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Having in mind that Puerto Rico has a large annual solar energy and that the dependency on fossil fuels needs to be eliminated, this project proposes to develop a Hardware in the Loop (HIL) simulation of a photovoltaic (PV) generator using a Texas Instruments (TI) platform as a possible solution for energy sources. The main objective of our project is to encourage the use of renewable energy in Puerto Rico for the establishment of a paradigm shift of the energy sector. This will be based on distributed generation and Smart Grids. Using the concept of Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) we will model a photovoltaic inverter to characterize the generation capacities that Puerto Rico has. Hardware in the Loop consists of a type of real time simulation to test controller strategies where the controller responds, in real time, to realistic virtual changes of process variables, such as Solar Irradiance and Temperature. To achieve this, two different control strategies will be developed to analyze the behavior of the PV generator when small and large disturbances appear, such as a cloudy day. The entire system will be simulated with the use of low cost Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) in order to make the program algorithm efficient in terms of time to carry out instructions and avoid to spend money on hardware that may not fit the ideal scenario. This project expects to open door for further research on renewable energy resources and to be able to construct a working prototype that fits Puerto Rico’s system.
Author(s):
Luis Torres Soto
Electrical Engineering
University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez
Puerto Rico
Natalie Rivera Torres
Computer Engineering
University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez
Puerto Rico
Edna Rivera Sepulveda
Electrical Engineering
University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez
Puerto Rico
Sergio Alzate Drada
Electrical Engineering
University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez
Puerto Rico