Increase the growth of the solar energy industry in solar (and solar panel) test and measurement solutions, needs, and with the solar cell size increases and efficiency, the battery test requires the use of more current and higher power levels This requires use of a more flexible test equipment.
Often need to measure several key parameters of solar cells. These parameters are:
● VOC – open circuit voltage. In the current when the battery voltage is equal to 0.
● ISC – short-circuit current. When the load resistance is equal to 0, the current from the battery.
● Pmax – maximum power output of the battery. Maximum power output when the battery voltage and current values.
Solar cell IV curve shows the Pmax and the relationship with Imax and Vmax
● Vmax – in the Pmax point, the battery voltage.
● Imax – in the Pmax point, the battery’s current value.
● η – the device conversion efficiency. When the solar cell is connected to a circuit, this value is equal to the energy is converted (from absorbed sunlight into electricity) and the percentage of energy to be collected. This value can be input by dividing Pmax light irradiance (E, unit is W/m2, the standard measure under test conditions), then multiplied by the solar cell surface area (AC, units are meters) calculated.
● fill factor (FF)-Pmax divided by the VOC and then multiplied by ISC.
● The battery diode properties.
● the battery series resistance.
● Battery shunt resistor (or shunt resistance).
Common Solutions
Now, the solar cell test solutions There are two main forms: a complete turnkey system and common test equipment.
If you need maximum power output of solar cells, tested, and many research laboratories are equipped with low-power four-quadrant power supply (sometimes also known as SMU), and has the following features:
● to provide accurate positive voltage and negative voltage (“offer” also called “applied”).
● to provide accurate forward and reverse current (reverse current is also called to provide current flow to the power supply).
● accurately measure the device under test (DUT) voltage and current (also known as test measurements).
Most high-precision four-quadrant power supply can only provide 3A continuous current or 20W power.
A single small battery in the test, these maximum current and power is acceptable, but as the battery technology to a higher efficiency, greater current density and larger cell size of advance, the battery power output will soon These four-quadrant power supply will exceed the maximum rating. The output of solar modules are usually more than 50W, and may climb to a 300W or higher, which means that many of the modules of the test are not available to complete the four-quadrant power supply.
In these cases, the engineer should be ready by means of electronic load, DC power supplies, DMM, and data acquisition equipment, including temperature measurement, scanning, conversion and data logging equipment for operation in a wide range of flexibility for unique testing and to achieve the desired precision. For example, you can use the data acquisition system to scan the environment and the temperature of the device under test has been calibrated reference battery voltage, and the need to capture in testing a variety of other test parameters.
Outdoor test
Some engineers will use the turnkey solar cell test equipment for testing, the device uses a solar simulator, which is a standardized light source, can be used to control the light energy into solar cells. However, if a very large solar cells or modules, solar simulators will be unable to produce adequate light.
For example, the measured solar modules may be a large part of the outdoor solar energy collection system. In this case, the sun itself will be the only practical test available light. Since no outdoor virtually impossible to transport a complete turnkey solar simulator test system, so this test will need to use the improved form by the standard test equipment solutions for some of the other tests performed.
Outdoor test Another factor to consider is temperature. Because the battery’s performance will be affected by temperature, so need to monitor the temperature in the test. Battery performance depends not only on temperature, and test equipment performance also depends on temperature.
Many equipment suppliers testing equipment not specified in their vicinity in a very narrow temperature range at room temperature (eg 25 ℃ ± 5 ℃) than when the performance. Other vendors will provide a temperature coefficient specifications, able to adjust the accuracy of test equipment specifications to work in their designated work for the outside temperature correction.
Higher power for the load test
For high power applications, the standard electronic load can be used to test the solar cells. Many engineers do not think the use of electronic load to test the solar cells, because they are accustomed to using a turnkey system or four-quadrant power supply.
Mode is: the power of solar cells by applying a positive voltage terminal. Meanwhile, the current flows from the four-quadrant solar power terminal, which means that four-quadrant power to see is the reverse current (in terms of its terminals.) Under these conditions, it can be called four-quadrant power supply is a “power sink.”
From the electrical perspective, a positive voltage across Canada and a current flows (that is, the reverse current) of the instrument known as the electronic load. Therefore, for most of the bright light and solar energy, solar cells, also produced the test run, four-quadrant power electronic load is actually playing a role.
The advantages of using electronic load that the load can be used in a variety of current and power levels. Using the rated 50W or up to hundreds of thousands of watts and amps electronic load, you can easily overcome the four-quadrant power brought 3A, 20W limit.
Electronic load in constant voltage mode, also known as CV mode. In the CV mode, the load can be adjusted through their current, thereby adjusting the voltage across it to maintain a constant voltage value. Therefore, CV can be used to create the voltage scan mode, use the load to control the output voltage of solar cells, and then measure the resulting current.
Some of the load (such as the Agilent N3300 Series) CV can quickly perform a series of anchor points in order to scan the CV mode, the output voltage, which depicts the IV curve quickly. Meanwhile, the load can flow from the solar battery to the load current waveform within a digital oscilloscope to capture similar curve.
Tips of Choose Solar cell output power test system
Posted by admin in News
Increase the growth of the solar energy industry in solar (and solar panel) test and measurement solutions, needs, and with the solar cell size increases and efficiency, the battery test requires the use of more current and higher power levels This requires use of a more flexible test equipment.
Often need to measure several key parameters of solar cells. These parameters are:
● VOC – open circuit voltage. In the current when the battery voltage is equal to 0.
● ISC – short-circuit current. When the load resistance is equal to 0, the current from the battery.
● Pmax – maximum power output of the battery. Maximum power output when the battery voltage and current values.
Solar cell IV curve shows the Pmax and the relationship with Imax and Vmax
● Vmax – in the Pmax point, the battery voltage.
● Imax – in the Pmax point, the battery’s current value.
● η – the device conversion efficiency. When the solar cell is connected to a circuit, this value is equal to the energy is converted (from absorbed sunlight into electricity) and the percentage of energy to be collected. This value can be input by dividing Pmax light irradiance (E, unit is W/m2, the standard measure under test conditions), then multiplied by the solar cell surface area (AC, units are meters) calculated.
● fill factor (FF)-Pmax divided by the VOC and then multiplied by ISC.
● The battery diode properties.
● the battery series resistance.
● Battery shunt resistor (or shunt resistance).
Common Solutions
Now, the solar cell test solutions There are two main forms: a complete turnkey system and common test equipment.
If you need maximum power output of solar cells, tested, and many research laboratories are equipped with low-power four-quadrant power supply (sometimes also known as SMU), and has the following features:
● to provide accurate positive voltage and negative voltage (“offer” also called “applied”).
● to provide accurate forward and reverse current (reverse current is also called to provide current flow to the power supply).
● accurately measure the device under test (DUT) voltage and current (also known as test measurements).
Most high-precision four-quadrant power supply can only provide 3A continuous current or 20W power.
A single small battery in the test, these maximum current and power is acceptable, but as the battery technology to a higher efficiency, greater current density and larger cell size of advance, the battery power output will soon These four-quadrant power supply will exceed the maximum rating. The output of solar modules are usually more than 50W, and may climb to a 300W or higher, which means that many of the modules of the test are not available to complete the four-quadrant power supply.
In these cases, the engineer should be ready by means of electronic load, DC power supplies, DMM, and data acquisition equipment, including temperature measurement, scanning, conversion and data logging equipment for operation in a wide range of flexibility for unique testing and to achieve the desired precision. For example, you can use the data acquisition system to scan the environment and the temperature of the device under test has been calibrated reference battery voltage, and the need to capture in testing a variety of other test parameters.
Outdoor test
Some engineers will use the turnkey solar cell test equipment for testing, the device uses a solar simulator, which is a standardized light source, can be used to control the light energy into solar cells. However, if a very large solar cells or modules, solar simulators will be unable to produce adequate light.
For example, the measured solar modules may be a large part of the outdoor solar energy collection system. In this case, the sun itself will be the only practical test available light. Since no outdoor virtually impossible to transport a complete turnkey solar simulator test system, so this test will need to use the improved form by the standard test equipment solutions for some of the other tests performed.
Outdoor test Another factor to consider is temperature. Because the battery’s performance will be affected by temperature, so need to monitor the temperature in the test. Battery performance depends not only on temperature, and test equipment performance also depends on temperature.
Many equipment suppliers testing equipment not specified in their vicinity in a very narrow temperature range at room temperature (eg 25 ℃ ± 5 ℃) than when the performance. Other vendors will provide a temperature coefficient specifications, able to adjust the accuracy of test equipment specifications to work in their designated work for the outside temperature correction.
Higher power for the load test
For high power applications, the standard electronic load can be used to test the solar cells. Many engineers do not think the use of electronic load to test the solar cells, because they are accustomed to using a turnkey system or four-quadrant power supply.
Mode is: the power of solar cells by applying a positive voltage terminal. Meanwhile, the current flows from the four-quadrant solar power terminal, which means that four-quadrant power to see is the reverse current (in terms of its terminals.) Under these conditions, it can be called four-quadrant power supply is a “power sink.”
From the electrical perspective, a positive voltage across Canada and a current flows (that is, the reverse current) of the instrument known as the electronic load. Therefore, for most of the bright light and solar energy, solar cells, also produced the test run, four-quadrant power electronic load is actually playing a role.
The advantages of using electronic load that the load can be used in a variety of current and power levels. Using the rated 50W or up to hundreds of thousands of watts and amps electronic load, you can easily overcome the four-quadrant power brought 3A, 20W limit.
Electronic load in constant voltage mode, also known as CV mode. In the CV mode, the load can be adjusted through their current, thereby adjusting the voltage across it to maintain a constant voltage value. Therefore, CV can be used to create the voltage scan mode, use the load to control the output voltage of solar cells, and then measure the resulting current.
Some of the load (such as the Agilent N3300 Series) CV can quickly perform a series of anchor points in order to scan the CV mode, the output voltage, which depicts the IV curve quickly. Meanwhile, the load can flow from the solar battery to the load current waveform within a digital oscilloscope to capture similar curve.