GMPPT Algorithm Based Maximum Power Tracking under Dynamic Weather Conditions Employing Krill-Herd Technique

ABSTRACT

As solar energy extraction becomes more and more popular, attempts are made to further improve the efficiency and reliability of such systems. At the time of partially shaded conditions, the peak power that can be extracted from the PV modules may be more, but the conventional control algorithms may result in the underutilization of the panel. The Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms like Perturb and Observance (P&O), Incremental Conductance, and other conventional methods fail to detect the global maximum power point (GMPP). In such conditions, a GMPP algorithm is recommended. This paper proposes a new GMPP algorithm called Krill-Herd (K-H) to augment the performance of PV modules with non-uniform irradiations. Krill is a marine animal, and researchers have shown keen interest in this herd due to its ability to form large swarms. The hardware experimentation with a highly efficient Interleaved Boost Converter (IBC) with GaN devices under different partially shaded conditions is used to validate the proposed algorithm. IBC has many advantages over conventional boost converters such as low input current ripple, high efficiency, fast transient response, and improved reliability, less current stress on switching devices, and reduction in filter size. The K-H algorithm shows improved performance over the conventional P&O based algorithms with no oscillations around peak power point, less time to reach steady-state, less power loss, more accuracy, and fewer numbers of iterations. Five different conditions of operation of the panels in real time applications have been considered and is demonstrated that higher efficiency levels of around 99% could be obtained using the K-H algorithm in all these cases.

KEYWORDS:

• Photovoltaic system
• maximum power point tracking
• interleaved boost converter
• krill-herd algorithm
• partial shade conditions
• global maximum power point

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Babu Natarajan

Babu Natarajan received his M. Tech. degree in Embedded System technologies from Anna University, Tiruchirappalli, India. He is currently pursuing his Ph. D. degree at the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India. His areas of interest include electrical drives, control, and applications of power electronics in renewable energy systems.

Namani Rakesh

Namani Rakesh received his B.Tech degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Kakatiya University, Warangal, Telangana, India, in 2008. He received his M.S (by Research) degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India, in 2013. From June 2013 to February 2016, he served as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Kakatiya Institute of Technology and Science, Warangal, Telangana, India. From March 2016 to till date, he is working as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies, Basar, Telangana, India. His research interests include power electronics applications in renewable energy systems, grid-connected PV systems, and power enhancement of PV arrays.

Senthilkumar Subramaniam

Senthilkumar Subramaniam received the B.E. degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India, in 1999, the M.Tech. degree in Electrical Drives and Control from Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India, in 2005, and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India, in 2013. He has 20 years of teaching experience at various engineering institutions. He is currently working as an Associate Professor with the National Institute of Technology. He has extensively researched on self-excited induction generators for standalone and grid-connected applications. His current research interests include the development of new power converter topologies for renewable energy systems and intelligent transportation systems.

Malavya Udugula

Malavya Udugula graduated in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in 2013, from JNTU, Hyderabad, Telangana, India and M.Tech Degree in Power Electronics in 2019, from Kakatiya University, Warangal, Telangana, India. In the year 2019, she served as a faculty in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies, Basar, Telangana, India. Her areas of interest include power electronic controllers for renewable energy systems and electric vehicles.

Sanjeevikumar Padmanaban

Sanjeevikumar Padmanaban received the bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Madras, Chennai, India, in 2002, the Master's degree (Hons.) in Electrical Engineering from Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India, in 2006, and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, in 2012. He was an Associate Professor with VIT University from 2012 to 2013. In 2013, he joined the National Institute of Technology, India, as a Faculty Member. In 2014, he was invited as a Visiting Researcher at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar, funded by Qatar National Research Foundation (Government of Qatar). He continued his research activities with the Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland, in 2014. Further, he served as an Associate Professor with the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2016 to 2018. Since 2018, he has been a Faculty Member with the Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, Esbjerg, Denmark. His current research interests include HVDC, Power Electronics, and Renewable Energy Systems.