A Photovoltaic Maximum Power Point Tracking Scheme Realizing Nearly Optimal Load Emulation

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) generated power exhibits a convex dependency with respect to the chosen operation point parameter (for instance voltage), implying the existence of operation points at which power maxima are attained, termed Maximum Power Points (MPPs). This article presents a new approach to MPP tracking implementation, based on emulation of nearly optimal load, with can be adjusted to meet the MPP. With this technique, the controller of a DC/DC converter reflects a virtual load towards the PV array. The virtual load is optimized to intersect with the PV generator's output characteristics in the vicinity of the MPP even under varying irradiation conditions. The results demonstrate the superiority of the newly proposed scheme under varying operating conditions