70% Decrease of Hot-Spotted Photovoltaic Modules Output Power Loss Using Novel MPPT Algorithm

Abstract

The phenomenon of 'Hot-spotting' within photovoltaic (PV) panels, where a mismatched cell/cells heats up, leads to reliability and efficiency issues. In this paper, a novel maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm is developed to compensate for hot-spotted PV module effects, thus increasing the output power and improving reliability. The MPPT algorithm implements two mitigation processes; the first to identify the optimum power-voltage (P-V) curve to track the global maximum power point (GMPP). The second process is to manipulate the output power towards the GMPP through the control of the perturbation step size. In order to verify the appropriateness of the proposed algorithm, multiple hot-spotted PV modules were tested under various environmental conditions. Significantly, the algorithm reduces the hot-spotted PV modules output power loss by at least 70% under all irradiance transition scenarios, slow, medium, and fast.

Investigating the stability and degradation of hydrogen PEM fuel cell

“…In this arrangement, the fuel cell must comprise a control system (with stability mode controller) to connect quickly and control the fuel cell's current flow into the DC-DC converter, followed by a DC-AC inverter linked with the wheel drive machinery. Here, the DC-DC converter must act unidirectional, where no feedback/reversed current passes into the fuel cell [8,9]. It is also worth noting that current fuel cell EV models follow the configuration as in Fig.…”

Current limiter circuit to avoid photovoltaic mismatch conditions including hot-spots and shading

“…In addition, M. Dhimish. [19], proposed suitable method improves the output power of hot-spotted PV module at least by 70%. The method uses a modified maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm which is skilled of determining the amount of current and voltage loss for hot-spotted PV modules, subsequently, increasing the output power production.…”

Power dissipation analysis of PV module under partial shading

“…For serially connected PV system, shading, such a s birds, tree shadows, is a problem since the shaded PV module reduces the output whole string of PV modules [17][18][19]. The excess power from the unshaded PV module is dissipated in the shaded PV module and it is shown that temperature of the shaded PV module or cell rises as hot spot [20][21][22]. Until now, research on the shaded PV modules or 1030 cells has been mainly on the performance of the whole PV system, and there has been little analysis on the circuit and power dissipation of each PV module [23][24][25].…”