Emulation, Model Identification and New-approach Characterization of a PV Panel (TECHNICAL NOTE)

This paper provides experimental and simulation tools to characterize a Photo-Voltaic (PV) panel. To achieve this objective, we start from a PV electrical model and we propose a circuit using Diode-based-equivalent PV (DBEPV) panel. This circuit is presented as a prototype of an equivalent PV panel. It is designed to emulate a real PV module in different climatic conditions (irradiance and temperature). In addition, a new characterization tool for the PV panel, based on the automatic progression of the duty cycle of a Pulse-Width-Modulation (PWM) signal driving DC/DC buck converter, is developed. This characterization tool can emulate a variable resistance from a zero value to the highest one. An ISIS software package and a MATLAB®/Simulink® environment are used to simulate the characterization of a real PV panel, and the proposed prototype is experimentally validated. The experimental results were obtained and compared with those extracted from simulation. An identification of the parameters of the nonlinear mathematical model of the PV panel is necessary to validate our new approach characterization of a real PV panel and a prototype DBEPV one. A parametric characterization method based on iterative algorithm is applied. A good agreement was achieved. Indeed, our comparison showed the efficiency and feasibility of DBEPV prototype and our characterization method.