Advanced PV-enabled heat generation system with precise thermal power regulation

This study presents an advanced PV-enabled heat generation system with precise thermal power regulation for resistive heating applications. Conventional solar thermal systems often rely on direct PV-resistor coupling, which leads to poor energy utilization, or MPPT-based operation, which maximizes electrical extraction but provides limited control over chamber temperature. To address these limitations, the proposed system integrates photovoltaic panels with a high-efficiency synchronous Boost converter and a hybrid power regulation algorithm, enabling stable and controlled thermal power delivery under variable solar conditions. Experimental validation was conducted under several operating scenarios. Under MPPT operation, the converter achieved efficiencies between 86.4% and 88%, but the chamber temperature varied significantly with irradiance, highlighting the lack of thermal control. In a constant-power experiment, the system regulated 100 W despite irradiance fluctuations from 560 W/m2 to 770 W/m2, maintaining efficiencies above 88.6%. The chamber temperature increased from 30.2 °C to 60-80 °C, with a heating time constant of approximately 880 s and a cooling time constant of 1100 s. In a staircase power test, the system successfully regulated 50 W, 100 W, and 150 W, with a maximum achievable power of 165 W under available solar conditions. The thermal response exhibited consistent first-order dynamics, yielding a mean thermal resistance of 0.390 °C/W and a thermal capacitance of approximately 2256 J/°C. These results demonstrate stable and controllable PV-powered heat generation suitable for solar dryers and heat chambers.