Application of Modified MPPT Algorithms: A Comparative Study between Different Types of Solar Cells

Abstract

Due to the broad needs for energy as market demands, searching on how to improve the efficiency of the PV systems is an essential concern for researchers to worry about. So, it is crucial to force the PV system to work at its peak power point in order to get the maximum available power from the photovoltaic panel. This paper presents a comprehensive comparison between four Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) Algorithms; Perturb and Observe (P&O), Incremental Conductance (INC), Modified Variable Step Size Perturb and Observe (M-VSS-P&O) and Modified Variable Step Size Incremental Conductance (M-VSS-INC) by using of the DC-DC boost converter for three different kinds of solar cells. These cells are polycrystalline KC200GT cell, monocrystalline shell SQ85 cell and thin film shell ST40 cell. Simulations have been performed using MATLAB-SIMULINK for the three types of solar cells to investigate their performance under both standard test conditions (STC) and slowly varying and sudden changes in solar irradiance. The study has considered the response time, output power efficiency and steady-state-oscillations. The simulation results of the modified algorithms show an improvement in the cell performance in steady state conditions, tracking time and boost converter efficiency as well as an enhancement in the dynamic response in tracking the maximum power point (MPP) in varying climatic conditions over conventional algorithms.