A PV module emulator based on GaN devices with over 99% peak efficiency

This paper presents a new hardware design of a photovoltaic (PV) module emulator using a synchronous buck converter topology with GaN MOSFETs to emulate typical voltage-current characteristics of actual PV modules. The emulator has a high power density offering significant compactness with high accuracy and resolution capable of operating at up to 48 V input and a variable DC output between 0-40 V and 0-10 A. The converter uses a variable switching frequency of 0.1-1 MHz and has a measured maximum efficiency of 99.4%. The methods used to carry out the design are discussed in detail including PV modeling, emulator design and experimental results.