Final year project 2018 - Solar Photovoltaic Emulator | LAM SAI KIT's Profile

Solar photovoltaic (PV) module emulator is designed to replicate the real characteristics of the solar panel as the real panel is difficult to be tested in practical with the limitation of installation cost and unpredictable environmental condition. A simple PV emulator is designed using DC-DC buck converter with an Arduino Uno microcontroller in a closed loop system. The mathematical model of the solar panel with the help of PI controller is programmed into the microcontroller board. The algorithm of mathematical model tracks the point on the V-I characteristics of PV under varying loads condition by generating the corresponding current reference. This current reference will compare with the load current and send the error to the PI controller. The output of the PI controller will act as the input of the pulse width modulation (PWM) for converter. The duty cycle will keep increase until the load current is same as the current reference in the feedback system. With the help of digital controller power converters were employed and I-V characteristics were easily obtained by controlling switching state of the converter. This proposed system is tested with real time variation of load, irradiance and temperature. The proposed design has been simulated numerically using MATLAB/SIMULINK platform and is experimentally verified by a DC-DC buck converter of 5W rating with the help of Arduino Uno as a core controller. Both simulation and hardware results are presented and compared to show the reliability of the system under dynamic loading and environmental conditions.