| Abstract | This article presents a simple control strategy to improve the performance
of a synchronous reluctance motor drive system fed by a photovoltaic source. The
photovoltaic generator parameters are selected based on maintaining the system
operating point at the maximum output power of the photovoltaic generator at an
average insolation level of 0.5 kW/m2. The proposed control strategy has three main
functions; ensuring successful motor starting, maintaining the motor voltage within
a permissible range, and forcing the photovoltaic array to operate at the maximum
power point possible. Two modes of operation are studied for the proposed system
depending upon the level of insolation compared with a critical value, which is the
level below which the synchronous reluctance motor cannot work synchronously under
the given pumping load. A sample of simulation results is introduced to confirm the
effectiveness of the suggested strategy. It has been found that, using the proposed
control strategy, the pump flow rate has been increased compared with an uncontrolled
system |