Abstract

The solar photovoltaic energy sources are becoming popular due to being cleaner, sustainable and cost-effective sources of electrical energy. Photovoltaic sources are being deployed widely worldwide for residential and commercial use. In this research, a unique methodology is explored by modelling a 3-phase induction motor drive system fed from a photovoltaic source via pulse width modulation based inverter. The pulse width modulation pulse width modulation inverter technology provides a convenient way to control the motor speed by varying either the modulation index or the frequency of the reference signal for. The modulation index control method achieves faster dynamic response by enabling direct voltage amplitude adjustment, allowing for rapid torque control without inducing flux variations, which results in settling times of 0.2 sec for speed and 0.12 sec for torque compared to the frequency-based method with settling times of slightly greater than 0.5 sec. The drive is integrated with heating and lighting load through a boost converter to absorb the surplus power from photovoltaic so that the overall system runs at maximum power point condition. Furthermore, partial shading condition is applied to assess the speed response of the motor, being the primary motive of this paper which is observed to stay at a reference of 1700 rpm. The prioritization of the motor load is ensured by the system’s design, where the motor is directly fed by the inverter with control algorithms tailored to run at a desired speed, while the boost converter connected to auxiliary loads (heating and lighting) operates on the surplus power, as regulated by the maximum power point tracking algorithm.