Monitoring System for Tracking a PV Generator in an Experimental Smart Microgrid: An Open-Source Solution

Abstract

Smart grids and smart microgrids (SMGs) require proper monitoring for their operation. To this end, measuring, data acquisition, and storage, as well as remote online visualization of real-time information, must be performed using suitable equipment. An experimental SMG is being deployed that combines photovoltaics and the energy carrier hydrogen through the interconnection of photovoltaic panels, electrolyser, fuel cell, and load around a voltage bus powered by a lithium battery. This paper presents a monitoring system based on open-source hardware and software for tracking the temperature of the photovoltaic generator in such an SMG. In fact, the increases in temperature in PV modules lead to a decrease in their efficiency, so this parameter needs to be measured in order to monitor and evaluate the operation. Specifically, the developed monitoring system consists of a network of digital temperature sensors connected to an Arduino microcontroller, which feeds the acquired data to a Raspberry Pi microcomputer. The latter is accessed by a cloud-enabled user/operator interface implemented in Grafana. The monitoring system is expounded and experimental results are reported to validate the proposal.

Configurable IoT Open-Source Hardware and Software I-V Curve Tracer for Photovoltaic Generators

“…Photovoltaic (PV) technology is one of the most widespread renewable energy sources (RES) [1,2] and contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting against climate change [3]. In intelligent energy facilities conceived under the paradigm of smart grids and microgrids, PV generators are commonly the main source of renewable energy [4]. In these facilities, PV can be combined with other equipment for energy production and consumption such as wind turbines, batteries, and hydrogen-related devices (fuel cells and electrolyzers).…”

“…For example, Arduino is used in [25,26] to sense the temperature of PV modules. With higher computation capabilities, the RPi microprocessor is used to implement monitoring systems for PV-based microgrids in [4,27,28] and for PV plants in [5,29,30].…”

“…Resistive, capacitive, or electronic loads (power MOSFET) are among the common methods [7], but they require designing specific electronic circuitry for the curve tracing process and only serve for such a purpose. On the contrary, programmable loads are commonly used in microgrids and PV facilities [4,20,[39][40][41] to emulate the behavior of DC or AC loads in order to test control algorithms and energy management strategies under different load profiles. In this regard, the target groups of this paper are scientists and practitioners in the scope of PV-based microgrids and facilities involved in research and development (R&D) activities.…”

“…In addition, the validation of the proposal is performed with a medium-scale PV generator under real conditions, which constitutes a requirement to demonstrate the suitability of open-source technologies [4].…”

Real-Time Implementation of a Fully Automated Industrial System Based on IR 4.0 Concept

“…The authors reported improved system performance in transmissions for a naval unit. The authors reported improved system performance in terms of reduced noise and vibrations, increased efficiency of lubrication, reduced consumption, installation, and maintenance cost of the entire system [6,7]. In another study, Giallanza et al [8] used IR 4.0-based technologies to develop a smart shipyard for testing elevated power thrusters before installing them on high-speed crafts.…”