Performance testing procedures for photovoltaic modules in mismatching conditions

Abete, A.; Cane, P.; Rizzitano, C.; Tarantino, M.; Tomasini, R.

doi:10.1109/pvsc.1991.169320

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…An a.c. current is measured across the two terminals of the module as the result of a small applied oscillating voltage about V oc to obtain the dark resistance of the darkened cell. 9 A d.c. electrical technique 10 involves illuminating the cell in question and determining its V oc and I sc . Clever photomodulation techniques are also available to examine the cell in question.…”

Section: Diagnostics For Locating Failurementioning

confidence: 99%

Accelerated testing and failure of thin‐film PV modules

McMahon

2004

Progress in Photovoltaics

118

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Packaging-related PV module failure is distinguished from cell failure, and those failures specific to thin-film modules are reviewed. These are categorized according to the type of stress that produced them, e.g., temperature, voltage, moisture, current, and thermal cycling. An example is given that shows how to relate time under accelerated stress to time in use. Diagnostic tools for locating the affected area within a large-area module are pointed out along with the importance of interpretation of the visual appearance of the different damage mechanisms. INTRODUCTIONT he U.S. Department of Energy encourages and supports the photovoltaic (PV) industry in developing a module technology that will last 30 years in the field. 1 An additional goal is to identify a short-term means to certify that a module technology will, indeed, last 30 years. The achievement of the first goal for thin-film (TF) PV modules will be more difficult than for the single-and multi-crystalline Si modules that have been available for some time. There are at least four reasons for this: (1) TF cells have a lower threshold for corrosion and delamination; (2) several of the amorphous Si and CdTe TF technologies use the SnO 2 -coated soda-lime glass superstrate configuration requiring an edge-deleted module perimeter; (3) SnO 2 -coated glass under high cell-to-frame voltage conditions and humidity can cause delamination of the SnO 2 /glass interface; and (4) TF module configurations usually lack the extra isolation that is afforded by extra layers of laminating material (EVA or thermoplastic) found in non-TF modules.Regarding the second goal, arguments have been made that achievement of a test protocol to certify a 30-year lifetime is not possible. 2 Short of such a 30-year lifetime certification process, an approach for rank ordering and testing of failure modes has been developed; R. G. Ross 3 has put forth another method that rank orders mechanisms according to analysis of the 'life-cycle energy cost impact'. Rank ordering allows the PV industry to address the more pressing problems first, without the encumbrance of complicated lifetime-prediction methdologies. Recently, M. A. Quintana et al. have reported commonly observed degradation in field-aged PV modules. 4 The visual appearance of many failure mechanisms related to packaging can be very striking. Any one of the TF layers can be damaged from corrosion, electrolytic electromigration, diffusion, cracking, and delamination. Especially notable are the effects of glass corrosion. Each of the failure mechanisms that results in visual damage has its own appearance. Considerable progress can be made in understanding module-packaging failure if proper interpretation of the visual damage is provied by an astute observer. The following is a review of failure mechanisms and strategies special to the certification and analysis of TF module reliability. Much of this work was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the 1980s under the direction of R. Ross; these references are vital as...

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Section: Diagnostics For Locating Failurementioning

confidence: 99%

Accelerated testing and failure of thin‐film PV modules

McMahon

2004

Progress in Photovoltaics

118

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“…PV panels are subject to problems such as hot spots and reduced output power when operating in partially shaded conditions. Bypass diodes are utilized to overcome these problems [1]- [6], but they introduce multiple peaks in the characteristics [7]- [8]. In this case, tracking of MPP is difficult using conventional software-based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques [9]- [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Implementation of Efficient Curve Tracer for Photovoltaic System under Partial Shaded Conditions

Ramaprabha¹,

Jubair²,

Suhas³

et al. 2015

ijeei

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Photovoltaic (PV) panels are subjected to problems such as hot spots and reduced output power when operating in partially shaded conditions. Although bypass diodes are utilized to alleviate these problems, the diodes cause multiple-peak characteristics. Tracking the maximum output power in partially shaded conditions is difficult using conventional software-based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques. Curve tracers can assist software-based MPPT to track the true/global maximum power point (MPP) by scanning several potential MPP areas. Therefore, a software-based MPPT with an I-V curve tracer is a preferred solution. Moreover, curve tracers reveal more about the PV array performance and the fastest method to do so. This paper investigates the advantages and disadvantages of several I-V curve tracers and proposes a load self-adaptive PV panel characteristic curve tracer by applying a hysteretic selfcontrolled duty-modulated load resistor (DMLR) to a boost converter I-V curve tracer. Several advantages are achieved such as simple structure, cost-efficient implementation and no tracing limitation near the V oc. A circuit for 72 W PV panel is used to verify the feasibility of the proposed curve tracer.

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“…These PV panels are subject to problems such as hot spots and reduced output power when operating in partially shaded conditions. Although bypass diodes are utilized to alleviate these problems [1]- [6], the diodes cause multiple peak characteristics [7]- [8]. Tracking the maximum output power point in partially shaded conditions is difficult using conventional software-based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques [9]- [13].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of improved curve tracer for photovoltaic system under partial shaded conditions

Ramaprabha¹,

Jubair²,

Suhas³

et al. 2014

2014 International Conference on Circuits, Power and Computing Technologies [ICCPCT-2014]

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Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems have non linear characteristics. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is a challenging task when they are interfaced with load. When the PV panels in an array receive non-uniform insolation/partially shaded, anti-parallel diodes called bypass diodes are used across a group of cells to avoid the damage of low illuminated cells/panels. This further makes the task of MPPT more difficult as the characteristics have multiple peaks. Curve tracers can be used to assist the software-based MPPT techniques. In this paper, a load self-adaptive PV panel characteristics curve tracer by applying a hysteretic self-controlled duty-modulated load resistor (DMLR) to a boost converter I-V curve tracer is presented. Several advantages are achieved, such as simple structure, cost-efficient implementation and no tracing limitation near the V oc . A circuit for a 72 W PV panel is simulated and implemented to verify the feasibility of the proposed curve tracer using PSpice.

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Performance testing procedures for photovoltaic modules in mismatching conditions

Cited by 5 publications

References 1 publication

Accelerated testing and failure of thin‐film PV modules

Accelerated testing and failure of thin‐film PV modules

Design and Implementation of Efficient Curve Tracer for Photovoltaic System under Partial Shaded Conditions

Development of improved curve tracer for photovoltaic system under partial shaded conditions

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