Power management control of a Photovoltaic Power System with Batteries and Fuel Cells in Stand Alone Applications

Renewable energy sources exhibit significant variability in their power output, making it necessary to incorporate a storage system. Batteries, and fuel cells, are the most used storage in photovoltaic systems. These technologies efficiently store surplus renewable energy for utilization during periods of low generation. However, batteries have a limitation in their lifetime, which is affected by the deterioration of their state of charge. Additionally, fuel cells' performance can be influenced by the hydrogen consumption rate. The supervision of a photovoltaic system with storage or multiple storage units involves multi-objective control. It not only allows for power regulation and optimization but also ensures a maximum state of charge for batteries and minimal hydrogen consumption for fuel cells. This paper considers and compares various scenarios of PV with storage to identify the optimal solution for specific applications, such as on-grid, off-grid, or electric vehicle setups. Simulation results are presented to support the findings.