Introduction To MPPT: Amperor Associates LTD

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IntroductiontoMPPT

AmperorAssociatesLtd

Unit5
KyleBusinessPark
Irvine
KA128JJ
Phone:(01294)276096
Fax:(01294)270656
Email:
enquiries@amperorassociates.co.uk
www.amperorassociates.co.uk
AMPPT,ormaximumpowerpointtrackerisanelectronicDCtoDCconverterthat
optimizesthematchbetweenthesolararray(PVpanels),andthebatterybank

Sowhatdoyoumeanby"optimize"?

Solarcellsareneatthings.Unfortunately,theyarenotverysmart.Neitherarebatter
iesinfactbatteriesaredownrightstupid.MostPVpanelsarebuilttoputouta
nominal12volts.Thecatchisnominal.Inactualfact,almostallaredesignedtoput
outfrom16to36volts.Theproblemisthatanominal12voltbatteryisprettyclose
toanactual12volts10.5to12.7volts,dependingonstateofcharge.Undercharge,
mostbatterieswantfromaround13.2to14.2voltstofullychargequiteabitdiffer
entthanwhatmostpanelsaredesignedtoputout.
OK,sonowwehavethisneatAmperorAssociates70wattsolarpanel.Catch1is
thatitisratedat70wattsataparticularvoltageandcurrent.TheAmperorAssociates
70wattpanelisratedat3.69ampsat17.7volts3.69ampstimes17.7volts=70
watts.

Why70WattsdoesNOTequal70watts

WheredidmyWattsgo?
Sowhathappenswhenyouhookupthis70wattpaneltoyourbattery?Unfortu
nately,whathappensisnot70watts.
Yourpanelputsout3.69amps.Yourbatteryissettingat12voltsundercharge:3.69
ampstimes12volts=44.28watts.Youlost25wattsbutyoupaidfor70.That25
wattsisnotgoinganywhere,itjustisnotbeingproducedbecausethereisapoor
matchbetweenthepanelandthebattery.Withaverylowbattery,say10.5volts,it's
evenworseyoucouldbelosingasmuchas35%(10.5voltsx3.69amps=38watts.
Youlost32watts.
Onesolutionyoumightthinkofwhynotjustmakepanelssothattheyputout14
voltsorsotomatchthebattery?
Thecatchisthatthepanelisratedat70wattsatfullsunlightataparticulartempera
ture(STCorstandardtestconditions).Iftemperatureofthesolarpanelishigh,you
don'tget17volts.Atthetemperaturesseeninmanyhotclimateareas,youmightget
under15volts.Ifyoustartedwitha15voltpanel(likesomeofthesocalled"self
regulating"panels),youareintrouble,asyouwon'thaveenoughvoltagetoputa
chargeintothebattery.PVpanelshavetohaveenoughleewaybuiltintoperform
undertheworstofconditions.Thepanelwilljustsittherelookingdumb,andyour
batterieswillgetevenstupiderthanusual.

Whatismaximumpowerpointtracking?

First,thereisalwayssomeconfusionabouttheterm"tracking".
MaximumPowerPointTrackingthisiselectronictracking,andhasnothingtodo
withmovingthepanels.Instead,thecontrollerlooksattheoutputofthepanels,and
comparesittothebatteryvoltage.Itthenfiguresoutwhatisthebestpowerthatthe
panelcanputouttochargethebattery.Ittakesthisandconvertsittobestvoltageto
getmaximumAMPSintothebattery.(Remember,itisAmpsintothebatterythat
counts).MostmodernMPPT'sarearound9297%efficientintheconversion.You
typicallygeta20to45%powergaininwinterand1015%insummer.Actualgain

canvarywidelydependingweather,temperature,batterystateofcharge,andother
factors.

Page 2

IntroductiontoMPPT
AmperorAssociatesLtd

Unit5
KyleBusinessPark
Irvine
KA128JJ
Phone:(01294)276096
Fax:(01294)270656
Email:
enquiries@amperorassociates.co.uk
www.amperorassociates.co.uk

HowMaximumPowerPointTrackingworks

Hereiswheretheoptimization,ormaximumpowerpointtrackingcomesin.Assume
yourbatteryislow,ataround11.5volts.AMPPTtakesthat17.7voltsat3.69amps
andconvertsit,sothatwhatthebatterygetsisnolonger3.69ampsat17.7volts,but
5.6ampsatabout12.5volts.Nowyoustillhavealmost70watts,andeveryoneis
happy.
Ideally,for100%powerconversionyouwouldgetaround6ampsat11.5volts,but
youhavetofeedthebatteryahighervoltagetoforcetheampsin.Andthisisasim
plifiedexplanationinactualfacttheoutputoftheMPPTchargecontrollermight
varycontinuallytoadjustforgettingthemaximumampsintothebattery.
AMPPTtracksthemaximumpowerpoint,whichisgoingtobedifferentfromthe
STC(StandardTestConditions)ratingunderalmostallsituations.Underverycold
conditionsa70wattpanelisactuallycapableofputtingover70+wattsbecausethe
poweroutputgoesupaspaneltemperaturegoesdownbutifyoudon'thavesome
wayoftrackingthatpowerpoint,youaregoingtoloseit.Ontheotherhandunder
veryhotconditions,thepowerdropsyoulosepowerasthetemperaturegoesup.
Thatiswhyyougetlessgaininsummer.

MPPT'saremosteffectiveundertheseconditions:

Winter,and/orcloudyorhazydayswhentheextrapowerisneededthemost.
Coldweathersolarpanelsworkbetteratcoldtemperatures,butwithouta
MPPTyouarelosingmostofthat.Coldweatherismostlikelyinwinterthetime
whensunhoursarelowandyouneedthepowertorechargebatteriesthemost.
Lowbatterychargethelowerthestateofchargeinyourbattery,themorecurrenta
MPPTputsintothemanothertimewhentheextrapowerisneededthemost.You
canhavebothoftheseconditionsatthesametime.

Ok,sonowbacktotheoriginalquestionWhatisaMPPT?

WhataMaximumPowerPointTrackeris:
ThePowerpointtrackerisahighfrequencyDCtoDCconverter.TheytaketheDC
inputfromthesolarpanels,changeittohighfrequencyAC,andconvertitback
downtoadifferentDCvoltageandcurrenttoexactlymatchthepanelstothebatter
ies.MPPT'soperateatveryhighaudiofrequencies,usuallyinthe2080kHzrange.
Theadvantageofhighfrequencycircuitsisthattheycanbedesignedwithveryhigh
efficiencytransformersandsmallcomponents.Thedesignofhighfrequencycircuits
canbeverytrickybecausetheproblemswithportionsofthecircuit"broadcasting"
justlikearadiotransmitterandcausingradioandTVinterference.Noiseisolation
andsuppressionbecomesveryimportant.
Thepowerpointtracker(andallDCtoDCconverters)operatesbytakingtheDC
inputcurrent,changingittoAC,runningthroughatransformer,andthenrectifyingit
backtoDC,followedbytheoutputregulator.InmostDCtoDCconverters,thisis
strictlyanelectronicprocessnorealsmartsareinvolvedexceptforsomeregulation

oftheoutputvoltage.Chargecontrollersforsolarpanelsneedalotmoresmartsas
lightandtemperatureconditionsvarycontinuouslyalldaylong,andbatteryvolta

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