A Current Sensorless Delay–Based Control Scheme for MPPT–Boost Converters in Photovoltaic Systems

The results presented in this paper deal with the design of a current sensorless delay-based controller for the closed-loop stabilization of a photovoltaic system under an MPPT scheme using a boost dc/dc converter. Some applications of such topology are dc microgrids, solar vehicles, or stand-alone systems, to mention a few. The basis of this control scheme relies on the feedback linearization control technique coupled with a delay-based low-order controller. In order to study the stability, the proposed approach uses a geometric point of view which allows the partitioning of the controller parameters space into regions with similar stability characteristics (same number of unstable characteristic roots). The most important contribution of the paper relies on providing practical guidelines to tune the gains of the proposed delay-based controller, ensuring asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system and fulfilling the requirements for photovoltaic applications. In addition, the proposed approach allows the design a non-fragile controller with respect to the controller gains. Furthermore, in order to test the effectiveness of the control scheme presented, experimental results evaluating the closed-loop system performance under set-point changes and abrupt irradiance disturbances are addressed using a solar array simulator and a battery bank as load.