AN IMPROVED MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKER USING A STEP-UP CONVERTER WITH CURRENT LOCKED LOOP

It is well known that for a given solar radiation intensity and solar cell temperature there exists a Maximum Power Point at which the power generated from the PV panel is at its maximum. A system designer is i nterested in optimal matching of the load to the PV generator so that the maximum power can be obtained during operating period. A Maximum P ower Point Tracker (MPPT) using a step up converter with a current loc ked loop is developed. Its performance is compared with the literature (the step down power converter using PWM technique), under different solar irradiance and ambient temperatures. It showed an improvement in the output power by 22.5% (average) over a wide range of solar irradi ation in a day. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.