lambert w function-based technique to estimate and compare performance of partially shaded series-parallel and total-cross-tied configured pv array

Partial shading condition (psc) has a detrimental effect on the output performance of a photovoltaic (pv) system. the output performance of a partially shaded pv array depends not only on the pattern, intensity and location of the shadow but also on its configuration. in this paper, the output performance of two configurations namely- series-parallel (sp), a commonly used configuration, and total-cross-tied (tct), have been compared under diverse pscs. a lambert w-function-based technique has been developed to model, simulate and estimate the performance of both the configurations of the pv array. the developed program can evaluate the current, voltage and power for the arrays of different sizes under uniform and different pscs. a detailed investigation has been carried out for the output performance of both configurations under nine diverse shading patterns and different sizes of arrays. comparative analysis for the configurations is presented based on parameters such as maximum power obtained, partial shading power loss percentage, efficiency and fill factor. it has been found from the obtained results that the output performance of a pv array under psc is enhanced by using tct configuration compared to sp configuration.