SPECIFIC ACTION ON THE FOTAVOLTAIC PROJECT

Objective

The results from the optimisation process of the photovoltaic system indicated that the following changes would improve the performance of the plant:
connection of the 2 separate battery banks to form a single 600 Ahour battery;
improvement of the software for power management.
THE SPECIFIC ACTIONS OF THE FOTAVOLTAIC PROJECTS INVOLVE:
- THE CONNECTION OF TWO SEPARATE BATTERY BANKS TO FORM A SINGLE BATTERY
- IMPROVE THE POWER MANAGEMENT OF THE LINE-COMMUTATED INVERTER.
A COMPUTER MODEL WAS USED TO ANALYSE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE FOTAVOLTAIC SYSTEM. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT BY IMPLEMENTING THESE CHANGES THAT THE PERFORMANCE WOULD IMPROVE. THIS SHOWED THAT BY USING A SINGLE BATTERY THE PV SYSTEM COULD SUPPLY UP TO 49% OF THE LOAD AS AGAINST 29% USING A DOUBLE BATTERY. ALSO THEY SHOWED THAT BY CHANGING THE POWER MANAGEMENT OF THE INVERTER AN EXTRA 10% AC ENERGY COULD BE DELIVERED TO THE UTILITY GRID. BOTH BATTERIES HAVE BEEN CONNECTED TO FORM A SINGLE BATTERY AND THE POWER MANAGEMENT OF THE INVERTER HAS BEEN IMPROVED. THE IMMEDIATE RESULT HAS BEEN THAT SINCE JOINING THE TWO BATTERIES ONLY ONE DC BUSBAR EXISTS AND THE SYSTEM IS EASIER TO CONTROL OR MODIFY. THE PERFORMANCE IMPROVED BUT BECAUSE OF DEGRADATION TO THE BATTERY THE MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT COULD NOT BE ACHIEVED. EXTRA CONTROL SOFTWARE WAS DEVELOPED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CHANGES IN THE BATTERY CHARACTERISTIC.
FUTURE ACTIVITY WILL INVOLVE ANALYSING THE EXISTING PERFORMANCE AND ADJUSTING THE POWER MANAGEMENT TO OPTIMISE THE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.

Fields of science

Programme(s)

FP1-ENNONUC 3C - Research and development programme (EEC) in the field of Non-Nuclear Energy, 1985-1988

Topic(s)

Data not available

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK

Address

Western road, presentation buildings
30 Cork
Ireland

EU contribution

€ 0,00