AIAA 2011-5654

9th Annual International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference

31 July - 03 August 2011, San Diego, California

Newtons method for fast speed MPPT of solar panel

Soichiro Nakamura1
Smart Energy Laboratory.co.,Ltd
33-8 Shimotogari,Sunto,Shizuoka,Japan
Minoru Iwasa2
Space Power System Group, Aerospace Research and Development Directorate
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
and
Masatoshi Nakahara3
Energy Electric Laboratory, Sojo Univercity
4-22-1 Ikeda,Kumamoto,Kumamoto,Japan

Generally in order to achieve the fast MPPT the algorithm must have features of reduced
number of repetition and stable operation with high sampling frequency. We propose the
new algorithm employing Newtons Method to satisfy requirements above for the fast MPPT.
We also actually implement the proposed method in a MPPT circuit board by using the
rapid-control-prototyping (RCP) tool dSPACE. And this paper shows results of the
simulation and experiments.

Introduction
Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) can be used to get the maximum available power from a
Photovoltaic (PV). MPPT is usually embedded in a DCDC converter which inserted between the PV
module and the load, battery or another power conditioner. This paper proposes a new method for the
MPPT control of PV, which uses Newtons Method, and compares it to the Hill-Climbing Method which
is a conventional way of MPPT. This paper describes the new algorithm, the simulation results and the
way of embedding new algorithm in digital controlled boost DCDC converter.
The hill-climbing method has been already used in many PV applications since it is a very reliable
method. The hill-climbing method is repeating algorithm, which measures output power of a PV and
compares it to previously measured power, and this process is repeated many times. Therefore this
algorithm essentially has disadvantage of a long tracking time. Moreover, it is not able to operate with
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Copyright 2011 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.

high sampling frequency due to the effect of dynamic characteristics of DCDC converter. Consequently
the hill-climbing method cannot achieve the fast MPPT. So, we propose the new algorithm employing
Newtons Method to satisfy requirements above for the fast MPPT.

1-1. Generalization of MPPT by Newtons method.

When the voltage of the module is V(V) and the current of the module is I(A), the formula of the
power is P = VI (W). Therefore, the equation of the maximum power gives

P = I + VI = 0

(1)

Here, the symbol dash e.g. P denotes the derivative of V.

According to Newtons method, this method approximates x which make f(x) = 0, and the x is
determined by below equations

Next, suppose f = Px = V then we get the following equation:

Further we get P(V) as:

P(V) = I + I + VI = 2I + VI (4)
As a result, the general difference equation of Newtons method is determined as:

This equation can find maximum power point any modules which has only one maximum power
point.

1-2. Algorithm of solar panel

The equation of (5) is applied to solar panel. First, the characteristic of I-V of solar panel is supposed
the below characteristic

I: The current of solar panel

V: The voltage of solar panel

From this equation

And
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This equation is substituted for equation (5), and we get the following equation:

Next, suppose aV>>2

Here, it is difficult to use equation (7), because it is an exponent. Therefore following equation is used

1-3. Revision for transient response

When the solar panel is connected to the converter, the transient response of the converter influences
MPPT. The transient response is caused by L and C, therefore suppose the solar voltage is increased, it
will increase afterwards too.
So, in order to revise the voltage, the increased voltage is subtracted from the equation (3). As a
result, we get following equation:

1-4 Change to duty

The duty of converter is changed from the equation of voltage. And the buck converter, for example,
is described. According to State Space Averaging Method, we get the duty as:

IL: reactor current

Vo: output voltage
Vc: it is determined by the on voltage of the switch and the diode
r: the loss of the switching elements

This converter is connected a battery.

1-5. Revision for duty

In order to revise the difference of the converters parameter, according to equation (3)

But, equation (14) is ignored the Rloss or the on voltage of semiconductor.

As a result, according to equation (3), the finally equation of duty is determined as:

Here, suppose Dn0 is D0, Newtons method is used directly the duty. But it is difficult to use, because
the transient response influence very strongly. Therefore, in this algorithm, instead of the D 0, Dn0 which is
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determined from V, which is result of Newtons method, is used.

2. Simulation on Newtons method and hill-climbing method.

The algorithm is simulated by SCALE which has

PV Model

been developed by one of authors at Energy

Electronics Laboratory Sojo Univ. SCALE is intended

Battery Model
Load Model

mainly for the simulation for smart grid system, and

can analyze the switching operated power circuit with
digital control at a very high speed.
Fig.1 shows the simulation circuit where the PV
module has typical 24W maximum power and

Controller

parameters are given in Table1. The voltage Vo of the

Model

battery as a load of DC-DC converter is 12V.

Figure 1. SCALE model.

The solar model P-V curve is shown in Figure 2.

Firstly, the simulation result of hill-climbing

Voc

30(V)

Vmp

24(V)

(Constant Voltage mode ) to MPPT mode. The condition is shown

Isc

1.25(A)

below sampling frequency is 100Hz, and the switching frequency

Imp

1(A)

is 40kHz. In this case it took about 500msec to converge on

Table 1. PV parameters.

method is shown in Figure 3.

In this simulation, it is mode transient from CV mode

maximum power point.

Next, in order to improve the response of hill-climbing
method, the operating frequency is increased and the result is shown in Figure 3.
As can be seen form Figure 4, if the operation frequency increased, the response of converter become
unstable or cannot find maximum power point. Therefore, in order to increase the operating frequency, it
is necessary to use different algorithm.
Secondly, the simulation result of Newtons

the sampling frequency is 5kHz. It is very high

speed

compared

to

HILL-CLIMING

METHOD.
Therefore the response of this algorithm is

PV Power (W)

method is shown in Figure 5. In this simulation,

very fast, and the speed of convergence is about

5msec.

PV Voltage (V)
Figure 2. P-V curve.

As a result, this method is able to achieve

operation of MPPT at high speed.
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V(V)

Vs

Is

About 500ms

T (msec)
MPPT mode
CV mode

Figure 3. Hill-climbing method response.

Vs

V(V)

Is
T (msec)

Figure 4. Hill-climbing method response (20kHz).

V (V)

Vs

Is

About 5ms

T (msec)
MPPT mode
CV mode
Figure 5. Newtons method response.

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3. Implementation of the algorithm.

Boost DCDC converter

RCP board

PWM output

Analog input
dSPACE

dSPACE
DS1103

interface
Figure 6. DCDC converter board and dSPACE RCP system.

This section roughly describes the whole system used to confirm the proposed method.

The

controller models are constructed by using MATLAB/Simulink and are implemented directly to the target
system. This way of implementation is called RCP (Rapid Control Prototyping), which is one of ways
called MBD (Model Base Development). These controller models are downloaded automatically to the
prototyping system which is provided by dSPACE. In this system a solar allay simulator (SAS) is used
instead of solar panels. A main power circuit (buck DC-DC converter) board has interface for dSPACE
tools, and this board can be operated easily with RCP strategy. (Figure 6)

Experiment
The experiment of hill climbing method and

Vs

Newton's method was done with experimental

environment which was described in section 3.

Vo

First, Steady state response of Newton's

method is shown in Figure 7.

The Vs is output voltage of SAS(Solar Array

24.6V

Simulator) and the Vo is output voltage of

14.5V

DCDC converter.
Each state can be confirmed that converges
Figure 7. Steady State Response of newtons

to a constant value.
And, according to 1 sec average of the

method.

measured waveform, the maximum power point

tracking rate was 99 percent.
Second, the transient waveform of hill-climbing method is shown in Figure 8, which is mode
transition of CV mode to MPPT mode.

In this case, the solar voltage is 29V, and it is controlled 5 volts to transient MPPT. And in ideal case
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of simulation, the duty changes 0.45 to 0.6.

Now, the duty width of hill-climbing
method is 0.002 and operation frequency is
100Hz, this algorithm is needed to repeat 75

3s

times and it takes more than 750ms in ideal

MPPTmode

condition.

In the measured waveforms, it took more

than

3s

because

of

the

influence

CVmode

of

measurement error.

Figure 8. Mode transition of hill-climbing

method.

Third, the transient waveform of the

newton's method is shown in Figure 9, which is
mode transition of CV mode to MPPT mode.

In this case, mode transition took 5ms.

5ms

This result is almost same with the simulation

waveform.

MPPTmode

24V

Finally, the results show that the response of

CVmode

newton's method operates more than 100 times

faster than the hill-climbing method.

Figure 9. Mode transition of Newtons method.

Conclusion
Compared with hill-climbing method, Newtons method is better way to operate at quite high speed,
and it achieves much faster MPPT. One of applications for Newtons method MPPT, for example, is
Electric Vehicle (EV) because maximum power point of such solar panel changes very easily and
suddenly. High speed MPPT can catch up with that fast change of characteristics of the solar panel.
Eventually the battery in the EV spends less energy, and it can be expected to extend the distance of
driving.
Also, it can be used for small satellite. Because it is always rolling its body in order to stabilize itself,
therefore the maximum power point will change easily too.
But, the Newtons method MPPT has some demerits.
First, the performance of MPPT depends on the accuracy of the AD converters.
Second, comparing the equation of the Newtons method with the Hill-climbing method, the Newtons
method is more complex than the other one. So, we have to solve these problems for practical use.

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References
1

Gelff Walker Evaluating MPPT converter topologies using a MATLAB PV model

Hitoshi Kidokoro The development of controller for DC-DC converter using Model Based Design

IEICE Technical Report

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