JP5801699B2 - Solar power plant - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a solar power generation apparatus in which a bypass diode is connected to a solar cell module or a solar cell cluster constituting the solar cell module.

  In general, a solar power generation device is composed of a solar cell array and a power conditioner, and the power conditioner converts the generated power from the solar cell array into power (for example, DC / AC conversion) to generate a commercial system or the like. Output to the power system.

  The solar cell array includes a plurality of solar cell strings in which a plurality of solar cell modules are connected in series, and the desired power can be generated by connecting the solar cell strings in parallel.

  Moreover, the solar cell module is comprised by connecting many solar cells in series, and what divided the many solar cells into the solar cell cluster into plurality is also known.

  The solar cell module bypasses the solar cell module or solar cell cluster when the entire solar cell module or a part of the plurality of solar cell clusters cannot output desired generated power due to failure or shade. A bypass diode that forms a path is provided (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  That is, the bypass diode is connected in parallel to each of the plurality of solar cell modules or the plurality of solar cell clusters, and when the power generation output from the parallel connected solar cell modules or solar cell clusters decreases, the solar cell string The output of the generated power from the solar cell string is continued by causing a current to flow in the forward direction at a voltage applied from another solar cell module or another solar cell cluster to be configured.

JP 2007-88195 A (see FIG. 2, paragraph 0029, etc.)

  According to the conventional solar power generation device, when one of the solar cell modules or solar cell clusters fails and cannot generate power, the output of the generated power from the solar cell string can be continued. There is a problem that it takes time to detect a failure of a solar cell module or a solar cell cluster and specify the failed solar cell module or solar cell cluster.

  That is, when one of the solar cell modules or the solar cell cluster constituting the solar cell module fails and a bypass path is formed by the bypass diode, the generated power from the solar cell string is reduced.

  For this reason, according to the conventional solar power generation device, any abnormality in the solar cell string is detected by, for example, monitoring the output voltage and current from the solar cell string on the power conditioner side. can do.

However, in order to identify the abnormal location, it is necessary to measure the output voltage and current for each solar cell module or each solar cell cluster.
For this reason, in the said conventional solar power generation device, when abnormality arises in the solar cell module which comprises a solar cell string, or the solar cell cluster which comprises a solar cell module, it takes time to identify the abnormal location. It is.

  The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and in a solar power generation apparatus in which a bypass diode is connected to a solar cell module or a solar cell cluster, a user detects an abnormality in the solar cell module or the solar cell cluster. The purpose is to make it possible to easily identify the abnormal part.

  According to the solar power generation device according to claim 1, which is made to achieve the above object, each of the plurality of solar cell modules constituting the solar cell string or the plurality of solar cell clusters constituting each solar cell module. Every time, a bypass diode is provided that forms a bypass path when the generated power from the solar cell module or solar cell cluster decreases.

Each bypass diode is provided with notifying means for detecting and notifying the energized state.
Therefore, according to the solar power generation device of the present invention, the user can detect the solar cell module or the solar cell cluster that has become unable to generate power due to a failure or shade by the notification output from the notification means, and at that time A failed solar cell module or solar cell cluster can be easily identified from the date and time, weather, and the like.

Further, the notification means is connected in parallel to the bypass diode when the bypass diode is energized, comprising a detection diode for flowing the current to the bypass diode in the same direction, the current flowing through the sensing diode, the bypass diode Notify the energized state.

For this reason, an alerting | reporting means can be comprised separately from the solar cell module (or solar cell cluster) provided with the bypass diode.
Therefore, according to the solar power generation device of the present invention , the notification unit is configured as a module that can be externally attached to the solar cell module (or solar cell cluster), and the module is not provided with the conventional solar unit. By incorporating it into a photovoltaic device, the present invention can be easily applied to a conventional photovoltaic device.

Here, the notification means includes a light emitting element such as an LED that is turned on by an energization current to the detection diode as described in claim 2, and notifies the energization state of the bypass diode by turning on the light emitting element. You may comprise.
If the notification means is configured in this way, the user can visually detect that the solar cell module or solar cell cluster is not generating power normally, and can detect an abnormal state more quickly. It becomes.
Further, as described in claim 3, the notification means includes a signal generator instead of the light emitting element (or separately from the light emitting element), and when the bypass diode is energized (in other words, in the bypass path). It may be configured to transmit a detection signal indicating that at the time of formation) .

  In this case, the user detects the energized state of the bypass diode at a position away from the solar cell module by monitoring the reception state of the detection signal by the receiving device, and the failed solar cell module (or solar cell) Cluster) can be identified.

Further, in this case, if the reception device side is configured to sequentially store the reception state of the detection signal in the storage medium, the user can store the detection signal even at night when the power generation function of the solar power generation device is stopped. Based on the data stored in the medium, the failed solar cell module (or solar cell cluster) can be identified.
The detection signal may be transmitted to the receiving device together with information indicating the position of the bypass diode.

  On the other hand, in the solar power generation device of the present invention (Claim 1 to Claim 3), as described in Claim 4, for each of the solar cell modules or solar cell clusters to which the bypass diodes are respectively connected in parallel, You may make it provide the switch which interrupts | blocks the connection with the generated electric power output path | route of a solar cell string, and forms a bypass path | route with a bypass diode.

  And by doing this, by selectively turning off some of the plurality of switches provided for each solar cell module or for each solar cell cluster, the solar cell module or solar cell cluster corresponding to the switch, The bypass diode can be forcibly brought into an energized state by removing it from the generated power output path of the solar cell string.

  If the bypass diode is energized in this way, the notification means corresponding to the bypass diode notifies that fact, but if there is an abnormality in the bypass diode or the notification means, the notification means switches the switch operation. Thus, the energization state of the bypass diode switched to the energization state is not notified.

  Therefore, the user can check whether the bypass diode and the notification unit operate normally by selectively turning off the switch.

It is a block diagram showing the circuit structure of the solar cell module of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing showing the external appearance of the junction box of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing showing the electric current path | route when a part of solar cell module of FIG. 1 fails. It is a block diagram showing the circuit structure of the solar cell module of 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing showing the external appearance of the junction box of 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing showing the state of the switch turned on and off by operation of the operation button provided in the junction box of FIG. 2, and an electric current path | route. It is a block diagram showing the circuit structure of the solar power generation device of 3rd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing showing the external appearance of the junction box and state detection apparatus of 3rd Embodiment. It is a block diagram showing the circuit structure of the solar power generation device of a modification.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
The solar power generation device according to the first embodiment includes a solar cell string configured by connecting a plurality of solar cell modules (hereinafter also simply referred to as PV modules) 2 shown in FIG. 1 in series.

  Each of the plurality of PV modules 2 includes a plurality (three in the figure) of solar battery clusters (hereinafter simply referred to as clusters) each having a predetermined number of solar battery cells (hereinafter also simply referred to as battery cells) 4 connected in series. (Also referred to as “11”, “12”, “13”). These clusters 11 to 13 are connected in series.

In the PV module 2, bypass diodes 21 to 23 are connected in parallel to the clusters 11 to 13, respectively.
The bypass diodes 21 to 23 are configured such that when the generated power from the clusters 11 to 13 connected in parallel decreases, and the applied voltage from other adjacent clusters or other PV modules 2 reaches a predetermined forward voltage. In addition, by passing a current in the forward direction, a bypass path for the clusters 11 to 13 connected in parallel is formed.

  For this reason, when the clusters 11 to 13 fail or when the clusters 11 to 13 are in the shade and the power generated by the clusters 11 to 13 is reduced, it is adjacent via the bypass path formed by the bypass diodes 21 to 23. The other clusters 11 to 13 or other PV modules 2 to be connected can be connected, and the generated power from these parts can be combined and output from the solar cell string to a power conditioner (not shown).

  Further, in the present embodiment, each of the bypass diodes 21 to 23 is shunted by the resistors R11 and R12, the resistors R21 and R22, or the resistors R31 and R32, respectively. Circuits for lighting light emitting diodes (hereinafter simply referred to as LEDs) 31, 32, 33 connected in series to one of the shunt resistors (resistors R12, R22, R32) are connected in series.

  In this circuit, when a bypass path is formed by the bypass diodes 21 to 23 and the bypass diodes 21 to 23 are energized, the corresponding LEDs 31 to 33 are turned on so that the bypass diodes 21 to 23 can bypass the bypass path. Is formed (in other words, the generated power from the clusters 11 to 13 corresponding to the bypass diodes 21 to 23 is reduced), and the present invention (particularly claim 2). This corresponds to the notification means described in.

  And the circuit (specifically, resistors R11, R12 and LED31, resistors R21, R22 and LED32, resistors R31, R32 and LED33) as the notification means are connected to the PV module 2 together with the bypass diodes 21, 22, and 23, respectively. It is housed in a junction box 6 provided on the back surface (surface opposite to the sunlight receiving surface).

  In addition, the LEDs 31 to 33 are fixed to the junction box 6 so that the light emitting portions are exposed to the outside so that the lighting states of the LEDs 31 to 33 corresponding to the clusters 11 to 13 can be confirmed from the outside. (See FIG. 2).

  According to the solar power generation device of the present embodiment configured as described above, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, when the cluster 11 cannot generate power normally and the corresponding bypass diode 21 is energized, the bypass The LED 31 provided for the diode 21 is lit.

Therefore, the user can quickly detect the cluster 11 that is unable to generate power normally by turning on the LED 31, and whether the malfunction of the cluster 11 is due to the shade from the date and time or the weather at that time, By determining whether the failure is caused by the failure of the cluster 11 itself, the failed cluster 11 can be easily identified.
[Second Embodiment]
Next, FIG. 4 shows a circuit configuration of the PV module 2 of the second embodiment.

The PV module 2 of the present embodiment is basically configured in the same manner as that of the first embodiment, and is different from the first embodiment in the following two points.
(1) Resistors R11, R12 and LED31, resistors R21, R22 and LED32, resistors R31, R32 and LED33 provided in the PV module 2 and the four portions which are the connecting portions of the clusters 11, 12, 13 The point which provided switch SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4 for connecting and interrupting the connection path.
(2) A switching circuit 40 that switches the on / off state of these four switches SW1 to SW4 in three stages according to the pressed state of the three operation buttons 41 to 43 (see FIG. 5) provided in the junction box 6. Points provided.

  This switching circuit 40 sets all the switches SW1 to SW4 to the ON state at normal times when the operation buttons 41 to 43 are not operated (pressed), and thus generates power from the clusters 11 to 13 as in the first embodiment. The energization state of the bypass diode 21 caused by the power reduction can be confirmed from the lighting states of the LEDs 31 to 33.

  When any one of the operation buttons 41 to 43 is pressed, the switching circuit 40 has an on / off pattern corresponding to the pressed operation buttons 41 to 43 as shown in FIGS. By setting the on / off states of the switches SW1 to SW4, the preset bypass diodes 21 to 23 are energized.

  That is, as illustrated in FIG. 6A, when the operation button 41 is pressed, the switching circuit 40 switches the switch SW1 to an off state and switches SW2, SW3, and SW4 to an on state. 11 is disconnected from the generated power output path in the PV module 2 and the bypass diode 21 is forcibly energized, and whether or not the bypass path by the bypass diode 21 is normal depending on whether or not the LED 31 is lit at that time. To be able to judge.

  As illustrated in FIG. 6B, when the operation button 42 is pressed, the switching circuit 40 switches the switches SW1, SW2, and SW3 to the on state and switches SW4 to the off state. 13 is disconnected from the generated power output path in the PV module 2 and the bypass diode 23 is forcibly energized, and whether or not the bypass path by the bypass diode 23 is normal depending on whether or not the LED 33 is lit at that time. To be able to judge.

  In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 6C, when the operation button 43 is pressed, the switching circuit 40 turns off all the switches SW1 to SW4 to change the clusters 11 to 13 to PV. Bypassing the generated power output path in the module 2 and forcibly putting the bypass diode 23 into the energized state, the bypass path formed by the bypass diodes 21 to 23 depends on whether all the LEDs 31 to 33 are lit at that time. It is possible to determine whether or not is normal.

Therefore, according to the PV module 2 of the present embodiment, the user presses the operation buttons 41 to 42 provided in the junction box 6 in order and confirms the lighting states of the LEDs 31 to 33, thereby bypassing the bypass diode 21. It is possible to sequentially check whether the bypass path formed by the above, the bypass path formed by the bypass diode 23, and the bypass path formed by the bypass diode 22 are normal.
[Third Embodiment]
Next, FIG. 7 represents the structure of the solar power generation device of 3rd Embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the solar power generation device of this embodiment is a solar cell including a power generation unit 52 in which a large number of solar cells are connected in series, and a bypass diode 54 connected in parallel to the power generation unit 52. A plurality (three in the figure) of modules (PV modules) 60 are provided, these PV modules 60 are connected in series, and both ends thereof are connected to a power conditioner (hereinafter also simply referred to as PCS). ing.

  And in each PV module 60, in order to detect that the generated power from the power generation unit 52 in each PV module 60 is reduced and a forward current flows to the bypass diode 54, thereby forming a bypass path. These detection devices 70 are connected in parallel.

  The detection device 70 includes a detection diode 72 that causes a current to flow in the same direction as the forward current by a voltage generated at both ends of the PV module 60 when a forward current flows through the bypass diode 54, and the detection diode 72. Resistors 74 and 76 that shunt the current flowing through the light-emitting diode, and a light-emitting diode (LED) 78 connected in series to one of the shunt resistors (resistor 76).

  Further, the detection device 70 is configured separately from the PV module 60. As shown in FIG. 8, the detection device 70 is pulled out from the junction box 66 in which the bypass diode 54 is housed on the back surface of the PV module 60. The PV module 60 is attached to a power line forming a generated power output path of a solar cell string.

  According to the solar power generation device of the present embodiment configured as described above, it is detected that the bypass diode 54 in the PV module 60 is energized using the detection device 70 attached to the PV module 60. Then, by turning on the LED 78 in the detection device 70, it can be notified.

  Moreover, since the detection apparatus 70 is comprised separately from the PV module 60 and can be externally attached to the PV module 60, it can be attached to a conventional solar power generation apparatus that does not include the detection apparatus 70. The application range of the present invention can be expanded.

In the present embodiment, the detection device 70 corresponds to the notification means of the present invention (particularly claim 3).
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various aspect can be taken in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.
[Modification]
For example, in the above embodiment, the notification means turns on the LEDs 31 to 33 (or 78) when the bypass diodes 21 to 23 (or 54) provided in the PV module 2 (or 60) are energized. However, instead of the LEDs 31 to 33 (or 78) (or separately from the LEDs 31 to 33 (or 78)), a signal generating means is provided, and the bypass diodes 21 to 23 (or 54) are described. ) Is energized, a detection signal indicating that may be transmitted from the signal generator.

  That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, a signal generator 80 connected in series to the bypass diode 54 is provided in the detection device 70 shown in FIG. 7, and the signal generator 80 is operated by the current flowing through the bypass diode 54. Thus, the signal generator 80 wirelessly transmits identification information for specifying the bypass diode 54 in the energized state to the receiver 90 provided around the photovoltaic power generation device as an abnormality detection signal. Configure.

  And if comprised in this way, by outputting the abnormality detection signal which the receiver 90 received to the monitoring apparatus 92 which monitors the operation state of a solar power generation device, the bypass diode 54 will energize on the monitoring apparatus 92 side. It becomes possible to detect whether the PV module 60 (or the solar cell cluster in the PV module 60) is in a state and detect whether the PV module 60 (or the solar cell cluster) has failed.

In FIG. 9, the monitoring device 92 is composed of a microcomputer centered on a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like.
In the monitoring device 92, when the abnormality detection signal transmitted from the signal generator 80 in the detection device 70 is acquired via the receiver 90 by the bypass diode monitoring processing executed by the microcomputer, the abnormality detection is performed. From the identification information included in the signal, the PV module 60 (or solar cell cluster) provided with the bypass diode 54 in the energized state is specified and stored in a predetermined storage medium (memo, hard disk, etc.) together with the abnormality detection time. Remember.

  Further, when determining whether or not the PV module 60 (or solar battery cluster) stored in the storage medium has actually failed, from the past history stored in the storage medium, for example, the following point a) To e) and the possibility of failure may be determined from the determination result.

a) If the bypass diode 54 is always energized in the same time zone, it is not a malfunction.
b) If the bypass diode 54 is energized in a different time zone, there is a possibility of failure.

c) When the bypass diode 54 is energized for a short time, the possibility of failure is low.
d) If the bypass diode 54 is energized for a long time, the possibility of failure is high.

e) When the bypass diode 54 in the adjacent PV module 60 (or solar cell cluster) is not in the energized state, the possibility of failure is high.
This determination may be made automatically by processing of a microcomputer in the monitoring device 92, or may be determined by the user himself.

  In FIG. 9, the signal generator 80 has been described as wirelessly transmitting an abnormality detection signal to the receiver 90. However, the abnormality detection signal is transmitted to the monitoring device using the generated power output path of the solar cell string. You may do it.

  Next, the notification circuit including the detection diode 72 shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 has been described as being configured as a detection device 70 separate from the PV module 2, but the notification in the detection device 70 is performed. Such a circuit may be provided in the PV module 2.

  2 ... PV module, 4 ... battery cell, 6 ... junction box, 11-13 ... cluster, 21-23 ... bypass diode, 31-33 ... LED, R11, R12, R21, R22, R31, R32 ... resistor, SW1 SW4 ... switch, 40 ... switching circuit, 41-43 ... operation button, 52 ... power generation unit, 54 ... bypass diode, 60 ... PV module, 66 ... junction box, 70 ... detection device, 72 ... detection diode, 74, 76 ... resistor, 78 ... LED, 80 ... signal generator, 90 ... receiver, 92 ... monitoring device.

Claims (4)

A solar power generation device including a solar cell string formed by connecting a plurality of solar cell modules in series,
Each solar cell module or a plurality of solar cell clusters constituting each solar cell module are connected in parallel, and when the generated power from the solar cell module or the solar cell cluster is reduced, a bypass path is provided. A plurality of bypass diodes to be formed;
Informing means for detecting and notifying the energization state of each bypass diode;
With
The informing means includes a detection diode that is connected in parallel to the bypass diode, and causes a current to flow in the same direction as the bypass diode when the bypass diode is in an energized state. A photovoltaic power generation apparatus that reports an energization state of a bypass diode . The solar power generation device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit includes a light emitting element that is turned on by an energization current to the detection diode . The notification means, a signal generator, wherein the bypass diode by current supplied to the detecting diode transmits a detection signal indicating that an energized state, to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising the The solar power generation device described.   The solar cell module or solar cell cluster in which the plurality of bypass diodes are connected in parallel is disconnected from the generated power output path of the solar cell string, and the bypass diode is formed by the bypass diode. The switch is provided, The solar power generation device of any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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