@ahu.edu.jo
Department of Electrical Engineering
Al-Hussein Bin Talal University
Scopus Publications
Scholar Citations
Scholar h-index
Scholar i10-index
Habes Ali Khawaldeh, Bashar Shboul, Mohammad Al-Smairan, Mohammad Al-Soeidat, Dylan Lu, and Fares Almomani
MDPI AG
The primary purpose of this research is to determine the most economical approach to installing a solar dish Stirling engine (SDSE) system on a building for residential purposes in Mafraq while taking into account the local weather, usual monthly consumption of energy and the prices charged by the local powered utility. The house uses an average of 622.25 kWh of energy every month, with the highest consumption in February and the lowest in May. A range of optical efficiencies between 50% and 98% are used to mount the SDSE system. This study evaluated the relationship between the price of electrical energy and the amount of power consumed to identify the times of day when energy consumption is highest. Another approach relevant to consider is solar power, which likewise varies across the whole year. When the available intensity of the sun and power rates are at their peak, an SDSE system is regarded as a feasible solution for fulfilling the energy requirements. This is because SDSE systems can still make electricity even during cloudy days. This work also includes a comprehensive analysis of the solar power that an SDSE receives and the generated electrical power.
Khadijah Mohammedsaleh Katubi, Ng Sha Shiong, Mohd Zamir Pakhuruddin, Muheeb Ahmad Alkhalayfeh, Shawbo Abdulsamad Abubaker, and Mohammad Raja Al-Soeidat
Elsevier BV
Ahmad A. Salah, Mohammad M. Shalby, and Mohammad Raja Al-Soeidat
IEEE
Transportation in Jordan, responsible for 37% of energy consumption, plays a vital role in this transition to clean energy. Furthermore, it is responsible for 9.5% of total national greenhouse gas emissions (2018). Electric vehicles offer a promising solution to reduce waste and pollution, but they bring challenges regarding the electrical grid and charging infrastructure. This paper proposed designing and optimizing a hybrid energy electric vehicle charging station on highway roads using HOMER software. It analyzed and compared various hybrid systems, including installing solar panels on the station roof, to assess cost and performance. The appropriate locations for the charging station along the Sahrawi highway in Jordan are investigated. The charging station is supplied by a hybrid system consisting of 44% wind and 31% solar energy, with an annual electricity production of 1.281 million kWh at a production cost of US${\\$}$0.0623/kWh. Furthermore, the suggested hybrid system can reduce 446 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. This study also provided an economic rationale for stakeholders to invest in the renewable energy industry.
Mohammad Al-Soeidat, Habes Khawaldeh, and Dylan D-C Lu
IEEE
The impact of dust on photovoltaic (PV) panel output power performance and energy generation is investigated in this study. The characteristic of the PV panel is analyzed for the dusted and clean panel and then compared with similar PV panels that have been affected by dust for a long time in the south of Jordan in the middle of the desert. The examined PV panels, which were uncleaned for two months, show 13.08% less energy generation compared to clean panels where, some panels suffer from hot spots and cracks after six months. The cell temperature of the cracked and dusted PV panels is increased. A string of four PV panels containing three cracked panels generates 20% less energy than the sum of the generated power from the panels individually.
Dylan Dah-Chuan Lu, Hamzeh Aljarajreh, and Mohammad Al-soeidat
IEEE
Ahstract-This paper presents the calculation, through the part-count method, and a comparison of converter failure rates of several typical and previously reported three-port DC/DC converters using both MIL-HDBK-217F and AS/NZS IEC 61709:2019 standards. This paper aims to compare the differences between the two standards in assessing the failure rates of components, hence the overall failure rate of the power converter circuitry.
Habes Khawaldeh and
China Power Supply Society
A photovoltaic emulator (PVE) has been proposed based on a physical equivalent photovoltaic cell model. It has fast dynamic performance that is compatible with a real PV system. The PV emulator can analyze and assess PV systems, including maximum power point tracking (MPPT). It is power efficient at the maximum power point. However, it has higher power loss at an open-circuit voltage (OCV). This paper, therefore, presents a hybrid solution using a switching circuit (SC) paralleled with the diode string (DS) to minimize the power loss. The SC consists of a two-switch non-inverting buck-boost dc/dc converter. The DS operates with a low power loss region, i.e., the current source region (CSR) of the I-V curve, in which the SC switches in to replace the DS in the voltage source region (VSR) to minimize power loss of the DS while maintaining the emulator’s circuit operation. The SC handles only a fraction of the rated emulator power and has a much narrower control bandwidth than a pure switching converter-based solution. Experimental results show that in the worst-case scenario, i.e., OCV condition, the efficiency and temperature of the PVE based on DS alone configuration reach 2.8% and 94.2 °C, respectively, as compared to 85.98% and 26.5 °C for the proposed hybrid solution. Under the 30% to 60% insolation change test, the suggested PV emulator lags the actual PV panel by only 3.2 ms, compared to 120 ms lagging for a commercial emulator. Furthermore, the control strategy is implemented to handle the trade-off between thermal and dynamic performances of the proposed solution.
Habes Ali Khawaldeh, Mohammad Al-soeidat, Dylan D-C Lu, and Li Li
IEEE
Recently, a photovoltaic (PV) emulator based on a combination of a constant current source and a semiconductor string, i.e., transistors or diodes, has demonstrated much faster dynamics than switching mode power supply (SMPS) based solution and shown also compatible performance with that of a real PV system. While it has high power efficiency at the maximum power point (MPP), the power loss of the emulator increases beyond the MPP and is at the highest at the open-circuit voltage (OCV) operation condition. This paper presents a hybrid solution where the semiconductor string works in the current-source region of the I-V curve and a new switching circuit, which sits in parallel with the semiconductor string, activates in the voltage-source region. Experimental results show that the efficiency and temperature of the PV emulator based on transistor string alone configuration reach 4.8% and 93.5°C, respectively, in the worst-case scenario, i.e., OCV condition, compared to 88.3% and 26.3°C, respectively, for the proposed solution. The switching circuit handles only a fraction of the rated emulator power and has much narrower control bandwidth requirement than pure switching converter based solution. A new control algorithm is proposed to manage the transition between the two regions seamlessly.
Habes A. Khawaldeh, Mohammad Al-soeidat, Dylan Dah-Chuan Lu, and Li Li
IEEE
Photovoltaic (PV) emulator is a specific type of power electronic device used to simulate and produce the nonlinear characteristic curves for actual solar panel or array. It usually requires fast computing and power converters with a wide output range. However, the emulator response time is restricted by the controller bandwidth, and it must stabilize the converter for many different operating points. Hence pure power converter based solutions generally have a slower response time when compared with the real PV system. This paper presents a PV emulator based on a PV cell equivalent circuit model. It consists of a constant current source converter (CCSC) and a string of diodes to mimic the nonlinearity of any PV source. The CCSC simplifies the converter and controller designs as it operates at a fixed point for each insolation level, as compared with a converter-based solution which requires a voltage-source converter with wide output operating ranges. This study focuses on two aspects of the PV emulator design. Firstly, a detailed parametric design from model equations to the extraction of practical real PV parameters is explained to estimate the electrical performance of the PV simulator. Secondly, the CCSC and controller designs are explained. An experimental prototype is designed to validate the PV simulator. In addition to steady-state operation, the dynamic response of series connected cells is also emulated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed platform. Both simulations and experimental results are conducted. The response time of the proposed emulator system is comparable to both a benchmarked commercial product and a real PV system.
Habes Ali Khawaldeh, Mohammad Al-soeidat, Majid Farhangi, Dylan Dah-Chuan Lu, and Li Li
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Mohammad Raja Al-Soeidat, Hamzeh Aljarajreh, Habes Ali Khawaldeh, Dylan Dah-Chuan Lu, and Jianguo Zhu
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
In this article, a new nonisolated three-port dc–dc converter to integrate a battery storage with a photovoltaic (PV) module is proposed for off-grid solar-power applications. The proposed converter can be used to integrate the PV module with a backup battery to minimize the impacts of renewable-energy intermittency and unpredictable load demand. The proposed converter is reconfigurable and able to operate as a conventional boost converter, a buck-boost converter, or a forward converter in different modes to support several power flow combinations and achieve power conditioning and regulation among the PV module, battery, and output port, simultaneously. Nevertheless, the power stage only consists of two switches, one coupled inductor, one diode, and two capacitors. A high-voltage conversion ratio is achieved by using a coupled inductor and by combining the PV module and the battery in series. Experimental results of the proposed converter operating in the steady state and during transitions between different modes are reported.
Mohammad Al-Soeidat, Habes Khawaldeh, Dylan D.-C. Lu, and Jianguo Zhu
IEEE
In this paper, a new high step-up non-isolated three- port DC-DC converter (HS-NITPC) is proposed. The converter is designed to integrate a solar panel with battery storage in order to boost its voltage, reduce the effect of solar energy intermittency and enhance solar power performance under unpredictable load demand. The converter combines three converters to form one integrated converter by sharing some components. Thus, the converter has high power density and fewer components compared to the traditional DC-DC converters. The coupled inductor is used to achieve a high output regulated voltage, transfer energy among the ports and facilitate maximum power point tracking for the solar panel. A hardware prototype was built and tested to verify the proposed circuit for 180 W input power. The proposed converter is suitable for stand-alone or grid- connected solar system. Moreover, it could be used in the electric vehicle where the regenerative braking is used.
Mohammad Al‐Soeidat, Tian Cheng, Dylan Dah‐Chuan Lu, and Vassilios G. Agelidis
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Solar cell power performance is greatly affected by two critical factors ageing and crack. In order to mitigate their negative effects on the solar system, these cells are to be substituted by new cells, thus, replacing the panels. This study presents an active crack detection method that detects the cracked cells within a solar string by using AC parameter characterisation without a need to have a physical inspection. The mathematical module of the solar cell shows that it constitutes of series and parallel resistors in addition to a parallel capacitor and that their values change by ageing and crack. In addition to studying the effects of the crack on the solar cell, it is verified by the experiment that the solar cells behave as a capacitive circuit, and their capacitance increases when the cell gets cracked, getting higher as the crack becomes more serious. The experiment is extended to investigate the effect of series and parallel PV strings, which are affected by cracked and partially shaded cells to evaluate their criticality levels. By monitoring the AC parameter of the solar cell and the change of the capacitance, it is easy to detect the crack when it occurs.
Mohammad Al-Soeidat, Dylan Dah-Chuan Lu, and Jianguo Zhu
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
In this brief, an analog, bipolar junction transistor (BJT)-tuned voltage reference maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method for photovoltaic modules is proposed. The conventional fixed voltage reference method is the simplest method for tracking, but it does not obtain good MPPT efficiency because the maximum power point (MPP) voltage changes at different insolation levels. In reality, an approximately linear slope is formed when connecting the MPPs measured from the highest insolation level to the lowest. Utilizing this characteristic, a BJT, which has a similar electrical property, is used to implement a variable voltage reference that improves the accuracy of the MPP voltage when the insolation changes. The proposed circuit is simple and easy to implement, and it can track the MPP very quickly without the need for a digital controller or PID controller. Hence, the circuits cost and complexity are reduced. Experimental results are given to verify the feasibility of the proposed MPPT method.
Mohammad Al-Soeidat, Habes Khawaldeh, Hamzeh Aljarajreh, and Dylan Lu
IEEE
In this paper, a new non-isolated three-port DC-DC converter (NITPC) to integrate a battery storage with a PV module is proposed. The intermittency of renewable energy and the unpredictable load demand are eliminated by firming a backup battery with the PV module to supply extra power when it is required. The proposed converter is reconfigurable and able to operate as a conventional boost converter, a buck-boost converter or a forward converter in different modes to support several power flow combinations and achieve power conditioning and regulation among the PV module, battery and an output port simultaneously. Nevertheless, the converter only consists of two switches, one coupled inductor, one diode and two capacitors. Thus, the system size and number of components are reduced compared with the traditional DC-DC converters. High output regulated voltage is achieved by using a coupled inductor and by combining the PV module and the battery in series. Simulation and experiment are carried out to verify the proposed circuit.
Habes A Khawaldeh, Hamzeh Aljarajreh, Mohammad Al-Soeidat, Dylan D.-C. Lu, and Li Li
IEEE
Energy emulator is a specific t ype o f p ower electronic system to mimic the electrical behavior of an energy source and facilitate the testing of energy system. This paper presents a study of a photovoltaic (PV) emulator which is formed by a current source, a diode string and some resistors. It is constructed according to the one-diode photovoltaic model. Unlike the previous study, this paper focuses on using the model equations to design the circuit parameters of the emulator to mimic a selected PV panel and evaluate the circuit performance from both electrical and thermal perspectives. A laboratory experimental setup is built and tested to verify the design. The emulator is power efficient a t t he m aximum p ower p oint. The highest power dissipation of the circuit occurs at the open-circuit voltage operating point.
Mohammad R. Al-Soeidat, Dylan D-C. Lu, and Jianguo Zhu
IEEE
In this paper, an analog voltage based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm for individual photovoltaic (PV) panel is proposed. The fixed voltage reference method is the simplest method for tracking, but it does not give good MPPT efficiency because the MPP voltage point changes at different solar insolation levels. A roughly linear slope is formed when connecting the MPP points measured from the highest isolation level to the lowest. Utilizing this characteristic, a bipolar junction transistor BJT is used to implement a variable voltage reference that improves the accuracy of the maximum power point voltage when the insolation changes. The proposed circuit is simple and easy to implement and it can easily track the maximum power point without the need of a digital controller or PID controller, so the cost and circuit complexity is reduced.
Mohammad R. Al-Soeidat, Alexis Cembrano, and Dylan D-C. Lu
IEEE
For photovoltaic (PV) systems, a key area which can affect the amount of energy harvested is the effectiveness of the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm, which dynamically locates the operating point for maximum power output. Currently, there are many MPPT algorithms proposed and in use, however, they are not without problems. For example, algorithms such as the Fractional Open Circuit method are simple and effective, but their accuracy is poor. Other algorithms such as the Perturb & Observe (P&O) approach, although more accurate, will cause oscillations around the maximum power point. It is perceived that the use of two MPPT algorithms in tandem will help to overcome the drawbacks of individual MPPT algorithms used in isolation. This paper proposes two new versions of Hybrid MPPT algorithm; one being a combination of the Fractional Open Circuit Voltage and P&O methods, and the other a combination of the Power Increment and P&O techniques. Experimental results are reported to evaluate and compare the performance of the algorithms.