Design and implementation of a test bed for maximum power point tracking algorithms of photovoltaic panels

It is well known that the current-voltage characteristics of photovoltaic panels are not linear. As the current drawn from the panel changes, the voltage and power also vary. However, operation at the point of the characteristic that yields the maximum awailable power is possible by applying a proper control technique. Several Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms that guarantee the operation at this point under varying environmental and load conditions have been previously developed.Design and implementation of a set-up to test different MPPT algorithms is aimed in this thesis. A system that charges the battery of an electric vehicle by using the energy coming from three 130 W PV panels by using a boost DC-DC converter has been designed and built. Three of the most commonly used MPPT algorithms have been tested in this microprocessor based circuit. Detailed information related to MPPT algorithms and solar panels has been given in this thesis. Also, operation of the system has been shown through several simulation and experimental results.