Design of a P-&-O algorithm based MPPT charge controller for a stand-alone 200W PV system

Solar cells convert sun light into electricity,but have the major drawbacks of high initial cost,low photo-conversion efficiency and intermittency.The current-voltage characteristics of the solar cells depend on solar insolation level and temperature,which lead to the variation of the maximum power point(MPP).Herein,to improve photovoltaic(PV)system efficiency,and increase the lifetime of the battery,a microcontroller-based battery charge controller with maximum power point tracker(MPPT)is designed for harvesting the maximum power available from the PV system under given insolation and temperature conditions.Among different MPPT techniques,perturb and observe(P&O)technique gives excellent results and thus is used.This work involves the design of MPPT charge controller using DC/DC buck converter and microcontroller.A prototype MPPT charge controller is tested with a 200 W PV panel and lead acid battery.The results show that the designed MPPT controller improves the efficiency of the PV panel when compared to conventional charge controllers.

Optimal Control Strategy for Buck Converter Under Successive Load Current Change

A new control algorithm is presented for digitally controlled dc-dc converters to achieve a fast response under a successive load-change.Under the steady-state condition,the tight voltage regulation is processed by the conventional digital PID compensator.If the load disturbance is significant,the controller switches to an optimal control scheme.With the integration of the capacitor current,the proposed algorithm predicts the optimal switch over time based on the charge balance control,and the minimal voltage derivation and recovery time are thus achieved when the load current has a successive load-change.The method for calculating the optimal switch over time is described,and the implementation of the proposed algorithm with a digital controller is treated in detail.Furthermore,the simulation and experiment results are provided to validate the effectiveness of the approaches.

Management of Charging Load of Electric Vehicles for Optimal Capacity Utilisation of Distribution Transformers

A de-centralised load management technique exploiting the flexibility in the charging of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is presented. Two charging regimes are assumed. The Controlled Charging Regime (CCR) between 16:30 hours and 06:00 hours of the next day and the Uncontrolled Charging Regime (UCR) between 06:00 hours and 16:30 hours of the same day. During the CCR, the charging of EVs is coordinated and controlled by means of a wireless two-way communication link between EV Smart Charge Controllers (EVSCCs) at EV owners’ premises and the EV Load Controller (EVLC) at the local LV distribution substation. The EVLC sorts the EVs batteries in ascending order of their states of charge (SoC) and sends command signals for charging to as many EVs as the transformer could allow at that interval based on the condition of the transformer as analysed by the Distribution Transformer Monitor (DTM). A real and typical urban LV area distribution network in Great Britain (GB) is used as the case study. The technique is applied on the LV area when its transformer is carrying the future load demand of the area on a typical winter weekday in the year 2050. To achieve the load management, load demand of the LV area network is decomposed into Non-EV load and EV load. The load on the transformer is managed by varying the EV load in an optimisation objective function which maximises the capacity utilisation of the transformer subject to operational constraints and non-disruption of daily trips of EV owners. Results show that with the proposed load management technique, LV distribution networks could accommodate high uptake of EVs without compromising the useful normal life expectancy of distribution transformers before the need for capacity reinforcement.

Single‑Photon Sources Based on Novel Color Centers in Silicon Carbide P–I–N Diodes: Combining Theory and Experiment

Point defects in the crystal lattice of SiC,known as color centers,have recently emerged as one of the most promising single-photon emitters for non-classical light sources.However,the search for the best color center that satisfies all the requirements of practical applications has only just begun.Many color centers in SiC have been recently discovered but not yet identified.Therefore,it is extremely challenging to understand their optoelectronic properties and evaluate their potential for use in practical single-photon sources.Here,we present a theoretical approach that explains the experiments on single-photon electroluminescence(SPEL)of novel color centers in SiC p-i-n diodes and gives the possibility to engineer highly efficient single-photon emitting diodes based on them.Moreover,we develop a novel method of determining the electron and hole capture cross sections by the color center from experimental measurements of the SPEL rate and second-order coherence.Unlike other methods,the developed approach uses the experimental results at the single defect level that can be easily obtained as soon as a single-color center is identified in the i-type region of the SiC p-i-n diode.

Wind-integration benefits of controlled plug-in electric vehicle charging

Flexibility in plug-in electric vehicle(PEV) charging can reduce the ancillary cost effects of wind variability and uncertainty on electric power systems. In this paper, we study these benefits of PEV charging, demonstrating that controlled PEV charging can reduce costs associated with wind uncertainty and variability. Interestingly, we show that the system does not require complete control of PEV-charging loads to mitigate the negative cost impacts of wind variability and uncertainty. Rather, PEV owners giving the system a two-hour window of flexibility in which to recharge their vehicles provides much of the benefits that giving full charging control does.

An optimization strategy of controlled electric vehicle charging considering demand side response and regional wind and photovoltaic

Renewable energy,such as wind and photovoltaic(PV),produces intermittent and variable power output.When superimposed on the load curve,it transforms the load curve into a‘load belt’,i.e.a range.Furthermore,the large scale development of electric vehicle(EV)will also have a significant impact on power grid in general and load characteristics in particular.This paper aims to develop a controlled EV charging strategy to optimize the peak-valley difference of the grid when considering the regional wind and PV power outputs.The probabilistic model of wind and PV power outputs is developed.Based on the probabilistic model,the method of assessing the peak-valley difference of the stochastic load curve is put forward,and a two-stage peak-valley price model is built for controlled EV charging.On this basis,an optimization model is built,in which genetic algorithms are used to determine the start and end time of the valley price,as well as the peak-valley price.Finally,the effectiveness and rationality of the method are proved by the calculation result of the example.

Rational design of a novel two-dimensional porous metal-organic framework material for efficient benzene sensor

As a common volatile organic compound,benzene(C_(6)H_(6)) exists in home decoration pollution gas widely,which causes great harm to the environment and human health.Therefore,it is necessary to rationally design advanced materials with high selectivity to detect and capture C_(6)H_(6).Herein,combined with the d-band center theory and cohesive energy,a new two-dimensional metal-organic framework material,Ni-doped hexaaminobenzene-based coordination polymer(Ni-HAB-CP)is designed,and its application potential as a C_(6)H_(6) sensor are systematically investigated by using first principles calculation.The result shows that Ni-HAB-CP has a strong adsorption for C_(6)H_(6) without any additional method.In addition,NiHAB-CP can maintain good conductivity before and after adsorption,and C_(6)H_(6) can be easily desorbed from the surface of Ni-HAB-CP by charge control.Moreover,the I-V curve calculated by Atomistix Toolkit(ATK)reveals that Ni-HAB-CP has high sensitivity and selectivity to C_(6)H_(6).Hence,Ni-HAB-CP is expected to be used as a potential material for a highly efficient and recyclable C_(6)H_(6) sensor in the future.The calculation and analysis methods used in this paper could provide a certain theoretical basis and reference for the future research of gas sensors.