description of photovoltaic systems laboratory

Photovoltaic Systems

Laboratory description

Department of Energy TechnologyAalborg University, Denmarkwww.pv‐systems.et.aau.dk

PV Systems Laboratory (PON109‐25a)

7/7/2014 PV Systems Laboratories 2

Grid connected converter setupsThe laboratory disposes of five identical systems controlled using dSPACE DS1103 PPC featuring four‐quadrant operation capability.• Control of converter or grid side current using PWM• Control of active rectifiers• Grid support using intelligent inverters

PV inverter test setup• Regatron TC.P.32 with linear post‐processing unit• Yokogawa WT3000 High Precision Power Analyzer• California Instruments MX‐30



PV array monitoring and diagnostic setup• 1KW single phase PV inverter• Grid inverter controller implemented in dSPACE 1103 system• DC/DC boost controller implemented in TMS320F28335• Fully programmable in Matlab/Simulink Code Composer StudioFlash Sun simulator (SPI‐Sun 5600 SLP)• Class A+ A+ A+ , module size up to 2000mm X 1370mm• Light and dark I‐V curve measurement• Module efficiency measurement according to international standards• Suitable for thin‐film modules (light pulse length up to 140ms)Optical PV module characterisation setup• InGaAs short‐wave infrared (SWIR) camera for electroluminescence (EL) tests,

with resolution 640x512 pixels, spectral range of 0.9 to 1.7 microns wavelengths, 25fps

• IR camera for thermal imaging, resolution 320x240, spectral range of 7.5 to 13 micron, sensitivity 0.05°C @ 30°C.



Teaching MSc projects MSc and PhD courses

Research PhD projects Industrial projects

State‐of‐the‐art laboratory for teaching and research



Grid connected converter setups: system layout



Grid connected converter setupsThe laboratory disposes of five identical drive systems controlled by

mixed RISC/DSP digital controllers (DSPACE DS1103 PPC plugged in hostPC) featuring four‐quadrant operation capability.

The dSPACE DS1103 PPC is a mixed RISC/DSP digital controllerproviding a powerful processor for floating point calculations aswell as comprehensive I/O capabilities.

Each of the five systems has two parallel connected DanfossFC302 DC‐AC inverters connected to the grid through an LC‐filterand a 50Hz transformer.

Each inverter can be supplied individually from separate DCsources

Each inverter is controlled separately.The powerful and flexible structure of the system allows the

implementation of both classic current control techniques as well asadvanced strategies, like anti‐islanding or active damping methods.

Typical applications of this system include: Control of converter or grid side current using PWM Control of active rectifiers Grid support using intelligent inverters



Grid connected converter setups: setup scheme

1.8mH

1.8mH

1.8mH

4.7uF

1.8mH

1.8mH

1.8mH

4.7uF

Applications:

• Single‐ and three‐phase PLL

• Current control

• Anti‐islanding

• Voltage support strategies

• …



System design and modelling



Application using the graphical user interface

• One‐click code generation

from Simulink to real‐time

code

• Online parameter tuning

• Data capturing

• High flexibility

Photovoltaic Systems

Laboratory description

Department of Energy TechnologyAalborg University, Denmarkwww.pv‐systems.et.aau.dk

PV Systems Laboratory (PON109‐23)


Teaching MSc projects

Research PhD projects Industrial projects

PV inverter tests



Residential Microgrid setupMain layout

5kW – 4h, 28V Flow‐Battery

+Island‐Grid Inverter

3kWElectronic AC load

1.5 kW Wind Turbine

+WindyBoy Inverter

1.9 kWp Solar Array + PV Inverter



Residential Microgrid setupSingle‐line diagram



Residential Microgrid setup

no maintenance 10,000+ deep cycles high efficiency

Storage ‐ Flow battery

nominal charging current x2 overloading ca. 300 USD/kWh



Standard tests for PV inverters:

Static MPPT efficiency (EN 50530)

Dynamic MPPT efficiency (EN 50530)

DC‐AC conversion efficiency(EN 50530)

Harmonic measurements(EN 61000)

Low voltage ride through capabilities

PV inverter test setup

4500W3350W2250W

1350W

1125W900W

450W

82.00

84.00

86.00

88.00

90.00

92.00

94.00

96.00

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Output power [W]

Effic

ienc

y [%

]

300V350V120V



Regatron TC.P.32 with linear post‐processing unit

PV inverter test setup: Technical description

Yokogawa WT3000 High Precision Power Analyzer

California Instruments MX‐30

Voltage accuracy: 0.01%

Power accuracy: 0.02%

Voltage range: 15V ‐ 1000 V

Current range: 500mA – 30A

4 Meas. Elements

Input line voltage: 3 x 360 – 440 V

Output power range: 0 – 32 kW

Output voltage range: 0 – 1000 V

Output current range: 0 – 40 A

Input line voltage: 400±10% V

Input line freq.: 47 – 63 Hz

Output power: 0 – 30 kVA

Output voltage: 150 ‐ 300 V

Output frequency: 16 ‐ 500 Hz



PV inverter test setup : PV SimulatorLive ViewerReal time measurements

Data CollectorCurve characteristics:

Applied standard

I‐V characteristic

User defined parameters

I‐V curve options

PV panel technology

Programming interface:Fully programmable interface (EN 50530)

Regatron software: SAS control



PV inverter test setup: Test types

AC/DC efficiency(EN50530)

Static MPPT (EN50530)

Dynamic MPPT (EN50530)

Power quality (EN 61000)

Protection (China Requirement)

Low Voltage Ride Through(EN 50160)-2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 160

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

X: 0Y: 0.03333

Time [s]

Power [kW]

X: 14.5Y: 17



Standard tests

• Module efficiency in STC• Efficiency map of PV modules

at various irradiance levels• Series resistance

measurement (EN 60891)• Shunt resistance measurement• Fill‐factor, MPP power

High performance Sun simulator: Spi‐Sun 5600SLP

• A+A+A+ class sun simulator• Very long light pulse duration (up to 120 ms)



Example specs: • 320 x 240 resolution• Spectral range 7.5 to 13 micron• Sensitivity 0.05°C @ +30°

BPMSX120 Array

Hotspots due to:• Partial shadows

(Web camera)• Mounting problems• Dirt on modules

Thermal Imaging using IR camera


SWIR InGaAs Sensor Quantum Efficiency

High sensitivity InGaAs Short‐Wave InfraRed (SWIR) camera

Specs: • 640x512 resolution• Spectral range 0.9 to 1.7 micron• 25 fps at full resolution

Standard tests

• Microcracks• Module uniformity• Faulty cells• Shunts



Multi crystalline Si panel in dark with 3A bias (Isc = 4A @STC)

Corner of cell chipped

Lower current close to the edge of cell

Weaker cell

Uneven current in cells (mismatch)

EL image pixel intensitydistribution

EL Imaging using SWIR (example)




Flash solar simulator ‐ Indoor module characterization

25, 50, 100 V voltage range 2, 4, 8, 16 A current range 1300 W/m2 irradiance (10 step adjustable) Matlab compatible export files Calculation of IV curve parameters

Measurement software

Matlab measurement processing



IV curve tracer– Outdoor array characterisation

1000V, 20A range RS232 PC connection CSV, Text Matlab compatible export files Extracted parameters

UPmax, IPmax, Pmax, UOC, ISC, FF, Tmod, Eeff PPk, Rs, Rp

Measurement software

Matlab measurement processing



PV array monitoring and diagnostic setup Solar irradiance Module and ambient temperature

Wind speed Fast sampling rate (5Hz) Real time monitoring and data visualization

Custom PV inverter laboratory system for design and implementation of control strategies, MPPT, diagnostic functions

Grid current control, DC link voltage control IV curve tracing capabilities CANOpen capable



PV array monitoring and diagnostic setupSystem diagram

1KW single phase PV inverter Grid inverter controller implemented in dSPACE 1103 system DC/DC boost controller implemented in TMS320F28335 Fully programmable in Matlab/Simulink + Code Composer Studio

description of photovoltaic systems laboratory

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