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Aging affects different photovoltaic (PV) modules in a PV array in a non-uniform way, thereby leading to non-uniform working conditions of the PV modules and resulting in variations in the power outputs of the PV array. In this paper, an algorithm is developed for optimising the electrical configuration of a PV array during the non-uniform aging processes amongst the PV modules. A new PV array reconfiguration method is proposed to maximize the power generation from non-uniformly aged PV arrays through rearrangements of the positions of the PV modules without having to replace the aged PV modules with new ones, thereby saving on maintenance costs. This reconfiguration strategy requires information about the electrical parameters of the PV modules in an array, so as to choose the optimal reconfiguration topology. In this algorithm, the PV modules are sorted iteratively in a hierarchy pattern to reduce the effect of mismatch due to the non-uniform aging processes amongst PV modules. Computer simulation and analysis have been carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method for different sizes of non-uniform aged PV arrays (4 × 4, 10 × 10, and 100 × 10 arrays) with MATLAB. The results show an improvement in the power generation from a non-uniformly aged PV array and can be applied to any size of PV array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliability is one of the critical issues for a modular multilevel converter (MMC) since it consists of a large number of series-connected power electronics submodules (SMs). In this paper, a complete control strategy including fault detection, localization, and tolerant operation is proposed for the MMC under an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) open circuit fault. According to the output characteristics of the SM with the open-circuit fault of IGBT, a fault detection method based on the circulating current and output current observation is used. In order to further precisely locate the position of the faulty SM, a fault localization method based on the SM capacitor voltage observation is developed. After the faulty SM is isolated, the continuous operation of the converter is ensured by adopting the fault-tolerant strategy based on the use of redundant modules. To verify the proposed fault detection, fault localization, and fault-tolerant operation strategies, a 900 kVA MMC system under the conditions of an IGBT open circuit is developed in the Matlab/Simulink platform. The capabilities of rapid detection, precise positioning, and fault-tolerant operation of the investigated detection and control algorithms are also demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]