Energy Science and Technology
Assignment
Group Members:
1. Wamika Thakur 2413169
2. [Link] Reddy 2413160
3. [Link] Lekha 2413110
4. [Link] 2413112
OBJECTIVE
To design and implement a single-diode and double diode
photovoltaic (PV) cell model in Simulink, compute the output
current using a MATLAB Function block, and obtain the final
I–V and P-V characteristic curve of the PV cell.
Introduction
Photovoltaic (PV) modules show nonlinear electrical behaviour
influenced by temperature and solar irradiance, so mathematical
models are used to study their performance. The single-diode
model represents a PV cell with a current source, one diode, and
resistances, providing essential accuracy with low computational
effort. In contrast, the double-diode model adds a second diode
to capture recombination effects, giving more accurate
results—especially at low irradiance—at the cost of increased
complexity.
MATLAB and Simulink are ideal for implementing these
models, allowing efficient parameter tuning, numerical solving,
and visualisation of I–V and P–V curves. By simulating both
models, we can observe how environmental conditions affect
PV behaviour and clearly compare the trade-off between
simplicity and accuracy in photovoltaic system modelling.
Single diode
Equation
parameters
● Ns = 36; —- Number of cells in series
● Voc_ref = 21.3; — Open-circuit voltage (V)
● Isc_ref = 7.6; —- Short-circuit current (A)
● Vmp_ref = 17.1; —- Voltage at max power (V)
● Imp_ref = 7.0; —-- Current at max power (A)
● Pm_ref = 120; —- Nominal power rating (W)
● T_ref = 298; —-- Reference temperature (K) (25°C)
● G_ref = 1000; —-- Reference irradiance (W/m^2)
● q = 1.602176e-19; — Electron charge (C)
● k = 1.380649e-23; —- Boltzmann constant (J/K)
● Eg = 1.12; —-- Band gap energy for silicon (eV)
● n = 1.3; —-- Diode ideality factor
● Rs = 0.4; —-- Series resistance (ohm)
● Rsh = 200; —- Shunt resistance (ohm)
● G_values = [200 400 600 800 1000]; W/m^2
● T_values = [285 300 325 350 375]; K (12°C to 102°C)
● V = linspace(0, Voc_ref, 200); —-- Voltage range (0 to
Voc)
FINAL I–V & P-V CHARACTERISTIC
Varying with irradiance
G(irradiance) T(temperature)
200 285
400 285
600 285
800 285
1000 285
Varying with temperature
G(irradiance) T(temperature)
200 285
200 300
200 325
200 350
200 375
Observation
When irradiance increases, the VI curve rises because the PV
cell produces more current, making the graph shift upward. But
when temperature increases, the voltage drops, causing the VI
curve to move left. So, higher irradiance improves current
output, while higher temperature mostly reduces voltage in the
single-diode model.
In the PV graph, more irradiance increases the total power
produced, giving a taller curve. Higher temperature lowers the
power because the voltage falls. Overall, the single-diode PV
module performs better under high irradiance and cooler
temperatures.
Double diode
Parameters
● q = 1.602176634e-19; — Electron charge (C)
● k = 1.380649e-23; — Boltzmann constant (J/K)
● Ns = 36; — Number of series-connected cells
● Np = 1; — Number of parallel-connected cells
● T = 298.15; — Fixed temperature (K)
● T_ref = 298.15; —- Reference temperature (K)
● Is_ref = 1e-10; —- Reverse saturation current at
T_ref (A)
● Iph_ref = 5; — Photocurrent at STC (A)
● Eg = 1.12; —- Bandgap energy for silicon (eV)
● Rs = 0.3; —- Series resistance (ohm)
● Rp = 100; —- Shunt resistance (ohm)
● a1 = 1.6; — Ideality factor for diode 1
● a2 = 2.0; —- Ideality factor for diode 2
● G_range = [200 400 600 800 1000]; — Different
irradiance levels
● V = linspace(0, 40, 1000); — Voltage sweep (V)
● Vt = k * T / q; — Thermal voltage per cell
FINAL I–V & P-V CHARACTERISTIC
Varying with temperature
G(irradiance) T(temperature)
200 285
200 300
200 325
200 350
200 375
Varying with irradiance
G(irradiance) T(temperature)
200 285
400 285
600 285
800 285
1000 285
Observation
In the double-diode model, increasing irradiance makes the VI
curve rise because the panel generates more current. When the
temperature increases, the voltage drops due to higher diode
losses, so the VI curve shifts to the left. In simple words, more
sunlight boosts current, while heat mainly reduces voltage.
In the PV graph, higher irradiance increases the overall power
output, making the curve rise. When temperature goes up, the
drop in voltage reduces the power, so the curve becomes lower.
Overall, the double-diode PV module performs best when there
is strong sunlight and lower temperature.
Conclusion
From the simulations, it is clear that solar irradiance primarily
affects the photocurrent (and hence current output), while
temperature mainly influences the voltage characteristics. The
Single Diode Model provides a simple yet effective
approximation, whereas the Double Diode Model offers
improved accuracy by accounting for recombination
phenomena. The shape of the I–V and P–V curves underlines
that PV modules operate optimally at high irradiance and low to
moderate temperature.