Analysis of a Piecewise Linear Model for Rapid Simulation of PV Modules

Abstract

The simulation and measurement of various photovoltaic (PV) cell models are described in this paper. Models of four-diode, rectangular, and nonlinear PV cells are presented. In addition, normalizations have been added to improve calculations and simulations. Experimental measurements are used to assess the validity of the nonlinear model. The dark I-V PV array test configuration accurately demonstrates the PV array's properties. The proposed model is the piecewise linear (PWL) "4-diode" model, which allows rapid simulation. This is an appropriate solution in terms of the model's diode count. When more diodes are employed, the I-V curve is smoother. In this case, however, both the simulation time and model complexity increase significantly.