A circuit-based photovoltaic module simulator with shadow and fault settings. Issue 3 (3rd March 2016) - Chao, Kuei-Hsiang
Abstract : The main purpose of this study was to develop a photovoltaic (PV) module simulator. The proposed simulator, using electrical parameters from solar cells, could simulate output characteristics not only during normal operational conditions, but also during conditions of partial shadow and fault conditions. Such a simulator should possess the advantages of low cost, small size and being easily realizable. Experiments have shown that results from a proposed PV simulator of this kind are very close to that from simulation software during partial shadow conditions, and with negligible differences during fault occurrence. Meanwhile, the PV module simulator, as developed, could be used on various types of series–parallel connections to form PV arrays, to conduct experiments on partial shadow and fault events occurring in some of the modules. Such experiments are designed to explore the impact of shadow and fault conditions on the output characteristics of the system as a whole.