This document summarizes a research paper on a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) converter for thermoelectric generators (TEGs) based on open-circuit voltage measurement. The MPPT converter uses a microcontroller to measure the TEG's open-circuit voltage periodically and adjusts the duty cycle of a synchronous buck-boost converter to maximize power extraction. Experimental results show the converter can track power from TEGs with an average efficiency of 98.7% during steady-state and transient temperature conditions. The converter responds to step changes in open-circuit voltage within 8 milliseconds while achieving an overall tracking accuracy of 99.85%.

1. Maximum Power PointTracking
Converter Based on the
Open-CircuitVoltage Method for
Thermoelectric Generators
SHIVAM SUNDRAM
Reference: IEEETRANSACTIONSON POWER ELECTRONICS,
VOL. 30, NO. 2, FEBRUARY 2015

2. Contents:-
• Introduction
• TE Power Generating Device
• O.C.Voltage MPPT Method
• Theoretical Analysis
• MPPT Overvoltage Snubber
• MPPT Synchronous Buck-Boost
• Experimental Results
• Conclusion
• References

3. Introduction:-
• Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) convert heat energy into
electricity.
• The MPPT method based on the open-circuit voltage is
arguably the most suitable for the linear electrical
characteristic ofTEGs.
• Theorem of maximum power (MP) transfer if the load
matches the internal resistance then MP is produce.

4. • Due to relatively high cost and low efficiency --around 5%
use has been in the past.
• TEGs can now be successfully employed to harvest the heat
energy rejected by other processes.
• Low conversion efficiency is not a serious drawback but the
power obtain from the device should be maximum.
Introduction:-

5. T.E. Power Generating Device
• Composed of n- and p-doped
semiconductor pellets.
• Electrically connected in
series and thermally in
parallel.
• TEG’s open-circuit voltage is
directly proportional to ΔT.

6. Comparison Of Some Geometrical And Electrical
Parameters BetweenTwoTEG Devices

7. TEG’s Electrical Characteristic

8. Open CircuitVoltage MPPT Method
• ATEG is connected to the
input of a Buck or Buck-
boost derived converter.
• Under Normal
operation,Mcap is closed
and contributes the input
current.
• When the O.CVoltage
measurement is required,
Mcap gets opened.

9. Timing Diagram For Open-Circuit
Voltage Measurement

10. Theoretical Analysis of MPPT
Efficiency
This section presents a theoretical analysis to quantify the
losses introduced by :-
1. The additional switch Mcap in series with Cin and;
2. TheVOC measurement technique used

11. In order to find the losses
1. It is necessary to calculate the RMS current ICinRMS flowing
into the input capacitors, and
2. To understand the converter’s behavior in response to the
measurement technique

12. Plots of the currents in a Buck or Buck-Boost derived converter without Mcap
Inductor Current (IL blue, and ILAVG orange); Switch Current (IS red);
Average Input Current (Iin light blue); Input Capacitor Current (Iin green)

13. • During toff, Cin is charged by the current ICin,off =VOC/2R
• Where R= Rint + ESR
• The RMS current in capacitor Cin =
• Power dissipated in Mcap=
• Where ron is the on-resistance of the switch used
• The switching and body diode losses of Mcap are almost
irrelevant because they occur for a few microsecond every
Tmeas.

14. MPPT CONVERTER
1. OverVoltage Snubber (DCD circuit)
2. The Non-Inverting Synchronous Buck–Boost DC–DC
Converter.

15. OverVoltage Snubber
• When aTEG is suddenly disconnected from the load,
• Due to the presence of parasitic inductance LP,
• A very fast underdamped oscillation with frequency
usually in the order of MHz.
• Such parasitic inductance forms a resonating tank
with the parasitic capacitances of the circuit and it is
damped by theTEG’s internal resistance Rint

16. Experimental SwitchingTransientTest
• At the beginning of the transient,t0 the voltage sharply rises
from Vload toVmax
• This increases the switching transition losses on M1 and it
also requires M1 to have a higher maximum drain–source
voltage rating.

17. Diode Capacitor Diode (DCD) Snubber
Circuit
• To improve theTEG’s transient response
• A Capacitor (Cs) with two anti parallel
connected diodes DS1 and DS2
• Cs is sufficiently large compare with
parasitic components to store the energy.
• Diodes are used to add some damping
due to their conduction resistances.

18. • Experimental and simulation results have proven that
1. The over voltage is reduced from 18 to 1V in both cases
2. The settling time is shorter when the two diodes are used

19. Synchronous Buck-Boost
• A non inverting synchronous Buck-Boost using four switches.
• Output switch is replaced by a schottky diode
(prevents battery discharge in non conduction mode)
• Microchip PIC16F microcontroller activates the gate drivers
with two 180◦ anti-phase PWMs.
• The microcontroller measures theTEG voltage at the converter’s
input and the battery’s voltageVb at the output.
• The algorithm calculates PWM’s duty cycle using relation:
2Vb/VoC = D/(1 − D).

20. Synchronous Buck-Boost
• The converter’s electrical efficiency with a power supply in series with a
fixed 6-Ω power resistor is 92.6% when tested at 30.4W (13.5V, 2.25A)
input.
• After 45 μs Mcap is switched off the input voltage goes toVOC ,
during toff , after an overshoot of less than 6V when using a DCD
snubber.The ADC measurement starts 2 μs after the PWM goes low.

21. RESULTS
Experiments were designed to test the steady state and transient
performance of the proposed MPPT converter.
First, the steady-state performance is measured usingTEGs.
Next, effect of VOC transient is measured.
Finally, effect of a thermal transient was tested to analyze TEGs
characteristics.

22. A. Steady-State Performance
• Experiment is to compare the power extracted by the MPPT
converter to the MP available from the threeTEMs, maintained at
the same temperature difference.
• The three modules are electrically connected in series.
1) open-circuit voltage, VOC,S =VOC,1 +VOC,2 +VOC,3
2) theoretical current for MP: IMP = VOC,S
____________
2(R1 +R2 +R3 )
3) the theoretical MP: Pmax =VMPIMP = V2
OC, S
____________
4(R1 +R2 +R3 )

23. A. Steady-State Performance
• The MPPT converter has an accuracy (tracking efficiency)
of 99.85%.
Comparison of the steady state tracking performance of the MPPT converter with
the maximum available power from the series connected array.

24. B. Sudden-Transient Performance
• Allows characterizing the settling response of the converter after a
step change in the open-circuit voltage.
• TEGs have been replaced by a power supply in series with a power
resistor of 4.7Ω.
• VOC step from 10 to 20V
• The MPPT converter regulates the input voltage to half ofVOC in 8
ms.

25. B. Sudden-Transient Performance
Converter’s input voltage after aVOC step-up from 10 to 20V.
Time: 1 ms/div (x-axis);Voltage: 5V/div (y-axis).

26. C.TEGTransient Performance
• Experiment assesses the ability of the MPPT converter to respond
to changes of temperature gradient.
• TheTEGs are initially maintained at 200 ◦C, the temperature
difference diminishes at a rate of 0.25 ◦C/s.
• This experiment is effectively a continuous series of steady-state
experiments because the thermal time constant of theTEG system
is much slower than the transient response of the converter.
• the average tracking efficiency of the MPPT converter is 98.7%.

27. C.TEGTransient Performance
Thermal transient from ΔT = 200 ◦C to ΔT = 100 ◦C across the threeTEGs. Available and
extracted output power on the left y-axis and temperature difference on the right y-axis.

28. CONCLUSION
• The MPPT algorithm is programmed to a low-cost microcontroller and
does not require expensive sensors;
• It checks the open-circuit voltage every 500 ms and accurately adjusts
the optimum operating point in less than 10 ms.
• The converter used is a dc–dc non inverting synchronous Buck-Boost
(93% efficient), which can work in Boost, Buck-Boost or Buck mode;
this guarantees the harvest of power over a wide range of temperature
differences across theTEG.
• It is able to harvest close to 100% of the MP.

29. References
• Andrea Montecucco, Andrew R. Knox (October 7, 2014.). Maximum Power Point
Tracking Converter Based on the Open-Circuit Voltage Method forThermoelectric
Generators. IEEE transactions on power electronics, Vol. 30, NO. 2, february 2015. pp
828-839. [Online] available at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org. Digital Object Identifier
10.1109/TPEL.2014.2313294.
• D. Rowe, “Thermoelectrics, an environmentally-friendly source of electrical power,”
Renewable Energy, vol. 16, pp. 1251–1256, 1999.
• M. Orellana, S. Petibon, B. Estibals, and C. Alonso. (2010, Nov.). Four switch buck-
boost converter for photovoltaic DC–DC power applications. in Proc. 36th Annu. Conf.
IEEE Ind. Electron. Soc. [Online]. no. 1, pp. 469–474. [Online]. Available:
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/wrapper.htm?arnumber=5674983
• A. Montecucco, J. Siviter, and A. R. Knox, “Simple, fast and accurate maximum power
point tracking converter for thermoelectric generators,” in Proc. IEEE Energy Convers.
Congr. Expo., 2012, pp. 2777–2783.