Intelligent control of photovoltaic system using BPSO-GSA-optimized neural network and fuzzy-based PID for maximum power point tracking

The maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique is applied in the photovoltaic (PV) systems to achieve the maximum power from a PV panel in different atmospheric conditions and to optimize the efficiency of a panel. A proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller was used in this study for tracking the maximum power point (MPP). A fuzzy gain scheduling system with optimized rules by subtractive clustering algorithm was employed for tuning the PID controller parameters based on error and error-difference in an online mode. In addition, an Elman-type recurrent neural network (RNN) was used for inverse identification of the PV system and for estimating the solar radiation intensity to determine the MPP voltage. The optimum number of neurons in the single hidden-layer of the RNN was determined by binary particle swarm optimization algorithm. The weights of this RNN were also optimized by using a hybrid method based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm and gravitational search algorithm (GSA). In the proposed fitness function for optimization, both the RNN size and its convergence accuracy were considered. Thus, the algorithm for RNN optimization attempts to minimize both the structural complexity and the mean square error. Simulation results revealed superior performance of GSA in comparison with particle swarm, cuckoo, and grey wolf optimization algorithms. The performance of the proposed MPPT method was evaluated under four different ambient conditions. Our experimental results show that the proposed MPPT method is more efficient than the three competitive methods presented in recent years.