Comparison between Two-Port Converter and Three-Port Converter at Different Weather Conditions

Abstract

Worldwide energy demand is growing fast because of the population explosion. Technological advancements paved the way toward utilizing renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels as they cause harmful effects on the environment. To increase the efficiency of a solar PV system, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) techniques are applied to a power converter that is connected to the PV array. Thus, maximum power is extracted from the PV array. Since sunlight is not always available, a battery is used as a storage device. Traditionally, two two-port converters are used with such systems. Recently, three-port converter that connect the PV, the battery, and the load together using a single converter is introduced in the literature. This paper compares between these two types of converters based on the PV power output when the solar irradiance changes. The simulation is done using MATLAB/SIMULINK software. It is found out that two-port converter responds more efficiently to irradiance changes than the three-port converter. However, three- port converter has more steady attitude when the temperature is constant for a certain amount of time. The significance of this paper reiles on comparing between these two types of converters to determine the best choice for a certain application.