Simple and fast computation photovoltaic emulator using shift controller

Photovoltaic (PV) emulator (PVE) is a non-linear power supply that produces a similar output to that of the PV module. It requires a closed-loop controller such as the proportional–integral (PI) and fuzzy logic controllers to operate properly. The PI controller has a low-computational burden and is not robust since the transient response varies under different load conditions. Although the fuzzy logic controller is robust, it requires high-computation capability. This study proposed an alternative approach called the shift controller for the PVE to easily compute and maintain a fast transient response under various load conditions. The performance of the proposed shift controller for the PVE is compared with the performance of the PVEs using the PI and fuzzy logic controllers, respectively. The controllers are simulated using MATLAB/Simulink and implemented using dSPACE ds1104 for experimental validation. The results show that the proposed shift controller computes up to 18 times faster than the fuzzy logic controller. The proposed controller also responds faster to load change than the PI controller.