Recently, natural filler reinforced polymer composites are important materials for various engineering applications. Hence, this present work focuses on utilization of Cocos nucifera shell powder (CNSP) as a filler in vinyl ester (VE) resin to produce particulate composite specimens. The particulate composite plates with various weights or filler contents from 5 to 30 wt.% were fabricated, using compression molding technique. The fabricated composites were subjected to tensile, flexural, impact, hardness, heat deflection and swelling behavior tests to obtain their corresponding material properties. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis was carried out on the Cocos nucifera shell powder/vinyl ester (CNSP/VE) composite specimens to investigate into the presence of their elements, in addition to the aforementioned tests. From the experimental results obtained, it was observed that the optimum mechanical properties of CNSP/VE composites were obtained at 15 wt.% of filler content, having tensile, flexural and impact strengths of 38.70, 105.13 MPa and 33.04 kJ/m 2 , respectively. Also, the heat deflection temperature (HDT) results varied from 158 (0 wt%, neat VE resin) to 171 o C along various percentages of filler contents. Lastly, the morphological study/analysis of the fractured CNSP/VE composite specimens was conducted by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to confirm the experimental data/results obtained. It was evident that CNSP/VE composite structures could be potential substitutes for some synthetic composites. Also, they are suitable for various engineering applications in aerospace, electrical/electronics and automobile industries, based on their properties.
In this paper, a Hybrid MPPT algorithm is proposed to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) systems under partial shading conditions. Partial shading occurs due to clouds, trees, dirt and dust in PV systems. In partial shading, multiple peaks arise in the PV characteristic curve. The Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm adjusts the duty cycle of the switch in DC-DC converter for regulating the input voltage at the Maximum power point (MPP) and to provide impedance matching i.e. input resistance of converter equal to equivalent solar resistance of PV system at MPP for the maximum power transfer. The Cuk converters have low switching losses and the highest efficiency. Therefore Cuk converter is chosen as power conditioning circuit to track maximum power using Hybrid MPPT technique. The influence of algorithm parameters on system behaviour is investigated and the various advantages and drawbacks of the technique are identified for different weather conditions. Practical results obtained using Solartech SPMO85P PV modules connected to a RL load through Hybrid MPPT controller validates the simulated results.
The A soft switched Cuk converter with Improved Perturb and Observe (P&O) based Maximum power point Tracker (MPPT) that uses a HybridSliding Mode (HSM) Controller is proposed to enhance performance of Photovoltaic (PV) generator. Conduction losses, voltage stress, and switching losses are reduced in soft switched Cuk converter by introducing a snubber cell which in turn improves Cuk converter efficiency. Sliding Mode Controller (SMC) is implemented in an Analog-Digital way. The main benefit of the proposed solution is that it is possible to split the sliding Mode (SM) control equation in two terms: the first one is characterized by a combination of signals wich can be defined as fast and a second part obtained by a combination of signals which can be defined as slow. The slower term suits the digital implementation because it van be treated as a linear control which works on the low frequency range and faster term implemented in analog way. Performance analysis of the Passive soft switched Cukconverter and conventional converter is ilustrated by simulation and experimental methods for various irradiation changes. Peak power is harvested from PV panel and optimal operating point is detected using HSM based MPPT method. The prototype model developed with SMP085P module validates the performance of modified Cuk converter.
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