Transactions on Machine Intelligence

Transactions on Machine Intelligence

Design and Simulation of a Single-Phase Grid-Connected Microinverter for Photovoltaic Systems

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Electrical Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Electronics, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
In single-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems, maintaining a constant input power while dealing with a pulsating output power is a crucial challenge. This isolation is typically achieved using an energy storage element, most commonly a high-voltage DC link capacitor. The AC array structure of such systems consists of a single solar array connected to the grid through an inverter. Since the inverter's operational lifespan should align with that of the solar array, the choice of capacitor plays a critical role in system reliability. Electrolytic capacitors, despite their cost-effectiveness, exhibit a significantly shorter lifespan than solar arrays, necessitating the use of high-cost film capacitors with enhanced durability. A key challenge in designing the DC link voltage controller is mitigating voltage fluctuations in the capacitor and suppressing second harmonic ripple, both of which are inversely related to capacitor capacity and, consequently, system cost. Traditional approaches often require large capacitors to reduce these fluctuations, leading to increased cost and bulkiness. This paper proposes a digital control strategy for stabilizing the DC link capacitor voltage in single-phase grid-connected PV systems. The proposed method employs a low-pass finite impulse response (FIR) filter, which effectively suppresses voltage oscillations while maintaining system efficiency. The digital implementation of this controller enhances flexibility, reliability, and cost-effectiveness compared to conventional analog controllers. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in reducing voltage ripple and improving the stability of the DC link, thereby extending the lifespan of the inverter and enhancing overall system performance.
Keywords

  • Lyeonov, S., Pimonenko, T., Bilan, Y., Štreimikienė, D., & Mentel, G. (2019). Assessment of green investments' impact on sustainable development: Linking gross domestic product per capita, greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy. Energies, 12(20), 3891. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12203891
  • Holappa, L. (2020). A general vision for reduction of energy consumption and CO2 emissions from the steel industry. Metals, 10(9), 1117. https://doi.org/10.3390/met10091117
  • Mikhaylov, A., Moiseev, N., Aleshin, K., & Burkhardt, T. (2020). Global climate change and greenhouse effect. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 7(4), 2897-2913. https://doi.org/10.9770/jesi.2020.7.4(21)
  • Basit, M., Dilshad, S., Badar, R., & Rehman, S. (2020). Limitations, challenges, and solution approaches in grid‐connected renewable energy systems. International Journal of Energy Research, 44(6), 4132-4162. https://doi.org/10.1002/er.5033
  • Vasylieva, T., Lyulyov, O., Bilan, Y., & Štreimikienė, D. (2019). Sustainable economic development and greenhouse gas emissions: The dynamic impact of renewable energy consumption, GDP, and corruption. Energies, 12(17), 3289. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12173289
  • Kjaer, S. B., Pedersen, J. K., & Blaabjerg, F. (2005). A review of single-phase grid-connected inverters for photovoltaic modules. IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 41(5), 1292-1306. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIA.2005.853371
  • Hu, H., Harb, S., Kutkut, N., Batarseh, I., & Shen, Z. J. (2010). Power decoupling techniques for micro-inverters in PV systems-a review. In 2010 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (pp. 3235-3240). https://doi.org/10.1109/ECCE.2010.5618285
  • Li, Q., & Wolfs, P. (2008). A review of the single phase photovoltaic module integrated converter topologies with three different DC link configurations. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 23(3), 1320-1333. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPEL.2008.920883
  • Levron, Y., Canaday, S., & Erickson, R. W. (2016). Bus voltage control with zero distortion and high bandwidth for single-phase solar inverters. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 31(1), 258-269. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPEL.2015.2399431
  • Karimi-Ghartemani, M., Khajehoddin, S. A., Jain, P., & Bakhshai, A. (2013). A systematic approach to DC-bus control design in single-phase grid-connected renewable converters. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 28(7), 3158-3166. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPEL.2012.2222672
Volume 3, Issue 4
Autumn 2020
Pages 218-225

  • Receive Date 03 August 2020
  • Revise Date 10 October 2020
  • Accept Date 09 December 2020