New Technique Can Help Detect Micro Cracks in Solar Panels

New Technique Can Help Detect Micro Cracks in Solar Panels

  • Research Stash
  • News
  • 1.9K

A team of researchers has developed a new technique that promises to help detect micro cracks in solar panels more effectively. It makes use of recent developments in internet-aided monitoring of remote systems and fuzzy logic.

Electro-Luminescence image of Solar Panel with highlighted cracks
Electro-Luminescence image of Solar Panel with highlighted cracks

Cracks can develop in a solar panel at different stages, right from the time of manufacturing to their installation and operation. The most critical stage is when they are in use. The panels can get damaged easily as they have to be kept under different climatic conditions. Problems arise mainly when small cracks develop in cells leading to fluctuations in power output. Identifying such cracks is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Maintenance agencies employ several tools and techniques to identify cracks but there is no foolproof method available. The new technique developed by researchers at the Department of Electronics Engineering at J.C.Bose University of Science and Technology, Faridabad, promises to make the task more efficient.

The performance of solar panels is monitored using current sensors and other tools connected through an internet-assisted network, from a control room. When there is a dip in production, it may be due to cracks in the panels. In such a situation, images of suspected panels are taken with specialized silicon-cooled CCD cameras and these images are enhanced using fuzzy logic to identify cracks.

Micro-cracks in the solar cells can affect the total power output of the solar module as cells with cracks get disconnected from other cells. The reported losses due to crack defects range from 5 to 10 percent during manufacturing. These cracks result in an overall increase in production costs also.

“The key element of the strategy is the use of fuzzy logic.  So far no one has used this approach for identifying cracked photovoltaic modules under real-time operational process. We have found that it helps achieve a more efficient identification of the cracks,” explained Rashmi Chawla, lead researcher, while speaking to India Science Wire.

Besides her, the study team included Poonam Singal and Amit Kumar Garg. The research findings have been published by journal 3D Research.

Sunderarajan Padmanabhan

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for the latest Science & Tech news. You can also find us on Twitter & Facebook.

Rate

The performance of solar panels is monitored using current sensors and other tools connected through an internet-assisted network, from a control room. When there is a dip in production, it may be due to cracks in the panels. In such a situation, images of suspected panels are taken with specialized silicon-cooled CCD cameras and these images are enhanced using fuzzy logic to identify cracks.

Micro-cracks in the solar cells can affect the total power output of the solar module as cells with cracks get disconnected from other cells. The reported losses due to crack defects range from 5 to 10 percent during manufacturing. These cracks result in an overall increase in production costs also.

“The key element of the strategy is the use of fuzzy logic.  So far no one has used this approach for identifying cracked photovoltaic modules under real-time operational process. We have found that it helps achieve a more efficient identification of the cracks,” explained Rashmi Chawla, lead researcher, while speaking to India Science Wire.

Besides her, the study team included Poonam Singal and Amit Kumar Garg. The research findings have been published by journal 3D Research.

Sunderarajan Padmanabhan

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for the latest Science & Tech news. You can also find us on Twitter & Facebook.

" }
Popular Rice Variety Gets Extra Gene Power to Fight Bacterial Attacks

Popular Rice Variety Gets Extra Gene Power to Fight Bacterial Attacks

Researchers at the Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Rice Research have developed a new variety of the popular Improved Samba Mahsuri (ISM) rice that can resist bacterial blight disease.

  • News
  • 2.1K
Read more
New Nanocomposite for Flexible Electronic Devices in The Offing

New Nanocomposite for Flexible Devices in The Offing

Researchers from Chennai based SRM Institute of Science and Technology have demonstrated the electronic properties of a nanocomposite made from graphene and Polyvinylidene Fluoride

  • News
  • 1.5K
Read more

Kargil Fossil Unravels Climatic Conditions of Early Himalayas

A new study by researchers from Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences and the Geological Survey of India has indicated that the climate may have been warm and humid when the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates began to collide leading to the formation of the Himalayas.

  • News
  • 1.9K
Read more

Internet is huge! Help us find great content

Newsletter

Never miss a thing! Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated.

About

Research Stash is a curated collection of tools and News for S.T.E.M researchers

Have any questions or want to partner with us? Reach us at hello@researchstash.com

Navigation

Submit