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Full-Text Articles in Power and Energy

Highly Efficient Maximum Power Point Tracking Using A Quasi-Double-Boost Dc/Dc Converter For Photovoltaic Systems, Christopher J. Lohmeier Dec 2011

Highly Efficient Maximum Power Point Tracking Using A Quasi-Double-Boost Dc/Dc Converter For Photovoltaic Systems, Christopher J. Lohmeier

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are a great source of renewable energy generation. The biggest problem with solar systems is relatively low efficiency and high cost. This work hopes to alleviate this problem by using novel power electronic converter and control designs. An electronic DC/DC converter, called “Quasi-Double-Boost DC/DC Converter,” is designed for a Solar PV system. A Maximum Power Point Tracking (MTTP) algorithm is implemented through this converter. This algorithm allows the PV system to work at its highest efficiency. Different current sensing and sensorless technologies used with the converter for the MPPT algorithm are offered and tested. Design aspects …


Benefits Of Near-Term Cloud Location Forecasting For Large Solar Pv, Timothy Robert Rudd Aug 2011

Benefits Of Near-Term Cloud Location Forecasting For Large Solar Pv, Timothy Robert Rudd

Master's Theses

As the ‘green’ energy movement continues to gain momentum, photovoltaic generation is becoming an increasingly popular source for new power generation. The primary focus of this paper is to demonstrate the benefits of close-to real-time cloud sensing for Photovoltaic generation. In order to benefit from this close-to real-time data, a source of cloud cover information is necessary. This paper looks into the potential of point insolation sensors to determine overhead cloud coverage. A look into design considerations and economic challenges of implementing such a monitoring system is included. The benefits of cloud location sensing are examined using computer simulations to …


Design, Modeling And Control Strategy Of Pv/Fc Hybrid Power System, Dr. Adel A. Elbaset Jul 2011

Design, Modeling And Control Strategy Of Pv/Fc Hybrid Power System, Dr. Adel A. Elbaset

Dr. Adel A. Elbaset

This paper describes development of a general methodology of an autonomous PV/FC system composed of photovoltaic (PV), electrolyzer, hydrogen storage tank and fuel cell (FC). The aim of this paper is to determine optimum design, control strategy, economic and performance of a PV/FC hybrid power generation system without battery storage taking into account all losses in the system. The paper also presents a computer program based on Matlab software to determine optimum design, control strategy, economic and performance of an autonomous PV/FC hybrid power generation system. The computer program develops to size system components in order to match the load …


Solar Instrumentation Lab, Rene Canedo Iii, Rong Gui Chen Jun 2011

Solar Instrumentation Lab, Rene Canedo Iii, Rong Gui Chen

Electrical Engineering

This project is a mobile platform that will allow experiments on different solar panels to be done easily while keeping the cost of the lab to a minimum. California Polytechnic State University’s motto is ‘learn by doing’ and this lab structure will allow students to get practical experience with photovoltaic cells and the instruments that are required to take measurements. The solar instrumentation lab is a potential hardware lab for the electrical engineering department’s Sustainable Electric Energy Conversion class EE 420 and Solar-Photovoltaic Systems Design EE 520. This group took the current solar structure as a base for the lab’s …


Photovoltaic Emulator Adaptable To Irradiance, Temperature And Panel Specific I-V Curves, Joseph Gamos Durago Jun 2011

Photovoltaic Emulator Adaptable To Irradiance, Temperature And Panel Specific I-V Curves, Joseph Gamos Durago

Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the design and performance of a photovoltaic (PV) emulator. With increasing interest in renewable energies, large amounts of money and effort are being put into research and development for photovoltaic systems. The larger interest in PV systems has increased demand for appropriate equipment with which to test PV systems.

A photovoltaic emulator is a power supply with similar current and voltage characteristics as a PV panel. This work uses an existing power supply which is manipulated via Labview to emulate a photovoltaic panel. The emulator calculates a current-voltage (I-V) curve based on the user specified parameters of …


An Optimal Current Control Strategy For A Three-Phase Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System Using Particle Swarm Optimization, Waleed Al-Saedi, Stefan W. Lachowicz, Daryoush Habibi Jan 2011

An Optimal Current Control Strategy For A Three-Phase Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System Using Particle Swarm Optimization, Waleed Al-Saedi, Stefan W. Lachowicz, Daryoush Habibi

Research outputs 2011

A robust current control strategy for PV (photovoltaic) grid-connected systems is required for reliable use of solar energy as an abundant and clean renewable energy. This paper presents real time optimization parameters of the current control strategy for a 3-phase photovoltaic grid-connected Voltage Source Inverter (VSI) system. The proposed controller scheme is implemented based on a synchronous reference frame; the Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) is used as grid phase detector. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is an intelligent searching algorithm that is used to implement the real time self-tuning method for the current control parameters. Two conventional PI controllers are used …