AN IMPROVED PERTURB AND OBSERVE MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKING TECHNIQUE USING FUZZY LOGIC CONTROLLER

Abstract

In this work, an improved microcontroller-based maximum power point tracking algorithm for PV solar charge controller is proposed and implemented. The proposed algorithm uses fuzzy logic controller to adaptively modify the step-size of a conventional P&O algorithm, thereby improving its transient and steady-state responses. The proposed algorithm is implemented in a prototype solar charge controller consisting of a solar panel, a buck converter and a microcontroller. The results of the tests performed on the proposed algorithm are compared to those of a conventional P&O algorithm and a PV system with no MPPT, to validate the algorithm. The comparison with the conventional P&O algorithm shows 93% and 72% improvements in transient and steady-state responses, respectively, while that with no MPPT shows 71% improvement in efficiency with which the proposed algorithm extract energy from a solar panel.