Circle Search Algorithm-Based Super Twisting Sliding Mode Control for MPPT of Different Commercial PV Modules

The efficiency of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems can be improved using a suitable maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control. Many MPPT techniques have been developed. However, when atmospheric conditions change rapidly, the PV modules respond nonlinearly and the performance of these methods especially the conventional ones is significantly reduced. Therefore, to successfully pursue the maximum power point (MPP) in PV systems, a robust MPPT integrated with sliding mode control (SMC) is employed. This paper proposes a circle search algorithm based super twisting SMC (CSA-STSMC) for tracking the MPP for 100-kW of different commercial grid-connected PV modules coupled with an energy storage system that used to smooth their output fluctuations. Moreover, the STSMC and PI controllers’ gains are optimized using the CSA and Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) methods and the performance of proposed method is demonstrated through comparisons with CSA based Proportional-Integral controller (CSA-PI), GWO-STSMC, and Incremental Conductance based PI controller (InC-PI) methods. The optimization and simulation analysis are executed in A MATLAB/Simulink environment. It is observed that the proposed method outperforms the considered methods in terms of robustness, tracking speed, best convergence to the minimum error’s value and better tracking efficiency in the maximizing the extracted power from the introduced PV systems.