Maximum power point tracking for multiple photovoltaic modules using root-finding methods

This paper discusses maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of PV systems that have more than one characteristically different PV module using four root-finding methods, including the Brent method, which has not previously been studied for this application. These methods are also compared with conventional methods including the perturb and observe (P&O) and incremental conduction (INC) methods. A set of single input boost (SSIB) converters in parallel is used in order to find the maximum power points simultaneously. The results of the simulations and experiments showed that when compared to conventional methods, root-finding approaches have the advantage of finding all the maximum power points (MPPs). The convergence speeds of the four root-finding methods are greatly influenced by the initial guess of the root and the tolerance value.