Innovative mode selective control and parameterization for charging Li-ion batteries in a PV system

Li-ion batteries can be charged with different techniques according to the charging time and required capacity usage. Most charging techniques face difficulties when implemented in PV systems due to the intermittent and unpredictable nature of the power supply. This paper addresses the issue of determining the appropriate charging technique for Li-ion batteries in a PV system. We have developed a mode-selective control approach that determines the optimal charging mode according to the given SOC and solar irradiation, aiming to maximize the utilization of the generated PV power. The developed control approach has been implemented using a dual-switched buck converter in the MATLAB/Simulink environment. The key control algorithm focused on regulating current, with different references being used based on the selected charging mode. Three references for charging current were set: the maximum current, the required current assigned based on the given SOC, and the pulsed current. The pulsed current reference was employed during a stage of the charging process to accelerate charging and prevent dissipation of PV power. Furthermore, a gain-scheduled controller with carefully picked control parameters was used to ensure stable operation across different modes. The results proved the effectiveness of the proposed control in reducing charging time and minimizing PV power dissipation without resorting to the use of harmful charging currents.