Comparing the Perform

mance of Different Control Techniques for DC-

DC Boost Converte er with Variable Solar PV Generatio
on in DC
Microgrid

Amjad Alii, Student Member, IEEE, Yunjie Gu, Chi Xu

Wuhua Li, Member, IEEE, Xiangning He, Fellow, IEEE
College of Electrical Engineering
Zhejiang University
Hangzhou, China
aliamjad@zjju.edu.cn, woohualee@zju.edu.cn, hxn@zju.edu.cn

Abstract: Different control strategies tto achieve the module blocks in MATLAB/SIM MULINK is discussed
maximum output power from DC-DC b boost converter in section-I, The DC-DC boost converters model is
with variable solar PV generation are prresented in this n-III different control
presented in section-II, in section
paper. In order to ensure the stabiility of a DC techniques are described. Finallly in section-IV a
microgrid, the power flow within the DC microgrid
comparison between different controls techniques
must be balanced at all times to maintain a constant dc
bus voltage. A comparison between Perturb and and their efficiency are presented.
observe (P&O), incremental conductan nce (INC), PID
open & closed loop and dynamic evalluation control
(DEC) techniques are discussed in n this paper.
MATLAB/SIMULINK simulation resultts are presented
to demonstrate the comparison beetween control
strategies.

Keywords: solar photovoltaic, D DC-DC boost

converter, Control techniques in DC m
microgrid. Figure-1. Solar PV with DC-DC
C Boost Converter
Introduction Section-I: PV Module Modeling
Energy crisis are becoming more and m more serious in Generally electric generators are classified as voltage
21st century because conventional foossil fuels are or current source devices. The prractical solar cell is a
extensively used in power generation ssystem. During hybrid behavior which can either be voltage or
the last few decades a considerable eeffort has been current source device, dependin ng on its operating
made to integrate the distributed eneergy resources point. The MATLAB/SIMULINK K model of solar cell
(DERs) power generation into tradditional power is developed by following the equation-1-4.
e Where
system to reduce the rapid depletion of fossil fuels Solkar 36W PV panel is taken n as the reference,
and environmental pollution. Solar pphotovoltaic is module data sheet is given in tablle-1.
one of the abundantly available sources of renewable

energy which can be one of the main aapplications of    (1)

DC microgrid in the future [1]. M Microgrid has
attracted extensive interest due to its flexibility and The photocurrent of solar celll Iph is calculated,
adaptability in grid connected or stand alone mode. A where solar panel short-circuit current
c (ISCr= 2.55A)
DC microgrid has many advantagges over AC as per standard test condition (STC)
( IEC standard
microgrid because it needs only few power (61215-2005-04) is at 25o C and 1000W/m2
converters with higher system efficienncy and easier irradiation [4], short-circuit currrent temperature co-
interface of renewable energy sourcess to dc system efficient (Ki = 0.0017A/oC), operrating temperature of
[2]. To achieve the maximum outputt from the DC module is T in Kelvin and PV mo odule illumination (
generated power system in DC microgrid a DC-DC =W/m2) as per (IEC-61215-2005--04) is 1000W/m2.
boost converters are used as shownn in figure-1,
whereas if the input source is solar PV which is
directly dependant on sun irradiation soo that different (2)

control techniques are used to improove the output
voltage stability and optimize the efficciency of boost Where electron charge (q = 1.6110-19 C), open circuit
converter settling time and overshoot aand to keep the voltage (VOC =21.24 V) as per reeference PV module,
boost converter output voltage to be coonstant, despite Boltzmann constant (k = 1.3805 10-23 J/K) and an
the variation of load and input voltagge [3]. In this ideality factor is (A = 1.6)
paper, four different types of control techniques are
discussed and applied with DC-DC booost Converter
to compare their output voltage. A sim mulation of PV    (3)

978-1-4799-4315-9/14/$31.00 2014
c IEEE 603
 Where Ego is the band gap for silicon = 1.1 eV.

  (4)

For simulating the solar module as perr specifications

of reference module, number of paraallel solar cell
(Np = 1), numbers of series solar cell (Ns = 36) and
(Vpv = Voc) as mentioned in table-1.. Detailed step
by step MATLAB/SIMULINK moddule design is
discussed in [5].

Description Rating
Maximum Power (Pmax) 37.08Wp
Figure-3 DC/DC Boost Converter Circuit
C Schematic [9]
Voltage at maximum power (Vmp) 16.56 V
To observe the response of boostt converter as shown
Current at maximum power (Imp) 2.25 A in figure-3, a model has been b developed in
MATLAB/SIMULINK for variiable input voltage
Open circuit voltage (VOC) 21.24 V from 220 to 330 volts respecttively as shown in
figure-4
Short circuit current (ISCr) 2.55 A

Total number of cells in series (Ns) 36

Total number of cells in parallel (Np) 1

Table-1: Electrical characteristic data oof solkar 36W

P V module.

3 40
2.8 Pmax=37.08
35
Vmp==16.56
2.6
2.4 Figure-4 DC/DC Boost Converrter with PV input
2.2 Iscr=2.55
30
2
1.8 25 Section-III: Different Control Techniques
Te for Boost
Power (P)

1.6 20
Current (I)

1.4 Converter
1.2 15
In this section Incremental Conductance
C (INC),
1 I-V Curve (Blue) Perturb and Observe (P&O), PID D open & closed loop
0.8 10 and Dynamic Evaluation Contro ol (DEC) techniques
0.6 P-V Curve (Red)
0.4 5 are used with DC-DC boost co onverter to observe
0.2 Voc=21.24 their behavior to regulate the boo
ost output voltage at
0 0 required level.
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
2 24
Voltage (V)
A. Incremental Conductance (IINC) Control
Figure-2: IV-PV Characteristics Cuurve of P V
The incremental conductance (IINC) method is the
module
differential output slope of the PV
V array, voltage and
power curve is zero at the max ximum power point
Section-II: DC-DC Boost Con nverter
Mostly DC-DC converters are usedd in regulated (MPP), positive at left side, and negative
n on the right
switching mode DC power supplies. The input of of the MPP as shown in figure-5 [10].To regulate the
these type converters is an unregulateed DC voltage output voltage at required level,, the control system
which can obtain from any source of distributed should adjust the duty cycle ratio of the boost
energy resources (DERs). In this paper solar PV is converter continuously with reespect to solar PV
used as a source voltage which is flucctuating due to variable generation. The increm mental conductance
variation in irradiation and change in ttemperature. In (INC) method flow chart is developed
d shown in
DC-DC boost converter the average ooutput voltage figure-6 by following the equatiion-5-7 respectively.
must be regulated at desired value eeven the input Detailed explanation about INC iss discussed in [11].
voltage is variable [6]. DC-DC booost converter (5)
graphical model is shown in figure--3. The boost
converter topology have been discussedd in full details (6)

in [7],[8],[9].

604 2014 IEEE 9th Conference on Industrial Electronics and Applications (ICIEA)
 if di/du>-(i/u),m=D-0.01;
 (7)
else
m=D+0.01;
end
end

Whereas MTLAB model for (INC) is shown in

figure-7 which is then implemented with boost
converter as discussed in section-II the Boost input
and output voltage are shown in section-IV

Figure-7. INC MATLAB Model

Figure-5. PV panel IV-PV curve at MPP
Figure-6 Flow Chart Control of Incremental Conductance [11]
Following the above flow chart the MTLAB code for
incremental conductance MPPT is given below.
B. Perturb and Observe (P&O) Control
Due to simplicity and easy implementation Perturb
and observe (PO) algorithm is one of the most used
algorithms in MPP techniques. P&O method is also
known as Hill Climbing (HC) algorithm. There is a
small difference between P&O and HC but working
principle is the same. In P&O MPP is obtained with
perturbation of solar PV operating voltage, while in
HC the duty cycle of converter is required to adjust
by following the variation in voltage and current of
PV panel. P&O operation works with perturbing of
solar PV operating voltage increment and decrement,
in this way the output power can be compared and
observed at consecutive perturbing cycles. During
perturbation if the power difference is positive, on
that time perturbation is added with the same
increment to operating voltage, output power will be
observed again until the power difference is negative
until perturbation process is maintained as shown in
P&O flow chart figure-8. A detail discussion about
P&O is discussed in [12].
Following the flow chart of figure-8 a
MATLABL/SIMULINK model is developed as show
in figure-9 and then implemented with DC-DC boost
converter showed in figure-4. Finally the output
voltage of PO is given in section-IV.

function y = INC(u,i,u0,i0,D)
m=0;
du=u-u0;di=i-i0;
if du==0
if di==0,m=D;
else
if di>0, m=D-0.01;
else
m=D+0.01;
end
end
elseif di/du==-(i/u) Figure-8. P&O Flow Chart [12]
else

2014 IEEE 9th Conference on Industrial Electronics and Applications (ICIEA) 605
 Figure-9. P&O MATLAB/SIMULINK Model

C. Dynamic Evaluation Control (DEC)

Dynamic Evolution Control (DEC) is used to reduce
the error state to follow the specific path of error
which insure that the error state will go to zero with
increase to time response. Characteristic of dynamic
control follow the target equation Y=0, where the
evaluation path may be linear or exponential function
by following the equation-8, 9, and 10 where C is the
initial value of Y1 and Y2 and m is the proportional to
the slope of Y1 [13].
Figure-10. Dynamic Evaluation Control
(8) MATLAB/SIMULINK Model

 (9) is also one of those linear controls where system is

(10)
The synthesis objective of (DEC) is to obtain the
error state decrease to zero by following the
evaluation path. Duty cycle of DC-DC boost
converter is achieved with (Vo, Vg, iL) where is a
function of state Vo, Vg and iL. Dynamic Evaluation
Control (DEC) is developed by following the
equation-11 and MATLAB/SIMULINK model is
developed as shown in figure-10. Detailed
explanation about DEC is discussed in [13]. Output
voltage of DC-DC boost convert with dynamic
evaluation control (DEC) is shown in section-IV.
(11)
comprised of discrete switching states. PID control is
basically an error based control method, where
information from the output of the system is used to
determine the error of the desired output control
variable see figure-11. Whereas the PID control is
developed in MATLAB/SIMULINK as shown in
figure-12 by following the equation-12. PID control
decision is achieved with three components which are
called the Proportional (P), the Integral (I) and the
Derivative (D) are parts of the control system. This
concept is also called feedback control, or closed-
loop control [14].
 
(12)

D. PID Control
PID is one of the robust controlling technique where
system is monitored and controlled to follow the
output error of model, where e = yr. lot of research
has been done for linear control systems, PID control
Figure-11. Feedback Control System [14]

606 2014 IEEE 9th Conference on Industrial Electronics and Applications (ICIEA)
 from solar PV and to keep the DC microgrid bus
voltage stable at required level. Table-II given below
is showing comparison between all these techniques
Ref Error Process Output with their maximum and average output voltage,
current and power generated with the variable input
source from solar PV. The output efficiency of these
techniques is shown in table-III.
Figure-12. PID MATLAB Model
Now it can be seen and observe clearly that
Finally the PI control is implemented in DC-DC incremental conductance MPPT control techniques is
boost converter and its output voltage graph is shown given the maximum output efficiency because of its
in section-IV automatically adjust module operating voltage with
no oscillations during rapid changing atmospheric
Section-IV: Comparison and Discussion conditions(varying radiation and temp) with variable
In this section results of different control techniques solar PV input source to DC-DC boost converter.
discussed which are presented in section-III and a
comparison has be done keeping in view that solar
PV is a variable DC power generation source, so that
it is necessary that to achieve the maximum power
Input Output Comparison Data Table
PV Input Voltage
Incremental Dynamic
Perturb & Observe
PID Open Loop PID Close Loop Conductance Evaluation
(MPPT)
(MPPT Control (EDC)
Max Avg Max Avg Max Avg Max Avg Max Avg
VIN 325.2 291.2 325.2 290.8 352.9 290.5 325.2 290.5 325.2 289.2
IIN 66.38 11.69 66.7 11.13 38.1 11.21 53.72 11.92 66.21 11.68
PIN 8510 3289 8510 3227 7881 2449 8510 3371 8510 3355
DC-DC Boost Converter Output Voltage
Incremental Dynamic
Perturb & Observe
PID Open Loop PID Close Loop Conductance Evaluation
(MPPT
(MPPT Control (EDC)
Max Avg Max Avg Max Avg Max Avg Max Avg
VOUT 814.1 765.4 818.5 773.1 811.3 775.7 811.3 776.8 811.3 775.9
IOUT 3.822 3.594 3.843 3.63 3.809 3.642 3.809 3.647 3.809 3.643
POUT 3111 2751 3146 2806 3090 2825 3091 2833 3090 2826
Table-II. Comparison between Different Control Techniques

Output Efficiency
Output PID Open Loop PID Close Loop Perturb & Incremental Dynamic
Efficiency Observe Conductance Evaluation
(MPPT) (MPPT Control (EDC)
VOUT 95.68 96.64 96.96 97.10 96.99
IOUT 95.84 96.80 97.12 97.25 97.15
POUT 91.70 93.53 94.17 94.43 94.20
Table-III. Efficiency of Different Control Techniques

Conclusion: method is more efficient compare to all other

Therefore it has been concluded that the system
developed is capable of extracting maximum power
from the photovoltaic module during the variation of
solar irradiation from 1200W/m2 to 400 W/m2 at the
same time providing a regulated output voltage to DC
microgrid bus at set level 800 volts (25). In
proposed PV system the Incremental Conductance
methods because panel terminal voltage is changed
according to its value relative to the MPP voltage.
The Incremental Conductance method offers good
performance under rapidly changing atmospheric
conditions. On the other hand DC-DC boost
converter has low switching losses and highest
efficiency in comparison with other.

2014 IEEE 9th Conference on Industrial Electronics and Applications (ICIEA) 607
 Figure 13 PV Input Voltage Figure 14 Boost Converter Output Voltage with
INC

Figure 15 Boost Converter Output Voltage with Figure 16 Boost Converter Output Voltage with
P&O DEC

Figure 17 Boost Converter Output Voltage with Figure 18 Boost Converter Output Voltage with
Open Loop PID

608 2014 IEEE 9th Conference on Industrial Electronics and Applications (ICIEA)
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