An Improved Cuckoo Search Algorithm for Maximum Power Point Tracking of Photovoltaic Systems under Partial Shading Conditions

The problem of partial shading has serious effects on the performance of photovoltaic (PV) systems. Adding a bypass diode in shunt to each PV module avoids hot-spot phenomena, but causes multi-peaks in the power-voltage (P-V) characteristics of the PV array, which cause traditional maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques to become trapped in local peaks. This problem has forced researchers to search for smart techniques to track global peaks and prevent the possibility of convergence at local peaks. Swarm optimization techniques have been used to fill this shortcoming; unfortunately, however, these techniques suffer from unacceptably long convergence time. Cuckoo search (CS) is one of the fastest and most reliable optimization techniques, making it an ideal option to be used as an MPPT of PV systems under dynamic partial shading conditions. The standard CS algorithm has a long conversion time, high failure rate, and high oscillations at steady state; this paper aims to overcome these problems and to fill this research gap by improving the performance of the CS. The results obtained from this technique are compared to five swarm optimization techniques. The comparison study shows the superiority of the improved CS strategy introduced in this paper over the other swarm optimization techniques.

Automated summary

The issue of partial shading significantly impacts the performance of PV systems. While adding bypass diodes can prevent hot-spot phenomena, it also results in multiple peaks in the P-V characteristics of the PV array. Researchers have sought smart techniques to track global peaks and avoid converging at local peaks, with the use of swarm optimization techniques proving promising but facing challenges.