JPH10173212A - Solar cell generating device for on-water installation use - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a solar cell generating device for on-water installation use, which is lightweight and is rich in mass productivity and is superior in workability. SOLUTION: A frame 2 consisting of a square-shaped panel material is fixed on a float 1 for on-water floating use, which is made of a foaming resin, with bolts or the like, an arch-shaped top plate 5 made of an Al alloy is mounted to the upper part of the frame 2 and a plurality of flexible solar cell modules 4 are fixed on the top plate 5 by module fixing plates 6 and bolts 7. A sheet with both surfaces subjected to waterproof treatment and having a size of 0.9×5m, a thickness of 1mm and a weight of 1kg/1m<2> is mounted to the modules 4, a plurality of the lightened module fixing plates 6 are mounted to the modules 4 at intervals, output lead wires from the modules 4 are twined around and terminal boxes 8, in which terminals for connecting with other device are put, are mounted to the side plates 9 of the top plate 5. The lightweight and flexible solar cell modules are used and the top plate is also constituted of a lightweight material, Al, whereby the float has also only to have a regidity suitable to it and can be formed into a small size. As a result, a lightening of the whole solar cell generating device and the mass productivity and workability of the device are raised.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photovoltaic power generator for water installation, which is laid on a water surface such as a lake, a dam or a river and generates electric power by sunlight.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Since the output of a solar cell is almost proportional to its area, a large installation area is required to obtain a large amount of power, and it is not used artificially. Installation on the ground is common. Unit-type solar cell modules in which a plurality of solar cells are connected directly and in parallel are widely used for homes and buildings, but the modules are usually installed on the roof or on the roof of a building. is there. However, it is not practical to use the land in the city because the land cost is high and the installation site cannot be secured over a wide area. As described above, solar cell power generation devices have been mostly installed on land. In recent years, attention has been paid to installation on water such as lakes and dams near the center of the city, but only a few examples of installation on water are available.

[0003] An example of a structure for installation on water is disclosed in JP-A-57-62.
572 and JP-A-8-167729. 1 and 2 show two examples of the structure. In FIG. 1, a solar cell module 4 in which a plurality of solar cells 10 are connected directly and in parallel.
Is attached to the foam float 1 to form an integral structure. The conventional solar cell module 4 for installation on water has a flat plate shape in which a solar cell substrate is housed in an aluminum case or the like, and a surface irradiated with sunlight is formed of a glass plate. The entire outer shape is, for example, 1.5 m (width) × 10 m (full length) × 0.7 m
(Height) and large. Figure 1 is an example of a flat installation,
In such a horizontal installation, rainwater accumulates on the surface and lowers the power generation efficiency.

As a countermeasure, FIG. 2 shows an example of an inclined shape.

[0005]

As described above, a conventional solar cell module is composed of an aluminum case and a glass plate, and has a small size of 0.4 m.
It is about (width) x 1.2 m (length) x 0.04 m (thickness) and weighs about 20 kg. Since such a module is heavy, an installation structure and a float for supporting the module need to be large, which not only increases the material cost but also lowers the mass productivity in manufacturing. Especially,
The oblique mounting structure as shown in FIG. 2 needs to have a structure with high rigidity in order to provide sufficient strength against wind, and the weight of the entire structure increases.

Further, since a large module is heavy, the work is always handled by two or more people. Also, since the module is made of a glass plate, it is easily broken, and its handling requires care. The work of installing many such solar cell modules requires a great deal of labor and time. Also, special cargo handling machines for heavy goods may be required for transportation and installation on site.

[0007] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell power generator for water installation which is lightweight, rich in mass productivity, and easy to handle and transport.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a solar cell power generator for water installation according to the present invention comprises a float for floating above the water surface, and a frame for fixing the float and forming a framework of the power generator. A top plate fixed to the frame, a flexible solar cell module mounted on the top plate, a module fixing plate fixing the solar cell module to the top plate, and a lead from the solar cell module. And a terminal for connecting the wires together to another device.

The flexible solar cell module is thin and lightweight, and the top plate on which it is mounted can be made of a lightweight material. In addition, since it is flexible, the top plate and the frame do not require rigidity unlike conventional ones, so that the weight can be reduced as a whole, and the float floating on the water can be reduced in size. It is preferable that the top surface of the top plate on which the solar cell module is mounted is inclined.

If the top surface of the top plate is inclined, rainwater will not collect on the surface of the mounted solar cell module. In particular, the top surface of the top plate on which the solar cell module is mounted preferably has a curved surface. If it has a curved surface, even a thin top plate can have rigidity.

Further, if the top plate is made of the same material as the float, the top plate and the float can be manufactured as an anisotropic body. Then, the top plate can be made of a sheet. If the top plate is made of a sheet, the weight can be further reduced. In particular, it is assumed that the top plate is a roof type.

The top plate made of a sheet can be easily formed into a roof shape by a bar or the like, and rainwater does not collect on the surface of the mounted solar cell module. The float may have a floating portion from which a part of the lower surface side or the material inside is removed. In that way, a cavity can be provided to increase buoyancy.

It is assumed that the frame has a connecting or fixing hook on the outer peripheral portion. By doing so, the power generation units can be connected or fixed. Further, it is preferable that the frame is configured to be disassembled and assembled. If it does so, handling, transportation, etc. will be easy.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[Embodiment 1] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a solar cell power generator according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view at the center. This whole is called a power generation unit. FIG. 1 (a)
1, a frame 2 made of a 50 mm square pipe material is fastened by bolts or the like on a plurality of foam floats 1 for floating on the water surface. The frame 2 is assembled into a frame structure that can be assembled and disassembled with bolts and nuts, and a plurality of fixing hooks 3 are formed around the frame 2. The size of the frame is about 5m x 3m
It is. Frame 2 is made of pipe material such as round or irregular
Alternatively, it can be made of a shape material such as a lightweight angle / groove type.

As shown in FIG. 1B, an arched aluminum alloy top plate 5 is mounted on the frame 2 and a flexible solar cell module 4 is mounted on the top plate 5. It is fixed by a fixing plate 6 and a fastening bolt 7. The solar cell module 4 is 0.4 mx 0.8
m, including 12 sheet-shaped solar cells, both sides of which are waterproofed with a flexible material in a size of 0.9 m × 5 m,
It has a thickness of about 1 mm and a weight of about 1 kg per 1 m ² . In the embodiment shown in the figure, there are three solar cell modules 4 and a power generation unit of about 1 kW. The radius of curvature of the arch was 7 m. The module fixing plate 6
A plurality of relatively short ones are used and they are attached at intervals. A terminal box 8 containing output cables from the solar cell module 4 and containing terminals for connection to other devices is attached to the side plate 9 of the top plate 5. The terminal box 8 may be mounted on the frame 2.

Since the top plate 5 has an arch shape, it has rigidity even with a thin plate. In this embodiment, the top plate 5 is made of an aluminum alloy having a thickness of 3 mm to reduce the weight. Since the flexible solar cell module 4 is flexible, if it is directly placed on the top plate 5, the shape will follow the shape of the top plate 5. Even if some stress is applied, there is no fear of breakage like glass of a conventional solar cell module, and the rigidity of the frame 2 may be much lower.

As described above, by using the lightweight flexible solar cell module and forming the top plate from a lightweight material such as aluminum, the frame only needs to have rigidity suitable for it, and furthermore, the float floats on the water. Can also be made smaller. As a result, the mass of the entire power generation unit can be reduced, and the mass production, workability, transportability and the like of the production can be improved. In this embodiment, the solar cell module 4 has a capacity of about 20 k.
g, top plate is 120kg, frame 2 is 80kg, total 2
20 kg. It can be seen that the weight of the solar cell module of the same size is significantly reduced as compared with that of about 500 kg. Since the frame can be assembled, it can be assembled on-site and the installation is improved.

In addition, the conventional solar cell module has a planar shape, and when installed horizontally, rainwater may accumulate on the surface and reduce the power generation efficiency. In order to take measures against this, the inclined surface type needs to have sufficient rigidity in order to require strength against wind, and the mass of the entire structure becomes heavy. In the present embodiment, the height of the entire structure is reduced while draining rainwater, and the influence of wind is reduced. The reason why the above-mentioned module fixing plate 6 is intermittently attached is also to secure a rainwater flow path. When draining rainwater, dust on the surface is washed away.

The fixing hooks 3 provided on the frame 2 are used to connect the power generation units vertically and horizontally. Although not shown in the figure, a configuration for obtaining a desired amount of generated power by connecting a plurality of power generation units is provided. Can be easily done. The fixing hook 3 can also be used as a fixing for holding the power generation unit at a certain position on the water. The fixing method is generally a method of mooring from the land with a wire or the like, or a method of fixing by inserting an anchor in water, and is held by either method. As a problem in installing on the water, if the structure is large, the force exerted by the wind wave will be large, and the support of the structure will also need to be strong. Hooks 3 and support members can be simplified.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views showing a top plate according to a modification of the first embodiment. In FIG. 2, the top plate has a roof shape, and in FIG. 3, the top plate has an inclined shape. The top plate is composed of a float 1, a frame 2, and a top plate 5, and the flexible solar cell module is mounted thereon. It is. In each case, the solar cell power generator is installed on the water, which is lightweight, and has a structure in which rainwater flows.

Since the flexible solar cell module is mounted, the inclined surface can be freely formed according to the shape of the top plate other than a horizontal structure such as an arch type, a roof type, and an inclined type. It becomes easy and the power generation efficiency can be maintained. [Embodiment 2] Fig. 3A is a perspective view of a solar cell power generation device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3B is a cross-sectional view at the center.

In this example, the float 1 of the foamed resin and the top plate 5 are made of the same material and are integrated. The frame 2 is assembled into a frame structure that can be assembled and disassembled with bolts and nuts, and a plurality of fixing hooks 3 are formed around the frame 2. The size of the frame is about 5 m × 3 m. The frame 2 can be made of a pipe material such as a round shape or a deformed shape, or a shape material such as a lightweight angle / groove type. The solar cell module 4 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and is a power generation unit of three 1 kW. Reference numeral 8 denotes a terminal box attached to a side surface of the top plate 5.

As shown in FIG. 3 (b), an inserter 11 is embedded in the float 1 in order to fix the flexible solar cell module 4 on the float 1 of the foamed resin by the module fixing plate 6 and the fastening bolts 7. Have been. In this example, in order to mount the solar cell module 4, the float 1
Must be at least over the entire power plant. In the case where the whole is not required as a buoyant body for floating the whole, if a floating part 12 in which a part of the material is removed from the lower part of or inside the float 1 is provided, the weight and material cost can be reduced. The float 1 does not necessarily have to be integral, and may be divided.

Also in this example, by using a lightweight flexible solar cell module and further using a foamed resin top plate,
It is lighter. In particular, in the second embodiment, since the float 1 and the top plate 5 are made of the same material and are integrated, the mass productivity is excellent, and the workability and the transportability are improved. Also, assembly time can be reduced. The shape of the top plate 5 is not limited to an arch shape as shown in FIGS.
Such as roof type and inclined type are also conceivable. Embodiment 3 FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a solar cell power generation device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

In this example, the top plate 5 is made of a non-woven sheet 13
It is manufactured in. The frame 2 is assembled into a frame structure that can be assembled and disassembled with bolts and nuts, and a plurality of fixing hooks 3 are formed around the frame 2. The size of the frame is about 5 m × 3 m. The frame 2 can be made of a pipe material such as a round shape or a deformed shape, or a shape material such as a lightweight angle / groove type.

Since the solar cell module is lightweight, a sheet material can be used as a top plate. The sheet 13 is a nonwoven fabric having a thickness of 0.5 to 1.5 mm and a flexible material having a tensile strength of 1,000 N / 3 cm or more in width. The sheet 13 is held on the frame 2 by a plurality of elastic supports 14 having a tensile force in advance, and the sheet 13 is stretched without wrinkles due to the tensile force of the elastic supports 14.

To fix the flexible solar cell module 4, eyelets are fixed to the sheet 13 in advance, and bolts are fixed to the module fixing plate 6 and holes of the eyelets. As another method, the flexible solar cell module 4 and the sheet 13 can be directly and integrally caulked. The sheet 13 is as light as 1 kg / m ^2, and is 1/5 to 1/6 lighter than the top plate of the first embodiment, so that a lighter power generation unit can be provided.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a top plate 5 according to a modification of the third embodiment. Also in this example, the top plate is made of the sheet 13, but since the inclination bar 15 is provided on the frame 2 and the sheet 13 is installed on the upper part, the sheet 13 has a roof shape. The top plate can be tilted only by providing the tilting bar 15, thereby preventing rainwater from collecting.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, by combining a float, a frame, and a top plate with a flexible solar cell module, it is possible to reduce the weight of constituent members, and to achieve mass production.
It is possible to provide a solar cell power generator for water installation with improved workability. In particular, if the upper surface of the top plate is inclined or curved, the solar cell module follows the shape, so that rainwater does not accumulate on the surface, and the power generation efficiency does not decrease.

The top plate can be integrally formed of the same material as the float to provide a structure that can further reduce manufacturing costs and assembly costs. The weight of the member can be reduced, the shape becomes smaller, and mass productivity can be improved. Device 2 is
It is possible to provide a structure that can be integrally molded to reduce manufacturing costs and assembly costs. The invention 3 can be made much lighter by the introduction of the sheet body, and can be easily assembled, transported, and laid, and can be greatly improved. All this contributes to cost reduction and can provide a low-cost solar cell power generator.

Further, the structure of the solar cell power generation device can be reduced in size, and the acting force due to wind waves can be reduced. As a result, the reliability of the support strength of the structure is increased, and a long-term stable float body can be provided. The mooring device can also be completed at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 (a) is a perspective view of a solar cell power generator for water installation according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1 (b) is a cross-sectional view at a central portion.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a top plate according to a modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a top plate according to another modification of the first embodiment;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a solar cell power generator for water installation according to a second embodiment, and FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a solar cell power generator for installation on water according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modification of the third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a conventional solar cell power generator for water installation.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a top plate of another conventional solar cell power generator for water installation.

[Description of Signs] 1 Float 2 Frame 3 Hook 4 Solar cell module 5 Top plate 6 Module fixing plate 7 Bolt 8 Terminal box 9 Side plate 10 Solar cell 11 Inserter 12 Floating portion 13 Sheet 14 Elastic support 15 Tilt bar

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A solar cell power generation device which is laid on a water surface of a lake, a dam, a river, or the like to generate electric power by sunlight, and a float for floating on the water surface, and the float is fixed. A frame forming a skeleton of the power generation device, a top plate fixed to the frame, a flexible solar cell module mounted on the top plate, and a module fixing plate for fixing the solar cell module to the top plate; And a terminal for connecting lead wires from the solar cell module to other devices collectively. 2. The photovoltaic power generator for water installation according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of the top plate on which the photovoltaic module is mounted is inclined. 3. The solar cell power generation device for water installation according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the top plate on which the solar cell module is mounted has a curved surface. 4. The solar cell power generator for installation on water according to claim 1, wherein the top plate is made of the same material as the float. 5. The solar cell power generator for water installation according to claim 1, wherein the top plate is made of a sheet. 6. The solar cell power generator for installation on water according to claim 5, wherein the top plate has a roof shape. 7. The float according to claim 1, wherein the float has a floating portion from which a part of the lower surface or a material inside is removed.
7. The solar cell power generator for installation on water according to any one of items 6 to 6. 8. The solar cell power generator for water installation according to claim 1, wherein a hook for connecting or fixing is provided on an outer peripheral portion of the frame. 9. The photovoltaic power generator for water installation according to claim 1, wherein the frame is configured to be disassembled and assembled.