Effects of shading on the output power of photovoltaic arrays
Abstract
As the price of solar panels decrease, the use of Photovoltaic (PV) arrays to generate power will greatly increase. Due to location constraints many of these arrays will be installed in locations where the array receives partial shading during part or all of the day due to trees or other structures. Many purchasers of PV arrays will research the efficiency of the solar panels but give very little attention to the configuration of the PV array. The order of series and parallel connections of the array to increase voltage and current respectively greatly affects the overall efficiency of the PV array when it is partially shaded. In this thesis, the effects of partial shading on PV arrays are modeled and simulated using MATLAB Simulink®®. A model for a solar cell and panel is developed and simulated. The series and parallel connection of panels to boost array voltage and current is discussed. The effects of shading on the array and the use of bypass diodes are explored. Maximum power point tracking algorithms are created using the Perturb and Observe process and DC-DC converters to optimize power and match current and voltage for series and parallel connected panels are developed. PV arrays comprised of different connection combinations of nine PV panels such as series, parallel, series-parallel and parallel-series are modeled and simulated to predict the effect of partial cell shading on array efficiency. The simulation results demonstrate that under parallel and parallel-series connections the losses due to partial shading are greatly reduced relative to series and series-parallel connections.
Degree
M.S.E.
Advisors
Kozel, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Alternative Energy|Electrical engineering|Energy
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