In-Situ Measurement of Power Loss for Crystalline Silicon Modules Undergoing Thermal Cycling and Mechanical Loading Stress Testing
An in-situ method is proposed for monitoring and estimating the power degradation of mc-Si photovoltaic (PV) modules undergoing thermo-mechanical degradation tests that primarily manifest through cell cracking, such as mechanical load tests, thermal cycling and humidity freeze tests. The method is b...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/1/72 |
| _version_ | 1827699253028323328 |
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| author | Sergiu Spataru Peter Hacke Dezso Sera |
| author_facet | Sergiu Spataru Peter Hacke Dezso Sera |
| author_sort | Sergiu Spataru |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An in-situ method is proposed for monitoring and estimating the power degradation of mc-Si photovoltaic (PV) modules undergoing thermo-mechanical degradation tests that primarily manifest through cell cracking, such as mechanical load tests, thermal cycling and humidity freeze tests. The method is based on in-situ measurement of the module’s dark current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curve during the stress test, as well as initial and final module flash testing on a Sun simulator. The method uses superposition of the dark I-V curve with final flash test module short-circuit current to account for shunt and junction recombination losses, as well as series resistance estimation from the in-situ measured dark I-Vs and final flash test measurements. The method is developed based on mc-Si standard modules undergoing several stages of thermo-mechanical stress testing and degradation, for which we investigate the impact of the degradation on the modules light I-V curve parameters, and equivalent solar cell model parameters. Experimental validation of the method on the modules tested shows good agreement between the in-situ estimated power degradation and the flash test measured power loss of the modules, of up to 4.31 % error (RMSE), as the modules experience primarily junction defect recombination and increased series resistance losses. However, the application of the method will be limited for modules experiencing extensive photo-current degradation or delamination, which are not well reflected in the dark I-V characteristic of the PV module. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:46:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3281a1b36a644e229861d9dc2838eb90 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:46:17Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-3281a1b36a644e229861d9dc2838eb902023-11-21T02:31:22ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732020-12-011417210.3390/en14010072In-Situ Measurement of Power Loss for Crystalline Silicon Modules Undergoing Thermal Cycling and Mechanical Loading Stress TestingSergiu Spataru0Peter Hacke1Dezso Sera2Department of Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 4000 Roskilde, DenmarkNational Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USASchool of Electrical Engineering and Robotics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane City, QLD 4000, AustraliaAn in-situ method is proposed for monitoring and estimating the power degradation of mc-Si photovoltaic (PV) modules undergoing thermo-mechanical degradation tests that primarily manifest through cell cracking, such as mechanical load tests, thermal cycling and humidity freeze tests. The method is based on in-situ measurement of the module’s dark current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curve during the stress test, as well as initial and final module flash testing on a Sun simulator. The method uses superposition of the dark I-V curve with final flash test module short-circuit current to account for shunt and junction recombination losses, as well as series resistance estimation from the in-situ measured dark I-Vs and final flash test measurements. The method is developed based on mc-Si standard modules undergoing several stages of thermo-mechanical stress testing and degradation, for which we investigate the impact of the degradation on the modules light I-V curve parameters, and equivalent solar cell model parameters. Experimental validation of the method on the modules tested shows good agreement between the in-situ estimated power degradation and the flash test measured power loss of the modules, of up to 4.31 % error (RMSE), as the modules experience primarily junction defect recombination and increased series resistance losses. However, the application of the method will be limited for modules experiencing extensive photo-current degradation or delamination, which are not well reflected in the dark I-V characteristic of the PV module.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/1/72photovoltaic modulesaccelerated stress testingin-situ monitoringdark I-V curvesthermal cyclingmechanical loading |
| spellingShingle | Sergiu Spataru Peter Hacke Dezso Sera In-Situ Measurement of Power Loss for Crystalline Silicon Modules Undergoing Thermal Cycling and Mechanical Loading Stress Testing Energies photovoltaic modules accelerated stress testing in-situ monitoring dark I-V curves thermal cycling mechanical loading |
| title | In-Situ Measurement of Power Loss for Crystalline Silicon Modules Undergoing Thermal Cycling and Mechanical Loading Stress Testing |
| title_full | In-Situ Measurement of Power Loss for Crystalline Silicon Modules Undergoing Thermal Cycling and Mechanical Loading Stress Testing |
| title_fullStr | In-Situ Measurement of Power Loss for Crystalline Silicon Modules Undergoing Thermal Cycling and Mechanical Loading Stress Testing |
| title_full_unstemmed | In-Situ Measurement of Power Loss for Crystalline Silicon Modules Undergoing Thermal Cycling and Mechanical Loading Stress Testing |
| title_short | In-Situ Measurement of Power Loss for Crystalline Silicon Modules Undergoing Thermal Cycling and Mechanical Loading Stress Testing |
| title_sort | in situ measurement of power loss for crystalline silicon modules undergoing thermal cycling and mechanical loading stress testing |
| topic | photovoltaic modules accelerated stress testing in-situ monitoring dark I-V curves thermal cycling mechanical loading |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/1/72 |
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