A maximum power point tracker implementation for photovoltaic cells using dynamic optimal voltage tracking

A maximum power point tracker (MPPT) for photovoltaic (PV) cells, PV modules (PVM) and PV arrays is presented using a dynamic optimal voltage estimator to estimate the voltage at which a PV cell generates its maximum power, and, using a DC-DC converter, to force the PV cell to reach and operate at voltage in a finite time and to stay there for all future time. The optimal voltage estimator reads the temperature at the surface of the PV array and the solar irradiance that reaches it surface to estimate the maximum power voltage point. A sliding mode controller, implemented in a low cost microcontroller, uses the estimated optimal voltage to generate a control signal which forces the PV cell to track and operate at this estimated optimal voltage for all future time. The procedures for the design, simulation, implementation and results are presented in this paper.