Photovoltaic and thermoelectric generator combined hybrid energy system with an enhanced maximum power point tracking technique for higher energy conversion efficiency

In this paper, the design and performance investigation of the hybrid photovoltaic–ther-moelectric generator (PV–TEG) system with an enhanced fractional order fuzzy logic controller (FOFLC)‐based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique is presented. A control strategy of the variable incremental conduction (INC) method is employed using FOFLC for the MPPT control technique to efficiently harvest the maximum power from the PV module. The fractional factor α used in the MPPT control algorithm is a supporting fuzzy logic controller (FLC) for the accurate tracking of the maximum power point (MPP) and to maintain the constant output after reaching the MPP. In the proposed system configuration, the TEG is mounted with the PV panel for generating the extra electrical power using the waste heat energy produced on the PV panel due to the incident solar irradiation. The PV and TEG are connected electrically in series to increase output voltage level and thereby improve the power output. The hybrid energy module has better energy conversion efficiency when compared to the standalone PV array. The performance of the proposed MPPT technique is studied for the PV–TEG hybrid energy module under various thermal and electrical operating conditions using a MATLAB software‐based simulation. The results of the FOFLC‐based MPPT technique are compared with the conventional perturb and observe (P&O) and FLC‐based P&O methods. The proposed MPPT technique confirms its effectiveness in extracting the maximum power in terms of speed and accuracy. Moreover, the PV and TEG combined system provides higher energy efficiency than the individual PV module.