Model of Series-Parallel Photovoltaic Arrays Using Double-Diode Model and Parallel Computing

Abstract

Several applications require to estimate the power production of photovoltaic (PV) systems under partial shading conditions. For example, dynamic reconfiguration of the array connections is needed to maximize the power production under partial shading conditions, which requires estimating the power generated by the PV array in several possible configurations. Therefore, a fast and accurate modeling technique is needed to perform those calculations in practical times and with low estimation errors. To address those kinds of problems, this paper proposes a modeling approach based on the double-diode model to provide high accuracy at low voltage and low irradiance conditions, which are important for partial-shading analysis. Moreover, the proposed modeling technique is designed to be implemented in parallel processing devices; thus, the calculation time is much shorter in comparison with classical serial solutions. The proposed model is tested in terms of accuracy and speed, obtaining satisfactory results. Finally, the applicability of the parallel model in reconfiguration applications is demonstrated using an application example.