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NI CaseStudy Cs 15386
NI CaseStudy Cs 15386
The Challenge:
Developing a distributed photovoltaic (PV) system that overcomes the common performance challenges of a centralized PV
system, such as those caused by shadows, temperature, or a mismatch between panels, and increases total energy efficiency.
Figure 1. State-of-the-Art Scooter Shelter Design
for the Low-Carbon Emission Campus Project at
National Cheng Kung University That Takes
Advantage of Our Proposed Design
The Solution:
Using NI Multisim, Ultiboard, and LabVIEW software with the NI sbRIO-9642XT embedded control and acquisition device to
design and develop all of the components of a distributed PV system from the simulation of the electrical characteristics of the
converter and the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm to a rapid prototype of the printed circuit board (PCB).
Author(s):
Chao Rumin - National Cheng Kung University, Department of Systems and Naval Mechatronic Engineering
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As oil prices increase each year, renewable energy research and development becomes more of a concern for researchers. Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, solar energy has
become one of the leading candidates for an alternative energy source in the future. However, traditional PV configurations experience energy loss due to factors such as partial
shading, panel mismatching, and temperature variation between panels. As a result, the PV systems energy harvest efficiency is much less than expected.
We proposed a novel star-shaped distributed PV system that uses an FPGA embedded controller for parallel processing and voltage regulation for the PV panels. Another real-time
controller is used for the operation of the MPPT to generate maximum energy from the PV panels. From simulation to prototype testing, including the design of the DC-to-DC
converter for the distributed PV system, the NI graphical system design platform was used exclusively for this project. This work will lead to a state-of-the-art design of the PV power
station, which will possibly be demonstrated as a building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) public work for the Low-Carbon Emission Campus Project at National Cheng Kung
University.
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library, which saved a lot of development time for system implementation. With the LabVIEW shared variable function, we can monitor the power output for each of the PV panels.
Even with portable devices such as the iPad, dashboard software can read information directly using the shared variable.
Experiment Results
A benchmark experiment was performed in two independent PV fields, one with a distributed PV system and the other one with the traditional centralized one. Four thin-film solar
panels were connected in a series, and one of them was partially shaded. Daily power outputs for the four PV panels of the distributed system were 382 WH, 386 WH, 377 WH, and
261 WH (Figure 5). Test results showed that the proposed distributed systems worked well under panel-mismatching and partial-shading conditions. When compared with the total
power output (1,192 WH, given by the centralized system), an 18 percent power increase was achieved by the proposed system.
Figure 1. State-of-the-Art Scooter Shelter Design for the Low-Carbon Emission Campus Project at National Cheng Kung University That Takes Advantage of Our Proposed Design
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Figure 3. QM and Perturb and Observe (P&O) MPPT Simulation Using Multisim and LabVIEW Co-Simulation
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Figure 4. Buck-Boost Converter Circuit Design for PV Application Using Multisim and Ultiboard
Figure 5. Using the NI sbRIO-9642XT FPGA Module for Parallel Signal Processing and Voltage Regulation and the Real-Time Processor for MPPT Calculation
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