Peer-Graded Quiz

Photovoltaic Power System Design

Modeling and Control of Single-Phase Rectifiers and Inverters
University of Colorado, Boulder

This is the submission of your 5 kW photovoltaic power system design, including a voltage control
loop regulating the PV voltage at the maximum power point, an average current-mode control loop
regulating the output ac current delivered by the inverter to the single-phase 240 Vrms, 50 Hz ac
grid, and a dc bus voltage control loop maintaining the power balance between the PV array and the
inverter. You are expected to construct a complete averaged circuit model of the PV system with
all three control loops closed and to verify the design using transient (time-domain) simulations.
In your design, start with the model provided in the LTspice file PVsystem.asc, which includes a
PV array, an MPPT boost converter, and an averaged current-mode controlled inverter. Perform
the following tasks:

1. Carefully review the model and the simulation and measurement commands provided in
PVsystem.asc. Your additions to PVsystem.asc should include updates to the values of the
reference voltages VrefMPP and VBusRef, which must be between 1 V and 4 V. Please do
not make any other changes in the power-stage circuitry and the simulation/measurement
commands provided in PVsystem.asc. Additional circuitry implementing the control loops
in Steps 2 and 3 below may consist of op-amps, resistors and capacitors. The additional
circuitry must not employ any controlled or independent voltage or current sources beyond
what is already provided in PVsystem.asc.

2. Design and add to the model additional control circuitry to implement a PV voltage control
loop around the MPPT boost converter to regulate the PV voltage nominally to 283 V, which
is the MPP voltage at full sun. Note that a design of the PV voltage control loop around
the MPPT boost converter has been addressed in the practice quiz “Control of MPPT Boost
Converter.”

3. Design and add to the model additional control circuitry to implement a dc bus voltage
control loop to regulate the dc bus voltage v(bus) to nominally 400 V. Note that a design
of the dc bus voltage control loop has been addressed in the practice quiz “DC Bus Voltage
Control.”

4. Perform transient (.tran) simulation as specified in PVsystem.asc to verify performance of

the PV system.

Place your PV system LTspice files into a dedicated folder. Make sure the simulation runs correctly
using the files in that folder. Remove all .raw and .log files, but include all files necessary to
run the required simulation (.asc, .asy, and .lib files). The folder must include a single main
schematic (.asc) file that contains the model, and the simulation and measurement commands in
PVsystem.asc, together with your additional control circuitry. Create a .zip file of the folder and
upload this .zip file.
You will be allowed to upload your submission only once, so be sure that all parts are correct and
complete.
Your submission will be graded by three other learners, according to the instructions and rubrics
defined in this document. Please read these review criteria and follow them closely, both in your
submission and in your grading of the submissions of other learners. Everybody must review at
least three peer submissions; many learners choose to review more than three, to help their fellow
learners.

Grading rubrics
Rubric 1: PV voltage controller
Does the LTspice file include a PV voltage controller around the Boost MPPT converter?

• No LTspice file is provided, or zip files are incomplete such that it is not possible to open the
LTspice file. In this case, enter zero for the remaining rubrics. [0 points]

• The LTspice file includes a PV voltage controller around the Boost MPPT converter. How-
ever, one or more of the following rules are violated:

– The simulation correctly includes the model and the simulation and measurement com-
mands provided in PVsystem.asc.
– No dependent or independent sources are used, other than those already provided in
PVsystem.asc.

[5 points]

• The LTspice file includes a PV voltage controller around the Boost MPPT converter. Visual
inspection of the LTspice file conforms to all of the following rules:

– The simulation correctly includes the model and the simulation and measurement com-
mands provided in PVsystem.asc.
– No dependent or independent sources are used, other than those already provided in
PVsystem.asc.

[20 points]

Rubric 2: DC bus voltage controller

Does the LTspice file include a dc bus voltage controller?

• No LTspice file is provided, or zip files are incomplete such that it is not possible to open the
LTspice file. In this case, enter zero for the remaining rubrics. [0 points]

• The LTspice file includes a dc bus voltage controller. However, one or more of the following
rules are violated:

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 – The simulation correctly includes the model and the simulation and measurement com-
mands provided in PVsystem.asc.
– No dependent or independent sources are used, other than those already provided in
PVsystem.asc.

[5 points]

• The LTspice file includes a dc bus voltage controller. Visual inspection of the LTspice file
conforms to all of the following rules:

– The simulation correctly includes the model and the simulation and measurement com-
mands provided in PVsystem.asc.
– No dependent or independent sources are used, other than those already provided in
PVsystem.asc.

[20 points]

Rubric 3: Transient simulation

Does the transient simulation of the LTspice file produces an essentially sinusoidal output current
i(Vac) over the time interval from 300 ms to the end of simulation?

• No LTspice file is provided, or zip files are incomplete such that it is not possible to open the
LTspice file, or the simulation does not converge. In this case, enter zero for the remaining
rubrics. [0 points]

• The simulation runs and completes, but the output current does not appear to be an essentially
sinusoidal waveform over the time interval from 300 ms to the end of simulation. [5 points]

• The transient simulation produces an essentially sinusoidal output current i(Vac) over the
time interval from 300 ms to the end of simulation. [15 points]

Rubric 4: DC component of i(vac )

Upon completion of .tran simulation, the measurement is shown as DC component in the Spice
Error Log file.

• Measured absolute value of the DC component of i(vac ) is greater than 0.5 A [0 points]

• Measured absolute value of the DC component of i(vac ) is less than or equal to 0.5 A but
greater than or equal to 0.1 A [2 points]

• Measured absolute value of the DC component of i(vac ) is less than 0.1 A [5 points]

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Rubric 5: Total harmonic distortion of i(vac )
Upon completion of .tran simulation, the measurement is shown as Total Harmonic Distortion
in the Spice Error Log file.

• Measured total harmonic distortion is greater than 5 % [0 points]

• Measured total harmonic distortion is less than or equal to than 5 % [5 points]

Rubric 6: PV array average output power P pv

Upon completion of .tran simulation, the measurement is shown as ppv in the Spice Error Log
file.

• Measured PV array average output power P pv is less than 4900 W [0 points]

• Measured PV array average output power P pv is less than 5000 W but greater than or equal
to 4900 W [2 points]

• Measured PV array average output power P pv is greater than or equal to 5000 W [5 points]

Rubric 7: PV system average output power Pout

Upon completion of .tran simulation, the measurement is shown as pout in the Spice Error Log
file.

• Measured PV system average output power Pout is less than 4800 W [0 points]

• Measured PV system average output power Pout is less than 4900 W but greater than or equal
to 4800 W [2 points]

• Measured PV system average output power Pout is greater than or equal to 4900 W [5 points]

Rubric 8: Efficiency η = Pout /P pv

Upon completion of .tran simulation, the measurement is shown as efficiency in the Spice
Error Log file.

• Measured efficiency η is less than 97% [0 points]

• Measured efficiency η is less than 98% but greater than or equal to 97% [2 points]

• Measured efficiency η is greater than or equal to 98% [5 points]

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Rubric 9: Average dc bus voltage Vbus
Upon completion of .tran simulation, the measurement is shown as vbus in the Spice Error Log
file.

• Measured average dc bus voltage is less than 399 V or greater than 401 V [0 points]

• Measured average dc bus voltage is greater than or equal to 399 V and less than or equal to
401 V [5 points]

Rubric 10: Peak-to-peak dc bus voltage ripple ∆Vbus,pp

Upon completion of .tran simulation, the measurement is shown as vbusripple in the Spice
Error Log file.

• Measured peak-to-peak dc bus voltage ripple is greater than 50 V [0 points]

• Measured peak-to-peak dc bus voltage ripple is less than or equal to 50 V [5 points]

Rubric 11: Average PV array dc voltage V pv

Upon completion of .tran simulation, the measurement is shown as vpv in the Spice Error Log
file.

• Measured average PV array voltage is less than 282.5 V or greater than 383.5 V [0 points]

• Measured average PV array voltage is greater than or equal to 282.5 V and less than or equal
to 283.5 V [5 points]

Rubric 12: Peak-to-peak PV array voltage ripple ∆V pv,pp

Upon completion of .tran simulation, the measurement is shown as vpvripple in the Spice
Error Log file.

• Measured peak-to-peak PV array voltage ripple is greater than 2 V [0 points]

• Measured peak-to-peak PV array voltage ripple is less then or equal to 2 V but greater than
1 V [2 points]

• Measured peak-to-peak PV array voltage ripple is less than or equal to 1 V [5 points]

Rubric 13
Optional comments by reviewer, no points.

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