Flatness-Based Control for the Maximum Power Point Tracking in a Photovoltaic System

Leopoldo Gil-Antonio, Belem Saldivar, Otniel Portillo-Rodríguez, Juan Carlos Ávila-Vilchis, Pánfilo Raymundo Martínez-Rodríguez and Rigoberto Martínez-Méndez
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Leopoldo Gil-Antonio: Faculty of Engineering, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Instituto Literario No. 100 Oriente, Toluca 50130, Estado de México, Mexico
Belem Saldivar: Faculty of Engineering, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Instituto Literario No. 100 Oriente, Toluca 50130, Estado de México, Mexico
Otniel Portillo-Rodríguez: Faculty of Engineering, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Instituto Literario No. 100 Oriente, Toluca 50130, Estado de México, Mexico
Juan Carlos Ávila-Vilchis: Faculty of Engineering, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Instituto Literario No. 100 Oriente, Toluca 50130, Estado de México, Mexico
Pánfilo Raymundo Martínez-Rodríguez: School of Sciencies, UASLP, San Luis Potosi 78290, SLP, Mexico
Rigoberto Martínez-Méndez: Faculty of Engineering, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Instituto Literario No. 100 Oriente, Toluca 50130, Estado de México, Mexico

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 10, 1-19

Abstract: Solar energy harvesting using Photovoltaic (PV) systems is one of the most popular sources of renewable energy, however the main drawback of PV systems is their low conversion efficiency. An optimal system operation requires an efficient tracking of the Maximum Power Point (MPP), which represents the maximum energy that can be extracted from the PV panel. This paper presents a novel control approach for the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) based on the differential flatness property of the Boost converter, which is one of the most used converters in PV systems. The underlying idea of the proposed control approach is to use the classical flatness-based trajectory tracking control where a reference voltage will be defined in terms of the maximum power provided by the PV panel. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is assessed through numerical simulations and experimental tests. The results show that the controller based on differential flatness is capable of converging in less than 0.15 s and, compared with other MPPT techniques, such as Incremental Conductance and Perturb and Observe, it improves the response against sudden changes in load or weather conditions, reducing the ringing in the output of the system. Based on the results, it can be inferred that the new flatness-based controller represents an alternative to improve the MPPT in PV systems, especially when they are subject to sudden load or weather changes.

Keywords: MPPT; differential flatness; nonlinear control (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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