As the global demand for renewable energy continues to increase, photovoltaic power generation systems are increasingly being used. However, photovoltaic modules may experience various faults during long-term operation, such as hot spot effects, hidden cracks, and junction box failures. These problems not only affect the power generation efficiency of the photovoltaic system, but may also cause safety hazards. As an efficient, non-contact detection method, infrared thermal imaging technology has shown strong advantages in photovoltaic detection.
1.Common Faults of Photovoltaic Systems and Their Impacts
1.1.Hot Spot Effect
The thermal shift effect refers to the generation of high-temperature areas in certain battery cells in a photovoltaic module due to local shading, dirt or damage, which leads to reduced efficiency and may even cause a fire.
1.2.Hidden cracks
Hidden cracks refer to tiny cracks inside photovoltaic cells, which are usually difficult to detect with the naked eye, but can lead to reduced battery performance and shortened lifespan.
1.3.Junction box failure
The junction box is a key component of photovoltaic panels. Its failure may cause current interruption or short circuit, seriously affecting system operation.
2.Application of infrared thermal imaging technology in photovoltaic detection
2.1.Hot spot detection
Infrared thermal imaging technology can quickly and accurately detect hot spot areas on photovoltaic modules. The infrared module is the core of infrared thermal imaging technology. Through thermal imaging images, inspectors can intuitively identify high-temperature areas and take timely measures to remove obstructions or replace damaged components to avoid the impact of hot spot effects on the system.
2.2.Hidden crack detection
Although hidden cracks are difficult to detect through conventional visual inspection, infrared thermal imaging technology can identify hidden cracks by capturing areas of abnormal temperature. Inspectors can use thermal imaging to analyze the location and extent of hidden cracks and make necessary repairs or replacements to ensure the normal operation of photovoltaic modules.
2.3.Junction box failure
Infrared thermal imaging technology can quickly detect the temperature distribution of the junction box and identify the fault area caused by poor contact or overheating. It can effectively avoid the risk of current interruption and short circuit, and improve the safety and reliability of the photovoltaic system.
2.4.Large area scanning
Infrared thermal imaging technology can quickly scan a large area of photovoltaic power plants and comprehensively detect the temperature of each component. This large-area coverage detection method can significantly improve detection efficiency, reduce downtime, and improve overall operation and maintenance effects.
3.Practical application cases of infrared thermal imaging technology
3.1.Hot spot detection in large photovoltaic power plants
A large photovoltaic power station uses infrared thermal imaging technology for regular inspections. During the inspection, multiple hot spots were found. The inspectors quickly located and cleared the obstructions based on the thermal imaging images, and replaced some damaged components, ensuring the efficient operation of the photovoltaic power station.
3.2.Hidden crack detection in distributed photovoltaic systems
A distributed photovoltaic system operator used infrared thermal imaging technology to inspect its rooftop photovoltaic modules. Through thermal imaging images, the inspectors identified multiple hidden crack areas and replaced the modules in time, preventing the hidden cracks from further expanding and ensuring the long-term stable operation of the system.