• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.539-545
• /
• 2012

Due to merits cost and efficiency, the transformer-less type photovoltaic (PV) inverters have been popularized in the solar market. However, the leakage current flowing through a parasitic capacitor between PV array and ground can cause adverse effect in the transformer-less PV system. In this paper, a bi-directional PV inverter with high efficiency and low noise is proposed for the PV system with an energy storage device. The proposed inverter is a transformer-less type and performs the bi-directional power control between dc sources and grid with high efficiency. In addition, the proposed inverter can suppress the leakage current and obtain low noise characteristic. Finally, 3-kW prototype was implemented to confirm validity of the proposed inverter.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.1014-1026
• /
• 2017

The traditional fault diagnosis method for photovoltaic (PV) inverters has a difficult time meeting the requirements of the current complex systems. Its main weakness lies in the study of nonlinear systems. In addition, its diagnosis time is long and its accuracy is low. To solve these problems, a hidden Markov model (HMM) is used that has unique advantages in terms of its training model and its recognition for diagnosing faults. However, the initial value of the HMM has a great influence on the model, and it is possible to achieve a local minimum in the training process. Therefore, a genetic algorithm is used to optimize the initial value and to achieve global optimization. In this paper, the HMM is combined with a genetic algorithm (GHMM) for PV inverter fault diagnosis. First Matlab is used to implement the genetic algorithm and to determine the optimal HMM initial value. Then a Baum-Welch algorithm is used for iterative training. Finally, a Viterbi algorithm is used for fault identification. Experimental results show that the correct PV inverter fault recognition rate by the HMM is about 10% higher than that of traditional methods. Using the GHMM, the correct recognition rate is further increased by approximately 13%, and the diagnosis time is greatly reduced. Therefore, the GHMM is faster and more accurate in diagnosing PV inverter faults.

• Proceedings of the KIPE Conference
• /
• 2003.07b
• /
• pp.495-498
• /
• 2003

Most PV (Photovoltaic) inverters are a voltage source type. Normally an input capacitor of this type is connected at the input of an inverter to keep the DC voltage constant. However, it does not seem to be well known how to determine the appropriate value of the capacitor. By developing non-linear transient analysis, the author suggests a guideline fur this approach. An implicit trapezoidal formula was used to do this calculation.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
• /
• v.61 no.12
• /
• pp.1791-1800
• /
• 2012

This paper presents effective design schemes for a photovoltaic (PV) and battery hybrid system that includes state-of-the-art technologies such as maximum power point tracking scheme for PV arrays, an effective charging/discharging circuit for batteries, and grid-interfacing power inverters. Compared to commonly-used PV systems, the proposed configuration has more flexibility and autonomy in controlling individual components of the PV-battery hybrid system. This paper also proposes an intelligent coordination scheme for the components of the PV-battery hybrid system to improve the efficiency of renewable energy resources and peak-load management. The proposed algorithm is based on a rule-based expert system that has excellent capability to optimize multi-objective functions. The proposed configuration and algorithms are investigated via switching-level simulation studies of the PV-battery hybrid system.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.46-50
• /
• 2019

The photovoltaic (PV) system consists of solar cells, solar modules, inverters and peripherals. The related evaluation and certification are proceeding as standards published by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) TC (Technical Committee) 82. In particular, PV module is a component that requires stable durability over 20 years, and evaluation in various external environments is very important. Currently, IEC 61215-based standards are being tested, but temperature, humidity, wind and solar radiation conditions are not considered in all areas. For this reason, various types of defects may occur depending on the installation area of the same photovoltaic module. In particular, the domestic climate (South Korea) is moderate. The various test methods proposed by IEC 61215 are appropriate, excessive, or insufficient, depending on environmental condition. In this paper, we analyze the climate data collection for one year to understand the vulnerability of this test method of PV modules. Through this, we propose a test method for PV module suitable for domestic climatic conditions and also propose a technical consideration for installation and design of PV system.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.535-540
• /
• 2022

DC-link capacitors are reliability-critical components in a photovoltaic (PV) inverter. Typically, the lifetime of a DC-link capacitor is evaluated by considering the voltage and hot-spot temperature of the capacitor under the specific operating condition of the PV inverter. However, the output of the PV inverter is determined by solar irradiation and ambient temperature, which vary with the seasons; accordingly, the hot-spot temperature of the capacitor also changes. Therefore, the mission profile of the PV system should be considered to effectively evaluate the reliability of the DC-link capacitor. In this study, the reliability of the DC-link capacitor of a three-level NPC inverter is comparatively analyzed with and without considering the mission profiles of the PV system, where two mission profiles recorded in Arizona and Iza are considered. The accumulated damage of the DC-link capacitor is calculated based on the lifetime model by analyzing its thermal loading. Afterward, a reliability evaluation of the DC-link capacitor is performed at the component level and then at the system level by considering all capacitors by means of Monte Carlo analysis. Results reveal the importance of performing a mission-profile-based reliability evaluation during the design of high-reliability PV inverters to achieve the target reliability performance.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.1233-1242
• /
• 2014

A new inverter topology for single-phase photovoltaic (PV) systems is proposed in this study. The proposed inverter offers a four-level voltage in its output terminals. This feature results in easier filtering in comparison with other conventional two-level or three-level inverters. In addition, the proposed four-level inverter (PFLI) has a transformer-less topology, which decreases the size, weight, and cost of the entire system and increases the overall efficiency of the system. Although the inverter is transformer-less, it produces a negligible leakage ground current (LGC), which makes this inverter suitable for PV grid-connected applications. The performance of the proposed inverter is compared with that of a four-level neutral point clamped inverter (FLNPCI). Theoretical analysis and computer simulations verify that the PFLI topology is superior to FLNPCI in terms of efficiency and suitability for use in PV transformer-less systems.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.1338-1348
• /
• 2017

In this study, a modified ripple correlation control (RCC) maximum-power point-tracking (MPPT) algorithm is proposed for a single-stage single-phase voltage source inverter (VSI) on a grid-connected photovoltaic system (GCPVS). Unlike classic RCC methods, the proposed algorithm does not require high-pass and low-pass filters or the increment of the AC component filter function in the voltage control loop. A simple arithmetic mean function is used to calculate the average value of the photovoltaic (PV) voltage, PV power, and PV voltage ripples for the MPPT of the RCC method. Furthermore, a high-accuracy and high-precision MPPT is achieved. The performance of the proposed algorithm for the single-stage single-phase VSI GCPVS is investigated through simulation and experimental results.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.91-98
• /
• 2006

Islanding phenomenon of utility-connected photovoltaic power conditioning systems(PV PCS) can cause a variety of problems and must be prevented. If the real and reactive power supplied by PV PCS are closely matched to those of load, islanding detection by passive methods becomes difficult. The active frequency drift(AFD) method, called the frequency bias method, enables islanding detection by forcing the frequency of the voltage in the islanding to drift up or down. In this paper, non-detection zone(NDZ) of AFD is analyzed for the islanding detection method of utility-connected PV PCS by the simulation software tool PSIM.

• Proceedings of the KIPE Conference
• /
• 2005.07a
• /
• pp.591-594
• /
• 2005

Islanding of PV systems occurs when the uitilty grid is removed but local sources continue to operate and provide power to local loads. Islanding Is one of the serious problems in an electric power system connected with dispersed power sources. Also, this scan present safety hazards and the possibility of damage to other electric equipments. If the real and reactive power of RLC load and PV system are closely matched, islanding phenomena can't be detected by the passive methods. Several active methods were proposed to detect islanding phenomena. The most effective method is SFS method which was suggested by Sandia National Laboratory. In this paper, a new anti-islanding algorithm is proposed and its validity is verified through simulation and experimental results for utility interconnection of PV system.