[Paper Review] Design of Automatic Soil Humidity Control using Maximum Power Point Tracking Controller

Choo Kian Hoe, Aravind Chokalingam Vaithlingam+2 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jun 9, 2018

Photovoltaic System Optimization Techniques5 references4 citations

TL;DR

This paper presents a solar-powered automatic soil humidity control system using a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller to optimize energy harvesting from photovoltaic panels. The MPPT algorithm ensures maximum power extraction under varying irradiance, enabling efficient operation of the soil moisture control system, with experimental validation demonstrating improved energy utilization and stable control performance in a lab environment.

ABSTRACT

The photovoltaic system uses the photovoltaic array as a source of electrical power for the direct conversion of the sun radiation to direct current without any environmental hazards. The main purpose of this research is to design a converter with Maximum Power Point Tracker MPPT algorithm for any typical application of soil humidity control. Using this setup the major energy from the solar panel is used for the control of soil humidity. The design of the converter with MPPT together with the soil humidity control logic is presented in this paper. Experimental testing of the designed controller is implemented and evaluated for performance under laboratory environment.

Motivation & Objective

• To design a solar-powered system that autonomously controls soil humidity using photovoltaic energy.
• To integrate a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller to maximize energy extraction from solar panels under variable sunlight conditions.
• To ensure reliable and efficient operation of the soil moisture control system using harvested solar energy.
• To validate the system's performance through experimental testing in a laboratory environment.

Proposed method

• A DC-DC boost converter with an MPPT algorithm is implemented to maximize power output from the photovoltaic array.
• The MPPT controller uses the Perturb and Observe (P&O) method to track the maximum power point of the solar panel in real time.
• The harvested solar power is used to drive a pump or actuator for soil moisture regulation based on sensor feedback.
• Soil humidity is monitored using a moisture sensor, and the control logic adjusts water delivery to maintain target levels.
• The system integrates the MPPT controller with the soil moisture control logic in a closed-loop configuration.
• Experimental evaluation is conducted under controlled lab conditions to assess system efficiency and response time.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How effectively can an MPPT controller extract maximum power from a photovoltaic array under variable solar irradiance?
• RQ2 To what extent does the MPPT-integrated system improve energy efficiency in a solar-powered soil humidity control setup?
• RQ3 Can the system maintain stable soil moisture levels while operating solely on harvested solar energy?
• RQ4 How does the integration of MPPT enhance the reliability and autonomy of the soil moisture control system?

Key findings

• The MPPT controller successfully tracked the maximum power point of the photovoltaic array under varying irradiance conditions, ensuring optimal energy harvesting.
• The system demonstrated stable and responsive soil moisture control, maintaining target levels with minimal fluctuations.
• Experimental results confirmed that the MPPT-based design significantly improved energy utilization compared to non-optimized solar power delivery.
• The integration of MPPT with the soil humidity control logic enabled reliable, autonomous operation using only solar energy.