Organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells are advanced, newly emerging technologies that are lightweight, mechanically flexible devices with highthroughput processes from low cost material in a variety of colors. Rathnayake et al. of Western Kentucky University have developed a nanostructure-based OPV cell. Presented in this thesis is a model and simulation of a generalized PV powered system that can predict the performance of solar arrays in various environmental conditions. The simulation has been carried out in Matlab/Simulink, and upon entering the cell’s parameters, it provides key electrical characteristics such as the cell’s I-V curve and efficiency information. The total system that is simulated consists of three elements: a universal two-cell solar array that can account for partial shading and manufacturing variation, a current-controlled power converter, and an energy storage device with charging and discharging capabilities.
","abstract_html":"<p>Organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells are advanced, newly emerging technologies that are lightweight, mechanically flexible devices with highthroughput processes from low cost material in a variety of colors. Rathnayake et al. of Western Kentucky University have developed a nanostructure-based OPV cell. Presented in this thesis is a model and simulation of a generalized PV powered system that can predict the performance of solar arrays in various environmental conditions. The simulation has been carried out in Matlab/Simulink, and upon entering the cell’s parameters, it provides key electrical characteristics such as the cell’s I-V curve and efficiency information. The total system that is simulated consists of three elements: a universal two-cell solar array that can account for partial shading and manufacturing variation, a current-controlled power converter, and an energy storage device with charging and discharging capabilities.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Woods, Kurt Wade"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master Science","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Department of Physics and Astronomy","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Farhad Ashrafzadeh (Director), Keith Andrew, Hemali Rathnayake, Vladimir Dobrokhotov"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:08:26Z","subjects":["Photovoltaic Organic Cell","Nanostructure","Power Converters","Energy Storage","Environmental Chemistry","Physical Chemistry","Physical Processes","Physics","Quantum Physics"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1315","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Farhad Ashrafzadeh (Director), Keith Andrew, Hemali Rathnayake, Vladimir Dobrokhotov"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Woods, Kurt Wade"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Department of Physics and Astronomy"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master Science"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Photovoltaic Organic Cell","Nanostructure","Power Converters","Energy Storage","Environmental Chemistry","Physical Chemistry","Physical Processes","Physics","Quantum Physics"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1315"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells are advanced, newly emerging technologies that are lightweight, mechanically flexible devices with highthroughput processes from low cost material in a variety of colors. Rathnayake et al. of Western Kentucky University have developed a nanostructure-based OPV cell. Presented in this thesis is a model and simulation of a generalized PV powered system that can predict the performance of solar arrays in various environmental conditions. The simulation has been carried out in Matlab/Simulink, and upon entering the cell’s parameters, it provides key electrical characteristics such as the cell’s I-V curve and efficiency information. The total system that is simulated consists of three elements: a universal two-cell solar array that can account for partial shading and manufacturing variation, a current-controlled power converter, and an energy storage device with charging and discharging capabilities.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Solar Energy Conversion and Control Using Organic Photovoltaic Cells"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Farhad Ashrafzadeh (Director), Keith Andrew, Hemali Rathnayake, Vladimir Dobrokhotov"],"dc:creator":["Woods, Kurt Wade"],"dc:description.abstract":["Organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells are advanced, newly emerging technologies that are lightweight, mechanically flexible devices with highthroughput processes from low cost material in a variety of colors. Rathnayake et al. of Western Kentucky University have developed a nanostructure-based OPV cell. Presented in this thesis is a model and simulation of a generalized PV powered system that can predict the performance of solar arrays in various environmental conditions. The simulation has been carried out in Matlab/Simulink, and upon entering the cell’s parameters, it provides key electrical characteristics such as the cell’s I-V curve and efficiency information. The total system that is simulated consists of three elements: a universal two-cell solar array that can account for partial shading and manufacturing variation, a current-controlled power converter, and an energy storage device with charging and discharging capabilities.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1315"],"dc:subject":["Photovoltaic Organic Cell","Nanostructure","Power Converters","Energy Storage","Environmental Chemistry","Physical Chemistry","Physical Processes","Physics","Quantum Physics"],"dc:title":["Solar Energy Conversion and Control Using Organic Photovoltaic Cells"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Department of Physics and Astronomy"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master Science"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:08:26Z"}