Hierarchical Simulation and Fault Analyses of Photovoltaic Modules from Electronic Level

photovoltaic (PV) power station has become one of the most important energy sources and an indispensable component of the new power system, the traditional PV simulation where the whole station is represented by a single power output formula no longer satisfies the necessity of applicative researches. Ideally, a simulation of PV station is constructed in a bottom-up manner, and the mathematical model at each layer is built from integration of simulations of power electronics, and the hierarchical model of the whole station is verified by realistic reactions of electronic components to replicate real power plants. In this study, a simulation of PV modules is constructed by power electronics, and the simulated individual and combined module reactions are compared with experiments on commercial products. The modules under four most common fault conditions are analyzed down to the electronic level to prepare for precise control strategies of individual modules. The research is supported by abundant experimental data, to enable practical virtual trials and parameter tuning of further fault detection and protection development on the simulation, such that costly experiments are avoided and mechanisms of each layer can be studied extensively.