Online Fault Detection and Diagnosis in Photovoltaic Systems Using Wavelet Packets

The nonlinear characteristics of a photovoltaic (PV) array, maximum power point tracking of the PV inverter, presence of blocking diodes, and lower irradiation prevent the conventional protection devices to trip under certain faults and lead to reduced system efficiency and fire hazards. Moreover, the PV characteristics under certain partial shading conditions are similar to that under fault conditions. Hence, it is imperative to detect faults and differentiate faults from the partial shading condition to avoid false tripping of the system. This paper proposes a simple fault detection method using the available data of array voltage and current by means of wavelet packets. The proposed scheme is simulated using MATLAB/Simulink and is experimentally tested on a 1.6-kW $\text{4}\,\times \,\text{4}$ PV array to validate its performance.

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