Study of PWM Solar Charge Controller Operation Modes in Autonomous DC System

In this paper is presented a test bench for laboratory exercises in the field of specialized power supplies: a PWM solar charge controller. It is composed of the following main blocks: a PV panel (which is simulated by a controllable DC power source), a PWM solar controller, a lead-acid battery and a DC load. The developed laboratory test bench can be used for simulating various conditions of the stand-alone PV system: excess of PV power, shortage of PVpower and a low battery conditions. By using this test bench the students can learn the main principles of autonomous PVsystems operation, the operation of the PV charge controller itself and the differences between PWM and MPPT charge controllers for solar systems.