In the future, solar energy will be a very important energy source. Several studies suppose that more than 45% of the energy in the world will be generated by photovoltaic array. Therefore it is necessary to concentrate our forces to reduce the application costs and to increment their performance. In order to reach the last aspect, it is important to note that the output characteristic of a photovoltaic array is nonlinear and changes with solar irradiation and cell’s temperature. Therefore a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technique is needed to maximize the produced energy. This paper presents a comparative study of seven widely-adopted MPPT algorithms; their performance is evaluated using, for all the techniques, a common device with minimum hardware variations. In particular, this study compares the behaviors of each technique in presence of solar irradiation variations

The paper introduces a simplified model, named "two branches mode", to characterize the electrical behaviour of the DLCs (Double Layer Capacitors). The new model is very similar to many others in literature from the circuital point of view, however the process of identification of its parameters is easier and faster. This new identification process can be followed in other some model proposed in literature. Experimental charge tests have been executed on supercapacitors of two different labels (Epcos and Maxwell) and size (between 100F to 600F). The experimental results and the performed simulations have been reported in order to verify the validity of the new identification proposed method

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract