A New Dual-Mode MPPT Algorithm Applied to a Quadratic Converter in a Solar Energy System

The work on this paper aims to improve the efficiency of a photovoltaic energy system. Reducing the losses in the adaptation stage allows to improve this efficiency. For that, in this paper we will work on the adaptation stage between the solar panels and the loads to reduce the losses. As a first step, we will present a comparison between a conventional DC-DC boost converter usually used in solar system and a quadratic boost with a single switch. This comparison aims to show the advantage of using quadratic converters with high gain in solar systems. The results show that the quadratic converter has a higher efficiency compared to the conventional one, it allows also to reach higher values of gain for a practically acceptable values of duty cycle. This comparison justifies the choice of the quadratic converter. Then, a new dual-mode variable step-size maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm is proposed. The proposed algorithm is used to control the quadratic converter. The proposed algorithm is based on the perturb and observe (P&O) algorithm. The P&O is one of the most known and used MPPT methods, its drawbacks appear during fast solar irradiance variation. The proposed control method is a double mode algorithm. The first mode is active when the operating point is near of the MPP. This mode allows to stabilize the operating point to reduce the steady-state oscillations that occur using the P&O. The second mode is activated when the operating point moves away from the MPP. This mode is a P&O with a large step size that allows tracking the MPP quickly which also reduces the losses. The proposed algorithm is tested through simulations using Simulink/MATLAB. Simulations results prove the efficiency of the proposed algorithm and its advantage compared to the P&O.