mppt vs pwm

So, it's not "looking" for anything at all, in other words, there simply is no tracking going on at that point?

There's no such thing!

When the charger controller is not working in mppt mode, it's working as a voltage regulator (constant voltage). That means pwm control.

jrnymn7 wrote:
"Not sure what PPT is?"

I think maybe it's this...

"the controller is not looking for maximum power, but only the power needed to supply the demand."

"Not sure what PPT is?"

I think maybe it's this...

"the controller is not looking for maximum power, but only the power needed to supply the demand."

12thgenusa wrote:
:)

As a quick off-topic aside, the name is curious for any connection. (I stayed there for a couple days a few years ago. Fish jumping like crazy all day out there in the lake. The other campers were mostly fishermen with boats for some strange reason :) )

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/loveland_bay/

Well PPT doesn't come up in any of the literature or in any google search. I don't see that it has any meaning without the context of Maximum.

If maximum power is not demanded by the system, the controller is not looking for maximum power, but only the power needed to supply the demand. In fact it does not want and cannot use maximum power.

It's somewhat like a battery in that it can supply just enough power to light a small light bulb, but if you short a pair of pliers across the terminals . . . MPP.:E

:)

KJINTF wrote:
BLF

Good to here things are not as murky as they once were
I almost did not post that voltage graph for fear of the continued questions. Like everyone here I have other things demanding attention.

WATTS you mentioned wanting to know the watts :C
I would indeed like to know the efficiency of your controller

I remain very confused when folks use the term MPPT - to me that means Max Power Point Tracking not an operational mode of the controller but a acronym coined to differentiate the traditional PWM controller - to each their own.

The tracking function integrated within most MPPT controllers differs greatly for each manufacturer and sometimes with their internal lines on their different models. This function can be asked to do many different functions (A very good read is available on line that covers the several different tracking algorithms in use today) - as some use it to limit Over powered array's from hurting the controller by limiting the input watts thus the output current.

Thanks, that set of plots was useful to see. BTW I am not your only interested customer, but on behalf of us all :) Thanks again.

I can see how the term "MPPT" needs to be read in context to know what is actually meant.

12thgenusa will need a new 2 x 4 pretty soon. He had to use it on my head to get me to understand the Trimetric readouts a while back, and just lately in this thread. It does help when applied first, and explanation follows second. :)

BLF

Good to here things are not as murky as they once were
I almost did not post that voltage graph for fear of the continued questions. Like everyone here I have other things demanding attention.

WATTS you mentioned wanting to know the watts :C
I would indeed like to know the efficiency of your controller

I remain very confused when folks use the term MPPT - to me that means Max Power Point Tracking not an operational mode of the controller but a acronym coined to differentiate the traditional PWM controller - to each their own.

The tracking function integrated within most MPPT controllers differs greatly for each manufacturer and sometimes with their internal lines on their different models. This function can be asked to do many different functions (A very good read is available on line that covers the several different tracking algorithms in use today) - as some use it to limit Over powered array's from hurting the controller by limiting the input watts thus the output current.

JiminDenver wrote:
PPT is power point tracking. The "M" is when the controller is tweaking the system to bring up the batteries voltage the most effective way in bulk.

Yes but I am getting the notion that it can track or choose whatever word the MPP or else when not in Bulk it chooses or creates a panel voltage enough to meet the power demand. Or maybe there are two different circuitry parts of the controller for that.

One thing is that there is more than one way they do MPPT and the method where it picks through voltages to find the max power is just one way. So if it does it some other way, then it wouldn't be the same thing picking voltages in Abs and Float I suppose.

These controllers are sure tricky! :) Like when I found out my buck converter didn't work right as a solar controller because it was missing a bunch of circuits nobody mentioned before to stop it from becoming saturated. Or whatever that was---this is all way too complicated for my tiny brain. Fun to try to figure out how these things work though. :)

PPT is power point tracking. The "M" is when the controller is tweaking the system to bring up the batteries voltage the most effective way in bulk.