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US 9,312,806 B2Granted
Electrical test apparatus for a photovoltaic component
AssigneeFirst Solar, Inc.
InventorsPat Buehler, David Kahle, Matthew J. Mattin, Kevin Niebel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to electrical test apparatuses for photovoltaic modules and methods of testing photovoltaic modules.
Claims21
An electrical wet test apparatus for photovoltaic modules, comprising:
- an enclosure configured to hold a photovoltaic module in a liquid solution;
- the enclosure having a support surface for supporting the photovoltaic module such that it is submerged in the liquid solution;
- a lid attached to the enclosure for closing the enclosure during a testing operation on the photovoltaic module;
- a leakage current sensor including an electrode positioned within the enclosure, the leakage current sensor being connected to a computer;
- a conductivity sensor positioned within the enclosure and connected to the computer;
- a temperature sensor positioned within the enclosure and connected to the computer;
- a temperature control system, including a heating/cooling member positioned within the enclosure so as to be submerged in the liquid solution within the enclosure, the temperature control system being connected to the computer;
- and
- a power source for supplying a voltage to an electrical lead of the photovoltaic module, when in the solution,
- wherein the computer administers a wet test of the photovoltaic module using data acquired from the leakage current sensor, the conductivity sensor and the temperature sensor.
7 more elements
A method of wet testing a photovoltaic module, comprising:
- connecting a conductor within a photovoltaic module to a power source;
- submersing the photovoltaic module in a liquid solution contained in an electrical wet test apparatus comprising:
- an enclosure having a support surface for supporting the photovoltaic module submersed in the liquid solution;
- a lid attached to the enclosure for closing the enclosure during an electrical wet test of the photovoltaic module;
- a leakage current sensor including an electrode positioned within the enclosure, the leakage current sensor being connected to a computer, wherein the leakage current sensor measures leakage current between a photovoltaic module within the enclosure and an electrical ground within the enclosure;
- a conductivity sensor positioned within the enclosure and connected to the computer, wherein the conductivity sensor measures conductivity of a liquid solution within the enclosure;
- a temperature sensor positioned within the enclosure and connected to the computer, wherein the temperature sensor measures temperature of the liquid solution;
- and
- a temperature control system, including a heating/cooling member positioned within the enclosure, wherein the enclosure is configured to hold the liquid solution and photovoltaic module, the heating/cooling member positioned within the enclosure so as to be submerged in the liquid solution within the enclosure;
- setting a target solution temperature within a graphical user interface associated with the computer;
- applying high voltage from the power source to the conductor within the photovoltaic module;
- and
- storing leakage current data in a database.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.