This paper presents a study of two maximum power point tracking methods for grid connected photovoltaic systems. The best operation conditions for the perturbation and observation and the incremental conductance methods are investigated in order to identify the efficiency performances of these most popular maximum power point tracking methods for photovoltaic systems. Improvements of these methods can be obtained with the best adjustment of the sampling rate and the perturbation size, both in accordance with the converter dynamics. Practical aspects about the incremental conductance method are discussed, and some modifications are proposed to overcome its problems. A procedure to determine the parameters is explained. This procedure helps to identify which method is better suited for grid connected photovoltaic systems with only one conversion stage. The methods’ influences on the quality of the currents injected in the grid are evaluated and compared. The performance improvement achieved with the choice of the best parameters is proved by means of simulation and experimental results performed on a low power test system. The simulation results have been obtained by modeling a photovoltaic system in MATLAB. A simplified model was used that employs only parameters of interest and therefore decreases simulation time. Experimental results corresponding to the operation of a grid connected photovoltaic converter controlled with a digital signal processor have been obtained.
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e-mail: marcelo.cavalcanti@ufpe.br
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August 2009
Research Papers
Comparative Evaluation of Maximum Power Point Tracking Methods for Photovoltaic Systems
G. M. S. Azevedo,
G. M. S. Azevedo
Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica e Sistemas de Potência,
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
, Rua Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco 50740-530, Brazil
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M. C. Cavalcanti,
M. C. Cavalcanti
Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica e Sistemas de Potência,
e-mail: marcelo.cavalcanti@ufpe.br
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
, Rua Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco 50740-530, Brazil
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K. C. Oliveira,
K. C. Oliveira
Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica e Sistemas de Potência,
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
, Rua Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco 50740-530, Brazil
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F. A. S. Neves,
F. A. S. Neves
Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica e Sistemas de Potência,
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
, Rua Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco 50740-530, Brazil
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Z. D. Lins
Z. D. Lins
Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica e Sistemas de Potência,
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
, Rua Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco 50740-530, Brazil
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G. M. S. Azevedo
Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica e Sistemas de Potência,
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
, Rua Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco 50740-530, Brazil
M. C. Cavalcanti
Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica e Sistemas de Potência,
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
, Rua Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco 50740-530, Brazile-mail: marcelo.cavalcanti@ufpe.br
K. C. Oliveira
Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica e Sistemas de Potência,
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
, Rua Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco 50740-530, Brazil
F. A. S. Neves
Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica e Sistemas de Potência,
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
, Rua Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco 50740-530, Brazil
Z. D. Lins
Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica e Sistemas de Potência,
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
, Rua Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, Pernambuco 50740-530, BrazilJ. Sol. Energy Eng. Aug 2009, 131(3): 031006 (8 pages)
Published Online: June 10, 2009
Article history
Received:
April 4, 2008
Revised:
September 26, 2008
Published:
June 10, 2009
Citation
Azevedo, G. M. S., Cavalcanti, M. C., Oliveira, K. C., Neves, F. A. S., and Lins, Z. D. (June 10, 2009). "Comparative Evaluation of Maximum Power Point Tracking Methods for Photovoltaic Systems." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. August 2009; 131(3): 031006. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3142827
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