Modified Invasive Weed Optimization for MPPT of PV Powered Water Pumping System Driven by BLDC Motor

Abstract

Water Pumping Systems (WPSs) are must be required in human civilization, serving various purposes including agriculture, drinking, and industrial applications. In rural areas, reducing the strain on the grid and providing electricity to WPS can be achieved through the implementation of a locally established standalone Photovoltaic (PV) fed WPS unit. Brushless DC motor (BLDCM) is highly suitable for WPS due to their numerous advantages. However, the addition of batteries to the system can lead to increased costs and maintenance requirements, making it unaffordable for farmers. Therefore, a WPS driven by BLDCM fed by PV system without batteries is considered in this paper, and a sensor-less speed control unit is also incorporated. The power generated by PV unit can be affected by partial shading conditions (PSCs), resulting in suboptimal power production when using traditional Perturbed and Observe (P&O) algorithms. To address this issue, the Modified Invasive Weed Optimization Algorithm (MIWOA) is hybridized with the P&O method. The Hybrid MIWOA – P&O method proves to be effective in maximizing power extraction from PV systems under both PSCs and normal conditions. Comparative analysis with GA, PSO, and GWO is also conducted. To minimize system costs, the single stage operating WPS is implemented in this article. This eliminates the need for an additional DC-DC circuit for the operation of MPPT since inverter is used as a MPPT purpose. Comprehensive findings have been showcased through the utilization of OPAL-RT to verify the suggested system in both stable and changing conditions.