A novel square algorithm for maximising the output power from a partially shaded photovoltaic array system

Abstract

Partial Shading Conditions (PSCs) significantly impact the output power performance of a Photovoltaic (PV) solar array. Such an issue can be addressed by partly or wholly cross-tying the modules in the array rows and reconfiguring the positions of these modules within it. This paper proposes a novel Magic Square-Enhanced Configuration (MS-EC) algorithm to overcome the partial shading issues. Hence, the proposed algorithm disperses the shading effects more evenly over the entire array surface, reducing the conductions losses due to the bypass diode operation. When using the MS-EC scheme, PV modules are physically re-wired and moved into other locations in the array structure without altering their electrical connections. The key advantage of the MS-EC reconfiguration over the existing techniques is that it requires fewer iterations, easing the Maximum Power Point Tracking of the array. The performance of the proposed algorithm is assessed using several indicators, such as maximum power generation, number of iterations required, complexity and mismatched power losses. MATLAB-SIMULINK software environment is used to simulate the MS-EC scheme. Hence, the former method compares favourably with the existing techniques and a traditional Tied-Cross-Ties (TCT) configuration, giving average power improvements of 16–43% under most of the realistic weather conditions.