Photovoltaic Array Control Systems for Generating Useful Products with Electricity Production as an Intermediate Stage

• Published in: Applied solar energy 2022-12, Vol.58 (6), p.869-875
• Main Authors: Menshikov, Y. A., Popel, O. S., Tarasenko, A. B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Climatic conditions; Control systems; Controllers; Electric power generation; Electrical Machines and Networks; Engineering; Maximum power tracking; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaics; Power Electronics; Solar energy; Solar panels; Solar Power Plants; Tracking control; Voltage regulators
• ISSN: 0003-701X; 1934-9424
• DOI: 10.3103/S0003701X22060111

Mainly for off-grid operation, two versions of maximum power point tracking controllers based on a bidirectional DC voltage matching converter have been developed, manufactured, and tested. The main difference between the developed circuits is the ability to power controllers, extreme power regulators of solar panels, both from accumulators and from the solar battery itself, which opens up wide possibilities for their application in niches associated with the production of products such as heat, cold, hydrogen, purified, or lifted water from a well, when electrical energy is not the final product and its accumulation is not required. In this case electrical energy is not an end product and its storage is not required and the battery rejection reduces the cost and simplifies the entire scheme for such plants. Plant lifetime can also be significantly widened. One of the proposed schemes also makes controller applications possible for multicomponent hybrid plants control, directing excess energy to production of useful byproducts. Experimental samples of controllers with a power output of 800–1000 W have been produced. Their full-scale comparative tests were carried out in parallel with foreign commercial battery controllers in the climatic condition of Moscow revealing an efficiency at the level of 93–96%, close to commercial analogs.