Modelling and simulation of a solar PV lithium ion battery charger for energy kiosks application

The work consists of the analysis, modelling and simulation in a power electronics software (PLECS) of a 250W Solar photovoltaic (PV) battery charger for energy kiosks. The proposed PV charger presents an option of power optimisation for battery charging stations; the structure uses a high- efficiency battery charger with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) capability for independent panels. The use of MPPT battery chargers minimizes the number of panels and shortens the battery charging time when compared to non-MPPT chargers. The battery technology used is lithium ion; the modelling uses the specifications of a commercial 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 battery. A Zeta Converter (inverse single-ended primary-inductor converter) is used as the dc-dc conversion stage, while the MPPT and charging stages control can be implemented in a basic low-cost programmable device. The work presents an analysis of the energy model, list of appropriate dc appliances, evaluates the potentials of the system and proposes future works.