A new maximum power point tracker of photovoltaic arrays using fuzzy controller

Studies on photovoltaic systems are increasing because of a large, secure, essentially exhaustible and broadly available resource as a future energy supply. However, the output power induced in the photovoltaic modules is influenced by an intensity of solar cell radiation, temperature of the solar cells and so on. Therefore, to maximize the efficiency of the renewable energy system, it is necessary to track the maximum power point of the input source. In this paper, a new maximum power point tracker (MPPT) using fuzzy set theory is proposed to improve energy conversion efficiency. A fuzzy algorithm based on linguistic rules describing the operator´s control strategy is applied to control the step-up converter for the MPPT. Fuzzy logic control based on coarse and fine mode has been incorporated in order to reduce not only the time required to track the maximum power point but also the fluctuation of power. The MPPT algorithm is implemented by a 16 bit single chip 80C196KB microcontroller. Simulation and experimental results show that performance of the fuzzy controller in a maximum power tracking of a photovoltaic array is better than that of controller based upon the hill climbing method