Advanced Power Electronics for Photovoltaic Applications
Solar energy has long been recognized as one of the most abundant forms of clean energy. Countless research efforts around the globe are contributing to the steady decline in the cost of photovoltaic power, with the promise of reaching grid parity in the near future. This is a complex target, as the price of conventional energy sources is constantly in flux and heavily dependent on government subsidies. The penetration level of solar power is rapidly increasing in most developed countries due to government incentives and multi-disciplinary technological advances. The exponential growth of PV technology presents tremendous opportunities for all companies in the semiconductor supply chain, ranging from discrete power devices to mixedsignal control ICs. This project focuses on the state-of-the-art technology in photovoltaic (PV) energy conversion, while the main focus is on the power electronic circuits, controllers and devices used to maximize the harvested energy and interface PV systems to the electrical grid. Small PV arrays in the 2-10 kW range are increasingly being deployed on residential rooftops in urban environments. These applications present a unique set of economic and technological challenges that will be explored in this project.
Quantifying the real-world benefits of DMPPT remains a challenge; however early results are very promising. This project will focus on new topologies and control systems for DMPPT in PV applications. New topologies and control schemes will be developed to maximize the efficiency in PV systems. The project involves a large experimental component using a rooftop PV system.
The student will work in the state-of-the-art power electronics laboratories in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, alongside a talented group of graduate and undergraduate students. The student will work closely with other researchers to develop new power electronic converters for DMPPT PV systems. The novel power electronic circuits will be
tested on UofT’s new rooftop 5 kW reconfigurable PV system. This challenging project will involve circuit and system-level simulations, thermal analysis, printed circuit board design, sourcing electronic components, testing and data analysis.
