Now showing 1 - 10 of 21
  • Publication
    Microcontroller based MPPT solar charge controller
    This paper presents the Arduino Nano microcontroller based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) solar charge controller. The optimum solar photovoltaic power is extracted using the Perturb and Observe (P&O) MPPT algorithm. Whilst there are many MPPT solar charge controllers available in the market, the Arduino Nano based MPPT solar charge controller is an attractive method for MPPT controller due to its adaptability, simple, cheap, and durable with good performance for remote areas application with cheaper cost than conventional MPPT charge controllers. This system ensures maximum power is harvested from the photovoltaic panel and capable to charge the battery as well as maintain the battery health condition. This will increase the battery lifespan and increases the efficiency of the photovoltaic panel under varying solar insolations. In this paper, the Perturb and Observe (P&O) algorithm method is developed by using an Arduino Nano based MPPT controller for the photovoltaic generation system. The test result has shown the performance of the proposed controller is capable of tracking the photovoltaic maximum power point and extracting the optimum available power whilst charging the battery in the healthy mode.
  • Publication
    Battery energy storage system assessment in a designed battery controller for load leveling and peak shaving applications
    This paper presents an assessment of three types of battery in a designed battery controller for a battery energy storage system (BESS) integrated with a solar photovoltaic system for load leveling and peak shaving applications. Three types of battery - lead acid, lithium ion, and nickel metal hydride - are discussed in detail and assessed in this work, focusing on small-scale integration. The controller was designed using Matlab Simulink to monitor consumer load demand, control the charging and discharging process of the BESS, and regulate while fulfilling the load demand, in addition to prolonging the BESS lifetime. From the simulation results, the nickel metal hydride battery is the best option for development of a battery controller. It achieved an average 37.45% leveled load profile and a 35.75% reduction of the load peak. However, the lead acid battery is still the dominant choice among consumers, in spite of average performance, because it has the best cost performance.
  • Publication
    Performance analysis of smart lighting control system for sustainable campus operation
    Global warming is a growing issue today due to the concerns of carbon emissions to the environment. Meanwhile, learning institutions such as university could play a significant role in promoting energy conservation and sustainable campus operations. The objective of this paper is to highlight the performance of smart lighting control system for restrooms where the project has been carried out at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis. The methodology processes include the initial study and field measurement of the energy consumption for lighting system during pre-retrofit condition, design, and development of the lighting control system and lastly analysis of the designed system in post-retrofit condition after installation. On the overall, 58 motion sensors have been installed at 30 restrooms where the result shows that in average 77.5% of reduction in energy consumption per day for each restroom. This situation has given tremendous benefits to the university operation where the university could save 9377 kWh per year and reduced RM 3423 from electricity bill per annum. In addition, this project also contributes to the environmental sustainability where the amount of electrical energy that has been successfully reduced is equivalent to 6508 kg of CO2 avoidance to the environment.
  • Publication
    Control of a multi-functional grid-connected solar PV system using instantaneous reactive power (PQ) theory for current harmonic alleviations
    In recent years, the advance usages of non-linear loads have led to the serious power quality problem in the distribution system. Non-linear load will inject the current harmonics and cause power quality problem at Point of Common Coupling (PCC). This problem can be improved by using power filter. Power filter can be divided into passive power filter and active power filter. Passive filter is an appropriate solution to solve power quality problem in term of harmonic mitigation due to a simple circuit, low cost and less energy requirement. However, active power filter (APF) is more suitable due to better performance to solve power quality problem for current harmonics issue. This paper focuses in designing the application of a multi-functional grid-connected solar PV system integrated with DSTATCOM by using Instantaneous Reactive Power (PQ) theory controller to mitigate the current harmonics injected by non-linear load at the distribution system. MATLAB/SIMULINK software is used to simulate the performance of the multi-functional GCPV based SAPF according to IEEE Standard 519:2014 which THD of the line current at the Pont of Common Coupling (PCC) should be less than 8%.
  • Publication
    Hybrid conjugate gradient backpropagation of GCPV based DSTATCOM for power conditioning
    This paper studies the performance of a hybrid conjugate gradient backpropagation (HCGBP) grid-connected solar photovoltaic (GCPV) based DSTATCOM. This paper proposes a hybrid control algorithm of instantaneous reactive power theory and conjugate gradient backpropagation neural network for an application of a grid-connected solar PV (GCPV) based DSTATCOM for three-phase three-wire system. The fundamental weighted value of active power components of load currents, which is necessary for estimating reference source currents, is extracted using a conjugate gradient backpropagation control algorithm. The performance of the proposed control algorithm has reduced the THD of the line current up to 1.32%. It is proven that HCGBP has better efficiency, faster response and easy to implement. The steady-state performance of the three-phase GCPV-DSTATCOM under non-linear load has been analysed through simulation and Hardware-in-loop (HIL) simulation based on real time DSP system using Texas Instrument TI C2000 32-bit microcontroller in MATLAB/Simulink. Furthermore, the simulation results have shown that the THD of the line current at the PCC has reduced less than 8%, according to the IEEE standard 519:2014.
  • Publication
    Voltage Stability Prediction In Power Systems Using Modified Artificial Neural Network
    This paper presents the indicator system status in the distribution network by using the technique voltage stability index with the artificial neural network to predict the power system. Voltage stability is an indicator from value index zero (0) until one (1). The value index zero is no loading in the system bus, where else one is maximum loading in system buses. IEEE 30 bus practical system was used to test and indicator to predict the power system. Using MATLAB to program and develop Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in distribution networks. The voltage stability indicator was trained by application ANN to predict each bus system's load status. Therefore, the voltage instability will be early to be known by using the prediction ANN. The information stability index is very important in the power system because it helps to solve the major problems in the distribution system power system.
      1  18
  • Publication
    Hybrid solar and grid-connected system with multi-mode operations
    Solar energy is beginning to take place as the most important alternative energy source in replacing conventional fuels such as crude oil, coal and natural gas. This is due to the increasing of energy demand in which fossil fuels are no longer be able to fulfill future needs because of depleting resources and costly. With the wide installations of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells or solar panels to provide electricity in remote places, homes and buildings, the technology regarding solar electricity is highly demanding. The purpose of this research project particularly introduces to the new concept of solar PV system with multi-mode operations, together with its related components or subsystems, effectively selecting suitable conditions between solar and grid supply in providing electricity to loads. Several advantages and disadvantages of the present stand-alone and grid-connected static inverters are compared with the proposed concept. It introduces to the use of a DC motor and synchronous generator as an electromechanical inverter as an alternative option to present popular approach of using solid-state static inverters in converting the solar DC supply into AC, suitable to run common electrical appliances. This initiates to a more resourceful solar electricity supply system to provide power on different occasions rather than having it to be limited to one dedicated application. As a household benchmark power consumption, the proposed 2 kW output power system is highly versatile, featuring 6 different modes of operation which can be used to function in either grid-connected or offgrid conditions, day and night which could increase the utilizing factor of a solar PV system from 25% to 100% per day . The Main Controller Unit (MCU) with its controlling circuits and programming firmware are specially designed to establish a pioneering fully functional system. The relevant characteristics and parameters of the electromechanical inverter were determined through various simulations and practical procedures. As for the comparative study, performance tests to the static inverters, i.e. modified sinewave, a true sinewave and to the proposed electromechanical inverter were done to evaluate their total harmonics and efficiencies with respect to different load conditions, where the efficiency is determined to be 64% and voltage THD is in between 8.10% to 10.32%. The modified sinewave inverter efficiency is found to be 90.2% with voltage THD is in between 27.64% to 28.97%, while the true sinewave unit efficiency is verified to be 76.1% with voltage THD is in between 2.018% and 3.275%. Actual connection of the designed electromechanical inverter to grid was made with tests data taken to see its performance during parallel operation and off-grid operations. Proper connection of the proposed solar PV system for the most economical way to get better return of investment, proper battery-sizing and isolated generation are extensively discussed. The overall results show that the designed solar PV technology has unique advantages to overcome the weaknesses of present gridconnected solar PV system. As a conclusion, with the realization of such a proposed system, a more versatile PV system that extending the capability of present popular solar PV and grid-connected technology is available as another option for future consideration.
      4  24
  • Publication
    Technical and economic evaluation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) based distribution static synchronous compensator (DSTATCOM)
    This paper presents a three-phase three-wire solar photovoltaic (PV) based DSTATCOM that can improve power quality problems. The solar PV system is designed based on peak-sun approach and simulated in HOMER (Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable) software. The technical and economic feasibility of different combinations of the system sizing are evaluated based on cost of electricity (COE), the net present cost (NPC) and the percentage of excessive electricity produced. The optimum size of PV system the will be able to supply the load with improved power quality features without any additional hardware to the system. The cost of electricity (COE) of the proposed system is still lower than the feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme provided by the government. Thus, the results showed that the proposed system is viable to improve the power quality at the distribution network.
      1  36
  • Publication
    Design and Performance Analysis of Grid Connected Photovoltaic (GCPV) based DSTATCOM for Power Quality Improvements
    Solar energy has become the most prominent renewable energy for electrical power generation of the sustainable development agenda. This project focuses on power quality improvement in the low voltage distribution network by using a three-phase three-wire Distributed Static compensator (DSTATCOM) supplied by a single-stage grid-connected solar photovoltaic (GCPV) system. The instantaneous reactive power theory (IRPT) or P-Q theory will be used as the control algorithm of the PV based DSTATCOM to eliminate the harmonic current caused by the non-linear loads in the distribution system. This control method has great impact on the accuracy of the harmonic current and reactive power compensation for harmonic current elimination according to the requirement of THD limit set by IEEE 519-2014. Sizing of the grid-connected solar PV system based DSTATCOM will be presented and capable to deliver the active power demand to the utility grid under variation of solar irradiances. This system is modelled and simulated in the MATLAB/Simulink environment.
      38  1
  • Publication
    Optimal sizing and economic analysis of self-consumed solar PV system for a fully DC residential house
    The fluctuation offuel prices has become concern to the Malaysian since it will influence the electricity tariff. The objective of this paper is to design a self-consumed DC power system for a residential house from renewable energy resource which is solar PV that will be independent from the utility grid. The methodology proposed are configuring daily load demand, sizing PV array, battery bank and lastly simulation and optimization of the system through HOMER software. Based on HOMER simulation, the optimum PV array size is 3.5 kW while the 48 V battery bank needs 32 units of 12 V batteries, which is designated for 3 days of autonomy. The system could meet 100% of load demand throughout the year with 37.08 % of excess energy. The consumers can benefit of reducing utility electricity bills up to 2,434 kWh annually and to the environmental aspect, will avoid 1. 7 tons of CO2 releases into the atmosphere.
      23  1