Optimized Reconfiguration Strategy of Partial Shaded Photo-Voltaic Arrays: Experimental Study

In case of partial shading, PV panels receive different solar irradiance which leads to the Hot-Spot phenomenon. In order to avoid this Bypass diodes are used but this leads to multiple peaks in the I-V & P-V characteristics. Several peaks exist in I-V & P-V characteristic curves due to shadings which increase the power loss. To prevent this problem of shading, physical relocation of panels is necessary. In this work, an optimal reconfiguration strategy for Total Cross Tied (TCT) arrays is proposed to reduce the current difference between its rows. To better disperse shading, a novel reconfiguration scheme based on Fibonacci Random Number Generator is proposed. Given the short time intervals of partial shading occurrence, the Fibonacci Random Number Generator techniques are faster and more cost-effective. A lab prototype was designed to validate the theoretical and simulated results. The results exhibit that output parameters of the proposed methodology are improved on the basis of theoretical, simulation, and hardware results for different shading patterns.