Modeling of photovoltaic module under varying solar irradiance

Abstract

Solar energy is most readily available source of energy. It is none polluting and maintenance free. To make best use of the solar PV systems the output is maximized either by mechanically tracking the sun and orienting the panel in such a direction so as to receive the maximum solar irradiance or by electrically tracking the maximum power point under changing condition of irradiation and temperature. The overall performance of solar cell varies with varying Irradiance and Temperature with the change in the time of the day and the power received from the Sun by the PV panel changes. Not only irradiance and temperature affect solar cell efficiency as well as corresponding Fill factor also changes. This thesis gives an idea about how the solar cell performance changes with the change in irradiance in reality and the result is shown by conducting a number of experiments. In this thesis we also try to show that parasitic resistance of the solar cell be a function of irradiance that was not considered in any PV model earlier. This research focuses on a Matlab/SIMULINK model of a photovoltaic cell. This model is based on mathematical equations and is described through an equivalent circuit including a photocurrent source, a diode, a series resistor and a shunt resistor. In this research, the model will help to predict the behavior of any PV module under different environmental conditions. The model can also be used to extract the physical parameters for a given solar PV cell as a function of temperature and solar radiation. In addition, this study outlines the working principle of PV module as well as PV array. In order to validate the developed model, an experimental test bench was built and the obtained results exhibited a good agreement with the simulation ones.