Modelling and simulation of single- and triple-junction solar cells using MATLAB/SIMULINK

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to determine the single- and triple-junction solar cells’ I–V and P–V curves, define maximum voltage, current, and power. The paper demonstrates and analyses different environmental conditions that affect the solar cells, such as temperature and irradiance. The performance of single- and triple-junction solar cells is evaluated by analysing the fill factor. In this work, the analysis of single- and triple-junction solar cells is carried out through software simulation. Different conditions demonstrated to observe the results of this variation in both single- and triple-junction cells, such as observing the solar cell behaviour under variation of temperature between 15°C (288.315 K) and 45°C (318.15 K) for the single-junction cell and between 268.15 K (−5°C) and 348.15 K (75°C) for the triple-junction cell to observe the effect of temperature on open circuit voltage, the variation of different levels of irradiance to observe its effect on open circuit voltage and current density on both cell types, and cell performance evaluation using the fill factor concept. Practical results used in this paper are obtained from Clyde Space’s laboratories. Tests of Clyde Space were done using halide lamps to simulate the irradiation conditions with irradiance of half sun which is equivalent to 0.05 W cm−2. The operation was done under temperature of 40°C which is equivalent to 313.15 K.