IV Solar cell characteristic curve

Simscape simulation to model and plot the I-V and P-V characteristic curves of a Solar Cell

This project features a Simscape model designed to simulate the electrical characteristics of a Photovoltaic (PV) cell. Unlike standard Simulink blocks, this model uses Physical Modeling to accurately represent the non-linear behavior of the cell under varying conditions.

Key Characteristics

The simulation generates the two most critical curves for solar energy analysis:

• I-V Curve: Shows the relationship between the current ($I$) and voltage ($V$) from short-circuit to open-circuit conditions.
• P-V Curve: Illustrates the power output ($P = V \times I$), clearly identifying the Maximum Power Point (MPP) — the peak shown in the XY Graph.

Model Components

• Simscape Solar Cell: The core physical component representing the PV junction.
• Voltage/Current Sensors: Real-time physical sensors that translate physical signals into Simulink data.
• XY Graph: Specialized block used to plot the dynamic relationship between voltage and current as the simulation runs.
• Controlled Load: Sweeps the operating point of the cell to cover the entire range of the curve