Educational High Power Photovoltaic Curve Tracer Using an IoT DC to DC Power Converter with Smartphone Integration

Abstract

This paper presents an educational photovoltaic curve tracer to teach student about the current-voltage (I–V) and power-voltage (P–V) characteristics of a photovoltaic solar panel using their own smartphones. The proposed system consists of an IoT power converter connected to fixed load both acting like a variable resistor with a value controlled by the duty cycle of the PWM signal. Coupled with internal voltage and current sensors, and external solar irradiance and temperature sensors, this tracer can automatically extract the (I–V) and (PV) curves for any solar panel with an optimal power less than 150Wc for different solar irradiances and temperature values. This system uses the sun light instead of artificial lamps for better results and energy efficiency. Making it ideal for teaching students about the non-linearity of a PV solar panels and the potential degradation over time.