A PV MPPT control method based on async-PSO and INC algorithm under shading condition

Abstract

For the time being, solar energy has received considerable attention and development on account of its distinct advantages, such as rich reserves and no geographical restrictions. Nevertheless, in practical applications, the photovoltaic module is easily affected by external environments, which gives rise to a decrease in photovoltaic power. The maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technology for PV power system is an effective method to elevate the efficacy of photovoltaic electricity conversion. The frequently used control methods include the perturb and observe (P&O) algorithm and the incremental conductance (INC) method, and so forth; these methods vary tremendously in terms of the required parameters, algorithm complexity, tracking speed, tracking accuracy, hardware requirements etc. This work puts forth a MPPT control method on the basis of Async-PSO and INC algorithm to achieve a better performance in the MPPT. To reflect the change of light amplitude and temperature in a day, the temperature varies from 25℃ to 60℃ and irradiance from 450W/m2 to 900W/m2 . An extensively used mono-crystalline silicon PV module with 240W was considered as the research object to compare the capability of the recommended MPPT control method. MATLAB/Simulink software was adopted to model and simulate the algorithm. Aside from that, comprehensive comparisons were made with other MPPT methods to test and verify the recommended algorithm has significantly improved the tracking speed and accuracy at the maximum power point with smaller oscillations under various conditions.