Assessing MPPT Techniques for Nanosatellite EPS in Sun-Pointing Orientation: A Comparative Study

This chapter compares different Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) techniques for nanosatellites with body-mounted photovoltaic (PV) panels that are constrained by volume and mass and require special orientation scenarios to meet mission requirements. The nanosatellite’s PV panels are subject to irregular solar irradiance and temperature due to the specific orientation scenarios required for its mission. Consequently, an efficient strategy is necessary to extract the maximum power available from the PV panel. Since the Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS) is a critical subsystem responsible for generating power during the sunlight period, well-known MPPT techniques such as Perturb and Observe (P &O), Incremental Conductance (INC), and Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) were investigated under different scenarios to highlight optimal MPPT extractions for a 3U nanosatellite. The simulation was conducted using MATLAB/SIMULINK, and the findings indicated that P &O was the least effective, while FLC and INC performed better. The results imply that FLC and INC are more suitable for NanoSat applications than P &O, particularly when confronted with rapid changes in solar irradiance.