• 한국측량학회지
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• 제34권6호
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• pp.619-627
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• 2016

Cells of a PV (photovoltaic) module can suffer defects due to various causes resulting in a loss of power output. As a malfunctioning cell has a higher temperature than adjacent normal cells, it can be easily detected with a thermal infrared sensor. A conventional method of PV cell inspection is to use a hand-held infrared sensor for visual inspection. The main disadvantages of this method, when applied to a large-scale PV power plant, are that it is time-consuming and costly. This paper presents an algorithm for automatically detecting defective PV panels using images captured with a thermal imaging camera from an UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). The proposed algorithm uses statistical analysis of thermal intensity (surface temperature) characteristics of each PV module to verify the mean intensity and standard deviation of each panel as parameters for fault diagnosis. One of the characteristics of thermal infrared imaging is that the larger the distance between sensor and target, the lower the measured temperature of the object. Consequently, a global detection rule using the mean intensity of all panels in the fault detection algorithm is not applicable. Therefore, a local detection rule was applied to automatically detect defective panels using the mean intensity and standard deviation range of each panel by array. The performance of the proposed algorithm was tested on three sample images; this verified a detection accuracy of defective panels of 97% or higher. In addition, as the proposed algorithm can adjust the range of threshold values for judging malfunction at the array level, the local detection rule is considered better suited for highly sensitive fault detection compared to a global detection rule. In this study, we used a panel area extraction method that we previously developed; fault detection accuracy would be improved if panel area extraction from images was more precise. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm contributes to the development of a maintenance and repair system for large-scale PV power plants, in combination with a geo-referencing algorithm for accurate determination of panel locations using sensor-based orientation parameters and photogrammetry from ground control points.

• 대한기계학회논문집B
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• 제38권9호
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• pp.757-762
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• 2014

태양 열 전기 복합생산 시스템은 태양광을 이용한 전력생산과 더불어 열에너지를 동시에 생산하는 시스템이다. 본 연구에서는 태양 공기 열 전기 복합생산 단위모듈 실험 장치를 구현하여 실험하고 데이터 분석을 통한 표면온도에 대한 발전 효율증가와 열에너지 생산량을 제시한다. 실험은 기존의 태양광 방식과 공기열 복합생산 방식을 반복 수행하였다. 이 두 실험 데이터를 비교분석을 통하여 기존의 방식 대비 공기열 복합 생산 방식의 단위 표면온도에 대한 발전효율상승을 정량적으로 제시한다. 본 실험에서 공기열 태양 열 전기 복합 생산방식은 기존 태양광 대비 표면온도는 $13.52^{\circ}C$ 낮아졌고, 발전효율이 5.09% 상승하였다. 또한 공기열원 순환 시스템의 출입구 온도차이 $1^{\circ}C$당 $15.69W_t$의 열에너지를 생산한다. 따라서 본 논문에서는 실험적 데이터의 비교분석을 통한 결과로 공기열원 태양 열 전기 복합생산 시스템의 $0.34%/^{\circ}C$의 단위 표면온도당 발전 효율상승 수치를 제시한다.

• 에너지공학
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.26-32
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• 2012

본 연구에서는 PV(photovoltaic)모듈에서 경년에 따른 효율 저하의 원인을 분석하기 위해 셀 레벨에서의 열충격 시험을 수행하였다. 열충격 시험의 조건은 $-40^{\circ}C$에서 $85^{\circ}C$로 각각 15분씩 30분을 1사이클로 하였으며, 열충격 시험 500 사이클 동안 100 사이클 간격으로 EL분석 및 I-V분석을 수행하였다. 효율 감소율은 단결정 Bare Cell이 8%, Solar Cell이 9%였으며, 다결정 Bare Cell이 6%, Solar Cell이 13%의 감소율을 보였다. 열충격 시험 후 Solar Cell은 표면 손상으로 인한 효율저하를 확인할 수 있었다. Bare Cell의 경우 표면의 손상이 없었지만, 효율이 저하된 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 이는 Fill Factor 분석에 의해 경년 시 나타나는 누설전류에 의한 소모전력 증가로 효율 저하에 영향을 준 것으로 판단된다. 또한, Bare Cell보다 Solar Cell에서의 효율 감소율이 상대적으로 높게 나타난 결과는 표면 손상 및 소모 전력의 증가로 인해 Solar Cell 효율에 큰 영향을 미치는 것으로 판단된다. 향후 단면 분석법 및 다양한 조건의 시험 기법을 활용하여 PV모듈 뿐 아니라 Cell 레벨에서의 불규칙한 효율 및 Fill Factor의 감소 원인을 검토하고, Solar Cell에서의 효율 저하가 가속되는 원인에 대한 대책 방안 연구가 수행되어야 할 것이다.

• 한국태양에너지학회 논문집
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• 제30권5호
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• pp.56-62
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• 2010

The integration of PV modules into building facades or roof could raise their temperature that results in the reduction of PV system's electrical power generation. Hot air can be extracted from the space between PV modules and building envelope, and used for heating in buildings. PV/thermal collectors, or more generally known as PVT collectors, are devices that operate simultaneously to convert solar energy from the sun into two other useful energies, namely, electricity and heat. This paper compares the experimental performance of BIPVT((Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Thermal) collectors that applied on building roof and facade. There are four different cases: a roof-integrated PVT type and a facade-integrated PVT type, the base models with an air gap between the PV module and the surface, and the improved models for each types with aluminum fins attached to the PV modules. The accumulated thermal energy of the roof-integrated type was 15.8% higher than the facade-integrated regardless of fin attachment. The accumulated electrical energy of the roof-integrated type was 7.6% higher, compared to that of the facade-integrated. The efficiency differences among the collectors may be due to the fact that the pins absorbed heat from the PV module and emitted it to air layer.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.114-119
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• 2020

In this study, Mitigation of Potential-induced degradation (PID) for PERC solar cells using SiO2 Structure of ARC layer. The conventional PID test was conducted with a cell-level test based on the IEC-62804 test standard, but a copper PID test device was manufactured to increase the PID detection rate. The accelerated aging test was conducted by maintaining 96 hours with a potential difference of 1000 V at a temperature of 60℃. As a result, the PERC solar cell of SiO2-Free ARC structure decreased 22.11% compared to the initial efficiency, and the PERC solar cell of the Upper-SiO2 ARC structure decreased 30.78% of the initial efficiency and the PID reliability was not good. However, the PERC solar cell with the lower-SiO2 ARC structure reduced only 2.44%, effectively mitigating the degradation of PID. Na+ ions in the cover glass generate PID on the surface of the PERC solar cell. In order to prevent PID, the structure of SiNx and SiO2 thin films of the ARC layer is important. SiO2 thin film must be deposited on bottom of ARC layer and the surface of the PERC solar cell N-type emitter to prevent surface recombination and stacking fault defects of the PERC solar cell and mitigated PID degradation.

• 한국태양에너지학회 논문집
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.57-66
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• 2015

BIPV system not only produces electricity at building, but also acts as a material for building envelope. Thus, it can increase the economical efficiency of PV system by saving the cost for building materials. Bifacial solar cell can convert solar energy to electrical energy from both sides of the cell. In addition, it is designed as 3 busbar layout which is the same with ordinary mono-facial solar cells. Therefore, many of the module manufacturers can easily use the bifacial solar cells without changing their manufacturing equipments. Moreover, bifacial PV system has much potential in building application by utilizing glass-to-glass structure of PV module. However, the electrical generation of the bifacial PV module depends on the characteristics of the building surface which faces the module, as well as outdoor environment. Therefore, in order to apply the bifacial PV module to building envelope as BIPV system, its power generation characteristics are carefully evaluated. For this purpose this study focused on the electrical performance of the bifacial BIPV system through the comparative outdoor experiments. As a result, the power generation performance of the bifacial BIPV system was improved by up to 21% compared to that of the monofacial BIPV system. Therefore, it is claimed that the bifacial BIPV system can replace the conventional BIPV system to improve the PV power generation in buildings.

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국태양에너지학회 2012년도 춘계학술발표대회 논문집
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• pp.108-112
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• 2012

Crystalline silicon solar cell remains the major player in the photovoltaic marketplace with 90 % of the market, despite the development of a variety of thin film technologies. Silicon's excellent efficiency, stability, material abundance and low toxicity have helped to maintain its position of dominance. However, the cost of silicon photovoltaic remains a major barrier to reducing the cost of silicon photovoltaics. Using the crystalline silicon wafer with thinner thickness is the promising way for cost and material reduction in the solar cell production. However, the thinner thickness of silicon wafer is, the worse bow phenomenon is induced. The bow phenomenon is observed when two or more layers of materials of different temperature expansion coefficiencies are in contact, in this case silicon and aluminum. In this paper, the solar cells were fabricated with different thicknesses of Al layer in order to reduce the bow phenomenon. With lower paste applications, we observed that the bow could be reduced by up to 40% of the largest value with 130 micron thickness of the wafer even though the conversion efficiency decrease of 0.5 % occurred. Since the bowed wafers lead to unacceptable yield losses during the module construction, the reduction of bow is indispensable on thin crystalline silicon solar cell. In this work, we have studied on the counterbalance between the bow and conversion efficiency and also suggest the formation of enough back surface field (BSF) with thinner Al paste application.

• 한국태양에너지학회 논문집
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• 제32권spc3호
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• pp.194-198
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• 2012

Crystalline silicon solar cell remains the major player in the photovoltaic marketplace with 80% of the market, despite the development of various thin film technologies. Silicon's excellent efficiency, stability, material abundance and low toxicity have helped to maintain its position of dominance. However, the cost of silicon materials remains a major barrier to reducing the cost of silicon photovoltaics. Using the crystalline silicon wafer with thinner thickness is the promising way for cost and material reduction in the solar cell production. However, the thinner the silicon wafer is, the worse bow phenomenon is induced. The bow phenomenon is observed when two or more layers of materials with different temperature expansion coefficiencies are in contact, in this case silicon and aluminum. In this paper, the solar cells were fabricated with different thicknesses of Al layer in order to reduce the bow phenomenon. With less amount of paste applications, we observed that the bow could be reduced by up to 40% of the largest value with 120 micron thickness of the wafer even though the conversion efficiency decrease by 0.5% occurred. Since the bowed wafers lead to unacceptable yield losses during the module construction, the reduction of bow is indispensable on thin crystalline silicon solar cell. In this work, we have studied on the counterbalance between the bow and conversion efficiency and also suggest the formation of enough back surface field (BSF) with thinner Al layer application.

• 자원리싸이클링
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.45-53
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• 2011

본 연구에서는 다양한 방법들을 이용하여 태양전지 폐 모듈로부터 태양전지의 주요 구성요소인 실리콘과 강화유리를 회수하는 연구를 수행하였다. 강화유리는 유기용매를 사용하여 회수하였고, EVA수지는 열처리를 통하여 완전히 제거하였다. 실리콘은 계면 활성제를 첨가한 혼산용액을 이용하여 표면물질을 제거하고 회수하였다. 90%이상의 높은 실리콘 회수율을 얻었다. 본 연구에 의하여 얻어진 강화유리와 실리콘은 태양전지 모듈의 원료로 재활용되어 실리콘 공급부족 문제해결, 태양전지 제조원가 및 폐기물 처리비용 절감에 기여할 것으로 기대된다.

• 대한전기학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전기학회 2009년도 춘계학술대회 논문집 전기설비전문위원
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• pp.43-45
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• 2009

In case of favourable irradiation conditions, the ratio of irradiation to the total irradiation went up and then the irradiation increased in the area with high angle of inclination. The study showed that on a clear day with the irradiation of more than 80$[W/m^2]$, the pattern of alternating current power change in the fixed system was similar with that in the single-axis tracker. On the contrary, in case of unfavourable irradiation conditions, the ratio of diffuse irradiation to the total irradiation went up and then the horizontal irradiation increased. In the demo system, the fixed system, the single-axis tracker and the dual-axis tracker all had low generation power and similar generation pattern with each other. The study showed the generation power varied with the irradiation in the fixed system, while in the single-axis tracker and the dual-axis tracker, the amount of the generation Power variation was much more than the irradiation variation. The demo system was operated from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM for generating power, during which time, 46[%] to 56[%] of the total generation power was produced. In this study, the generation power was increased by 147[%] in the fixed system, by 136[%] in the single-axis tracker, and by 164[%] in the dual-axis tracker, and the pattern of generation power was similar with the generation power variation in the situation where the irradiation increased by 140[%] in the spring with plenty of insolation. The alternating current power was more sensitive to variation of the irradiation than to that of the surface temperature of a module. The variation of the irradiation had a more positive effect on the generation power than the type of array.