JP6517836B2 - Solar cell equipment for water - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a solar cell apparatus for water.

  With the increasing momentum of environmental protection in recent years, the spread of solar cell devices with less environmental impact is progressing. One of the types of solar cell devices is a solar cell device for water installed on water.

  The solar cell apparatus for water has a structure in which a solar cell module is mounted on a floating body. Such a solar cell apparatus for water is attracting attention because it can be installed on the water such as a dam lake or a pond where a large site can be easily secured. In the solar cell apparatus for water, for example, stability against the influence of wind or the like is required. For this reason, for example, a solar cell apparatus for water is proposed which reduces the height exposed from the water surface by adjusting the buoyancy of the floating body arbitrarily and reduces the influence of wind (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-118925). reference).

  In the above-described solar cell apparatus for water, the position of the waterline is changed by controlling the amount of air fed into the space located below the waterline of the floating body. Therefore, in such a solar cell apparatus for water, an apparatus such as an air pump for controlling the amount of air is essential. However, a device such as an air pump generally requires frequent maintenance because it has many components.

  One object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell apparatus for water, which can improve stability against wind and the like with a simple structure and can reduce the frequency of maintenance.

A solar cell apparatus for water according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a solar cell module and a floating body on which the solar cell module is disposed, the floating body having an upper surface on which the solar cell module is disposed, and the upper surface A lower surface located on the back side of the water supply and in contact with water and depressed toward the upper surface side, and a through portion having a first opening opening at the upper surface and a second opening opening at the lower surface A hollow portion not connected to the through portion and a first opening portion closed to allow passage of a gas moving in the through portion from the lower surface side toward the upper surface, and from the upper surface side And a check valve that prevents the passage of gas moving in the through portion toward the lower surface side.

  In the present embodiment, the stability against wind or the like can be enhanced with a simple structure, and the frequency of maintenance can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining a solar cell apparatus for water according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 (a) is a perspective view, FIG. 1 (b) is a side view, and FIG. 1 (c) is a front view It is. FIG. 2 is a view for explaining the solar cell apparatus for water according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 (a) shows the solar cell apparatus for water floating on the water surface P; FIG. 2B is an end view showing a state of being cut along a line BB 'in FIG. 1A. FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the solar cell module in the solar cell apparatus for water on one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 (a) is a plan view seen from the light receiving surface side, and FIG. 3 (b) is a view It is an end elevation which shows a mode that 3 (a) was cut | disconnected by CC 'line | wire. FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the solar cell apparatus for water according to the embodiment of the present invention, and is a model view showing how the draft becomes shallow when air enters the recess of the floating body. FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the solar cell apparatus for water according to the embodiment of the present invention, and is a model diagram showing a state when an external force is applied to lift the solar cell apparatus for water. FIG. 6 is an end view corresponding to FIG. 2 (b) for explaining a solar cell apparatus for water according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 (a) is a solar cell apparatus for water on the water surface 6 (b) is an end view showing the solar cell apparatus on water restored from the state shown in FIG. 6 (a) to the original state. FIG. 7 is a view for explaining a solar cell apparatus for water according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 (a) is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 1 (a), and FIG. 7 (b) is It is an end elevation which shows a mode cut | disconnected by the DD 'line | wire of FIG. 7 (a), and FIG.7 (c) is a side view of a connection member. FIG. 8 is a view for explaining a solar cell apparatus for water according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which two solar cell apparatuses for water shown in FIG. 7A are connected by a connecting member. It is an end elevation seen from the end face equivalent to 7 (b).

  Hereinafter, a solar cell apparatus 1 for water according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The drawings are schematically shown. In the following description, a direction along one side parallel to the water surface P of the solar cell module 2 constituting the water-based solar cell device 1 is taken as an X-axis direction, a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and parallel to the water surface P Description will be made using a left-handed coordinate axis, which is taken as a Y-axis direction and a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction as a Z-axis direction. The Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction. Further, of the Z-axis directions, the direction against gravity is + Z-axis direction or up, and the direction according to gravity is -Z-axis direction or down. Moreover, the lower part of the solar cell module 2 installed by being inclined is called lower end side, and upper part is called upper end side.

<< First Embodiment >>
As shown to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the solar cell apparatus 1 for waters is provided with the solar cell module 2 and the floating body 3 which attaches the solar cell module 2. As shown in FIG. The solar cell apparatus 1 for water is installed by floating the floating body 3 on the water surface P. Next, the configuration of the solar cell apparatus 1 for water will be described in detail.

<Floating body>
The floating body 3 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped provided with a recess and a protrusion. The floating body 3 has a hollow portion 3a inside. The floating body 3 has an upper surface 3 b and a lower surface 3 c located on the back side of the upper surface 3 b. The solar cell module 2 is disposed on the upper surface 3 b. In the upper surface portion 3b, a first convex portion 3d is provided at one end of the upper surface 3b, and a second convex portion 3e higher in the + Z axial direction than the first convex portion 3d is provided at the other end of the upper surface 3b. ing. Thereby, the solar cell module 2 is disposed on the upper surface 3 b of the floating body 3 so as to be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The first convex portion 3 d supports the lower end side 2 a of the solar cell module 2, and the second convex portion 3 e supports the upper end side 2 b of the solar cell module 2. Further, the upper surface 3 b is separated from the solar cell module 2 by a first upper surface 3 b 1 including the upper surface of the first convex portion 3 d and the second convex portion 3 e on which the solar cell module 2 is disposed. A portion located on the lower surface 3c side has a second upper surface 3b2.

  The lower surface 3c of the floating body 3 is in contact with water and is recessed toward the upper surface 3b. Thus, the lower surface 3c has the recess 3c1. Further, the floating body 3 has a first opening 3g opened to the second upper surface 3b2 and a second opening 3h opened on the back side (bottom surface side of the recess 3c1) of the recess 3c1 of the lower surface 3c. The first opening 3g and the second opening 3h are connected by the penetrating portion 3i. The penetration part 3i does not need to be the same cross-sectional area over the full length, and the cross-sectional area may be changing. In that case, the second opening 3 h is a portion located at a boundary where the opening diameter sharply decreases from the recess 3 c 1.

  On the other hand, since the hollow portion 3a is not connected to the through portion 3i as shown in FIG. 2, the hollow portion 3a is not connected to the through portion 3i. Further, since the first opening 3 g is located on the second upper surface 3 b 2, the first opening 3 g is not in contact with the back surface of the solar cell module 2.

  The volume of the hollow portion 3a of the floating body 3 may be set such that the second upper surface 3b2 has a height above the water line when the floating solar cell device 1 is floated on the water surface P. At this time, the sum of the mass of the solar cell module 2 and the mass of the floating body 3 is smaller than the value obtained from the product of the sum of the volume of the entire floating body 3 and the volume of the entire hollow portion 3a and the specific gravity of water. Just do it. Thereby, the floating body 3 can be prevented from sinking too much into water.

  Furthermore, the solar cell apparatus 1 for water is preferably provided with a hollow portion 3a that can obtain buoyancy in which the water line is located between the first opening 3g and the second opening 3h. Thus, in order to locate the water line of the solar cell apparatus 1 for water use between the first opening 3g and the second opening 3h, the total value of the mass of the solar cell module 2 and the mass of the floating body 3 is The sum of the specific gravity of water, the volume of the floating body 3 located below the second opening 3h of the penetrating portion 3i, and the volume of the hollow portion 3a located below the second opening 3h of the penetrating portion 3i It should be larger than the value obtained from the product of the value.

  Moreover, in the solar cell apparatus 1 for water, the total value of the mass of the solar cell module 2 and the mass of the floating body 3 is the specific gravity of water and the volume and hollow of the floating body 3 located below the first opening 3g. The value may be smaller than the value obtained from the product of the volume of the part 3a and the total value. In such a solar cell apparatus 1 for water, while preventing the solar cell module 2 from being immersed in water, the weight of water in the recess 3c1 can be increased as much as possible. As a result, the stability of the solar cell apparatus 1 for water on the water surface P can be further enhanced.

  The floating body 3 may be formed using polyethylene, polypropylene or fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) having strength against water, ultraviolet light and external force. For example, when the floating body 3 is formed of polyethylene, the thickness is about 5 to 20 mm. Further, the size of the floating body 3 may be determined in consideration of the mass and size of the solar cell module 2 disposed on the floating body 3, but for example, the height 1.3 to 1.5 m and the width 1 to 1.2 m The height should be about 0.5 to 1 m.

<Check valve>
The check valve 4 is provided to cover at least the first opening 3 g of the floating body 3. The check valve 4 includes a plate-like valve body 4a larger than the first opening 3g, and a fixing member 4b fixing one end of the valve body 4a in the vicinity of the first opening 3g. When the valve body 4a bends, the check valve 4 moves (moves) the gas in the space (recess 3c1) on the lower surface 3c side of the floating body 3 to the space on the upper surface 3b side. Allow that. On the other hand, the check valve 4 prevents the passage of gas moving in the through portion 3i from the space on the upper surface 3b side of the floating body 3 toward the space on the lower surface 3c side. In this case, the valve body 4a closes the first opening 3g.

  For the valve body 4a of the check valve 4, for example, a plate made of a resin having a low elastic modulus such as silicone rubber or polypropylene can be used. Further, for example, a screw or the like can be used as the fixing member 4 b of the check valve 4.

<Locking member>
The solar cell module 2 is fixed to the floating body 3 using the locking member 5. Specifically, the solar cell module 2 is fixed, for example, by connecting the hook-like portion 3f1 projecting from the side surface 3f of the floating body 3 and the frame member 12 of the solar cell module 2 described later with the locking member 5 . Such a locking member 5 can be formed, for example, by pressing stainless steel or extruding an aluminum alloy.

<Solar cell module>
As shown in FIG. 3, the solar cell module 2 has a solar cell panel 11 and a frame member 12 that reinforces the outer edge portion of the solar cell panel 11.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the solar cell panel 11 mainly includes a first main surface (light receiving surface) 11a (one main surface of the light transmitting substrate 13) that receives light, and the first main surface 11a. And a second main surface (non-light receiving surface) 11 b (one main surface of the back surface protecting member 17) corresponding to the back surface. The solar cell panel 11 includes, in order from the side of the first major surface 11 a, the translucent substrate 13 which doubles as the substrate of the solar cell module 10, the pair of sealing materials 14 made of thermosetting resin, and the inner leads 15. A plurality of solar cell elements 16 electrically connected are provided.

  The solar cell panel 11 further includes a back surface protection member 17 for protecting the back surface of the solar cell module 10, and a terminal box 18 for taking out the output obtained by the solar cell element 16 to the outside.

  The second main surface 11 b of the solar cell panel 11 is made of, for example, a material having a light transmitting property for the sealing material 14 located between the solar cell element 16 and the back surface protection member 17 and the back surface protection member 17. The second main surface 11b may be configured to receive light from the second main surface 11b side.

  As the solar cell element 16, for example, a flat substrate made of single crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon is used. When such a silicon substrate is used, the adjacent silicon substrates may be electrically connected by the inner lead 15 as described above.

  Further, the type of solar cell element 16 is not particularly limited. For example, as the solar cell element 16, a thin film solar cell made of amorphous silicon, a CIGS solar cell, a CdTe solar cell, or a solar cell element 16 in which thin film amorphous silicon is formed on a crystalline silicon substrate may be used. For example, as the solar cell element 16 made of amorphous silicon, CIGS and CdTe, one in which an amorphous silicon layer, a CIGS layer or a CdTe layer is appropriately combined with a transparent electrode or the like on the light transmitting substrate 13 is used it can.

  In addition, the terminal box 18 is, for example, a box body of a modified polyphenylene ether resin (modified PPE resin) or a polyphenylene oxide resin (PPO resin), a terminal plate disposed in the box body, and an electric power drawn outside the box body. And an output cable.

  The frame member 12 has a function of holding the solar cell panel 11. The frame member 12 includes a fitting portion 12a into which the peripheral edge portion of the solar cell panel 11 is inserted, a frame upper surface 12b positioned on the side receiving sunlight, and a frame flange portion 12c positioned on the back side of the frame upper surface 12b. A frame side wall portion 12d connecting the frame upper surface 12b and the frame flange portion 12c is provided. The frame flange portion 12 c is a plate-like portion protruding from the lower side of the frame side wall portion 12 d to the inside of the solar cell module 10. Such a frame member 12 can be manufactured, for example, by extruding aluminum.

  In the solar cell apparatus 1 for water according to the present embodiment, the floating body 3 is inclined by the influence of a wind or the like, whereby an extra gas enters the recessed portion (recess 3 c 1) on the lower surface 3 c side of the floating body 3. And when the draft of the floating body 3 becomes shallower than a predetermined position, the gas which entered the recessed part 3c1 can be discharged | emitted by the valve body 4a rising. Further, in the solar cell apparatus 1 for water, as shown in FIG. 4, even if gas such as gas generated from a lake or the like enters the recess 3 c 1, the pressure of the inside of the recess 3 c 1 is increased, so that the valve of the check valve 4 Body 4a lifts up. Therefore, the gas in the recess 3c1 can be discharged to the outside from the first opening 3g. Thereby, in this embodiment, apparatuses, such as an air pump, can be made unnecessary, and the position of the draft line of the floating body 3 which became unstable can be returned to the position of a normal state. As a result, in the present embodiment, since the occurrence of the overturning of the solar cell apparatus 1 for water and the like can be reduced, the stability against wind or the like can be enhanced.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when the solar cell module 2 is blown by the wind and the floating solar cell device 1 is lifted, the gas in the penetration portion 3i is pulled by water and the air pressure is reduced. On the other hand, since the check valve 4 has a mechanism to prevent the movement of the gas trying to move in the through portion 3i from the upper surface 3b side to the lower surface 3c side of the floating body 3, the air pressure in the through portion 3i is outside When the pressure is lower than the air pressure, the check valve 4 (the valve body 4a) closes the first opening 3g. In such a case, since the water in the recess 3c1 is subjected to the force of being lifted together with the solar cell apparatus 1 for water, the apparent weight of the solar cell apparatus 1 for water is increased. Thereby, in the present embodiment, since the solar cell apparatus 1 for water becomes difficult to move even when receiving strong wind or the like, stability can be enhanced.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the movement of the gas passing through the penetration portion 3i along the + Z axis direction is permitted to the first opening 3g connected to the recess 3c1 of the lower surface 3c of the floating body 3. And the stability with respect to a wind etc. can be improved by providing the non-return valve 4 which prevents the movement of the gas which passes the penetration part 3i along-Z-axis direction. In addition, since the present embodiment has a relatively simple structure, the frequency of maintenance can be reduced.

<< Second Embodiment >>
The solar cell apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that it has a leg 3 f 2 whose width decreases in the downward direction.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, a portion corresponding to the side surface 3f located on the outer peripheral side of the recess 3c is the leg 3f2. The width of the hollow portion 3a in the leg portion 3f2 in the X-axis direction decreases in the leg portion 3f2 in the downward direction. Thereby, in this embodiment, as shown to Fig.6 (a), when the solar cell apparatus 1 for waterways inclines with respect to the water surface P, it is lower side than the water line of the leg 3f2 located in the right and left of the floating body 3. The difference in volume of the hollow portion 3a located at the As a result, of the leg portions 3f2 located on the left and right of the floating body 3, the buoyancy of the leg portion 3f2 having the deeper draft becomes larger, and the buoyancy of the leg portion 3f2 having the shallower draft becomes smaller. Thus, if the inclination of the solar cell apparatus 1 for water becomes large, the difference of the buoyancy in leg part 3f2 on either side will become large. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the force (restoring force) for returning the solar cell apparatus 1 for water to the original position from the inclined state works largely, so the aspect (original position) shown in FIG. Easy to restore. As a result, in the present embodiment, even if an external force such as wind is generated, the floating solar cell device 1 can be easily returned to the normal position, and therefore the stability can be further enhanced.

<< Third Embodiment >>
The solar cell apparatus 1 for water according to the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment and the second embodiment in that connecting members are provided at both ends of the floating body 3. Specifically, in the present embodiment, a mechanism for connecting the plurality of solar cell apparatuses 1 for water is provided.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the floating body 3 is opposite to the side on which the first connecting portion 3f3 and the first connecting portion 3f3 are provided. And a second connecting portion 3f4 protruding from the side surface 3f of the

  When the first connection portion 3f3 and the second connection portion 3f4 are arranged such that the first floating solar cell device 1A and the second floating solar cell device 1B of the same shape are disposed adjacent to each other as shown in FIG. The first connecting portion 3f3 of the 1 solar cell device 1A is provided at a position to be superimposed on the second connecting portion 3f4 of the second floating solar cell device 1B. Therefore, the height in the Z-axis direction is different between the first connecting portion 3f3 and the second connecting portion 3f4. The first connecting portion 3f3 and the second connecting portion 3f4 may be in contact with each other when they are stacked, but there may be a gap between them.

  The first connecting portion 3f3 and the second connecting portion 3f4 respectively have a first connecting hole 3f31 and a second connecting hole 3f42 penetrating in the Z-axis direction. The first connection hole 3f31 and the second connection hole 3f42 are provided so as to be continuous when the first connection portion 3f3 and the second connection portion 3f4 are superimposed.

  The first connection hole 3f31 has a first portion 3f32 with a larger diameter located above the inside thereof and a second portion 3f33 with a smaller diameter located lower. A stepped portion 3f34 is provided at the boundary between the first portion 3f32 and the second portion 3f33. The second connection hole 3f4 is a round hole having a diameter smaller than that of the second portion 3f33 of the first connection hole 3f31, and has a female screw 3f43 in its inside.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a rod-like connecting member 6 is disposed in the first connection hole 3 f 3 of the first floating solar cell device 1 A and the second connection hole 3 f 4 of the second floating solar cell device 1 B. .

  As shown in FIG. 7 (c), the connecting member 6 has a shaft 6a, a head 6b provided at one end thereof, and an external thread 6c provided at the other end. The head 6 b is a cylindrical portion having a diameter smaller than the first portion 3 f 32 of the first connection hole 3 f 31 and larger than the diameter of the second portion 3 f 33. The shaft 6a is longer than the distance from the step 3f34 in the first connection hole 3f31 to the second connection hole 3f42 when the first connection hole 3f31 and the second connection hole 3f32 are overlapped. It has a smaller diameter than the second portion 3f33 of the 1 connection hole 3f31. The male screw 6c engages with a female screw 3f43 provided in the second connection hole 3f42.

  As a result, when shaking such as pitching or rolling occurs in the first on-water solar cell device 1A and the second on-water solar cell device 1B due to waves or the like, the length of the shaft portion 6a of the connecting member 6 is within the range The connection can be maintained while allowing for Z-axis sway. Further, in the present embodiment, the connection can be maintained while permitting the swing in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction in the range of the gap between the shaft portion 6a and the first connection hole 3f31. As described above, in the present embodiment, each floating solar cell apparatus 1 can perform pitching or rolling oscillation, so that the force acting on the connection member 6 can be reduced. As a result, the connecting member 6 is less likely to be broken.

  Similar to the floating body 3, such a connecting member 6 may be formed using polyethylene, polypropylene or FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics) or the like having strength against water, ultraviolet light and external force as in the floating body 3.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and many modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the check valve 4 is not limited to the one in which the plate-like valve body 4a is disposed at the first opening 3g, but the first opening 3g is a round hole and the first opening 3g is in the Z axis direction. The movable sphere or cone may be closed. As a result, even if the air amount in the recess 3c1 increases and the draft of the floating body 3 becomes shallow, the pressure in the recess 3c1 increases and the valve body 4a is lifted, and the gas in the recess 3c1 through the check valve 4 ( Air) can be discharged to the outside.

1: Solar cell device for water 1A: First solar cell device for water 1B: Second solar cell device for water 2: Solar cell module 2a: Lower end side 2b: Upper end side 3: Floating body 3a: Hollow part 3b: Upper surface 3b1: First upper surface 3b2: second upper surface 3c: lower surface 3c1: recessed portion 3d: first convex portion 3e: second convex portion 3f: side surface 3f1: ridged portion 3f2: leg 3f3: first connecting portion 3f31: first connecting hole 3f32: first portion 3f33: second portion 3f34: stepped portion 3f4: second connecting portion 3f42: second connecting hole 3f43: female screw portion 3g: first opening 3h: second opening 3i: penetrating portion 4: reverse Stop valve 4a: Valve body 4b: Fixing member 5: Locking member 6: Coupling member 6a: Shaft 6b: Head 6c: Male thread 11: Solar cell panel 11a: First main surface 11b: Second main surface 12 : Frame member 12a: Fitting portion 12 : Frame top 12c: frame flange 12d: frame side wall portion 13: light transmitting substrate 14: sealing material 15: inner leads 16: solar cell element 17: the back surface protective member 18: terminal box P: Water

Claims (4)

With solar cell module,
And a floating body on which the solar cell module is disposed,
The floating body is
An upper surface on which the solar cell module is disposed;
A lower surface located on the back side of the upper surface and in contact with water and recessed toward the upper surface side;
A penetrating portion having a first opening opening at the upper surface and a second opening opening at the lower surface;
A hollow portion not connected to the penetration portion;
It is arranged to close the first opening, and allows passage of gas moving in the through portion from the lower surface toward the upper surface, and moves in the through portion from the upper surface toward the lower surface. And a non-return valve for preventing the passage of gas.   The upper surface has a first upper surface on which the solar cell module is disposed, and a second upper surface located on the lower surface side of the first upper surface and apart from the solar cell module. The water solar cell apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first opening is open at the second upper surface. The waterborne solar cell apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the floating body has a hollow leg portion in which a portion located on the outer peripheral side of the lower surface decreases downward. The total value of the mass of the solar cell module and the mass of the floating body is
Greater than the value obtained from the product of the sum of the volume of the floating body located below the penetration part and the volume of the hollow part located below the penetration part and the specific gravity of water,
The water solar cell apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is smaller than a value obtained from the product of the total volume of the entire floating body and the total volume of the entire hollow portion and the specific gravity of water.

Images