Design and Experimental Implementation of a Hysteresis Algorithm to Optimize the Maximum Power Point Extracted from a Photovoltaic System

Abstract

In the several last years, numerous Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) methods for photovoltaic (PV) systems have been proposed. An MPPT strategy is necessary to ensure the maximum power efficiency provided to the load from a PV module that is subject to external environmental perturbations such as radiance, temperature and partial shading. In this paper, a new MPPT technique is presented. Our approach has the novelty that it is a MPPT algorithm with a dynamic hysteresis model incorporated. One of the most cited Maximum Power Point Tracking methods is the Perturb and Observer algorithm since it is easily implemented. A comparison between the approach presented in this paper and the known Perturb and Observer method is evaluated. Moreover, a new PV-system platform was properly designed by employing low cost electronics, which may serve as an academical platform for further research and developments. This platform is used to show that the proposed algorithm is more efficient than the standard Perturb and Observer method.