Article

Novel Fuzzy Controller for a Standalone Electric Vehicle

Charging Station Supplied by Photovoltaic Energy
Sherif A. Zaid 1,2, *, Hani Albalawi 1,2 , Khaled S. Alatawi 1 , Hassan W. El-Rab 1 , Mohamed E. El-Shimy 1 ,
Abderrahim Lakhouit 3 , Tareq A. Alhmiedat 4 and Ahmed M. Kassem 5

1 Electrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 47913, Saudi Arabia;
[email protected] (H.A.); [email protected] (K.S.A.); [email protected] (H.W.E.-R.);
[email protected] (M.E.E.-S.)
2 Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Centre (REEEC), University of Tabuk, Tabuk 47913, Saudi Arabia
3 Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 47913, Saudi Arabia;
[email protected]
4 Industrial Innovation and Robotics Center, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Computer &
Information Technology, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 47913, Saudi Arabia; [email protected]
5 Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt;
[email protected]
* Correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract: The electric vehicle (EV) is one of the most important and common parts of modern
life. Recently, EVs have undergone a big development thanks to the advantages of high efficiency,





 negligible pollution, low maintenance, and low noise. Charging stations are very important and
mandatory services for electric vehicles. Nevertheless, they cause high stress on the electric utility
Citation: Zaid, S.A.; Albalawi, H.;
grid. Therefore, renewable energy-sourced charging stations have been introduced. They improve
Alatawi, K.S.; El-Rab, H.W.; El-Shimy,
the environmental issues of the electric vehicles and support remote area operation. This paper
M.E.; Lakhouit, A.; Alhmiedat, T.A.;
Kassem, A.M. Novel Fuzzy
proposes the application of fuzzy control to an isolated charging station supplied by photovoltaic
Controller for a Standalone Electric power. The system is modeled and simulated using Matlab/Simulink. The simulation results indicate
Vehicle Charging Station Supplied by that the disturbances in the solar insolation do not affect the electric vehicle charging process at all.
Photovoltaic Energy. Appl. Syst. Innov. Moreover, the controller perfectly manages the stored energy to compensate for the solar energy
2021, 4, 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/ variations. Additionally, the system response with the fuzzy controller is compared to that with the
asi4030063 PI controller. The comparison shows that the fuzzy controller provides an improved response.

Academic Editors: Stavros Lazarou Keywords: photovoltaic; electric vehicle; fuzzy control; charging station; maximum power point tracking
and Vasiliki Vita

Received: 4 August 2021

Accepted: 2 September 2021
1. Introduction
Published: 6 September 2021
Recently, electric vehicles (EVs) have been replacing the traditional internal combus-
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral
tion engine (ICE) vehicles [1,2]. Compared to the ICE vehicles, the EVs have the advantages
with regard to jurisdictional claims in
of negligible maintenance, high efficiency, low acoustic noise, and low environmental
published maps and institutional affil- pollution. Nevertheless, the development of EVs has many obstacles regarding the services.
iations. One important service is the charging stations, which have many issues to be solved re-
garding the time of charging of the EV and the distribution of these stations, as well as the
best way to make the stations compatible with the utility grid. There are many charging
techniques utilized for the EV charging stations. The fastest charging technique is DC
Copyright: © 2021 by the authors.
charging, which can be accomplished in a few minutes [3,4]. However, it causes a large
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
electrical load in a short time that has negative effects on the utility grid. In addition, with a
This article is an open access article
large number of charging stations, the utility grid will suffer from instability and overload
distributed under the terms and problems [5,6]. It is proven in the literature that introducing an energy storage system
conditions of the Creative Commons (ESS) to the EV charging stations provides performance benefits to the utility grid [7–9],
Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// and helps in slightly reducing the loading stress of the grid.
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ To ensure zero emissions and pollution from the EV system, including the related
4.0/). services, renewable energy systems must be utilized for the charging stations.

Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/asi4030063 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/asi

Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 2 of 13

Commonly, wind energy, biogas energy, and photovoltaic (PV) energy are utilized to
supply power to EV charging stations [10,11]. However, PV-powered charging stations are
associated with high efficiency and simplicity. In the literature, much research has been
proposed for charging stations that are supplied by PV [12]. In Reference [13], a high-power
biogas EV charging station was introduced and designed. The authors of [14] introduced
a multiport converter connected to a PV array to be utilized in the EV charging station.
Nevertheless, there is a large distortion in the grid current. Another strategy was proposed
in [15] for the energy management of the EV charging station, where it was suggested
to reduce the energy consumption from the grid and store the reserve PV energy. The
authors of [16] presented a grid-tied station with a PV panel that has a power Z-source
converter. The system performance was better, but its applications are locked to the grid-
tied operation. In Reference [17], a charging station powered by PV was proposed. The
system included an ESS to help in improving the peak load performance. An optimization
for the energy management of a PV-powered station linked to an ESS is proposed in [18].
In Reference [19], a new power management technique was proposed to serve small EVs in
remote areas. The authors of [20] introduced an optimization technique for the EV charging
stations’ schedule. In Reference [21], a two-way EV charging station powered by solar PV
has been proposed. However, the AC charging could not be used.
Conventionally, proportion integral derivative (PID) controllers have been used to
control the EV charging stations [22]. These controllers are stable, simple, reliable, and easy
to tune. However, they have many problems, such as high overshoot, and their performance
depends on the setpoint [23]. Moreover, they are not suitable for complex, nonlinear
systems, time-delay, higher-order systems, and systems with uncertainties. Therefore, the
controller behavior may cause deterioration of the system performance. These drawbacks
can be overcome by using an intelligent controller, such as fuzzy logic [24,25]. It has
been found that fuzzy logic-based PID controllers have better capabilities of handling the
previously mentioned systems.
In this paper, a novel fuzzy PID controller is proposed for an isolated EV charging
station supplied from a PV panel. The proposed system involves a PV array, a boost
converter, bidirectional charging converters, a lead-acid battery representing the energy
storage system, and a lithium-ion battery representing the electric vehicle. All the system
components are modeled. Then, the fuzzy controller is designed in detail. A simple energy
management technique is adapted to regulate the energy flow. Finally, the proposed system
has been simulated using the Matlab platform simulation program. The results compare
the system performance of the FPID controller and the conventional PID. The reason
behind using the FPID controller for the proposed system is the complexity of the system.
Additionally, the setpoint of the proposed system is time-varying as the solar insolation
level usually varies. Hence, the conventional PID controller has a poor response to the
proposed system.
The paper structure is as follows: Section 2 presents the charging station description.
The proposed charging station model is described in Section 3. Section 4 presents the
control system design. The simulation results have been discussed in Section 5. Section 6
presents the conclusions.

2. Charging Station Description

The structure of the proposed system is presented in Figure 1. The EV charging station
system is a standalone charging station that is supplied by a PV panel. However, the
PV panel converts the insolation solar energy into electrical energy that is fed to the EV
charging station. A boost regulator is attached to the PV output. Its function is matching
the DC link voltage with the PV output voltage. Additionally, it is used to ensure the
maximum power point tracking (MPPT) state of the PV array. The DC bus is linked to
two DC/DC converters. The converters are called the ESS converter and the EV charge
converter. The EV charge converter is a simple step-down converter. Its function is the
charging of the EV battery. On the other hand, the ESS converter is a two-directional
 ensure the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) state of the PV array. The DC bus
Appl.
Appl.Syst.
Syst.Innov. 2021,4,4,63
Innov.2021, 63 linked to two DC/DC converters. The converters are called the ESS converter ofand
33 of 14 the E
13

charge converter. The EV charge converter is a simple step-down converter. Its functio
is the charging of the EV battery. On the other hand, the ESS converter is a two-direction
ensure the
step-down
step-down maximum
converter. Its
converter. power
Its point
function
function tracking
isis the
the (MPPT)
regulation
regulation state of the PV array. The processes
ofcharging/discharging
of the the DC bus isprocess
charging/discharging
linked to two DC/DC converters. The converters are called the ESS
of ESS.
of the the ESS. Additionally, it
Additionally, it contributes
contributes to to
thethe
DCDC
bus bus
voltage regulation. the EV
converter
regulation.
voltage and
charge converter. The EV charge converter is a simple step-down converter. Its function
is the charging of the EV battery. On the other hand, the ESS converter is a two-directional
step-down converter. Its function is the regulation of the charging/discharging processes
of the ESS. Additionally, it contributes to the DC bus voltage regulation.

Figure 1. 1.The
Figure
Figure 1.Theproposed
Theproposed EV
proposedEV charging
EVcharging
charging station.
station.
station.

3. Proposed Charging Station Modeling

3. Proposed ChargingStation
Station Modeling
Modeling
3. Proposed Charging
To achieve the analysis, simulation, and design of the proposed system, system
To achieve the analysis, simulation, and design of the proposed system, system
To achieve
modeling the mandatory.
is usually analysis, simulation,
The models of and design
the system of the proposed
components are selected system,
to be as syste
modeling is usually mandatory. The models of the system components are selected to be
close
modeling to the
is to practice
usually as possible.
mandatory. Therefore, all
TheTherefore, types
models of of losses, snubber circuits, and voltage
as close the practice as possible. all the
typessystem components
of losses, are
snubber circuits, selected
and to
drops
as close are
to present.
the The
practice models
as of each
possible. component
Therefore, of the
all proposed
types of system
losses, are discussed
snubber in
circuits, an
voltage drops are present. The models of each component of the proposed system are
the following sections.
voltage dropsinare
discussed the present. The models of each component of the proposed system a
following sections.
discussed
3.1. Thein
PVthe following
Array Model sections.
3.1. The PV Array Model
The proposed system has a PV array that is formed by 32 solar cells connected as
3.1. The TheArray
PV
16 series proposed
cells inModel
two system hasstrings.
parallel a PV array that is formedactual
An approximate by 32model
solar cells connected
for the PV panel as is
16
series cells in two parallel strings. An approximate actual model for
shown in Figure 2 [26]. The short circuit current of the PV array is represented by the the PV panel is shown
The
in proposed
Figure 2 [26]. system
(IS ).The
Theshort
hasand a PV
seriescircuit
array
current ofthat
the is
PVformed
(rarray is by 32 solar by
represented cells
theconnected
current as
current source parallel resistances p , rs ) shown in the figure represent
series cells
source
the in ).two
(ISand
string The parallel strings.
seriesresistances
contact and ofAn
parallel approximate
panel. (rp, rs)actual
resistances
the shown model for the
in the figure PV panel
represent theis show
string and contact resistances of the panel.
in Figure 2 [26]. The short circuit current of the PV array is represented by the curre
source (IS). The series and rparallel
s Ipv
resistances (rp, rs) shown in the figure represent t
string and contact resistances of the panel.
rs Ipv

IS rp Vpv

IS rp Vpv
Figure2.
Figure 2. The
The equivalent
equivalentcircuit
circuitmodel
modelof
ofthe
thePV
PVpanel.
panel.

Figure 2. The equivalent circuit model of the PV panel.

 as shown in Figure 3. However, the operation of the topology may be adapted to act as a
one-quadrant or two-quadrant converter. It is assumed that the converters operate in the
continuous conduction mode. The converter consists of two transistors (Q1, Q2) and a
filter. Usually, each transistor has a built-in parallel diode. The input to the converter is
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 the DC link voltage and the output is the ESS. There are two modes for the converter, 4 of 13
called the step-down/up modes. It can operate in the step-down mode when the transistor
Q1 is on and the transistor Q2 is off, and this occurs in the charging process of the ESS. On
the other hand, it operates in the step-up mode when switch Q2 is on and the switch Q1 is
3.2. The Charging Converters Model
off, and this occurs in the discharging process of the ESS.
The model
The proposed system
of the charging
converter can beconverters
presentedare as:called the ESS converter and the EV
charge converter. Both are DC/DC
The step-down mode of operation: converters. However, the EV charge converter is of a
step-down type. On the other hand, the ESS converter is an up/down-type converter. It is
capable of two-directional operations. The 𝑖𝑙
𝑿 two
= [ converters
] may have the same topology, (1)
𝑣𝑏
as shown in Figure 3. However, the operation of the topology may be adapted to act as a
one-quadrant or two-quadrant converter. −1 It is assumed that the converters operate in the
0
continuous conduction mode. The converter consists 0
𝑉𝑑𝑐 of two transistors (Q1 , Q2 ) and a filter.
̇ 𝐿 𝐸
𝑿
Usually, each transistor has a built-in = 1 −1 𝑿
parallel + [
diode.
𝐿 ] 𝑆
The
1 + [ 𝑏 ] to the converter is the DC
input (2)
link voltage and the output is the ESS. There are 0 two modes 𝑟𝑏 𝐶for the converter, called the
[𝐶 𝑟𝑏 𝐶]
step-down/up modes. It can operate in the step-down mode when the transistor Q1 is on
where
and the(vtransistor
b, il) are the ESS
Q2 is off,terminal
and this voltage
occurs inand
the the inductor
charging current,
process of the(rESS.
b, Eb)On
arethe
theother
ESS
internal resistanceinand
hand, it operates the voltage, S1 is awhen
step-up mode binaryswitch
number Q2 that
is onrepresents the switch
and the switch S1 state,
Q1 is off, and
V dc is
this the DC
occurs inlink voltage, andprocess
the discharging (C, L) are
of the filter
ESS. capacitance and the inductance.

Figure 3. The
Figure 3. The circuit
circuit diagram
diagram of
of the
the bidirectional converter.
bidirectional converter.

The step-up
model ofmode of operation:
the converter can be presented as:
The step-down mode of operation: −1 𝑉𝑑𝑐
0 −𝑉 𝑑𝑐
𝐿 𝐿
𝑿̇ = 1 −1 𝑿 +i[l 𝐿 ] 𝑆2 + 𝐸
 
(3)
X= 𝑏 (1)
vb 0
[𝐶 𝐶𝑟𝑏 ] [𝐶𝑟𝑏 ]
− 1
" # "
V
# " #
where S2 is a binary number . that
0 represents
L the switch
dc 0
S2 state.
X= X+ L S1 + (2)
1 −1 Eb
C rb C 0 rb C
4. Control System Design
where (vb , ilare
There ) arethree
the ESS terminal
control loopsvoltage andinthe
utilized theinductor
proposed current, (rb , Eb ) are
EV charging the ESS
station, as
internal resistance and voltage, S1 is a binary number that represents
presented in Figure 4: the EV charge controller, the ESS converter controller, and the the switch S1 state,
Vdc is the DC link voltage, and (C, L) are the filter capacitance and the inductance.
MPPT controller. The EV charge controller is used to regulate the EV charging process.
The step-up mode of operation:
Furthermore, the ESS converter controller is utilized to regulate the charge and discharge
of the ESS. Additionally, it "controls the # DC link
" voltage.
−Vdc
# The thirdcontroller is the MPPT
Vdc
. 0 − 1
controller, which helpsXin L the PV array. The details
=extracting
1
L theXmaximum
−1 + L power
S 2 + from
 Eb
 (3)
of these controllers are discussed C in 0
Crbthe following sections. Crb

where S2 is a binary number that represents the switch S2 state.

4. Control System Design

There are three control loops utilized in the proposed EV charging station, as presented
in Figure 4: the EV charge controller, the ESS converter controller, and the MPPT controller.
The EV charge controller is used to regulate the EV charging process. Furthermore, the ESS
converter controller is utilized to regulate the charge and discharge of the ESS. Additionally,
it controls the DC link voltage. The third controller is the MPPT controller, which helps
in extracting the maximum power from the PV array. The details of these controllers are
discussed in the following sections.
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 5 of 14
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 5 of 13

Vev Iev
Vev-ref - Iev-ref -
𝑲𝑰𝟑 𝑲𝑰𝟒 PWM
𝑲𝒑𝟑 + 𝑲𝒑𝟒 +
+ 𝑺 𝑺
+ Generator Q1

Pulses

(a)
Vdc Ib
Vdc-ref - -
Fuzzy Ib-ref 𝑲𝑰𝟐 PWM
𝑲𝒑𝟐 +
+ Controller + 𝑺 Generator Q 1 & Q2

Pulses
(b)

(c)

(d)
Figure
Figure4.4.The
Theblock
blockdiagram
diagramofofthe
thesystem
systemcontrollers:
controllers:(a)
(a)EV
EVconverter
convertercontroller,
controller,(b)
(b)ESS
ESScharge
chargecontroller,
controller,(c)
(c)MPPT
MPPT
controller, and (d) fuzzy PID controller.
controller, and (d) fuzzy PID controller.

4.1.
4.1.The
TheMPPT
MPPTController
Controller
The
Theutilization
utilizationofofthe
thesystem
systemcan
canbe
begreatly
greatlyincreased
increasedusing
usingthe
theMPPT
MPPTcontroller.
controller.There
There
are
aremany
manytechniques
techniquesfor forapplying
applyingthe
theMPPT
MPPT[27–29].
[27–29].InInthis
thisresearch,
research,aasimple
simpleapproach
approachisis
used,
used,named
named“Perturb
“Perturb and Observe”.
and TheThe
Observe”. procedure
procedureof this approach
of this is asisfollows:
approach as follows:
•• An
Aninitial
initialvalue
valuefor
forthe
theduty
dutyratio
ratioisissuggested
suggestedand
andapplied
appliedtotothe
theboost
boostconverter.
converter.
•• Then, the current and voltage of the PV are sensed.
Then, the current and voltage of the PV are sensed.
•• Thechange
The changeininthe
thePVPVpower
powerisiscalculated
calculated[29].
[29].
•• Theoutput
The outputofofthe
thecontroller
controllerisisthe
theboost
boostconverter
converterduty
dutyratio
ratiototoobtain
obtainthe
theMPPT
MPPTstate.
state.

4.2.The
4.2. TheEV
EVCharger
ChargerController
Controller
TheEV
The EVcharger
chargercontroller
controllercontrols
controlsthe
theEVEVcharging
chargingprocess
processby
byregulating
regulatingthetherelated
related
converter.Usually,
converter. Usually,the
thecontrol
controlconsists
consistsofoftwo
twonested
nestedloops.
loops.The
Theouter
outerloop
loopisisthe
thevoltage
voltage
loopand
loop andthe
theinner
innerone
one isis the
the current
current loop.
loop. This
Thistechnique
techniqueisisaaconstant
constantvoltage
voltageand
and
constant current technique. This controller is implemented using a PID controller.
constant current technique. This controller is implemented using a PID controller. The PID The PID
coefficients or gains are adapted by the Ziegler–Nichols tunning
coefficients or gains are adapted by the Ziegler–Nichols tunning approach.approach.
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 6 of 13

4.3. The Storage Battery Charger Controller

This controller serves as a regulator for the charging/discharging of the ESS and DC
link voltage. The stabilization of the DC link voltage is very important for the system’s
operation and stability. Consequently, a fuzzy PID controller is implemented for this job.
The details of the design of this controller are discussed in the following sections.

4.3.1. The Fuzzy PID Controller

In the literature, there is a lot of research on the PID controller based on some intelligent
techniques using fuzzy logic principles [23–25]. A self-tuning fuzzy PID controller is
proposed for this research. It uses the fuzzy inference system to tune the gains of the PID
controller. This is accomplished by manipulating the error (e) and the derivative of the
error (∆e). The block diagram of the ESS charge controller is shown in Figure 4b. The
self-tuning fuzzy PID controller description is shown in Figure 4d.
The idea is to implement the fuzzy rules and reasoning and then produce PID con-
troller gains. It is well-known that the PID controller output is given by:

de
Z
y = k p e + ki e dt + k d (4)
dt
where (y) is the PID controller output, which is the reference current (Ib-ref ) for the ESS
constant current control loop.
The PID controller gains (kp , ki , kd ) are determined based on the measured error (e)
and the difference of the error signal (∆e):
   
e ib − ib−re f
= (5)
∆e e(t) − e(t − T )

where (T) is the sampling rate and (ib , ib-ref ) is the ESS current and reference current.
The procedures of fuzzification of the controller parameters, fuzzy reasoning, and
defuzzification will be explained in the following sections.

4.3.2. The Fuzzification Process

In this stage, the crisp values of the controller inputs are converted into fuzzy sets.
Therefore, the converted data can be used by the inference algorithm to manipulate the
control rules. It is assumed that e and ∆e are within the limits [emin , emax ] and [∆emin ,
∆emax ], respectively. The values (e, ∆e) should be normalized within [zero, one] with the
help of:  
  e(i )−emin
en (i ) emax −emin
= (6)
∆en (i )

∆e(i )−∆emin
∆emax −∆emin

The periods of each linguistic value of (en , ∆en ) are selected to be a fuzzy partition with
seven parts, assigning the linguistic values of NB: negative big, NM: negative medium,
NS: negative small, ZE: zero, PS: positive small, PM: positive medium, and PB: positive
big. The membership function with the triangular waveform is assigned to the linguistic
values. The membership functions of (e, ∆e) are shown in Figure 5a.
In the same way, let the limits of (∆kp and ∆kd ) be [0,1]. Let (∆kp and ∆kd ) be the
changes of the proportional and derivative gains. These were assigned to adjust the
proportional and derivative parameters. The equation is given by:

k pp ∆k p
 
 
kp
 k d  =  k dd ∆k d 
 
(7)
 2 
ki ( k p )
αk d

where (kpp , kdd ) are constant factors for the proportional and the derivative gains.
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 7 of 14

Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 7 of 13

The Gaussian membership functions, shown in Figure 5b, are assigned to the
linguistic values of
The Gaussian (kp and functions,
membership kd). These values
shown are assumed
in Figure to be either
5b, are assigned to thebig or small.
linguistic
The gain of the integration part of the PID controller can
values of (∆kp and ∆kd ). These values are assumed to be either big or small. be calculated using the
relation
The in Equation
gain (7).
of the integration part of the PID controller can be calculated using the
relation in Equation (7).
Figure 5c shows the membership function for the parameter (α). Its linguistic values
Figure
are set to be5cSshows theMS
(small), membership function for
(medium-small), M the parameter
(medium), or(α). Its linguistic values
B (big).
are set to be S (small), MS (medium-small), M (medium), or B (big).

(a)

(b)

(c)
Figure
Figure 5.5.The
Themembership
membership functions
functions of parameters:
of the the parameters: , ∆e(e
(a) (en(a) en(∆k
n, (b)
n ), ), (b) (k∆k
p and p and kd(c)
d ), and α. (c) .
), and

4.3.3. The Fuzzy Rule Base

The fuzzy rules used to calculate the gain parameters (kp and kd) may be written as:
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 8 of 13

4.3.3. The Fuzzy Rule Base

The fuzzy rules used to calculate the gain parameters (∆kp and ∆kd ) may be written as:
If en (i) is Am1 and ∆en (i) is Am2 , then ∆kp is Bm1 , ∆kd is Bm2 , and α is Bm3 .
Let (en (i), ∆en (i)) be the ith observation for the normalized error and difference in
error, (Am1 , Bm1 ) are a fuzzy set for input and output (1) and the mth rule, and (m) is the
ruling order.
The normalized gain parameters have the rule base presented in Table 1.

Table 1. The fuzzy reasoning rules of ∆kp , ∆kd , and α.

∆ kp ∆ kd α
∆en (i) ∆en (i) ∆en (i)
NB NM NS ZE PS PM PB NB NM NS ZE PS PM PB NB NM NS ZE PS PM PB
NB B B B B B S B B B B B B B S S S S S S S S
NM B B B B S B B B B B B B B S MS MS S S S MS MS
NS B B B B B B B B B B B B S S M MS MS S MS MS M
en (i) ZE B B B B B B B S S S B S S S B M MS MS MS M B
PS B B S B B B B S S B B B B B M MS MS S MS MS B
PM B B S B B B B S B B B B B B MS MS S S S MS MS
PB B S B B B B B S B B B B B B S S S S S S S

5. Simulation Results
The proposed charging station, shown in Figure 1, was simulated using the Mat-
lab/Simulink platform. The specifications and parameters of the charging station are
listed in Table 2. Applying step disturbances of the insolation level, the system controllers’
performances were tested and compared, as shown in Figures 6–9. Figures 6 and 7 show
the response using the fuzzy controller, while Figures 8 and 9 show the response using the
PI controller.

Table 2. The parameters and specifications of the system.

Item Parameter Value

Short circuit current 8.82 A
PV Open circuit voltage 19.2 V
Power rating 120 W
Rating (Lead-Acid) 65 Ah, 12 V
ESS Battery
Maximum charging current 13 A
Rating (Lithium-Ion) 6.5 Ah, 3.7 V
EV Battery
Maximum charging/discharging current 3A
Input voltage 20 V
Boost Converter
Power rating 120 W
Input voltage 20 V
EV Charger
Power rating 120 W
Input/output voltage 25 V
Bidirectional Converter
Power rating 120 W
Lf 560 µH
Cf 1000 µF
Cdc 2200 µF
Switching frequency 4 kHz
 EV charging and store the excess energy in the ESS. The charging current is positive in
this period. Nevertheless, at low insolation levels, at ≤50%, the solar energy is not
sufficient to charge the EV. Hence, the ESS discharges to keep the EV charging process
steady by compensating for the solar energy drop. Figure 6d shows the EV current
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 response with the reference value produced by the voltage controller. It is seen that9the
of 13
EV current tracks the reference well and has nearly no disturbance corresponding to the
insolation step changes.

Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 10 of 14

Figure6.6.The
Figure Thesystem
systemresponse
responsewith
with the
the fuzzy
fuzzy controller: sun insolation
controller: (a) the sun insolation level,
level,(b)
(b)the
theDC
DCbus
busvoltage,
voltage,(c)
(c)the
theESS
ESS
batterycurrent,
battery current,and
and(d)
(d)the
theEV
EVbattery
batterycurrent.
current.

Figure 7a shows the variations of the system powers corresponding to the variations
of the insolation level. The PV power, shown in Figure 7b, precisely tracks the MPPT
power and follows the insolation level. However, there are steep drops in the PV power
at the instant of the step change in the insolation. It can be explained as follows: The
sample time of the MPPT algorithm is relatively larger than the system sample. Hence,
the absorbed power from the PV will be kept at its high level until the MPPT sample
occurs. Figure 7c shows the EV charging power. It is steady and has not been affected by
the PV power disturbances. Figure 7d shows the ESS power response to the insolation
level variations. When the insolation is ≥50%, the generated PV power is sufficient to
charge the EV and store the reserve power in the ESS. However, at the insolation levels of
≤50%, the energy is not enough to charge the EV. Therefore, the ESS discharges to
compensate for the drop in solar energy. It is noted that the discharge power level of the
ESS is higher than the charging power. This phenomenon occurs due to the internal ESS
losses. Furthermore, the charging/discharging processes follow and compensate for the
insolation variations.

Figure7.7.The
Figure Thesystem
systemresponse
responsewith
withthe
the fuzzy
fuzzy controller:
controller: (a) the sun insolation
insolation level,
level,(b)
(b)the
thePV
PVpower,
power,(c)
(c)the
theEV
EVbattery
battery
power,and
power, and(d)
(d)the
theESS
ESSbattery
batterypower.
power.

Figure 6a shows the variations of the insolation level, while Figure 6b shows the
Figure 8 shows the response of the DC bus voltage, the ESS battery current, and the
response of Vdc compared to the reverence value. It can be recognized that there is no
EV battery current against the solar insolation level for the PI controller. All the variables
steady-state error with a small settling time and percentage overshoot. The ESS charging
track the references very well. Nevertheless, the performances are less than that of the
current is shown in Figure 6c. It follows the reference produced by the Vdc controller very
fuzzy controller shown in Figure 6.
well, however the reference value changes according to the insolation level. When the
insolation level is relatively high, ≥50%, the PV energy is sufficient to supply energy to the
EV charging and store the excess energy in the ESS. The charging current is positive in this
period. Nevertheless, at low insolation levels, at ≤50%, the solar energy is not sufficient
to charge the EV. Hence, the ESS discharges to keep the EV charging process steady by
compensating for the solar energy drop. Figure 6d shows the EV current response with the
reference value produced by the voltage controller. It is seen that the EV current tracks the
reference well and has nearly no disturbance corresponding to the insolation step changes.
 Figure 7. The system response with the fuzzy controller: (a) the sun insolation level, (b) the PV power, (c) the EV battery
power, and (d) the ESS battery power.

Figure 8 shows the response of the DC bus voltage, the ESS battery current, and the
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 10 of 13
EV battery current against the solar insolation level for the PI controller. All the variables
track the references very well. Nevertheless, the performances are less than that of the
fuzzy controller shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8. The Figure

system8. The system response
response with thewithPIthe PI controller:
controller: (a)(a)the
the sun
sun insolation
insolationlevel, (b) the
level, DC
(b) busDC
the voltage,
bus (c) the ESS (c)
voltage, battery
the ESS battery
Appl. Syst. Innov.
current, and2021,
(d)4,the
63 EV battery current. 11 of 14
current, and (d) the EV battery current.
Figure 9 shows the response of the PV power, the ESS battery power, and the EV
battery power against the solar insolation level for the PI controller. All the variables track
the references very well. However, the performances are less than that of the fuzzy
controller shown in Figure 7.

Time(s)

Figure
Figure 9. The 9. The
system system response
response with thewith the PI controller:
PI controller: (a) the
(a) the sunsun insolationlevel,
insolation level, (b)
(b)the
thePV
PVpower, (c) (c)
power, the the
EV battery
EV battery power,
power, and (d) the ESS battery power.
and (d) the ESS battery power.
A comparison of the system response with the two controllers is presented in Figure
Figure 7a shows
10. Figure 10a shows thethe
variations of the
variation of theovershoot
system powers
in the DC corresponding
bus voltage withtothethe variations
of the insolation
insolation level for the
level. Thetwo
PVcontrollers.
power, shown The FPID provided
in Figure 7b,theprecisely
lowest overshoot in all
tracks the MPPT power
cases. The
and follows the percentage
insolation improvement in the overshoot
level. However, was steep
there are in the range
dropsofin15%
thetoPV60%,power at the
which may be considered a good achievement. On the other hand, Figure 10b shows the
instantvariation
of the step change in the insolation. It can be explained as follows:
of the settling time of the DC bus voltage according to the insolation level
The sample time
of thedisturbances.
MPPT algorithmIt can be noticed that the FPID provided smaller settling times under all absorbed
is relatively larger than the system sample. Hence, the
power from the PV
circumstances. willwas
There be an
kept at itsdrop
excellent highinlevel until time,
the settling the MPPT sample
within the occurs.
range of 25% Figure 7c
to 58%.
shows the EV charging power. It is steady and has not been affected by the PV power
disturbances. Figure 7d shows the ESS power response to the insolation level variations.
When the insolation is ≥50%, the generated PV power is sufficient to charge the EV and
store the reserve power in the ESS. However, at the insolation levels of ≤50%, the energy
is not enough to charge the EV. Therefore, the ESS discharges to compensate for the drop
in solar energy. It is noted that the discharge power level of the ESS is higher than the
charging power. This phenomenon occurs due to the internal ESS losses. Furthermore, the
charging/discharging processes follow and compensate for the insolation variations.
Figure 8 shows the response of the DC bus voltage, the ESS battery current, and the
EV battery current against the solar insolation level for the PI controller. All the variables
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 11 of 13

track the references very well. Nevertheless, the performances are less than that of the
fuzzy controller shown in Figure Time(s) 6.

Figure 9 shows the response of the PV power, the ESS battery power, and the EV
Figure 9. The system response with the PI controller: (a) the sun insolation level, (b) the PV power, (c) the EV battery
battery
power, and (d) the ESS battery power against the solar insolation level for the PI controller. All the variables
power.
track the references very well. However, the performances are less than that of the fuzzy
controller shown in of
A comparison Figure 7.
the system response with the two controllers is presented in Figure
10. AFigure
comparison of the
10a shows system
the response
variation of thewith the twoincontrollers
overshoot the DC bus is presented
voltage within Figure
the 10.
insolation
Figure level for
10a shows thethe two controllers.
variation The FPIDinprovided
of the overshoot the DC bus the voltage
lowest overshoot in all
with the insolation
cases.
level forThe
thepercentage improvement
two controllers. The FPID in the overshoot
provided thewas in the
lowest range of 15%
overshoot in alltocases.
60%, The
which mayimprovement
percentage be consideredin a good achievement.
the overshoot wasOn in the
the other
rangehand,
of 15%Figure 10b shows
to 60%, whichthe may be
variation of
considered the settling
a good time of On
achievement. the the
DCother
bus voltage according
hand, Figure 10b to the insolation
shows the variationlevelof the
disturbances.
settling time of Itthe
can
DC bebus
noticed
voltagethataccording
the FPID to provided smaller level
the insolation settling times underItall
disturbances. can be
circumstances. There was an excellent drop in the settling time, within
noticed that the FPID provided smaller settling times under all circumstances. There was the range of 25%
to 58%.
an excellent drop in the settling time, within the range of 25% to 58%.

Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 12 of 14

(a)

(b)
Figure
Figure 10. Comparison
10. Comparison of the
of the system
system responsefor
response forFPID
FPID and
and PI
PI controllers:
controllers:(a)
(a)the overshoot,
the andand
overshoot, (b) (b)
the the
settling time.time.
settling

Table 3 summarizes the comparison of the two controllers. The system efficiency was
calculated against the solar insolation level for the fuzzy and PI controllers. The efficiency
value was not affected by the controller type.

Table 3. Summary of the results.

Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4, 63 12 of 13

Table 3 summarizes the comparison of the two controllers. The system efficiency was
calculated against the solar insolation level for the fuzzy and PI controllers. The efficiency
value was not affected by the controller type.

Table 3. Summary of the results.

Parameter Value
Insolation (%) 100 75 50 30 0
Efficiency (%) 89.7 94.2 88.6 94 89.8
Vdc Overshoot (%) 10 1.6 1.6 1.6 2
Fuzzy
Vdc Settling time (s) 0.06 0.04 0.06 0.042 0.045
Vdc Overshoot (%) 12 3 4.1 3 5
PI
Vdc Settling time (s) 0.085 0.125 0.14 0.12 0.12

6. Conclusions
In this paper, a novel fuzzy PID controller was proposed for an isolated EV charging
station supplied from a PV panel. The proposed system involves a PV array, a boost
converter, bidirectional charging converters, a lead-acid battery representing the energy
storage system, and a lithium-ion battery representing the electric vehicle. However, it was
shown that the conventional PID controller is not the best choice for the system response,
due to the system complexity and the frequently varying setpoint of the proposed system
as the solar insolation level varies normally. Hence, the FPID controller was adapted for
the proposed system. All the system components were modeled. Then, the fuzzy controller
was designed in detail. A simple energy management technique was adapted to regulate
the energy flow. The system was modeled and simulated using Matlab/Simulink. The
simulation results indicated that the disturbances in the solar insolation did not affect
the electric vehicle charging process at all. Moreover, the controller perfectly managed
the stored energy to compensate for the solar energy variations. Additionally, the system
response with the fuzzy controller was compared to that with the PI controller. The
comparison showed that the fuzzy controller provided an improved response. An average
improvement in the overshoot and settling time of about 35% was achieved with the FPID
controller. For step variations in the insolation level, the results indicated steady charging
of the EV without disturbance. In addition, the charging/discharging processes of the ESS
acted precisely to compensate for and store the insolation disturbances. Furthermore, the
MPPT controller closely followed the maximum point of the solar energy.

Author Contributions: H.A. collected the funding and resources; K.S.A., H.W.E.-R., A.L., T.A.A. and
M.E.E.-S. helped with the validation and visualization; S.A.Z. and A.M.K. conceived, designed the
system model, and analyzed the results. All authors have read and agreed to the published version
of the manuscript.
Funding: This research was funded by the University of Tabuk, Grant Number S-1441-0172.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: Data is contained within the article.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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