Short-current pulse-based adaptive maximum-power-point tracking for a photovoltaic power generation system

This paper focuses on a maximum-power-point tracking method of photovoltaics via use of the short-current pulse. It has been reported that the optimum operating current is proportional to the short current and that maximum-power-point tracking can be performed by detecting the short current. The proposed method utilizes the intermittent short-current pulse to estimate the optimum operating current and its operating characteristics have experimentally been verified. Also, an adaptive mechanism to identify the parameter between the optimum current and the short current is discussed. A prototype of the controller has been set up and the experimental results have demonstrated excellent performance, proving the feasibility of the system. © 2002 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 139(1): 65–72, 2002; DOI 10.1002/eej.1147