DESCRIPTION

The present invention concerns an improved method for determining the absolute point of maximum power delivered by a string of photovoltaic panels connected together in series, also known as the Maximum Power Point or by the acronym MPP.

The invention also concerns a device for managing the aforementioned string of photovoltaic panels configured to carry out the steps of the aforementioned improved method for determining the absolute point of maximum power delivered.

It is known that photovoltaic cells and photovoltaic panels, each of which comprises a plurality of such cells, are used to generate electricity from solar radiation. Because of this capability, photovoltaic panels, amongst other things, are useful in situations in which it is not possible to exploit electrical energy generated from other sources, like for example to activate water pumping systems at isolated locations.

It is also known that such photovoltaic panels, due to their increasingly competitive costs, have become one of the most widely used renewable energy sources in the various technological applications.

However, the photovoltaic industry has not yet been able to solve some intrinsic technological problems of making and using photovoltaic panels for generating electrical energy, consequently limiting their average efficiency to a level that is not yet sufficient to allow photovoltaic technology to completely replace different sources for generating electrical energy, in turn now obsolete for different reasons.

Basically, the electrical energy generated by photovoltaic sources and provided to the community and private individuals is still too limited and expensive with respect to that obtained from other sources.

Such a drawback is due, in particular, to the fact that the efficiency of electrical energy production of such photovoltaic systems depends greatly on the climactic conditions, like temperature and solar radiations that hits the photovoltaic panels. In turn, the temperature and solar radiation vary as a function of latitude, of the orientation of the solar field, of the season, of the time of day and of the presence of atmospheric phenomena like clouds and perturbations.

In particular, the presence of clouds or perturbations, as well as the possible vicinity of the photovoltaic panels to a building or to a different natural or artificial obstacle can disadvantageously result in a reduction, through the day, of the solar radiation on the photosensitive surface of the same panels, consequently lowering the average efficiency thereof in producing electrical energy.

In strictly technical terms, considering the characteristic curve of the electrical magnitudes of voltage, current and power V-l-P of a photovoltaic panel, an example of which is represented in fig. 1 , such a variation of solar radiation determines the movement of the point of maximum power that the panel itself is able to deliver.

These technical considerations have led to the need to identify, moment by moment, what electrical voltage value should be set for the photovoltaic panel at which the transfer of power towards the electrical energy distribution network is the maximum.

For this purpose, electronic devices, in particular the inverters currently connected downstream of each photovoltaic panel in order to manage the behaviour thereof, are configured to implement an algorithm for determining the point of maximum power delivery, known by the acronym MPPT ("Maximum Power Point Tracker"). It is clear that an electronic device capable of remaining "locked" at this point will always obtained the maximum power available in any condition.

In detail, there are different techniques for obtaining the MPPT function, which differ from one another in dynamic performance (adjustment time) and accuracy.

Among the various ways of implementing the MPPT algorithm, the most common one is certainly that defined as "Perturb and Observe", which foresees to observe, moment by moment, the power delivered by one or more photovoltaic panels connected in series by varying the voltage set for them. In particular, the algorithm foresees to continuously increase and decrease by a predetermined quantity the voltage set at the ends of the photovoltaic panel or of the photovoltaic panels with respect to the current value set, until a further delivered power value is reached that is greater than the current one. However, it is known that such a variation is carried out in small steps, i.e. with a very small voltage variation, so that the photovoltaic panel(s) continue to work within the current maximum power point, since it is presumed that this is the only maximum power point that can be identified, as represented in fig. 1 . In other words, such an approach is optimal in the case of a single photovoltaic panel or a string of photovoltaic panels connected together in series where the various panels all operate in the same nominal conditions. However, in reality a string of photovoltaic panels often has at least one damaged panel or, as stated earlier, it is in a working condition of low solar radiation. In this case, the characteristic voltage-power V-P of such a string can have many local points of maximum power delivered, as represented in fig. 2. In this circumstance, the aforementioned MPPT algorithm of the prior art is partially inefficient, since it is not always able to identify and lock onto, among such local points, the absolute point of maximum power delivered. Indeed, as seen earlier, the MPPT algorithm of the prior art, once a first local maximum power point has been identified, acts exclusively around it, totally ignoring the possible other local maximum power points, even if the absolute maximum power point is among them.

The present invention intends to overcome all of the quoted drawbacks.

In particular, a first purpose of the invention is to define a method for determining the absolute point of maximum power delivered by a string of photovoltaic panels connected in series and making a device capable of implementing such a method.

Therefore, a purpose of the invention is to define a method and to make a relative management device capable of optimising, in every possible situation, the delivery of power of a string of photovoltaic panels connected in series and therefore of always keeping the efficiency thereof at the maximum possible level.

Advantageously, the fact of defining a method capable of determining the absolute maximum power point of a plurality of photovoltaic panels connected together in series makes it possible to reduce the number of management devices that it is necessary to install in a photovoltaic system in relation to the number of photovoltaic panels belonging to such a system.

Indeed, according to the prior art, as stated earlier, in order to check a possible difference in performance between photovoltaic panels belonging to the same string, it is commonly foreseen to provide each panel with a relative connected management device capable of tracking the point of maximum power delivered, in order to avoid the reduction in efficiency of the entire string caused by the malfunction or low efficiency of a single photovoltaic panel.

Said purposes are accomplished with the definition of the method for determining the absolute point of maximum power delivered by a string of photovoltaic panels, in accordance with the main claim.

Further characteristics of the method of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

Also forming part of the invention is the management device configured to carry out the steps of the aforementioned method, in accordance with claim 7. The aforementioned purposes, together with the advantages that will be mentioned hereinafter, will be highlighted during the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention that is given, for indicating but not limiting purposes, with reference to the attached tables of drawings, where:

- fig. 1 represents the characteristic voltage-current-power V-l-P of a photovoltaic panel in various radiation conditions;

- fig. 2 represents the characteristic voltage-power V-P of a string of photovoltaic panels with many local points of maximum power delivered, wherein the power values of such local points are at least partially increasing in the increasing direction of the voltage set for the string;

- fig. 3 represents the flow diagram of the method of the invention;

- fig. 4 schematically represents a string of photovoltaic panels downstream of which the management device of the invention is connected.

The method of the invention, the operative steps of which are represented in the flow diagram of fig. 3, makes it possible to determine the absolute point of maximum power delivered by a string 1 of photovoltaic panels 100 connected together in series, a schematic representation of which is presented in fig. 4. In particular, as can be seen in fig. 3, such a method foresees to cyclically increase and reduce, for every time interval ΔΤ _; of predetermined quantity, the voltage value V, set at the ends of the aforementioned string 1 by a predetermined voltage quantity Δ\Λ| . In other words, as stated earlier, such a variation step, in the jargon called "perturbation", makes it possible to observe the behaviour of the string 1 of photovoltaic panels 100 around the voltage value Vi, corresponding to the point of maximum power delivery currently considered.

In even greater detail, the method foresees to observe, at the aforementioned two voltage values V, + AV and V, - AV-i , the variations of the power P _V i ₊ AVI and Pvi - AV1 delivered by the string 1 with respect to the value of the power P _V i delivered at the aforementioned set voltage value V,.

Following such an observation, in the case in which one of the power values vi ₊ Δνι or P _V i - Δνι is greater than the aforementioned delivered power value Pvi, the method foresees to set the new voltage value V,, defined at the ends of the string 1 of photovoltaic panels 100, as the voltage value V, respectively increased or decreased by the so-called perturbation voltage quantity Δ\Λ| .

Preferably, the voltage quantity AV is selected in the range between 3 and 1 0 V, whereas the size of the time interval Δ ^~ Γ\ between two consecutive observations is commonly selected between 80 and 1 50 ms, so as to be able to continuously verify the possible movement of the aforementioned point of maximum power delivery by the string 1 .

According to the invention, the present method, as well as foreseeing to carry out the steps just described and of the known type, also foresees to carry out, for every time interval ΔΤ ₂ , the sequence of operations described shortly and indicated in fig. 3 with A. In particular, according to the invention, for every time interval ΔΤ ₂ the method foresees to carry out the aforementioned sequence of operations A at least once and repeat it a predetermined maximum number of times M. Preferably, such a sequence of operations A, for every time interval ΔΤ ₂ , can be repeated at most a number of times M equal to about 30% of the number of photovoltaic panels 100 belonging to the aforementioned string 1 . For example, in the case in which the string 1 comprises ten photovoltaic panels 100 connected together in series, the maximum number M of repetitions of such a sequence of operations A for every time interval ΔΤ ₂ , according to the preferred embodiment, is equal to three.

The logic at the basis of such a limitation consists of the fact that, as will be seen in detail shortly, the search for the absolute point of maximum power delivered, among the multiple local maximum power points, only makes sense so long as the number of malfunctioning or shaded photovoltaic panels 100 of a string 1 is limited. Indeed, in the opposite case, for which the number is high, it is no longer advantageous to search for the absolute maximum power point through processing, but it is more reasonable to solve the technical or structural problem at the origin of such malfunctions or low solar radiation. However, this does not rule out the possibility that for different embodiments of the method of the invention the maximum number M of repetitions of the aforementioned sequence of operations A for every interval ΔΤ ₂ is selected based on a different percentage value with respect to the one expressed just now for the preferred embodiment, or it is not impossible for such a number M to be selected in an absolute manner, or furthermore, for further different embodiments, it is possible for such a limit not to be fixed.

Furthermore, the method of the invention foresees that the size of such a time interval ΔΤ ₂ is greater with respect to the size of the time interval ΔΤ-ι . Preferably such a time interval ΔΤ ₂ is selected in the order of magnitude of minutes, preferably it is selected equal to about 1 minute. In other words, the method of the invention foresees to start such a procedure that, in turn, consists of carrying out one or more times the sequence of operations A every n times the known perturbation steps are carried out, wherein such a value n is clearly equal to ΔΤ ₂ /ΔΤ .

In terms, specifically, of the sequence of operations A to be carried out and possibly repeated for every time interval ΔΤ ₂ , according to the invention, it firstly foresees to decrease the voltage value V, set for the string 1 by a voltage quantity Δ\/ ₂ . In particular, according to the invention, the value selected for Δ\/ ₂ is substantially equal to the open circuit nominal voltage value of each of the photovoltaic panels 100 belonging to the same string 1. In other words, the value Δ\/ ₂ is selected around the open circuit nominal voltage value of each of the photovoltaic panels 100, wherein the term around is meant to indicate a percentage variation, either positive or negative, less than or equal to 10%, preferably less than or equal to 5%, of such a precise nominal voltage value indicated by the manufacturer for the single photovoltaic panel.

The logic forming the basis of the selection of such a specific value for Δ\/ ₂ consists of the fact that, generically, in a string 1 of photovoltaic panels 100 connected in series and that have many local points of maximum power delivered, the voltage difference between each pair of adjacent local maximum delivery points substantially coincides, indeed, with the open circuit nominal voltage value of each of the aforementioned photovoltaic panels 100, as can be seen in the example given in fig. 2.

Therefore, the reduction of the voltage value V, defined at the ends of the string 1 by voltage steps, each equal to such a quantity AV ₂ , makes it possible, for each step carried out, to bypass the photovoltaic panel 100 that has lowest efficiency, thus allowing the string 1 to work at the adjacent local maximum power point and at lower voltage with respect to the maximum power point currently considered.

Moreover, in the specific case in which one or more photovoltaic panels 100 belonging to a same string 1 are at least partially shaded or malfunctioning, the case in which the application of the method of the invention makes most sense, the local points of maximum power delivered, spaced apart by such a voltage value AV ₂ , have substantially a power value increasing in the decreasing direction of the voltage V, defined at the ends of the string 1 , as represented in fig. 2.

Indeed, although the voltage V, set for the string 1 is reduced by the value AV ₂ , bypassing the photovoltaic panel 100 at lowest efficiency, the impediment to the flow of an electric current of higher value along the same string 1 is eliminated or at least reduced. Consequently, if the reduction of the voltage Vi - AV ₂ is lower, in the relative sense, than the increase in the current value l _V i-AV2 with respect to Ivi, the power PVI-AV2 delivered at such a voltage V, - AV ₂ will also be greater with respect to the power P _V i delivered at the current local maximum power point.

Concerning this, the aforementioned sequence of operations A, to evaluate whether the work conditions of a string 1 of a plurality of photovoltaic panels 100 correspond to the situation just described, foresees to observe the value of the power P _V i - AV2 delivered at the voltage value V, reduced by the quantity AV ₂ and, in the case in which such a power value Pvi - AV2 is greater than the value of the power P _V i delivered at the set voltage value V,, i.e. in the case in which at least one of the panels present in the string 1 is shaded or malfunctioning, the method foresees to modify the work point of the same string 1 , reducing the current set voltage value V, by the aforementioned quantity AV ₂ .

In the opposite case, according to which all of the photovoltaic panels 100 of a string 1 operate perfectly within the limits of normality, there would be no increase in the power delivered proceeding to the reduction, in a discrete manner, by said quantity AV ₂ , of the voltage V,, as represented in the characteristic of fig. 2 for the voltage values lower than the voltage value corresponding to the point of maximum power delivered indicated with P3. In this case, indeed, the method of the invention foresees to keep the voltage value Vi set for the string 1 unchanged and to interrupt the repetition of the aforementioned sequence of operations A.

As stated earlier, indeed, the method of the invention foresees to carry out the sequence of operations A a predetermined maximum number of times M. This means that the method of the invention is configured to seek and observe a maximum number M of local points of maximum power delivered on a string 1 of photovoltaic panels 100. This clearly happens if the local maximum power point observed previously has a delivered power value Pvi - AV2 that is greater with respect to the value of the power P _V i delivered at the set voltage value Vi. In the opposite case, as stated above, the repetition of the sequence of operations A is interrupted.

Furthermore, the method of the invention, according to the preferred embodiment, in the case in which P _V i - AV2 is greater than P _V i, foresees to interrupt such repetition in advance when the current value I vi - AV2 observed at the voltage value V, - AV ₂ is greater than a predetermined first percentage quantity Δ-ι% with respect to the current value I vi measured at said set voltage Vi.

The logic at the basis of such further control consists of the fact that if the voltage value V, decreased by the quantity AV ₂ corresponds to a current value Ivi - AV2 greater than a certain limit with respect to the present current I vi, consequently also determining an adequate increase in the power delivered Pvi - AV2 with respect to the power value Pvi, it is presumed that the absolute maximum power point has been reached in the current work conditions and therefore it is considered no longer necessary to continue the search.

In particular, according to the preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, such a predetermined first percentage quantity Δ-ι% is calculated as a second predetermined percentage quantity Δ ₂ % with respect to the percentage value that represents the reduction of voltage AV ₂ with regard to the absolute voltage value of V, currently set for the string 1 . In even greater detail, the preferred embodiment foresees that such a second predetermined percentage quantity Δ ₂ % is selected equal to 50%.

In order to clarify such a concept let us consider, for example, the case in which there is a string 1 comprising ten photovoltaic panels 100 connected together in series and each of which has an open circuit nominal voltage equal to 40 V. Moreover, it is hypothesised to start from a voltage value V, set for the string 1 slightly lower than 400 V, so as to make the same string 1 work at the local point of maximum power delivered with higher voltage value, indicated with P1 in fig. 2.

The method of the invention thus foresees to observe, at the first time interval ΔΤ ₂ , the value of the power PVI-AV2 delivered at the voltage V, reduced by the quantity AV ₂ , i.e., reasoning in absolute terms, such an observation is made at a voltage value equal to 400 V - 40 V = 360 V. In this case, therefore, the percentage reduction in voltage obtained with respect to V, is equal to 1 0%. According to the preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, the value of the first percentage quantity Δ-ι% is calculated as 50%, corresponding to the aforementioned second percentage quantity Δ ₂ %, with respect to such 1 0%. Therefore, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, such a first percentage quantity Δ-ι% is equivalent to 5% increase in current. Therefore, in the case in which the current value Ivi - AV2 observed at the aforementioned voltage of 360 V (V, - AV ₂ ) was greater than 5% with respect to the current value Ivi measured at the voltage of 400 V (V,), the method of the invention would presume to have identified the absolute point of maximum power delivered in the current work conditions and, consequently, would be configured to interrupt the repetition of the sequence of operations A. In the opposite case, the same method proceeds to a further reduction of the voltage from 360 V to 320 V and to a further observation of the delivered power values and of current at such a reduced voltage value.

However, this does not rule out that according to different embodiments of the method of the invention such control on the current could not be carried out. In this case, the method would carry out and would repeat, for every time interval ΔΤ ₂ , the aforementioned sequence of operations A for the predetermined maximum number of times M, until at the voltage value V, reduced by the quantity AV ₂ a power delivered Pvi - AV2 greater than the power Pvi delivered at the aforementioned voltage value V, currently set for the string 1 is observed.

As stated earlier, the device 200 for managing one or more strings 1 of photovoltaic panels 100 connected together in series is also part of the invention. Such a device 200, in particular, as can be seen in fig. 4, is adapted for being connected downstream of such a string 1 and is configured to carry out the method of the invention for determining the absolute point of maximum power delivered by the aforementioned string 1.

In even greater detail, the device 200 of the invention comprises electrical connection means 201 for the connection to the string 1 of photovoltaic panels 100, processing means 202 operatively connected to the aforementioned electrical connection means 201 and to storage means 203. Moreover, the management device 200 comprises a sequence of computer instructions stored in such storage means 203. The aforementioned sequence of computer instructions, when carried out by the processing means 202, is configured to carry out the aforementioned steps and operations of the method of the invention.

Based on what has been stated therefore the method and the device of the invention achieve all of the predetermined purposes.

In particular, the purpose of defining a method for determining the absolute point of maximum power delivered by a string of photovoltaic panels connected in series and of making a device capable of implementing such a method is achieved.

Therefore, the purpose of defining a method and of making a relative device capable of optimizing the delivery of power of a string of photovoltaic panels connected in series in every possible situation and therefore of always keeping the efficiency thereof at the maximum possible level is also achieved.

The purpose of reducing the number of management devices that it is necessary to install in a photovoltaic system, in relation to the number of photovoltaic panels belonging to such a system, is also achieved.