Hippopotamus optimization based control approach for performance enhancement of photovoltaic systems

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are widely integrated into the conventional power grid. It becomes a fundamental way for the energy landscape. One of the major challenges in deploying these technological resources is the grid’s instability. Therefore, enhancing the control strategy is crucial to improving transient responses during fault conditions. This paper introduces a novel application of Hippopotamus Optimization (HO) to design the proportional-integral (PI) controller parameters to enhance the transient responses of PV systems. In such a system, a DC/DC converter is used for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) with an optimal PI controller based on incremental conductance control. The grid-side inverter regulates voltage at the point of common coupling (V_PCC) and DC link voltage (V_dc). Also, the controller regulates the inner current control loops by using an optimized PI controller. Moreover, the HO approach is operated to minimize the integral squared error fitness function. It satisfies the PI controller’s efficient settings for these parameters. This paper also presents a comparison between the proposed approach and other controller optimization techniques, such as particle swarm optimization and Genetic algorithms. This comparison demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed optimized HO control strategy compared with other techniques. The proposed technique also demonstrates system stability under both symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults, as well as during unsuccessful circuit breaker reclosure in the presence of a fault. MATLAB/Simulink software package is used to provide substantial validations of the proposed control technique. The LVRT capability of such a system can be improved using the proposed methodology. The statistical analysis and the system transient stability demonstrate the reliability of the suggested methodology. Furthermore, the OPAL real-time hardware and rapid control prototyping device is used to validate the experimental results for the proposed approach. It may also be a practical solution parameter for the grid connected PV system.