A dual tangent based algorithm for maximum power point tracking of solar PV systems

In this paper, a new algorithm is presented for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of solar PV array. This method first forecasts the maximum power point (MPP) by using tangents to the power-voltage curve at two end points of an interval and then iteratively converges to the MPP by evaluating whether the true MPP lies on the left or right side of the estimated MPP. The proposed algorithm has the advantage that MPPT is achieved within an almost fixed and small number of iterations irrespective of the power level. The working of the control approach is first demonstrated through MATLAB/Simulink simulation and simulated results are then verified experimentally by the hardware implementation of a standalone photo-voltaic (PV) system.