MPPT Solar Charge Controller
MPPT Solar Charge Controller
MPPT Solar Charge Controller
Its evident then, that the first way of direct coupling the This means that the output DC power is almost equal
module and battery is completely not suitable from the the input one, while the output voltage and current are the
point of view of efficiency in case of significant differences function of a special parameter called inverters ratio. The
in voltages of these two elements. extraordinary importance of this parameter depends on a
The second way of matching these differences is the certain auxiliary voltage, by means of which this ratio can
implementing of a DC/DC inverter, acting in a similar way be continuously and fluently controlled from zero to 100%
as a conventional transformer in AC technique (Fig.2.). value. Such a possibility in AC technique offers only a
regulated autotransformer on a difficult purely mechanical
way. The very wide range of a step-down inverters ratio
controlling permits an easy and immediate matching of the
module and load even during fast changes of their
parameters, caused by variable circumstances.
In practice the key K becomes alternately closed and
opened with a certain frequency of several hundred or
thousands of Hz. As the K element usually MOS-FET
transistors are used. When the key is closed the modules
current can flow through the inductor L to the capacitor C
and the load. When the key opens the L current continues
to flow supplied by the capacitors charge. This charge
depends upon the duty cycle of the key. If the key is
continuously closed the capacitor charges to the full
modules voltage and if becomes continuously open the
Fig.2. Implementing of a common inverter. capacitor gains no charge. The output voltage and current
are given approximately by:
Here the high modules DC voltage is introduced to the
input of an electronically chopped push-pull transformer VOUT = D VIN (1)
TR with secondary winding equipped with full-wave
rectifier. The primary to secondary windings ratio, here as
an example 60V/12V, defines the transformers DC output I IN
voltage as approximately 12V i.e. convenient for 12V
I OUT = (2)
D
battery charging purposes from the point of view of
efficiency. where D is the duty cycle of the key i.e. MOS-FET. The
This second matching solution, though much better than D value is contained within limits 0 and 1 and in the
the first one has several faults, such as complicated and presented case reaches approximately 0,2 for 5:1 ratio.
expensive DC/DC inverter of fixed voltage ratio, poor The application of the described step-down inverter
parameter flexibility, elevated losses in chopper and permits to obtain conditions of optimal power transfer at
rectifying circuits and others. considerable predominance (5:1) of modules voltage over
The mentioned idea of using an inverter leads straight to that of the battery. A permanent state of keeping such an
utilize the third way of matching the PV installations optimal transfer in continuously varying terms is possible
voltages by means of a very simple pulsed inverter, but only, when is controlled by an intelligent electronic circuit,
featuring extraordinary parameters, valuable for the entire
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like a properly programmed microprocessor. Such a It consists of a basic step-down inverter with pulsed
process is known under the name of Maximum Power power MOS-FET transistor at the input, eventually
Point Tracking (MPPT) and is introduced in most modern protected by a 100V VDR. The battery and the load are
PV installations. As the described controller needs the connected via similar transistors, acting as controllers or
supervision of plenty of other parameters, not mentioned switches of both currents.
here for simplicity reasons, such as several voltage and All the three power FETs are driven in a powerless
current values in neural circuitry points, the influence of manner by proper microprocessors outputs. The
temperature, forms of protection and others only the microprocessor is powered by a separate 5V source,
abundant microprocessors control abilities permit to alimented from the main output and is equipped with an
realize such a number of tasks. LCD display, presenting actual data, gathered from vital
installations points. The associated keyboard permits to
THE PROPOSED CHARGE CONTROLLER MODEL choose the desired parameters of the controller and to
develop expected functions and inscriptions.
As the basic module the thin film FS50 type of 50W The seeming simplicity of the circuit is compensated by
nominal power and 86V VOC was employed. The reported extreme complexity of the microprocessors programme.
VOC TK was -0,29%/OC. The modules practical behaviour The main task of this latter is to meet the requirements of
seemed to be interesting, so its VOC was submitted long the MPPT process, creating a logical and mathematical
term open air tests within 6 months, from summer to sequence of operations, called algorithm. There are more
winter, while measurements were memorized. The than ten ways of realizing such a process, each forming
obtained graph (Fig.4.) performs the VOC=f(Tmod) collective another algorithm type of specialized name. Here the most
function. popular and universal one, called Perturb-and-Observe,
has been implemented. Its main idea bases on the
mentioned sequence of operations, realized one by one
under supervision of the effects developed by them. The
choice of only right decisions of the algorithm leads to a
final expected positive effect, which in the presented case
is keeping the modules power and the consumed one
always automatically matched on an optimal level of full
energetic efficiency.
Fig.6. presents the elaborated P&O algorithm, adapted
for 12Hz operation repetition rate, what permits to
supervise the complex MPPT process even in conditions
of fast insolation variations as well as of quick changes of
the load.
PRACTICAL RESULTS
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Fig.6. MPPT search algorithm
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