Battery-Assisted Solar Energy Harvester Using Integrated Three-Port Converter With Adaptive Peak Power Tracking

Abstract

Solar energy harvesting circuits play a major role in powering portable consumer electronic applications. Batteries are also associated as a power source in these applications as a power balancing element. This work evaluates the performance of an battery-assisted integrated three-port converter used for solar energy harvesting. The novelty of the converter lies in the flexibility to operate in different operating modes using the same architecture through its pulse width modulation control at the same voltage level. The adaptive nature of converter operation enables peak power extraction with reduced solar power oscillations under rapid and slow varying insolation conditions at different weather conditions. The theory of operation has been validated using a 250 W experimental prototype of the three port converter for different operating conditions and closed loop controller has been verified with rapid dynamic changes in operating conditions.