A universal fast battery charging and management solution for stand-alone solar photovoltaic home systems in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The development of the energy sector and the corresponding universal access to electricity is crucial in the developmental growth of any nation. Sub-Saharan Africa with its massive population, a thirteenth of the world's population, currently has only 31.69% of its people with access to electricity. Considering the remote locations of most ‘unelectrified’ communities, it becomes almost impossible to achieve universal access to electricity without considering stand-alone solar systems. Stand-alone solar photovoltaic systems cannot be considered without taking into account energy storage and their associated charging systems. As access to electricity has been directly linked to affordability, there is the need to make such systems affordable, versatile, and long lasting. Designing charging systems that improve the performance of the energy storage solutions used in stand-alone applications thus becomes important in the overall utilization of stand-alone solar photovoltaic systems. This paper presents a universal battery charging, management, and equalization system that focuses on fast charging, increased battery life cycle, and adaptability to different battery technologies. The proposed battery charging and management system incorporates a front-end dc-dc converter with maximum power point tracking, a novel pulse charger, and a battery pack equalization circuit for effective energy distribution. Preliminary results take into account the different charging scenarios and variability of sunlight to ensure that the proposed system is adaptable to various conditions. Simulation analysis is modeled after a 100 W solar panel charging a 12.6 V 25 Ah battery.