Both in small scale and in big solar farms, solar photovoltaic energy is increasingly used all around the world. The conditioning of this clean energy is made using different types of power electronics converters in simple topologies or using complex conversion chains. The first conversion stage is made using a dc-dc or dc-ac power converter having a Maximum Power Point Tracking algorithm implemented in a microcontroller in order to extract the maximum energy from the PV panels. This paper analyses and discusses the influence of several parameters affecting the optimum operation of one panel when it is connected to a dc-dc converter controlled by a MPPT algorithm. The paper proposes simulation models and presents simulation and experimental results for two panels from different manufacturers.

Coal mines pose a high safety risk for human workers. An autonomous inspection drone would enable a coal mine operation to reduce this risk by minimizing the time spent by workers inside the mine. This inspection drone must be highly robust to the harsh and dangerous environment of an underground coal mine, with high levels of coal dust and humidity that can obstruct many conventional sensing methods. For high functionality, the drone must sense and avoid potential obstacles and as well as inspect and map the mining wall face. The objective of this paper is to present ultra-wideband (UWB) radar as a robust sensing solution to this challenging environment and validate its performance experimentally in the typical coal mine environment, both statically and dynamically.