Photovoltaic Array Emulator Based on the Buck Converter

This paper presents a photovoltaic array emulator based on the Buck converter with a modified output filter. By digitally controlling the converter, it is possible to impose its output quantities (current and voltage) and make them to move over the referenced I-V curve. Since the I-V curve depends on the parameters of the photovoltaic modules, a methodology to determine them from the datasheet information is also presented, which allows obtaining the reference I-V curves for various irradiance and temperature scenarios. The result of this procedure is the possibility to reproduce the behavior of the photovoltaic array in the laboratory, regardless of the weather conditions. In order to validate the proposed emulator operation, experimental results from a 1 kW prototype are presented and discussed in this paper.

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