Backstepping sliding mode control for maximum power point tracking of a photovoltaic system

In this paper, a fast and efficient maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control for a photovoltaic (PV) system is developed based on both backstepping and sliding mode approaches. The considered PV system consists of a PV module supplying, through a DC converter, a resistive load. The control scheme includes two loops. The first loop, estimates the maximum power voltage (MPV) which is used in the second loop as a reference value for backstepping sliding mode control (BSMC). The proposed BSMC-based controller forces the PV system to operate very close to the maximum power point (MPP) by adjusting the duty cycle of the DC-DC boost converter. This approach presents a good transition response, a low tracking error and a very fast reaction against solar irradiation variations. To show the effectiveness of the developed control scheme a comparative study is presented with the terminal sliding mode control (TSMC) approach.