A simplified maximal power controller for terrestrial photovoltaic panel arrays
Abstract
Perusal of the V-I characteristics of commercial solar panels with insolation, ambient temperature, and production spreads as parameters, indicates that the maximum power is obtained from such a panel when it is loaded to a working voltage that is a fixed percentage of its open circuit voltage within plus or minus 2 percent. This contribution describes a system that uses this characteristic to achieve maximum power control by determining the open circuit voltage and automatically loading the panel to the maximum power point as applied to a battery charging installation. The description includes the application of a novel modified Darlington circuit to boost the efficiency of a pulse width controlled switch mode type regulator by reducing the Darlington saturation voltage by a compensating voltage. Advanced switching technology is applied to reduce switching losses, and maximize efficiency.
- Publication:
-
PESC 1982; 13th Annual Power Electronics Specialists Conference
- Pub Date:
- 1982
- Bibcode:
- 1982ppes.conf..361S
- Keywords:
-
- Photovoltaic Conversion;
- Power Conditioning;
- Power Efficiency;
- Solar Arrays;
- Volt-Ampere Characteristics;
- Voltage Regulators;
- Energy Technology;
- Open Circuit Voltage;
- Power Converters;
- Self Adaptive Control Systems;
- Switching Circuits;
- Electronics and Electrical Engineering