Tracking Algorithms and Voltage Controllers Used to Obtain the Maximum Power Point of PV Arrays

In this paper, a fuzzy proportional derivative and/or a classical proportional integral is used to control the terminal voltage of the photovoltaic (PV) array connected to the input of a dc/dc step-up converter. The voltage reference is tracked continuously by employing a perturb and observe and the incremental conductance algorithms in order to make the PV array operate as close as possible to the maximum power point (MPP). However, these techniques produce oscillations around the MPP, which can be reduced by applying adaptive steps instead of fixed steps. Additionally, this paper presents the complete mathematical model of the power converter associated with a PV array where the parasitic elements are included. Simulations and experimental results under different environmental conditions are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.