Hybrid global maximum power point tracking system for solar panels

Due to the nonlinearity of the power-voltage (P-V) characteristic, maximum power can be obtained from the PV panel at a single operating point called the Maximum Power Point (MPP). This point, which varies depending on environmental and load conditions, must be determined continuously by a system known as the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) system. The situation where some parts of the PV panel receive different radiation due to obstructions such as dirt, clouds and trees is called partial shading. In the absence of partial shading, the P-V curve has only one maximum power point, while in the case of partial shading, multiple local maximum power points occur. Determining the highest value (global maximum power point GMPP) among these points and operating the PV panel at this point is a problem that classical MPPT systems cannot solve. As a result, in the case of partial shading, it is necessary to employ GMPP tracking systems capable of locating the GMPP. In this thesis study, a new bypass diode-based hybrid MPPT system is designed, which uses currents passing through the bypass diodes to estimate the location of the GMPP and then searches only around this location using the Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) algorithm.