EMR'18 Summer School,

June 13-15, 2018

Hanoi University Science and Technology Simulation of the Photovoltaic Panel
(Vietnam)

Objective – The aim of this simulation session is to realize a control using a Maximum Power Point Tracking
(MPPT) strategy for a photovoltaic system to charge the batteries.

Working steps – This simulation session is divided into seven steps:

– Entering the equation for the studied system;
– Building the EMR of the studied system;
first day
– Implementing the EMR into MATLAB-SimulinkTM software;
– Analyzing and testing;
– Step-by-step carrying out of the inversion-based control;
– Implementation of the inversion-based control from EMR into Simulink; second day
– Analyzing the performances.
The available materials at your disposal are:
– The structural scheme of the studied system;
– The associated parameters;
– The voltage/current characteristics of the photovoltaic panels entered into Simulink.

To carry out this work, only the PV panel model will be available in Matlab/Simulink. The students, using
the EMR concepts explained during the course, must include the rest of the system.

–
– Fig. 1. Information given for Matlab/Simulink

Description of the studied system – The studied system is composed of solar panels, a DC bus, a single
phase filter and a boost converter (Fig. 2).

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 solar panels filter batteries

iL L ibc
ipv

uC ubc ubat

DC bus boost
converter
Fig. 2. Considered system
Photovoltaic panels – 6 Solarex MSX-83 solar panels (cf. appendix 1) are connected in parallel to represent
the solar generator. The non-linear electrical characteristics of a panel are shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.
I (A) I (A)

G = 1000 W/m2

T = 75°C G = 800 W/m2

T = 50°C G = 600 W/m2

T = 25°C G = 400 W/m2

T = 0°C G = 200 W/m2

V (V) V (V)

Fig. 3. Characteristic I=f(V) of a panel MSX-83 [1] Fig. 4. Characteristic I=f(V) of a panel MSX-83 [1]
in function of the temperature for in function of the solar irradiance for
a solar irradiance1 of 1 kW/m2 a panel temperature of 25°C

DC bus and filter – The MPPT strategy is commonly used (cf. appendix 2) for the efficient usage of solar
cells. The objective of this strategy is to extract the maximum power points of the solar generator (Fig. 5 and
Fig. 6). A solar panel is a passive component that generates a DC current. Thanks to the boost converter, the
voltage and power of the panels can be controlled easily. For this reason a DC bus is required. The inductor
is used to filter the harmonics generated by the boost converter. The characteristics of the DC bus and the
filter are the following:
– Capacity of the DC bus: 200 F;
– Leakage resistance of the DC bus: 50 k;
– Inductance of the filter: 10 mH;
– Series resistance of the filter: 25 m.

1
The solar irradiance corresponds to the solar radiation power by surface unit.

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 P (W) P (W)

MPPT
T = 0°C
MPPT
G = 1000 W/m2
T = 25°C
G = 800 W/m2
G = 600 W/m2
T = 50°C
G = 400 W/m2

T = 75°C G = 200 W/m2

V (V) V (V)

Fig. 5. Characteristic P=f(V) of a panel MSX-83 [1] Fig. 6. Characteristic P=f(V) of a panel MSX-83 [1]
in function of the temperature for in function of the solar irradiance for
a solar irradiance of 1 kW/m2 a panel temperature of 25°C

Converter – The boost converter is considered with a constant efficiency of 90 %. Its modeling will be made
in mean value.
Batteries – The batteries are considered as ideals with a constant voltage of 40 V.

References
[1] Christian GLAIZE, « Caractéristiques d’un panneau photovoltaïque, recherche du point de puissance maximale,
intérêt d’un convertisseur », data of the solar panel MSX-83 available on the website (reference of June 2011):
http://www.geea.org/

[2] W ; Lhomme, P. Delarue, F. Giraud, B. Lemaire-Semail, and A. Bouscayrol, « Simulation of a photovoltaic

conversion system using Energetic Macroscopic Representation », EPE-PEMC 2012, Novi Sa (Serbia), 2012.

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Appendix 1 – Photovoltaic module MSX-83 (www.solarex.com)

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Appendix 2 – MPPT Strategy: Perturb and Observe

The Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 shows the generated power of the panels strongly depend on the temperature and the
solar irradiance. The MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) strategy is commonly used to extract the
maximum power of the photovoltaic panels.

Different strategies exist. The most known and the simplest is called “Perturb and Observe” (P&O). This
strategy consists to vary the voltage of the panels around its initial value and to notice the power variation
which results from it. If a positive increase of voltage leads to a power increase this means the obtained op-
erating point is on the left of its Maximum Power Point (MPP, Fig. 1). If, otherwise, a positive increase of
voltage leads to a power decrease then the operating point is on the right of the PPM. The Fig. 2 shows the
classical algorithm to use to realize this MPPT strategy.

MPP
PMPP The system coves
near of MPP

The system moves

away from MPP

VMPP
Fig. 1. Characteristic PPV=f(VPV) of a photovoltaic panel

Measurement of

Calculation of PPVn

YES

NO YES

YES NO NO YES

Decrementation of Vref Incrementation of Vref Decrementation of Vref Incrementation of Vref

Fig. 2. Classical algorithm of the strategy MPPT P&O

The figures of this page are from: C. Cabal, « Optimisation énergétique de l’étage d’adaptation électronique dédié à la
conversion photovoltaïque », décembre 2008, Thèse de Doctorat de l’Université de Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier.

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