A Unified Approach for Analysis of Faults in Different Configurations of PV Arrays and Its Impact on Power Grid

Abstract

Fault analysis in photovoltaic (PV) arrays is considered important for improving the safety and efficiency of a PV system. Faults do not only reduce efficiency but are also detrimental to the life span of a system. Output can be greatly affected by PV technology, configuration, and other operating conditions. Thus, it is important to consider the impact of different PV configurations and materials for thorough analysis of faults. This paper presents a detailed investigation of faults including non-uniform shading, open circuit and short circuit in different PV interconnections including Series-Parallel (SP), Honey-Comb (HC) and Total-cross-Tied (TCT). A special case of multiple faults in PV array under non-uniform irradiance is also investigated to analyze their combined impact on considered different PV interconnections. In order to be more comprehensive, we have considered monocrystalline and thin-film PV to analyze faults and their impact on power grids. Simulations are conducted in MATLAB/Simulink, and the obtained results in terms of power(P)–voltage(V) curve are compared and discussed. It is found that utilization of thin-film PV technology with appropriated PV interconnections can minimize the impact of faults on a power grid with improved performance of the system.