Final Solar Report
Final Solar Report
Final Solar Report
Faculty of Engineering
Mechatronics Department
Fourth Year
Done by:
Assel Taher 54/2017 Yasmin Al-Atraqchi 357/2017
Rabei Al-Shawati 207/2016 Malak Al-Mahdi 292/2017
Asaad Al-Mawri 3360/2017 Mohammed Mansour 199/2017
Supervised by:
Eng. Mahran Al-Absi
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Abstract:
As the world started shifting to renewable energy sources, solar energy presented itself as a clean and
effective source of energy. Yet the diesel powered grids are still widely used. This introduced the use of
hybrid systems where one sources complement the shortage of the other. The use of this system requires
the use of charge controllers to control the charging of the battery and provide the user with data showing
the performance of his solar system. The purpose of this project is to design and implement a controller
that can be used with hybrid systems. The controller measures the currents and voltages of the panel and
battery, showing them to the user together with other parameters as the efficiency of the system and the
time to full charge. Moreover, it controls the charging of the battery to provide safe charging and long
life of battery. It shifts the electric source between the panels and the grid providing safe charging and
optimal usage of the panels. The system is user friendly and easy to use, and communicates information
with the user via LCD, the user also has the option to change the settings. The controller uses a PLC and
various other components such as current sensors. To conclude, this project aims to solve the short-
comings of the commercial available controllers and compete with them with respect to performance,
cost, and meeting the needs of users.
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Table of Contents
Abstract: ....................................................................................................................... 2
Chapter 1: ......................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 4
1.2 Problem definition .................................................................................................. 5
1.3 Project objectives:................................................................................................... 5
Chapter 2: ......................................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Hardware components: .......................................................................................... 6
2.2 Lovato LRD12TD024 (PLC) ....................................................................................... 6
2.3 Current Sensor ( ACS712-20A ) ............................................................................... 6
2.4 Step down chopper ................................................................................................. 7
Chapter 3: ......................................................................................................................... 8
3.1 Block diagram: ........................................................................................................ 8
Chapter 4: ......................................................................................................................... 9
4.1 Battery charging: ..................................................................................................... 9
4.2 Battery charging flowchart (Automatic mode): .................................................... 10
4.3 System’s operation: .............................................................................................. 11
Chapter 5: ....................................................................................................................... 13
5.1 Recommendations and future enhancements: .................................................... 13
Chapter 6: ....................................................................................................................... 13
6.1 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 13
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Chapter 1:
1.1 Introduction
As environmental issues became more demanding people started shifting to renewable energy sources.
Solar power, without a doubt, is the cleanest energy in the world and became widely spread in industry
and commercial applications. Because it can only generate power at certain times of the day, it is not an
ideal energy source. In its basic form, solar pv is straight forward, i.e. hook a solar panel up to a dc load
and it will run until the sun goes down. Where it starts to get complex is when that energy is stored for
when the sun isn’t shining or when the grid is down. Photovoltaic power system has three types, namely,
photovoltaic standalone system, photovoltaic hybrid system, and photovoltaic grid tie system. Hybrid
systems in their most general view are those which combine and exploit several available sources of
different nature, for example, wind-solar-diesel, at the same time to provide electricity needed to power
technical devices.
Storing electricity to do useful work when there is no sun or back-up grid required batteries to be
connected to the solar pv system. As a result, electronic modules for the management of hybrid energy
systems have been developed. Most of these modules are used to control and manage batteries charging
from all available renewable energy sources. Many charge controllers existing on the market perform
their controlling function based on the voltage or the current delivered by the energy sources to the
batteries. These charge controllers became one of the most important system components.
There are two main categories of charge controllers; pulse-width-modulation (PWM) and maximum
power point tracking (MPPT). PWM controllers are relatively simple, while MPPT are comparatively
more sophisticated as they adjust the input voltage and the current of the pv array to find the optimal
operating voltage that will generate the most power at a given moment. While MPPT technology is more
expensive and sophisticated, it is not necessarily better. For a properly sized system, MPPT and PWM
controllers will both do fine job of keeping the batteries charged. If there is on long wire run and nominal
voltage solar modules are being used (e.g. at homes), a PWM controller often is the best choice. This is
the reason why PWM was chosen for this project, as it satisfies the needs and meets the budget of people
in Yemen.
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1.2 Problem definition
In the early days of solar systems, users received little information on how the system was performing.
The system’s inverter might have a read-out of real time system production, but it was hard to get any
details. As a result, when a problem occurred with the panels it was hard to identify or even realize as
the user is required to frequently check the inverter. As for hybrid systems, they have that need of
attention, i.e. the user needs to check whether the power obtained from the panels is enough or no, and
so, to charge the batteries from the grid. Moreover, the use of batteries brings with them the problems of
improper charging which can reduce the life of the battery. As a result, a way of measuring the voltages
and currents of the panels and batteries is important, and here is where most Chinese controllers fail as
they mistake the measuring of the battery voltage by measuring that of the panel.
Most controllers nowadays provide a solution to one or more of the former issues, yet, not all, and here
is where this project comes into function, i.e. providing a solution to all those issues.
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Chapter 2:
2.1 Hardware components:
• Lovato LRD12TD024 (PLC)
• Capacitors (2x 22 bF)
• Current Sensor (2x ACS712-20A)
• MOSFET Transistor (IRF3205)
• BJT Transistor (BC547)
• Relay x3
• Schotky Diode
• inductor (150 mH)
• LEDs (1 x Red)
• Resistors (7 x 220, 3 x 10K, 4 x 55k) ohm
• DIP Socket ( 8 pin )
• Fuses (3 x 20A)
• Fuse Holders (3)
• Push Buttons (5 nos)
• JST connectors ( male -female )
• Header Pins (Male Straight ,female , Right angle )
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2.4 Step down chopper
Step down chopper was used to minimize
the very high voltage of the panel and to
disconnect the panel from the battery when
the PLC has to read the voltage of the
battery. We have used the MOSFET
transistor IRF3205 to do this process. The
gate of the MOSFET need a 10v to make the
transistor on, so we have used the BJT
transistor to run the gate of the MOSFET.
To minimize the high voltage of the panel,
we send the PWM from the PLC to the base
of the BJT which transfer it to the MOSFET.
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Chapter 3:
3.1 Block diagram:
LRD12TD024
Button Control
Indicator led
Step-Down
Chopper
Relay
Relay
LOAD
Charger
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Chapter 4:
4.1 Battery charging:
The charge controller main’s function is to charge a battery without permitting overcharge, and at the
same time, preventing reverse current flow when there is no sun. This action keeps the system’s batteries
charged and safe for a long time. Two common issues met with battery charging are overcharging and
over discharging. The effects of each on the battery is discussed below.
Overcharging often occurs during summer when the pv array is operating under good weather conditions,
resulting into generation of energy exceeding the electrical load demand. In the absence of charge
controller, current from the pv will continue to flow into the battery even if does not require charging. In
the case of a fully-charged battery this action can cause a rise in the voltage to a very high levels resulting
in internal heat, electrolyte loss, severe gassing, and grid corrosion.
On the other hand, over discharging takes place during periods of low solar radiation and excessive
electrical load usage. A deeply discharged battery results in the chemical reactions taking place inside
the battery to occur close to the grids, weakening the bond between active materials and the grid.
Repeatedly discharging the battery results in the loss of both battery capacity and life.
Charging the battery can be divided into three stages: bulk charging, absorption charging, and float
charging. In bulk charging stage the controller will deliver 100% percent of available solar power or grid
power to charge the battery to the set absorb voltage setting. When the battery voltage has reached the
set absorption voltage setting, the controller maintains the battery voltage at this set point. And after the
battery is fully charged in the absorption stage, the controller reduces the battery voltage to the float
voltage set point. The purpose of this stage is to prevent the battery from long-term overcharge.
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4.2 Battery charging flowchart (Automatic mode):
1 Automatic
Yes (Grid)
Vbatt < No
13 Mode relay on
Yes
TMR8 on Vbatt < No Vbatt No
13.5 >= 14
TMR8 No Yes
Yes
== setval Mode relay off
PWM = 0
PWM = 10
No Yes
PWM = 0
Vbatt No
<= 13.5
Yes
PWM =
𝟏𝟑. 𝟓
10
𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞
10 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 − 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭
+ ൨
𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭
4.3 System’s operation:
The system operation is as follows. The PLC represents the heart of the system. One relay is used as
the mode relay. The mode relay controls the source of power, whether coming from the grid or from
the solar panels. The normally closed terminal is connected to the panel, and the normally opened
terminal is connected to the grid supply. The other side of the relay is connected to the battery.
Four analog readings are required namely the load current, panel voltage, battery voltage, and panel
current. The current readings are obtained from the two current sensors, while the voltage readings are
obtained through a voltage divider circuit, i.e. reading the voltage of one of two 55k resistors
connected in series. To correctly read the battery voltage, the power supply should be disconnected
from the battery. This is done by turning the mode relay off, and supplying a PWM signal of zero.
Since there are only two analog inputs, two relay were added to adjust for the four analog inputs
available. One relay is used to read the voltages and the other one reads the currents. The normally
opened terminals give the load’s current and battery’s voltage. The normally closed terminals give the
panel’s current and voltage.
One switch was used to control the mode of charging. Turning on the switch changes the mode of
charging to manual mode, while turning off changes the mode to automatic. Another switch is
available, and can only be used when in manual mode. Turning it on enables charging from the grid
power supply, while turning it off enables charging from the solar panels. Two pushbuttons are used as
emergency start and stop, and can also be used to turn on/off the system.
A chopper circuit (buck converter) using MOSFETs is connected between the panels output and the
battery. The gate of the MOSFETs are turned on and off by a pulse width modulation signal coming
from the analog output of the PLC. Based on a number of conditions, the PWM duty is set as was shown
in the flowchart in section 4.2 of this report.
The equations used to set the value of the PWM in the absorption and float are:
𝟏𝟒
PWM = ቂ ቃ ∗ 𝟏𝟎
𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞
In order to not confuse the reading of the panel voltage with the battery voltage, since they are
connected in parallel, the system is designed to disconnect any charging source for a very little period
of time and reconnect it after reading the voltage value.
The readings are then used to calculate the remaining parameters that are to be displayed on the LCD
screen provided with the PLC, and figuring the state of the system. Those parameters are listed below:
For discharging
• System status
The system identifies its status by comparing the different parameters, i.e. battery voltage, panel current
and load current
• Battery status
The system identifies the battery status by measuring its voltage. And it can identify a multiple condition
for the battery. i.e. good, damaged, higher voltage or not connected. Solar panel efficiency
This parameter is deduced from dividing the actual power of the solar panel on the nominal power entered
by the user.
𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟
𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 =
𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟
• Error identification
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The system identifies a multiple errors and displaying a code number that represent that error so that a
detailed explanation is provided in the user manual attached with the product. An error causes the red
led to turn on.
Chapter 5:
5.1 Recommendations and future enhancements:
The system presented in this project can be further enhanced in a number of ways. First, the temperature
effect on the solar panels and battery should be taken into account. Temperature can largely contribute
to the overall voltage loss in the system. This loss is approximately 4 VDC at 50 C˚ and depends on the
voltage and temperature coefficient of the solar module. The loss due to temperature is greater than that
due to both line and controller losses which are approximately 0.6 VDC and 0.5 to 1.2 VDC, respectively.
Since the module voltage loss from temperature is the single largest loss in calculations, it is important
this loss and how it affects the solar system and battery charging.
Secondly, data can be collected on daily basis and uploaded through Ethernet to a computer that can
change it into a datasheet format. Such data include the average performance of the system through the
day, its efficiency, and the load demand. This helps the user know how he is using the power, the months
of maximum usage and thus requirement of power, and so take actions accordingly.
Moreover, an enhanced communication feature can be implemented where the user can turn on/off the
load by a remote control or even set the parameters of the system. Lastly, protection for reversal
connection of battery and solar panels should be implemented.
Chapter 6:
6.1 Conclusion
The aim of this project was to provide a charge controller using PLC that integrates and solves the
shortcomings of commercial available units. The project implemented a number of features provided by
many commercial available charge controllers. The features implemented include battery charging
management, which aids in increasing the life of the battery. Moreover, it can be connected to hybrid
systems having, as a source, the national grid and the solar panels. The system optimizes the use of the
solar power leaving the ac source as a second choice. Furthermore, the system was designed to be user
friendly, providing the user with all the information he requires about his power system. Lastly, further
enhancements to the device were discussed for future improvements.
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