Design and Development of an MPPT-based Solar Charge Controller

Project Title

Design and Development of an MPPT-based Solar Charge Controller

Project Area of Specialization Electrical/Electronic EngineeringProject Summary Project Summary:

With the recent developments in the industrial sector, energy needs have increased. Renewable energy sources are being considered with solar as one of the most important and abundant one. One of the main issues which occur while deriving solar power is the efficiency of the PV panel. When connected directly to load, the total capacity of the PV panel is not utilized. Hence, PWM or MPPT Controllers are used in between, isolating the load from the solar panel. Among these controllers, the latter performs with up to 30% more efficiency. Till now, up to 35 different MPPT algorithms have been developed with different parameters in consideration. Numerous papers have been published since 1968. The team’s aim is to test out the best algorithms with the parameters limited to only voltage and current. Different algorithms based on the Perturb and Observe (P&O) method are in consideration. The algorithms will be tested with different DC-DC converters (Buck, Boost, Buck-Boost converters, etc.) using MATLAB/Simulink. After that, they will be implemented on hardware to create the most efficient MPPT-based Solar Charge Controller with minimum losses.

Project Objectives Objectives:

The project will be developed in phases of literature study, simulation and hardware implementation, as mentioned below,  

1. Study of different Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms and converters used for developing the MPPT-based Solar Charge Controller and selection of the best ones with parameters limited to only Voltage and Current.  
2. Simulation of the selected MPPT algorithms with the converters using MATLAB/Simulink to find out the most efficient combination.  
3. Hardware implementation of the project with the results closest to the simulation.  
    

Project Implementation Method Implementation Method:

The implementation of the project is to be done in a series of steps as mentioned below,

• Study of different DC to DC converter designs and selection of RLC parameters according to the algorithm speed. 
• Simulation of the converters on MATLAB/ Simulink. 
• Selection of MPPT algorithms on the basis of their tracking speeds and accuracies.
• Development of the DC-DC converters.
• Testing of the selected algorithms on the converters and their comparison in order to find out the best combination of converter and algorithm for the development of the MPPT Based Solar Charge Controller.

Methodology:

In order to build an MPPT-Based Solar Charge Controller, the two main objectives should be:

1. Extensive study of MPPT Algorithms, their advantages and disadvantages and also the variables and formulae they consist of.
2. Research on different DC-DC Converters.

After accomplishment of the above mentioned objectives, the selection of the MPPT algorithms and DC-DC converters takes place.

Selection of MPPT Algorithms:

There are a large number of factors that can be taken into consideration when using MPPT algorithms such as temperature, solar irradiance (W/m2), voltage (V), current (I), etc. 
In terms of maximum power point tracking, there are two factors taken into consideration:

• Tracking Speed: Time required for the MPPT device to reach the maximum power point (MPP).
• Tracking Accuracy: The oscillations that take place during the tracking and after an MPP is reached are also a major concern.

The selected MPPT Algorithms for the project are based upon the Perturb and Observe (P&O) Method and they include Fixed Step-Size P&O Method, Variable Step-Size P&O Method and Auto-scaling P&O Method.

Selection of DC-DC Converters:

In order to understand the working of an MPPT device, its general purpose is emphasized upon i.e. to isolate the load resistance (RL) from the resistance of PV Panel (Rpv) and provide the load with a matching resistance in order to improve the efficiency of the PV Panel generation system. DC-DC converters are used for this purpose as they vary the V and I derived from the PV Panel which changes the resistance of the PV Panel. (Since, R=V/I)
The selected DC-DC Converters are Buck Converter, Boost Converter and Buck-Boost Converter.
 

Benefits of the Project Benefits:

The project will have considerable monetary and non-monetary benefits,  

1. An efficient MPPT-based Solar Charge Controller with maximum power output will help the residential and commercial users utilize their PV panels more efficiently. 
2. Since, the losses would be reduced to almost being negligible and the PV panels will work to their fullest, the capital expenses on the consumer side regarding the capacity of the PV panels will also be reduced. 
3. Design would be compact and easy to use for the consumers.  
4. A cost-effective product will be developed.
    

Technical Details of Final Deliverable Technical Details:

The maximum power supplied by photovoltaic panels is not always stable and fixed at the same operating point; it varies with the weather conditions, such as solar irradiation, shadow, and temperature. To extract the maximum power out of a PV panel, it is necessary to implement an MPPT algorithm that dynamically adjusts the extraction of the power.

Convergence speed is one of the main features kept in mind while implementing different MPPT algorithms.

For the purpose of this project we will use different P&O based MPPT algorithms (Fixed Step, Variable Step and Auto-scaling P&O Methods) for the testing and selection of the best one.

Details Of Hardware Setup:

Solar panel (330 Watts)

Battery (180ah)

Buck Converter

Boost Converter

Buck-Boost Converter

Arduino

Current Sensors

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry Energy Other IndustriesCore Technology Clean TechOther TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Affordable and Clean Energy, Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	73160
Arduino	Equipment	2	500	1000
Current sensor	Equipment	3	250	750
Buck boost converter equipment	Equipment	2	450	900
PCB board	Miscellaneous	3	220	660
Phoenix battery (180AH)	Equipment	2	16500	33000
Solar panel (330 W)	Equipment	2	16000	32000
Cabel copper	Miscellaneous	1	100	100
LM2596	Miscellaneous	2	275	550
LED 20x4	Equipment	1	600	600
Toroidal core	Miscellaneous	3	170	510
ESP8266	Equipment	2	250	500
Frame	Miscellaneous	1	300	300
Jumper wires	Miscellaneous	2	100	200
Capacitor	Miscellaneous	10	25	250
Buck converter components	Equipment	1	400	400
Boost converter components	Equipment	1	450	450
Blue connector	Miscellaneous	10	20	200
Crocodile clip	Miscellaneous	5	8	40
12v/5v relay	Miscellaneous	5	150	750