Maximum Power Point Tracker (for Photovoltaic Source)

 

Description

This component can be used to track the maximum power point (MPP) voltage of a Photovoltaic source. The inputs to the component are the photovoltaic source output voltage (V) and the current (I). The output is the estimated Maximum Power Point voltage (VMPP), which can be used to control a dc-dc converter that would continuously adjust the photovoltaic source operating voltage to VMPP.

 

 

Typical I-V  and P-V characteristics of a PV array

 

The amount of power that can be drawn from a solar cell depends on the operating point on the I-V curve. As illustrated above, the maximum power output occurs around the knee point of the I-V curve.  The voltage at the MPP changes with the cell operating temperature, solar radiation value and the load.  Maximum power point trackers (MPPTs) are used to maintain the array output voltage always at the MPP voltage, regardless of the variations in above parameters. This component allows simulation of two well known MPPT algorithms: (i) Perturb and Observe algorithm [24] and (ii) Incremental Conductance algorithm [25] for tracking the MPP.

External Connections

 

More:

PSCAD General Reference [24]

PSCAD General Reference [25]

Photovoltaic Source

Input Parameters

Main Data