPP algorithms achieved 50% faster tracking speeds (64 ms) compared to conventional P&O (122 ms).
• Power losses were reduced to below 2% under static shading and less than 1.5 W under dynamic shading.
• The framework demonstrated robustness and outperformed conventional methods significantly in dynamic shading scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The MSMPPT framework effectively transforms multi-peak P-V curves into single-peak profiles for reliable GMPP tracking.
• It offers a simple, hardware-independent solution to improve PV system efficiency and reliability under partial shading.
• This approach provides a cost-effective and scalable method to enhance PV energy harvest in complex environments.