An Advanced Maximum Power Point Tracking Method for Photovoltaic Systems by Using Variable Universe Fuzzy Logic Control Considering Temperature Variability

Abstract

In this study maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is applied to the photovoltaic (PV) system to harvest the maximum power output. The output power of the PV effect changes according to external solar irradiation and ambient temperature conditions. In the existing MPPT strategies, most of them only take variations in radiation level into account, rarely considering the impact of temperature changes. However, the temperature coefficients (TC) play an important role in the PV system, especially in applications where ambient temperature changes are relatively large. In this paper, an MPPT method is presented for a PV system that considers the temperature change by using variable universe fuzzy logic control (VUFLC). By considering the ambient temperature change in PV modules, the proposed control method can regulate the contraction and expansion factor of VUFLC, which eliminates the influence of temperature variability and improves the performance of MPPT, therefore achieving fast and accurate tracking control. The proposed method was evaluated for a PV module under different ambient conditions and its control performance is compared with other MPPT strategies by simulation and experimental results.