Real‐Climatic Microcontroller‐in‐the‐Loop (RCMIL) Framework: A Novel, Rapid, and Cost‐Effective Approach for Verifying Photovoltaic Control Systems
ABSTRACT In the search for sustainable energy solutions, photovoltaic (PV) systems have emerged as a primary focus of innovation, attracting substantial worldwide interest in recent decades. Among the essential study topics, the development of control techniques, such as maximum power point tracking...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Engineering Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/eng2.70285 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | ABSTRACT In the search for sustainable energy solutions, photovoltaic (PV) systems have emerged as a primary focus of innovation, attracting substantial worldwide interest in recent decades. Among the essential study topics, the development of control techniques, such as maximum power point tracking (MPPT), is a thriving and quickly growing discipline. Despite multiple advances, many control systems remain confined to simulation settings, far from practical deployment due to obstacles such as prohibitive cost (especially for researchers from developing countries) and system complexity. This disparity highlights the critical need for cost‐effective, dependable verification systems that can bridge the gap between theory and real‐world application. This paper therefore proposes the Real‐Climatic Microcontroller‐in‐the‐Loop (RCMIL) architecture, a pioneering platform for quick and realistic verification of MPPT controllers. By harnessing real‐climatic functionalities with Microcontroller‐in‐the‐Loop (MIL) execution, the RCMIL provides a practical‐like environment, allowing the implementation of PV control systems in real‐world situations, mimicking the nonlinear and stochastic character of weather patterns in any geographic region. Experimental results demonstrate the framework's efficacy, with the real‐climatic efficiency (RCE) reaching 97.15% under slowly changing conditions, while the real‐climatic mean absolute error (RCMAE) and real‐climatic mean absolute percentage error (RCMAPE) for voltage were measured at 4.55 V and 18.77%, respectively. Furthermore, the MIL feature allows the system to work on commercial microcontrollers, which reflects the real‐world problems that control algorithms would encounter in actual deployment circumstances. The study describes a clear, reproducible process for constructing the RCMIL platform and illustrates its efficacy through a series of experiments with proven MPPT controllers. The findings demonstrate the RCMIL's remarkable applicability for quick, low‐cost verification of PV control schemes, making it a valuable tool for researchers, engineers, and industry experts alike. By pushing the frontiers of PV system research, this paper provides a vital resource that speeds up the transition from simulation to real‐world applications. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2577-8196 |