Modeling and Simulation of Photovoltaic Renewable Energy Power Systems

S.Ganesh Kumaran, P.Kirubagaran

AbstractDue to ever increasing energy consumption, rising public awareness of environmental protection, and alternative (i.e., renewable) systems have attracted increased interest. Photovoltaic (PV) power generations are the most promising renewable energy technologies of the future due to their fast technology development and many merits they have, such as High efficiency, zero or low emission (of pollutant gases) and flexible modular structure. The modeling and control of a PV system is addressed in this thesis. a simulation model for the proposed energy system has been developed using MATLAB/Simulink. Simulation studies have been carried out to verify the system performance under different scenarios using a practical and real weather data. The results show that the power management strategy is effective. Index Terms Array, circuit, equivalent, model, modeling, photovoltaic, PV, simulation.

lighting and signs, remote homes and recreational vehicles. Photovoltaic effect is a basic physical process through which solar energy is converted into electrical energy directly. The physics of a PV cell, or solar cell, is similar to the classical p-n junction diode, shown in Figure 5. At night, a PV cell can basically be considered as a diode. When the cell is illuminated, the energy of photons is transferred to the semiconductor material, resulting in the creation of electronhole pairs. The electric field created by the p-n junction causes the photon-generated electron-hole pairs to separate. The electrons are accelerated to n-region (N-type material), and the holes are dragged into p-region (P-type material), shown in Figure 5 The electrons from n-region flow through the external circuit and provide the electrical power to the load at the same time.

I. INTRODUCTION

Solar energy basically is the ultimate source for all kinds

of energy resources on the earth with only a few exceptions such as geothermal energy. There are normally two ways to generate electricity from sunlight: through photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal systems. In this section and this dissertation, only photovoltaic energy and system will be discussed. Just like the growth of wind energy, PV energy is another fast growing renewable energy technology. Though the absolute size of global solar power generation capacity is much smaller than wind power, it has been increased even faster than wind power during the past dozen years (from 1992-2004). In terms of the market for PV power applications in the IEA-PVPS2 (International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Program) countries, the total installed PV capacity has been increased more than 23 times from the 110 MW in 1992 to 2596 MW in 2004. Due to improvements in semiconductor materials, device designs and product quality, and the expansion of production capacity, capital costs for PV panels have been decreased significantly, from more than $50/W in the early of 1980s to about 3.5$ to 4.5$ per watt in 2004. The cost of electricity produced by PV systems continues to drop. It has declined from $0.90/kWh in 1980 to about 0.20$/kWh today. In the U.S., the DOE goal is to reduce the COE of PV to $0.06/kWh by 2020. However, PV energy is still usually more expensive than energy from the local utility. Currently, the initial investment of a PV system is also higher than that of an engine generator. Nevertheless, there are many applications for which a PV system is the most costeffective long-term option, especially in remote areas, such as power for remote telecommunications, remote Fig.1 Schematic block diagram of a PV cell. The PV cell shown in Figure 5 is the basic component of a PV energy system. Since a typical PV cell produces less than 2 W at approximately 0.5 V DC, it is necessary to connect PV cells in series-parallel configurations to produce desired power and voltage ratings. Figure 6 shows how single PV cells are grouped to form modules and how modules are connected to build arrays. There is no fixed definition on the size of a module and neither for an array. A module may have a power output from a few watts to hundreds of watts. And the power rating of an array can vary from hundreds of watts to megawatts. Figure 7 shows the formation of cell into module.

Fig.2 PV Cell, module and array.

II.

HOW A PV CELL WORKS

III. THE PROPOSED SYSTEM CONFIGURATION The proposed alternative energy system configuration was shown in figure 3. In the system, the renewable solar powers are taken as the source and battery is used as a backup and storage system. This system can be considered as a complete green power generation system because the main energy sources and storage system are all environmentally friendly, and it can be stand-alone or grid-connected. When there is excess solar generation available, the battery gets charge. Different energy sources are connected to a 60 Hz AC bus through appropriate power electronic interfacing circuits. The system can be easily expended by joining new solar modules.

A photovoltaic cell is basically a semiconductor diode whose pn junction is exposed to light [1], [2]. Photovoltaic cells are made of several types of semiconductors using different manufacturing processes. The mono crystalline and polycrystalline silicon cells are the only found at commercial scale at the present time. Silicon PV cells are composed of a thin layer of bulk Si or a thin Si film connected to electric terminals. One of the sides of the Si layer is doped to form the pn junction. A thin metallic grid is placed on the Sunfacing surface of the semiconductor. Fig. 1 roughly illustrates the physical structure of a PV cell. The incidence of light on the cell generates charge carriers that originate an electric current if the cell is shortcircuited [2]. Charges are generated when the energy of the incident photon is sufficient to detach the covalent electrons of the semiconductorthis phenomenon depends on the semiconductor material and on the wavelength of the incident light. Basically, the PV phenomenon may be described as the absorption of solar radiation, the generation and transport of free carriers at the pn junction, and the collection of these electric charges at the terminals of the PV device [3], [4]. The rate of generation of electric carriers depends on the flux of incident light and the capacity of absorption of the semi- conductor. The capacity of absorption depends mainly on the semiconductor bandgap, on the reflectance of the cell surface (that depends on the shape and treatment of the surface), on the intrinsic concentration of carriers of the semiconductor, on the electronic mobility, on the recombination rate, on the temperature, and on several other factors. The solar radiation is composed of photons of different energies. Photons with energies lower than the bandgap of the PV cell are useless and generate no voltage or electric current. Pho- tons with energy superior to the bandgap generate electricity, but only the energy corresponding to the bandgap is usedthe remainder of energy is dissipated as heat in the body of the PV cell. Semiconductors with lower bandgaps may take advantage of a larger radiation spectrum, but the generated voltages are lower [5]. Si is not the only, and probably not the best, semi- conductor material for PV cells, but it is the only one whose fabrication process is economically feasible in large scale. Other materials can achieve better conversion efficiency, but at higher and commercially unfeasible costs. The study of the physics of PV cells is considerably complicated and is out of the scope of this paper. For the purpose of studying electronic converters for PV systems, it is sufficient to know the electric characteristics of the PV device (cell, panel, and array). The manufacturers of PV devices always provide a set of empirical data that may be used to obtain the mathematical equation of the device IV curve. Some manufacturers also provide IV curves obtained experimentally for different operating conditions. The mathematical model may be adjusted and validated with these experimental curves.

Fig. 3 shows the system configuration for the proposed alternative energy system IV. MODELING OF PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAYS A. Ideal photovoltaic cell Fig. 1 shows the equivalent circuit of the ideal photovoltaic cell. The basic equation from the theory of semiconductors [1] that mathematically describes the I-V characteristic of the ideal photovoltaic cell is:

where Ipv,cell is the current generated by the incident light (it is directly proportional to the Sun irradiation), I d is the Shockley diode equation, I0,cell [A] is the reverse saturation or leakage current of the diode [A], q is the electron charge [1.60217646 10 19C], k is the Boltzmann constant [1.3806503 10 23J/K], T [K] is the temperature of the p-n junction, and a is the diode ideality constant. Fig. 2 shows the I-V curve originated from (1). B. Modeling the photovoltaic array The basic equation (1) of the elementary photovoltaic Cell does not represent the I-V characteristic of a practical Photovoltaic array. Practical arrays are composed of several Connected photovoltaic cells and the observation of the characteristics at the terminals of the photovoltaic array requires the inclusion of additional parameters to the basic equation [1]:

Fig. 4. Single-diode model of the theoretical photovoltaic cell and equivalent circuit of a practical photovoltaic device including the series and parallel resistances.

Fig. 5. Characteristic I -V curve of the photovoltaic cell. The net cell current I is composed of the light-generated current Ipv and the diode current Id

Fig. 6. Characteristic I -V curve of a practical photovoltaic device and the three remarkable points: short circuit (0, Isc ), maximum power point (Vmp , Imp ) and open-circuit (Voc , 0).

Where Ipv and I0 are the photovoltaic and saturation currents of the array and Vt = NskT /q is the thermal voltage of the array with Ns cells connected in series. Cells connected in parallel increase the current and cells connected in series pro-vide greater output voltages. If the array is composed of Np parallel connections of cells the photovoltaic and saturation currents may be expressed as: Ipv=Ipv,cellNp, I0=I0,cellNp.In (2) Rs is the equivalent series resistance of the array and Rp is the equivalent parallel resistance. This equation origi-nates the I-V curve seen in Fig. 3, where three remarkable points are highlighted: short circuit (0, Isc), maximum power point (Vmp, Imp) and open-circuit (Voc, 0). Eq. (2) describes the single-diode model presented in Fig.1. Some authors have proposed more sophisticated models that present better accuracy and serve for different purposes. For example, in [2][6] an extra diode is used to represent the effect of the recombination of carriers. In [7] a three-diode model is proposed to include the inuence of effects which are not considered by the previous models. For simplicity the single-diode model of Fig. 1 is studied in this paper. This model offers a good compromise between

simplicity and accuracy [8] and has been used by several authors in previous works, sometimes with simplications but always with the basic structure composed of a current source and a parallel diode [9]. The simplicity of the singlediode model with the method for adjusting the parameters and the improvements proposed in this paper make this model perfect for power electronics designers who are looking for an easy and effective model for the simulation of photovoltaic devices with power converters. Manufacturers of photovoltaic arrays, instead of the I-V equation, provide only a few experimental data about electrical and thermal characteristics. Unfortunately some of the parameters required for adjusting photovoltaic array models cannot be found in the manufacturers data sheets, Such as the lightgenerated or photovoltaic current, the series and shunt resistances, the diode ideality constant, the diode reverse saturation current, and the bandgap energy of the semiconductor. All photovoltaic array datasheets bring basically the following information: the nominal open-circuit voltage Voc,n, the nominal short-circuit current Isc,n, the voltage at the maximum power point Vmp, the current at the maximum power point Imp, the open-circuit voltage/temperature coefcient KV , the short-circuit current/temperature coefcient KI , and the maximum experimental peak output power Pmax,e. This information is always provided with reference to the nominal or standard test conditions (STC) of temperature and solar irradiation. Some manufacturers provide I-V curves for several irradiation and temperature conditions. These curves make easier the adjustment and the validation of the desired mathematical I-V equation. Basically this is all the information one can get from datasheets of photovoltaic arrays. Electric generators are generally classied as current or voltage sources. The practical photovoltaic device presents an hybrid behavior, which may be of current or voltage source depending on the operating point, as shown in Fig. 3. The practical photovoltaic device has a series resistance Rs whose inuence is stronger when the device operates in the voltage source region and a parallel resistance Rp with stronger inuence in the current source region of operation. The Rs resistance is the sum of several structural resistances of the device [24]. The Rp resistance exists mainly due to the leakage current of the p-n junction and depends on the fabrication method of the photovoltaic cell. The value of R p is generally high and some authors [11][14], [17], [18], neglect this resistance to simplify the model. The value of Rs is very low and sometimes this parameter is neglected too. The I-V characteristic of the photovoltaic device shown in Fig. 5 depends on the internal characteristics of the device (Rs, Rp) and on external inuences such as irradiation level and temperature. The amount of incident light directly affects the generation of charge carriers and consequently the current Generated by the device. The light-generated current (Ipv) of the elementary cells, without the inuence of the series and parallel resistances, is difcult to determine. Datasheets only inform the nominal short-circuit current (Isc,n), which is the maximum current available at the terminals of the practical device. The assumption Isc Ipv is generally used in photovoltaic models because in practical devices the series

resistance is low and the parallel resistance is high. The lightgenerated current of the photovoltaic cell depends linearly on the solar irradiation and is also inuenced by the temperature according to the following equation [19],:

C. Improving the model The photovoltaic model described in the previous section can be improved if equation (4) is replaced by:

where Ipv,n [A] is the light-generated current at the nominal condition (usually 25 C and 1000W /m2), T = T T n (being T and Tn the actual and nominal temperatures [K]), G [W /m2] is the irradiation on the device surface, and Gn is the nominal irradiation. The diode saturation current I0 and its dependence on the temperature may be expressed by (4)[1]:

where Eg is the bandgap energy of the semiconductor (Eg 1.12 eV for the polycrystalline Si at 25 C [11], [32]), and I0,n is the nominal saturation current:

With Vt,n being the thermal voltage of Ns series-connected cells at the nominal temperature Tn. The saturation current I0 of the photovoltaic cells that compose the device depend on the saturation current density of the semiconductor (J0, generally given in [A/cm 2]) and on the effective area of the cells. The current density J0 depends on the intrinsic characteristics of the photovoltaic cell, which depend on several physical parameters such as the coefcient of diffusion of electrons in the semiconductor, the lifetime of minority carriers, the intrinsic carrier density, and others [7]. This kind of information is not usually available for commercial photovoltaic arrays. In this paper the nominal saturation current I0,n is indirectly obtained from the experimental data through (5), which is obtained by evaluating (2) at the nominal open-circuit condition, with V = Voc,n, I = 0, and Ipv Isc,n. The value of the diode constant a may be arbitrarily chosen. Many authors discuss ways to estimate the correct value of this constant [8], [11]. Usually 1 a 1.5 and the choice depends on other parameters of the I-V model. Some values for a are found in [32] based on empirical analysis. As [8] says, there are different opinions about the best way to choose a. Because a expresses the degree of ideality of the diode and it is totally empirical, any initial value of a can be chosen in order to adjust the model. The value of a can be later modied in order to improve the model tting if necessary. This constant affects the curvature of the I-V characteristic and varying a can slightly improve the model accuracy.

This modication aims to match the open-circuit voltages of the model with the experimental data for a very large range of temperatures. Eq. (6) is obtained from (5) by including in the equation the current and voltage coefcients KV and KI. The saturation current I0 is strongly dependent on the temperature and (6) proposes a different approach to express the dependence of I0 on the temperature so that the net effect of the temperature is the linear variation of the open circuit voltage according the practical voltage/temperature coefcient. This equation simplies the model and cancels the model error at the vicinities of the open-circuit voltages and consequently at other regions of the I-V curve. The validity of the model with this new equation has been tested through computer simulation and through comparison with experimental data. One interesting fact about the correction introduced with (6) is that the coefcient KV from the manufacturers datasheet appears in the equation. The volt age/temperature coefcient KV brings important information necessary to achieve the best possible I-V curve tting for temperatures different of the nominal value. If one wish to keep the traditional equation (4), instead of using (6), it is possible to obtain the best value of Eg for the model so that the open-circuit voltages of the model are matched with the open-circuit voltages of the real array in the range Tn < T < Tmax. By equaling (4) and (6) and solving for Eg at T = Tmax one gets:

where Isc,Tmax = Isc,n + KIT and Voc,Tmax = Voc,n +KVT, with T = Tmax Tn. D. Multi- Module Using Series And Parallel Module

Fig.7 Multi-diode model of the photovoltaic cell including the Nss and Npp resistances

For any given array formed by Nss x Npp identic modules the following equivalent I-V equation 7 is valid

(8)
Where Ipv, I0, Rs, Rp, and Vt are parameters of individual modules. Please notice that Ns (the number of elementary series cells of the individual photovoltaic module) used in the preceding sections is different of Nss. photovoltaic array composed of several modules connected in series and parallel. In this case the equivalent resistances depend on the number of series and parallel connections.in this we are using Nss and Npp. We have to decide the voltage and current for our system. Nss doing the operation of increasing the Voltage and making the current constant and Npp doing the operation of increasing the current and making the voltage constant. PARAMETERS OF THE KC 200GT SOLAR ARRAY [1] Iscn Vocn Imp Vmp Pmax_e Kv Ki Ns Nss Npp K q a Gn Tn Rs 8.21 32.9 7.61 26.3 Vmp * Imp -0.123 3.18e-3 54 15 2 1.3806503e-23 1.60217646e-19 1.3 1000 25+273.15 0 Fig. 8 The photovoltaic circuit model without Nss and Npp using MATLAB/SIMULINK For this Im we did not use Nss series connected and Npp parallel connected cells. this Nss increases the voltage and Npp increases the current. b. With series and parallel module: Here also the value of the model current I m is calculated by the computational block that has V , I , I 0 saturation currents of the array is obtained by the equation (4) and (5) and Ipv Photovoltaic current of the array is obtained from (3).

Table-1 Parameters of the KC 200GT Solar Array V. MATLAB SIMULATION MODEL a. Without Series And Parallel Module: The value of the model current Im is calculated by the computational block that has V , I, I0 saturation currents of the array is obtained by the equation (4) and (5) and Ipv Photovoltaic current of the array is obtained from (3).

Fig.9 The photovoltaic circuit model with Nss and Npp using MATLAB/SIMULINK. This Nss and Npp is helps to design our desired voltage and current. Nss doing the operation of increasing the Voltage and making the current constant and Npp doing the operation of increasing the current and making the voltage constant. The light-generated current (Ipv) of the elementary cells, without the influence of the series and parallel resistances, is difficult to determine. Datasheets only inform the nominal short-

circuit current (Isc,n), which is the maximum current available at the terminals of the practical device. The assumption Isc Ipv is generally used in photovoltaic models because in practical devices the series resistance is low and the parallel resistance is high by using equation (3). Io and Ipv sub-block is same for both the Matlab simulink model of With and Without Nss and Npp. VI. Results a. Current versus voltage curve and power versus voltage curve of without series and parallel module: In this we are going to discuss about the I-V and P-V curve of the without using Nss and Npp (single-module).we obtain this graph by using the values of [1] I m,I0,Ipv in block diagram of figure 14,15and 17. The objective of adjusting the mathematical I-V curve at the three remarkable points was successfully achieved for doing calculations we use table 2 values. Fig 10 shows I-V curve of the KC 200GT photovoltaic array without using series module (Nss) and parallel module (Npp). Fig 11 shows P-V curve of the KC 200GT photovoltaic array without using series module (Nss) and parallel module (Npp). We getting the power curve by the product of current at the maximum power point (Imp) and voltage at the maximum power point (Vmp)

b. Current Versus Voltage Curve And Power Versus Voltage Curve Of With Series And Parallel Module: In this we are going to discuss about the I-V and P-V curve of the with using Nss and Npp (multi-module).we obtain this graph by using the values of [1] Im,I0,Ipv in block diagram of figure 15,16and 17. The objective of adjusting the mathematical I-V curve at the three remarkable points was successfully achieved. for doing calculations we use table 2 values. Fig 12 shows I-V curve of the KC 200GT photovoltaic array with using series module (Nss) and parallel module (Npp). Fig 13 shows P-V curve of the KC 200GT photovoltaic array with using series module (Nss) and parallel module (Npp). we getting the power curve by the product of current at the maximum power point (Imp) multiplied with number of parallel module and voltage at the maximum power point (Vmp) multiplied with number of series module. In this work we are using series module (Nss =15 ) and parallel module (Npp = 2).

Fig.12 I-V curve of the KC 200GT photovoltaic array with (Nss) and (Npp). With Nss and Npp the value of the Maximum current is 16.42 A and the value of the Maximum voltage is 487.5 V

Fig. 10 I-V curve of the KC 200GT photovoltaic array without (Nss) and (Npp). Without Nss and Npp the value of the Maximum current is 8.214 A and the value of the Maximum voltage is 32.9 V

Fig.13 P-V curve of the KC 200GT photovoltaic array with (Nss) and (Npp). With Nss and Npp the value of the Maximum power is 5980 W and the value of the Maximum voltage is 487.5 V

Fig.11 P-V curve of the KC 200GT photovoltaic array without (Nss) and (Npp). Without Nss and Npp the value of the Maximum power is 197W and the value of the Maximum voltage is 32.9 V

VII. CONCLUSION This thesis work has analyzed the development of a method for the mathematical modeling of photovoltaic arrays. The objective of the method is to fit the mathematical I-V equation to the experimental remarkable points of the IV curve of the practical array. The method obtains the parameters of the I-V equation by using the following nominal information from the array datasheet: open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, maximum output power, voltage and current at the maximum power point, current/temperature and voltage/temperature coefficients. This thesis work has proposed an effective and straightforward method to fit the mathematical I-V curve to the three (V, I) remarkable points without the need to guess or to estimate any other parameters except the diode constant a. This thesis work has proposed a closed solution for the problem of finding the parameters of the single diode model equation of a practical photovoltaic array. This thesis work provides the reader with all necessary information to easily develop a single-diode photovoltaic array model for analysing and simulating a photovoltaic array. REFERENCES [1] M.G. Villalva, J.R. Gazoli, E. Ruppert F, Modeling and ciruit-based simulation of photovoltaic arrays, Brazilian journal of power electronics Eletronica de potencia,vol 14, no.1, Fevereiro de 2009. [2] Hongxing Yang , Lin Lu, Wei Zhou, A novel hybrid isolated generating system based on PV fed inverterAssisted wind-driven induction generator, IEEE transactions on Energy Conversion,vol 19, pp. 416422, june 2004. [3] Yun Tiam Tan, S.Kirschen, Nicholas Jenkins,A Model of PV Generation Suitable for Stability Analysis, IEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, vol 19, no.4, December 2004 [4]Qing-shan Xu, Loi Lei Lai, Norman Tse, Katsuhiro Ichiyanagi,Hybrid behaviors analysis of photovoltaic array performance, the Eighth International Conference on Machine Learning and Cybernetics, Baoding. [5]R.K. Nema , Savita Nema , and Gayatri Agnihotri,Computer Simulation Based Study of Photovoltaic CellsModules and their Experimental Verification, [6] Kensuke Nishioka, Nobuhiro Sakitani, Yukiharu Uraoka, and Takashi Fuyuki, Analysis of multicrystalline silicon solar cells by modified 3-diode equivalent circuit model taking leakage current through periphery into consideration, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells,91(13):12221227, 2007. [7]D. Sera, R. Teodorescu, and P. Rodriguez, PV panel model based on datasheet values, In Proc. IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics, ISIE, p.23922396, 2007. [8]W. De Soto, S. A. Klein, and W. A. Beckman, Improvement and validation of a model for photovoltaic array performance, Solar Energy, 80(1):78 88, January 2006.

[9]A. Driesse, S. Harrison, and P. Jain, Evaluating the effectiveness of maximum power point tracking methods in photovoltaic power systems using array performance Models, In Proc. IEEE Power Electronics Specialists Conference, PESC, p. 145151, 2007. [10] International Energy Outlook 2005, Energy Information Administration (EIA), http://www.eia.doe.gov/iea. [11] International Energy Annual 2003, EIA, http://www.eia.doe.gov/iea. [12] System for the Analysis of Global Energy Markets 2005, EIA, http://www.eia.doe.gov/iea. [13]Annual Energy Outlook 2006 (Early Release), EIA, http://www.eia.doe.gov/. [14]S.R. Bull, Renewable Energy Today and Tomorrow, Proceedings of IEEE, Vol.89, No. 8, pp.1216-1221, August 2001. [15]http://www.solarserver.com/solar-magazine/solar news/current/kw40/india-aries-waaree-to-provideengineering-services-for-40mw-pv-plant.html [16]http://www.solarserver.com/solar-magazine/solarnews/current/AzurePower announces goal to develop 100MW of solar capacity by 2015.html [17]Trends in photovoltaic applications: Survey report of selected IEA countries between 1992 and 2004, International Energy Agency Photovoltaics Power Systems Programme (IEA PVPS), September 2005. [18]R. Messenger and J. Ventre, Photovoltaic Systems Engineering, CRC Press LLC, 2000. [19]India Solar Mission Technology Deployment by Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).

S.Ganesh Kumaran was born in India and received the

B.Tech degree in electrical engineering in 2008 from Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College, Puducherry,India and received my M.E Power system degree in 2011 from Annamalai University ,Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India P.Kirubagaran was born in India and received the B.Tech degree in electrical engineering in 2008 from Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College, Puducherry,India and Pursuing my M.E degree in Power system from Annamalai University ,Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India