Optimal PID Tuning of PLL for PV Inverter Based on Aquila Optimizer

Abstract

Phase-locked loop (PLL) is a fundamental and crucial component of a photovoltaic (PV) connected inverter, which plays a significant role in high-quality grid connection by fast and precise phase detection and lock. Several novel critical structure improvements and proportional-integral (PI) parameter optimization techniques of PLL were proposed to reduce shock current and promote the quality of grid connection at present. However, the present techniques ignored the differential element of PLL and did not acquire ideal results. Thus, this paper adopts Aquila optimizer algorithm to regulate the proportional-integral-differential (PID) parameters of PLL for smoothing power fluctuation and improving grid connection quality. Three regulation strategies (i.e., PLL regulation, global regulation, and step regulation) are carefully designed to systematically and comprehensively evaluate the performance of the proposed method based on a simulation model in MATLAB/Simulink, namely, “250-kW Grid-Connected PV Array”. Simulation results indicate that PLL regulation strategy can effectively decrease power fluctuation and overshoot with a short response time, low complexity, and time cost. Particularly, the Error(P) and the maximum deviation of output power under optimal parameters obtained by PLL strategy are decreased by 418 W and 12.5 kW compared with those under initial parameters, respectively.