Real-time digital simulation modeling of single-phase PV in RT-LAB

In this paper, the real-time simulation model of a single-phase single-stage Photovoltaic (PV) has been developed in RT-LAB. The model is composed of a detailed model of a PV with Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT), a Phase Locked Loop (PLL), a proportional resonance (PR) controller, and a full bridge inverter. As the RT-LAB works in discrete time domain, modifications have been applied to the MPPT and the PR controller. The paper presents the control structures in discrete domain. Two categories of case studies have been carried out. In the first case, an irradiance signal composed of a ramp and a step change was applied. In the second case, the irradiance was generated by a Chroma controllable voltage source to emulate the random irradiance and it has been sent to the RT-LAB as an input signal. Outputs from the RT-lab were captured in oscilloscopes. The paper demonstrates the use of the developed PV model for real-time digital simulation and for hardware integration.