Optimization of PV Interconnections for a Solar-charged Electric Vehicle to Maximize On-board Solar Generation

Recent advancements in high-efficiency flexible thin-film solar cells make it possible for solar-charged electric vehicles to obtain ample solar energy from on-board photovoltaic (PV) cells. To maximize the on-board solar energy generation while driving and parked even under partial shading conditions, this paper demonstrates the necessity of the optimization of the PV interconnections and proposes an optimization method using Genetic Algorithm. Using solar radiation data, modeled partial shading data, and temperature profiles of Los Angeles (LA) to run simulations in MATLAB/Simulink, this research shows the monthly and annual accumulated on-board solar energy comparison between the optimized PV interconnection and an unoptimized design, and demonstrates that an annual 3% more on-board solar energy could be accumulated in LA with the proposed PV interconnection optimization method.