Performance Investigation of a PV Emulator Using Current Source and Diode String

Energy emulator is a specific type of power electronic system to mimic the electrical behavior of an energy source and facilitate the testing of energy system. This paper presents a study of a photovoltaic (PV) emulator which is formed by a current source, a diode string and some resistors. It is constructed according to the one-diode photovoltaic model. Unlike the previous study, this paper focuses on using the model equations to design the circuit parameters of the emulator to mimic a selected PV panel and evaluate the circuit performance from both electrical and thermal perspectives. A laboratory experimental setup is built and tested to verify the design. The emulator is power efficient at the maximum power point. The highest power dissipation of the circuit occurs at the open-circuit voltage operating point.