Method and apparatus for detecting discontinuitues in a solar array
OwnerDouglas J. Wirsing, Michael J. Lesniak +1inventors
InventorsDouglas J. Wirsing, Michael J. Lesniak, John T. Horwath
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Abstract
A method of detecting a discontinuity in: a solar array (10) comprising: locating a detecting device (200) in one or more working positions (56) along the solar array: inducing a signal (80) by applying a plurality of flashes of light to a solar module in the solar array: measuring (64) the signal at two different locations along the solar array; comparing the signals measured at two different locations to each other, and outputting (62) a result of the comparing step.
Claims19
A method of detecting a discontinuity in a solar array comprised of a plurality of solar modules, the method comprising:
- a. locating a detecting device in one or more working positions along the solar array;
- b. inducing a signal by applying a plurality of flashes of light, which turn on and off at a desired frequency, to a solar module in the solar array;
- c. measuring the signal at a first location on the solar array with the detecting device;
- d. measuring the signal at a second location on the solar array with the detecting device
- e. comparing the signals measured at the first location to the second location;
- outputting a result of the comparing step;
- and
- f. moving the detecting device to one or more second working positions on the solar array and repeating steps (c) through (f).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.