An experimental study on hybrid control of a solar tracking system to maximize energy harvesting in Jordan

Abstract

Due to its capacity to maximize the power produced by photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar tracking systems have grown in popularity. However, erratic weather conditions, like cloudy or overcast days, change the panel's preferred orientation. On sunny days, the panel is turned to face the sun's radiation; however, on cloudy or overcast days, diffused radiation alters the optimal position. This has increased the necessity for new search algorithms that control the orientation of the panel to generate the most power feasible regardless of the weather conditions. This study aims at developing a sun-tracking system that can adjust the solar panel's orientation to generate the maximum possible electrical output from solar energy in Jordan, regardless of the local climate. To achieve this; a hybrid controller has been created that combines an open-loop sun monitoring system with a dynamic feedback controller built on an active search algorithm. The suggested algorithm is built on the real-time measurement of the PV panels' waning solar irradiance by using small solar cell 0.6 W. The system switches to the recently proposed circular path finding method to locate the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) if the instantaneous irradiance level falls below a predetermined threshold (DNI irradiance). As a result of the testing phase, the generated power of a solar panel increased by about 35%, confirming the effectiveness of the newly proposed sun tracker hybrid control system. During experimental test, positive irradiance current noises are appeared, using average filter taking the mean of 100 values for one measurement.