Modelling and control of the charging process of a PV-compressed air system for efficiency improvement from panel cleaning and cooling

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are subject to inefficiencies from panel soiling and high temperatures. A system is proposed to eliminate these sources by integrating PV generation with a compressed air system. The stored high-pressure air can be used to blow over the surface of the panels, removing present particles and providing a convective cooling effect, increasing overall generation efficiency. A mathematical model of the charging process of the proposed system has been derived, comprising of PV generation, a DC-DC boost converter, DC motor, air compressor and air tank. Closed-loop PID control has been implemented to control the duty cycle of the boost converter to maintain a constant voltage supply to the motor, given a variable voltage source from PV generation. The control has shown to be effective in the extreme cases of change in input radiation to the PV panels. It is expected this work can aid in the further design and development of the integrated PV-compressed air system for cooling and cleaning.