A Fusion Firefly Algorithm With Simplified Propagation for Photovoltaic MPPT Under Partial Shading Conditions

An improved maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm based on the fusion firefly algorithm (FFA) with a novel simplified propagation process (SPP) for photovoltaic (PV) systems under partial shading conditions (PSCs) is proposed in this study. By integrating the neighborhood attraction firefly algorithm (NaFA) and simplified firefly algorithm (SFA), the proposed FFA is capable of tracking the global maximum power points (GMPPs) with high accuracy. In addition, the proposed SPP process reduces the sampling events by omitting redundant propagations, thereby accelerating the tracking speed and reducing the energy loss and oscillations during the sampling process. The performance of the proposed FFA and the speed improvement using the SPP process were simulated using MATLAB software and verified with a hardware evaluation system. Experimental results confirmed that the proposed FFA algorithm offers high accuracy and efficiency with rapid tracking speed. In addition, the proposed SPP process is capable of significantly reducing the sampling events not only when integrating it with the FFA, but also with other conventional FA algorithms.