Dual Solar PV based Battery Charger for E-rickshaw Applications

Solar charger for E-rickshaw is one of application whose popularity is on the rise. However, most of the solutions uses a single solar panel on top of the e-rickshaw/toto leading less utilization of space available. A dual PV based scheme is reported in literature for E-rickshaw application, but it requires higher number of semiconductor and passive components. To address the aforesaid concerns, a dual PV fed boost converter based battery charger scheme is proposed in this paper. This architecture facilitates simultaneous charging of battery from both PVs and also designed to seamlessly operate in single PV mode, ensuring uninterrupted battery charging even in scenario when one PV is damaged or removed temporarily. Additionally, over voltage protection that safeguards the battery against potential damage due to excessive charging is also included in the control algorithm. This scheme is also empowered to supply power from two PV panels of different ratings installed at different portions on the E-rickshaw. Entire converter circuit and scheme are simulated in the MATLAB/Simulink environment and results are validated for different operating modes as well as for different irradiation levels.