Single-sensor multi-channel maximum power point tracking controller for photovoltaic solar systems

This study presents a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method and controller for a multi-channel (N-channel) photovoltaic solar system. The N-channel single-sensor MPPT (SS-MPPT) controller is able to track the maximum power point (MPP) of each solar panel using only one output current sensor in the N-channels. Compared with a conventional N-channel MPPT system which requires N voltage sensors, N current sensors, 2N analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) (or an ADC with 2N channels) and N-MPPT controllers along with the associated conditioning circuitries, the proposed method only requires one sensor, one ADC and one MPPT controller. In the proposed N-channel SS-MPPT controller, the MPPT for each channel is achieved by tracking the maxima of the output (load) current (resulting in the maxima of the system output power) using the Perturb and Observe algorithm and the maxima of each channel power via channel output current difference optimisation. Two algorithms which can be used to realise the SS-MPPT controller are discussed and compared. The concept and operation of the SS-MPPT controller is presented, analysed and verified by results obtained from a proof-of-concept experimental prototype.