WO2020153534A1

WO2020153534A1 - Pyramidal solar photovoltaic structure and solar photovoltaic system having optimal arrangement of pyramidal solar photovoltaic structures

Info

Publication number: WO2020153534A1
Application number: PCT/KR2019/005743
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sang Hoon Yang; Yong Taek Kim; Sung Jo Kim
Original assignee: Kepco Engineering & Construction Company, Inc.; Sam Won Tech Co.,Ltd
Priority date: 2019-01-23
Filing date: 2019-05-13
Publication date: 2020-07-30

Abstract

A pyramidal solar photovoltaic structure according to the present invention is formed to have a pyramidal shape with a plurality of inclined surfaces (111) and includes a solar photovoltaic module array (120) provided on at least one of the plurality of inclined surfaces (111) to collect sunlight.

Description

PYRAMIDAL SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC STRUCTURE AND SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM HAVING OPTIMAL ARRANGEMENT OF PYRAMIDAL SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC STRUCTURES

The present invention relates to a solar photovoltaic structure including a plurality of solar panels, and more specifically, to a solar photovoltaic structure which is formed in a pyramidal shape to maximize light collection efficiency, which is capable of maximizing power generation efficiency even at a time when the altitude of the sun is low, and which is capable of increasing an accumulated amount of power generation by maximizing an operating time, and a solar photovoltaic system capable of increasing an operating time and increasing an accumulated amount of power generation through an optimal arrangement of the solar photovoltaic structures.

Photovoltaic power generation is environmentally friendly. Recently, various research has been actively carried out on improving light collection efficiency and improving a power generation amount per unit area.

In addition, in recent years, in order to increase efficiency of photovoltaic power generation, research on a light collection module, maximization of power generation in a unit area of a battery, and development of a highly efficient cell has been actively carried out in Korea and other countries. However, there is relatively little research on a concept of reducing levelized cost of energy (LCOE) by arranging as many panels as possible in a limited space where actual solar panels are installed.

In particular, the conventional solar photovoltaic system is optimized to perform intensive power generation in a time period in which the altitude of the sun is the highest, and thus power generation efficiency is significantly decreased in early morning and late afternoon hours.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and is directed to constructing a large scale photovoltaic power generation site by minimizing an installation area thereof.

In addition, the present invention is directed to maximizing an accumulated amount of power generation by further increasing an operating time thereof.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to optimizing power generation cost and improving competitiveness with other related technologies.

Objects of the present invention are not limited to the objects described above, and other objects that are not described will be clearly understood from the description below by a person skilled in the art.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a solar photovoltaic structure which is formed to have a pyramidal shape with a plurality of inclined surfaces 111, the solar photovoltaic structure including a solar photovoltaic module array 120 provided on at least one of the plurality of inclined surfaces 111 to collect sunlight.

The inclined surface 111 may have a panel mounting region 111a in which the solar photovoltaic module array 120 is mounted and a reflective region 111b in which the solar photovoltaic module array 120 is not mounted such that the sunlight is reflected toward other solar photovoltaic structures.

The solar photovoltaic structure may further include a reflective surface 112 provided between the inclined surfaces 111 adjacent to each other and configured to reflect the sunlight to other photovoltaic structures.

The solar photovoltaic module array 120 may include a pair of sunlight absorption panels 121 formed to have a square shape and configured to collect the sunlight and include a reflective panel 122 provided between the pair of sunlight absorption panels 121 and configured to reflect the sunlight, wherein the solar photovoltaic module array 120 is formed to have a square shape.

An angle between a ground surface and one side inclined surface 111 on which the sunlight is directly incident may be different from an angle between the ground surface and the other side inclined surface 111 opposite to the one side inclined surface 111.

The angle between the ground surface and the one side inclined surface 111 on which the sunlight is directly incident may be greater than the angle between the ground surface and the other side inclined surface 111 opposite to the one side inclined surface 111.

According to the present invention, a solar photovoltaic system includes bases and a plurality of solar photovoltaic structures disposed on the bases.

The solar photovoltaic system may further include a reflective plate 130 provided between the solar photovoltaic structures 100 adjacent to each other and configured to reflect sunlight to at least one of the plurality of solar photovoltaic structures 100.

The reflective plate 130 may be rotatable by a rotation shaft at one side thereof to change a reflection angle of the sunlight.

The solar photovoltaic structure 100 included in any row in which the solar photovoltaic structures 100 are arranged in a line may be staggered with the solar photovoltaic structure 100 included in another row adjacent to any row.

An angle of any row in which the solar photovoltaic structures 100 are arranged in a line may be changed according to a latitude of an installation site.

The solar photovoltaic structure 100 may be rotatable in a circumferential direction.

In order to solve the above problems, a pyramidal solar photovoltaic structure of the present invention has effects as follows.

First, due to the solar photovoltaic structure being formed to have a pyramid shape with a plurality of inclined surfaces, collection efficiency of sunlight can be maximized, and an installation area can be minimized, thereby constructing a large scale photovoltaic power generation site.

Second, in the pyramidal solar photovoltaic structure, an operating time can be increased by increasing power generation efficiency in the early morning and late afternoon hours as compared with the conventional system, thereby increasing an accumulated amount of power generation.

Third, power generation efficiency amount per unit area of a site can be maximized.

Fourth, the solar photovoltaic structure can have excellent structural stability due to a pyramidal structure.

Fifth, a separate solar tracking device is not required, thereby minimizing installation costs and operation costs.

Sixth, the pyramidal solar photovoltaic structure itself is a power absorber for power generation and is also a reflector which reflects an unabsorbed amount of light to adjacent structures and supports power generation due to mutual reflection. When an altitude angle of sunlight is small and an azimuth thereof deviates from due south, two or more surfaces of the structure face a direction of an incident angle of the sunlight due to a pyramidal structure. Thus, higher amounts of power generation may be expected as compared with the conventional system. When the altitude of the sun is high and the azimuth thereof is in an incident direction, as in noon, a phenomenon, in which light is collected in groups of the pyramid structures, occurs. Thus, a generated power amount of a solar panel on each surface of a pyramid is increased due to mutual reflection.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects can be clearly understood from the description of the claims by those skilled in the art.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing exemplary embodiments thereof in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a solar photovoltaic structure in the pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating that sunlight is reflected through the solar photovoltaic structure in the pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a structure of a solar panel in the pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5 to 7 are views illustrating an arrangement of the pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating an arrangement of a pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a structure of a solar panel in a pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating that an angle of a reflective plate is adjusted in the pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating an arrangement of a pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a graph showing a comparison between normalized power generation amounts per watt of a pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to the present invention and the conventional art;

FIG. 14 is a view illustrating an internal support structure of a solar photovoltaic structure according to the present invention; and

FIG. 15 is a view illustrating an installing process of the solar photovoltaic structure according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an object of which can be specifically accomplished, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In describing the present exemplary embodiment, the same configurations are described using the same names and with the same reference numerals, and excessive descriptions thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a solar photovoltaic structure 100 in the pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes bases 110 and a plurality of solar photovoltaic structures 100 provided on the bases 110.

The solar photovoltaic structure 100 is formed to have a pyramidal shape with a plurality of inclined surfaces 111 and protrudes in one direction from the base 110.

The solar photovoltaic structure 100 may include a solar photovoltaic module array 120 provided on at least one of the plurality of inclined surfaces 111 to collect sunlight. A plurality of solar photovoltaic module arrays 120 may be arranged on the inclined surface 111 to collect sunlight through exposed surfaces thereof.

In the present exemplary embodiments, the solar photovoltaic structure 100 is formed to have a shape similar to a quadrangular pyramid with four inclined surfaces 111, and a reflective surface 112 is provided between the four inclined surfaces 111.

That is, the reflective surface 112 may be provided between the inclined surfaces 111 adjacent to each other. As shown in FIG. 3, the reflective surface 112 may function to reflect incident sunlight toward other solar photovoltaic structures 100.

In particular, in the present exemplary embodiment, the reflective surface 112 is formed to have a triangular shape between the inclined surfaces 111. In addition, an auxiliary surface 113 is formed on a top surface of the solar photovoltaic structure 100 to be surrounded by the reflective surfaces 112 and have a quadrangular shape. The solar photovoltaic module array 120 may be additionally provided on the auxiliary surface 113.

The inclined surface 111 may have a panel mounting region 111a in which the solar photovoltaic module array 120 is mounted and a reflective region 111b in which the solar photovoltaic module array 120 is not mounted such that sunlight is reflected toward other solar photovoltaic structures 100. That is, the inclined surface 111 is formed such that a partial region thereof receives sunlight and the other remaining region thereof reflects the sunlight.

This is to disperse the sunlight over as wide an area as possible by even reflecting the sunlight at a different angle from the reflective surface 112. In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, in a lower region of the inclined surface 111, the solar photovoltaic module array 120 is not provided and the reflective region 111b is formed.

In addition, the inclined surface 111 may be formed to have an isosceles triangle shape of which both sides have an angle of 45°. This is to efficiently dispose the solar photovoltaic module array 120 on the inclined surface 111 and to optimize an incident angle of sunlight.

In this case, the solar photovoltaic module array 120 may absorb sunlight and re-reflect sunlight reflected from a reflective surface 112, an auxiliary surface 113, and a solar photovoltaic module array 120 of other solar photovoltaic structures 100 installed in a site.

Accordingly, according to the present invention, mutual reflection effects may be obtained between the solar photovoltaic structures 100 in a corresponding site, thereby obtaining a more accumulated amount of power generation as compared with a conventional case as a whole.

As shown in FIG. 4, the solar photovoltaic module array 120 may include a pair of sunlight absorption panels 121 and a reflective panel 122 provided between the pair of sunlight absorption panels 121. Since the sunlight absorption panel 121 is formed to generally have a rectangular shape for manufacturing reasons, this is to allow the solar photovoltaic module array 120 to have an overall square shape by providing the sunlight absorption panel 121 together with the reflective panel 122. Accordingly, the solar photovoltaic module array 120 having the square shape may be efficiently disposed on the inclined surface 111.

The solar photovoltaic structure 100 may have a bottom surface with various geometric shapes such as a hexagonal shape and a circular shape in addition to the above-described shape of the present exemplary embodiment. Of course, the arrangement and number of the reflective surface 112, the auxiliary surfaces 113 and the inclined surfaces 111 may be variously implemented.

On the other hand, the arrangement of the solar photovoltaic system including the plurality of solar photovoltaic structures 100 may also be variously implemented.

FIGS. 5 to 7 are views illustrating an arrangement of the pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

In the case of FIG. 5, the solar photovoltaic system is disposed in a direction in which sunlight is vertically incident on the inclined surface 111 of the solar photovoltaic structure 100 at a time when the sun S having a trajectory along the ecliptic is located at the meridian transit altitude.

In the case of FIG. 6, the solar photovoltaic system is disposed in a direction in which sunlight is vertically incident on the reflective surface 112 of the solar photovoltaic structure 100 at a time when the sun S having a trajectory along the ecliptic is located at the meridian transit altitude.

In the case of an arrangement structure as shown in FIG. 5, an amount of collected light may be maintained to the maximum at a time when a sunshine amount of the sun is peak, thereby intensively performing a power generation operation. In the case of an arrangement structure as shown in FIG. 6, an influence due to an azimuth may be minimized, thereby maintaining a relatively uniform power generation amount throughout the day.

In addition, in FIG. 7, the base 110 is obliquely disposed so as to have a certain angle θ according to a latitude of an installation site thereof. Thus, sunlight may be more directly incident on the inclined surface 111 on which the sunlight is directly incident. In addition, the sunlight may also reach the opposite inclined surface 111 on which reflected light and scattered light are mainly incident, thereby further improving an amount of collected light of the solar photovoltaic structure 100. In this case, an angle of the base 110 may be set according to a latitude of a corresponding site, thereby adjusting an angle at which sunlight is irradiated.

As described above, the solar photovoltaic system may be disposed in various forms in order to improve power generation efficiency.

While the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been described, other exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The second exemplarily embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 8 is similar to the first exemplary embodiment in that a plurality of solar photovoltaic structures 100 are provided on bases 110. However, in the case of the present exemplary embodiment, any row (any one of rows A, B, C, and D) in which the solar photovoltaic structures 100 are arranged in a line may be obliquely disposed so as to have a certain angle θ according to a latitude of an installation site thereof, thereby further improving an amount of collected light of the solar photovoltaic structure 100. In this case, an angle of each row (any one of the rows A, B, C, and D) may be differently set according to a corresponding row.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a pyramidal solar photovoltaic structure 100 in a pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

In the case of the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 9, in the pyramidal solar photovoltaic structure 100, an angle θ ₁between a ground surface and one side inclined surface 111 on which sunlight is directly incident may be different from an angle θ ₂ between the ground surface and the other inclined surface 111' opposite to the one side inclined surface 111. In this case, the angle θ ₁ between the ground surface and the one side inclined surface 111 may be greater than the angle θ ₂ between the ground surface and the other inclined surface 111'.

In such a case, as in the above-described first exemplary embodiment or second exemplary embodiment, sunlight may be more directly incident on the inclined surface 111 on which the sunlight is directly incident. In addition, the sunlight may reach the opposite inclined surface 111' on which reflected light and scattered light are mainly incident.

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a view illustrating that an angle of a reflective plate 130 is adjusted in the pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The present exemplary embodiment is similar to the above-described exemplary embodiments in that a plurality of solar photovoltaic structures 100 are provided on bases 110. However, in the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the reflective plate 130 is further provided between the solar photovoltaic structures 100 adjacent to each other to reflect sunlight to at least one of the plurality of solar photovoltaic structures 100.

That is, in the present exemplary embodiment, the reflective plate 130 is provided in a valley formed by the plurality of solar photovoltaic structures 100. In particular, the reflective plate 130 is formed to have a shape elongated in a lengthwise direction of the valley.

Accordingly, in the present exemplary embodiment, the reflective plate 130 may reflect sunlight incident thereon in various directions together with a reflective surface 112, an auxiliary surface 113, and a reflective region 111b of an inclined surface 111 in the solar photovoltaic structure 100, thereby further improving light collection efficiency.

In particular, in the present exemplary embodiment, the reflective plate 130 is provided between adjacent rows in which the solar photovoltaic structures 100 are arranged in a line. One pair of reflective plates 130 may be inclined toward opposite sides and may be formed to be rotatable with respect to the base 110 or the solar photovoltaic structure 100 in a hinge manner as shown in FIG. 11.

In such a case, the reflective plate 130 may be rotatable by a rotation shaft at one side thereof to change a reflection angle of sunlight so that an amount of collected light may be maintained at the maximum according to season and time.

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating a pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

In the case of the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 12, a solar photovoltaic structure 100 included in any row (any one of rows A, B, C, and D) in which solar photovoltaic structures 100 are arranged in a line may be staggered with a solar photovoltaic structure 100 included in an adjacent row (any one adjacent to any one of the rows A, B, C, and D).

In the present exemplary embodiment having such a configuration, it is possible to minimize a degree in which an inclined surface 111 of each solar photovoltaic structure 100 is covered by a solar photovoltaic structure 100 provided in an adjacent row. That is, since a center of any one solar photovoltaic structure 100 is disposed to correspond to a valley formed between a pair of solar photovoltaic structures 100 in adjacent rows, it is possible to maximize an amount of sunlight incident on an inclined surface 111 of any one solar photovoltaic structure 100.

Furthermore, in the present exemplary embodiment, sunlight reflected by a reflective surface 112 may be incident on a larger number of solar photovoltaic structures 100, thereby significantly improving an accumulated amount of power generation.

While various exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, a power generation amount of the present invention will be compared with a power generation amount of the prior art through a graph shown in FIG. 13 below. Specifically, FIG. 13 is a graph showing a comparison between normalized power generation amounts per watt of a pyramidal solar photovoltaic system according to the present invention and the conventional art.

As shown in the graph, in the case A of the prior art, it can be confirmed that power generation efficiency is high in a time period near noon at which the altitude of the sun is high enough, but power generation efficiency is significantly decreased in the other time periods.

On the other hand, in the case B of the present invention, it can be confirmed that high power generation efficiency is uniformly obtained in an entire time period in which the sun is shinning. As a result, it can be seen that the total area of a lower portion of the graph, that is, an accumulated amount of power generation amount is higher than that of the prior art.

FIG. 14 is a view illustrating an internal support structure of a solar photovoltaic structure according to the present invention. FIG. 15 is a view illustrating an installing process of the power generating structure according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, a solar photovoltaic structure 100 may include a plurality of support pillars 114 configured to support inclined surfaces 111 therein. The inclined surfaces 111 may be fixed to the support pillars in various ways.

In the installing process, four reflective surfaces 112 are installed between four inclined surfaces 111 installed at positions set through the support pillars 114, and one auxiliary surface 113 is installed at a middle point between the four reflective surfaces 112.

While the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Therefore, these are only examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

A solar photovoltaic structure which is formed to have a pyramidal shape with a plurality of inclined surfaces (111), the solar photovoltaic structure comprising a solar photovoltaic module array (120) provided on at least one of the plurality of inclined surfaces (111) to collect sunlight.
The solar photovoltaic structure of claim 1, wherein the inclined surface (111) has a panel mounting region (111a) in which the solar photovoltaic module array (120) is mounted and a reflective region (111b) in which the solar photovoltaic module array (120) is not mounted such that the sunlight is reflected toward other solar photovoltaic structures.
The solar photovoltaic structure of claim 1, further comprising a reflective surface (112) provided between the inclined surfaces (111) adjacent to each other and configured to reflect the sunlight to other photovoltaic structures.
The solar photovoltaic structure of claim 1, wherein:

the solar photovoltaic module array (120) includes a pair of sunlight absorption panels (121) formed to have a square shape and configured to collect the sunlight; and

a reflective panel (122) provided between the pair of sunlight absorption panels (121) and configured to reflect the sunlight,

wherein the solar photovoltaic module array (120) is formed to have a square shape.
The solar photovoltaic structure of claim 1, wherein an angle between a ground surface and one side inclined surface (111) on which the sunlight is directly incident is different from an angle between the ground surface and the other side inclined surface (111) opposite to the one side inclined surface (111).
The solar photovoltaic structure of claim 5, wherein the angle between the ground surface and the one side inclined surface (111) on which the sunlight is directly incident is greater than the angle between the ground surface and the other side inclined surface (111) opposite to the one side inclined surface (111).
A solar photovoltaic system which includes the solar photovoltaic structure of any one of claims 1 to 6 and has an optimal arrangement of the solar photovoltaic structures, the solar photovoltaic system comprising:

bases (110); and

a plurality of solar photovoltaic structures provided on the bases (110).
The solar photovoltaic system of claim 7, further comprising a reflective plate (130) provided between the solar photovoltaic structures (100) adjacent to each other and configured to reflect sunlight to at least one of the plurality of solar photovoltaic structures (100).
The solar photovoltaic system of claim 8, wherein the reflective plate (130) is rotatable by a rotation shaft at one side thereof to change a reflection angle of the sunlight.
The solar photovoltaic system of claim 7, wherein the solar photovoltaic structure (100) included in any row in which the solar photovoltaic structures (100) are arranged in a line is staggered with the solar photovoltaic structure (100) included in another row adjacent to any row.
The solar photovoltaic system of claim 7, wherein the base (110) is formed such that an angle thereof is changed according to a latitude of an installation site.
The solar photovoltaic system of claim 10, wherein an angle of any row in which the solar photovoltaic structures (100) are arranged in a line is changed according to a latitude of an installation site.