Global Peak Tracking of Photovoltaic Array Under Mismatching Conditions Using Current Control

Characteristics of photovoltaic arrays exhibit multiple peaks under mismatching conditions. In order to harness maximum energy, it is imperative to track the global maximum power point. A novel global peak tracking algorithm is proposed using current control in this paper. The proposed method operates in the backward phase and forward phase to track the global peak. The objective of the proposed algorithm is to track the global maximum accurately with minimum tracking time. The enhanced performance of the proposed algorithm is verified using simulations by comparing it with an existing method. Experimental validation is done using a solar array simulator, boost converter, resistive load, and dSPACE controller. Experimental results are in close agreement with simulation. The proposed algorithm is intended to track the global peak of a PV string that contains a group of modules.