AI-Based Fault Detection Systems for Solar Array Monitoring

Diagnosing failures in solar cell modules using a control terminal that interacts with the power generation control device. The method involves continuously stepping the output command from 100% to 0% to acquire a partial I-V curve from the maximum power point to open circuit voltage. By comparing this partial curve to normal or known curves, failures can be diagnosed based on shape differences. This allows diagnosing failures during system operation without disconnecting.

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Diagnostic technique for estimating local degradation of series resistance in solar cells. It involves comparing series resistance values when the solar cell limits output due to low light conditions versus when it tracks the maximum power point. If the resistance increases more in low light, it indicates local resistance degradation, while a uniform increase indicates total resistance degradation. This allows distinguishing between localized resistance failures versus general resistance degradation in solar cells.

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A method for monitoring solar panel performance that separates short-term and long-term variations. The method uses a trained model to simulate average panel performance based on environmental parameters, and compares this simulated performance to actual panel output. By analyzing the difference between simulated and actual performance over time, the method can detect long-term degradation such as soiling or UV damage, and identify maintenance or weather-related events. The method can be applied to photovoltaic panels, thermal solar panels, and hybrid solar panels.

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Detecting solar panel system malfunctions proactively using statistical outliers. The method involves identifying solar panels that have already been flagged as malfunctioning. For those panels, it calculates estimated generation versus actual generation over time. If an accuracy ratio for a time interval is a statistical outlier compared to previous ratios, it flags that time interval as potentially indicating further malfunction. This allows proactive detection of worsening panel issues.

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Diagnostic system for measuring string health in solar power generation systems, comprising a control device that selectively disconnects each string from the inverter and measures the resulting power output, comparing it to a baseline measurement to determine string health and detect abnormalities.

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A power generation system, inverter, and short-circuit detection method for a negative branch of an inverter. The system includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules, an inverter, and a transformer, with current sensors on some or all of the negative branches. The inverter controller detects short-circuit faults on the negative branches by monitoring current values and sends fault information to facilitate repair or replacement of the faulty branch.

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Photovoltaic system with intelligent current scanning for improved fault diagnosis accuracy and system efficiency. The system uses a central management device to coordinate scanning of current levels in photovoltaic strings. It analyzes factors like irradiance and fluctuations to determine when to initiate scanning. This avoids frequent scans during stable conditions, reducing energy loss and power fluctuations. The central device also schedules scanning times to prevent scanning during shaded periods. This improves curve accuracy versus instant scans. The scheduled scanning can be initiated by a user.

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A system and method for determining degradation loss in solar panels of photovoltaic power plants using machine learning. The system obtains location, weather, and configuration data for the panels, as well as real-time operating parameters from sensors. This data is input into a pre-trained ML model to determine degradation loss for each panel, with alerts generated when losses exceed a threshold. The system can also validate sensor data and incorporate reference information from commissioning records.

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A photovoltaic array fault detection method that uses a signal transmission system and a filtering system to detect faults in photovoltaic arrays. The method involves sending a step signal through the array, capturing reflection signals from each module, and processing them through a filtering system to obtain target waveforms. The processed waveforms are then compared to a library of known waveforms to identify faults. The filtering system includes two high-pass filters with adjustable cutoff frequencies, which are optimized based on signal-to-noise ratio and waveform differences. The method also includes fault detection and repair procedures for the signal transmission devices and filtering system.

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A monitoring system for photovoltaic systems that identifies the faulty component causing reduced performance without requiring field intervention. The system comprises electronic control means that analyze data from the photovoltaic panel, inverter, and optimizer to pinpoint the source of the degradation. This enables rapid diagnosis and repair, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

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A photovoltaic (PV) energy generation system with improved fault current monitoring for large-scale systems. The system comprises a power converter unit connected to a PV generator with multiple parallel-connected PV main strings. Each string pair is monitored by a differential current measuring device, circuit breaker, and controller that activates the breaker after detecting a fault exceeding a threshold value. The system features defined leakage capacitances on the DC intermediate circuit to enable ground current measurement and fault detection, even in insulated DC links.

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A photovoltaic power generation system and fault protection method, device, combiner box, and inverter that reduces the number of protection switches without increasing their withstand voltage level. The system connects multiple photovoltaic strings to power conversion units through fault isolation circuits, with protection switches shared between strings when power conversion units have common positive or negative connections. The control unit disconnects protection switches in response to faults, ensuring at most two strings per unit remain connected in parallel.

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A photovoltaic power generation system with improved fault protection, comprising a power conversion unit, a multi-pole linked switch, and N photovoltaic strings. The system includes a control portion that, in response to a fault, short-circuits the power conversion unit's positive and negative input terminals and disconnects the multi-pole linked switch, limiting parallel connections to at most three photovoltaic strings. The system also includes a parameter detection portion that monitors current and voltage parameters to detect faults.

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A method and system for detecting anomalies in solar power generation using a combination of inverter input/output data and hourly solar irradiance data. The system estimates expected power generation based on solar irradiance data and compares it to actual power generation based on inverter data to identify discrepancies. It performs primary and secondary verifications to determine the presence of anomalies, and further analyzes inverter and solar panel performance to diagnose specific issues.

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A device and method for detecting abnormalities in solar power generators based on power generation data. The device analyzes power output patterns across multiple strings to identify anomalies, using statistical techniques such as Cook's distance and leverage to determine if a string's output deviates significantly from expected behavior. The method can be applied to both string-level and inverter-level monitoring, enabling real-time detection of faults in solar power systems.

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Method for detecting malfunctioning MLPE devices in a photovoltaic system, comprising: controlling an MLPE device to switch its operation state; measuring the bus feature before and after the state switch; determining if the bus feature change meets a predetermined threshold; and identifying the MLPE device as faulty if the change does not meet the threshold. The method enables automated detection of faulty MLPE devices in a photovoltaic system, reducing manual troubleshooting time and costs.

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A photovoltaic cell detection method and apparatus that detects photovoltaic cells in a running photovoltaic system without disrupting power output. The method determines a working voltage for the cell, where the cell's output power remains stable at both voltages, and captures infrared images at both voltages to detect faults. The apparatus includes a processor and memory that execute the method, and a DC/DC conversion module that provides the working voltage.

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A method for determining the operating state of a photovoltaic array based on real-time output current values of photovoltaic strings. The method involves acquiring present output current values, determining a target abnormality score predicting model, and comparing the predicted abnormality score with a threshold to determine the operating state of the array. The method improves accuracy by filtering out virtually high current values and using a machine learning-based abnormality score predicting model.

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A photovoltaic module self-test method for string-type household solar panels, comprising determining an abnormal critical value based on the maximum power of middle three groups of panels, detecting panel abnormalities against this threshold, and recording abnormal counts. The method also includes a feature to clear previous detection data when a threshold number of exceptions is reached, to prevent false positives from temporary shading events.

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A method for detecting underperformance in photovoltaic (PV) plants using only electrical measurements, excluding irradiance data. The method determines performance deviation of a PV configuration from normalized power generation data of multiple similar configurations, and detects underperformance by comparing the deviation metric with a threshold. The method also determines long-term degradation of a PV configuration by analyzing trends in production data.

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