Integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring device
By using integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring equipment with multiple temperature acquisition modules and data acquisition devices, the system complexity and cost issues caused by multiple data acquisition devices in the thermocouple solution are solved, and efficient and low-cost monitoring of photovoltaic panel surface temperature is achieved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- THE HONG KONG UNIV OF SCI & TECH
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, thermocouple solutions require multiple data acquisition units to collect surface temperature data of photovoltaic panels, which increases the complexity and cost of the monitoring system.
An integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring device is adopted, including a server, database, data acquisition unit, multi-channel temperature acquisition module and multiple thermocouples. The multi-channel temperature acquisition module integrates the surface temperatures collected by each thermocouple and transmits them to the data acquisition unit, and finally uploads them to the database. The server is used to monitor the photovoltaic panels.
The number of data acquisition device interfaces was reduced, which lowered system complexity and cost, while enabling efficient monitoring of photovoltaic panel surface temperature.
Smart Images
Figure CN122437489A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of photovoltaic monitoring technology, and in particular to integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring equipment. Background Technology
[0002] Efficient photovoltaic (PV) monitoring and maintenance are crucial for ensuring PV panels operate at peak efficiency and are an important part of promoting the development of new energy sources in my country. Surface temperature is a key parameter for monitoring the health of PV panels. Excessively high surface temperatures can lead to decreased power generation efficiency. Currently, there are two common methods for measuring PV panel surface temperature: placing thermocouples on the panel surface. Thermocouples can obtain detailed surface temperature data at a lower cost, narrowing the detection range to the PV panel level and enabling long-term monitoring with lower maintenance frequency. However, limitations in the interface capacity of data acquisition devices necessitate the use of multiple devices to collect data from all thermocouples, increasing the complexity and cost of the monitoring system. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The main objective of this application is to propose an integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring device to reduce monitoring costs.
[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application proposes an integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring device, which includes: a server, a database, a data acquisition unit, a multi-channel temperature acquisition module, and multiple thermocouples; Each of the thermocouples is connected to the first end of the multi-channel temperature acquisition module; The second end of the multi-channel temperature acquisition module is connected to the first end of the data acquisition unit; The second end of the data collector is connected to the database; Each of the aforementioned thermocouples is used to collect the surface temperature of the photovoltaic panel; The multi-channel temperature acquisition module is used to integrate the surface temperatures acquired by each of the thermocouples and transmit each of the surface temperatures to the data acquisition unit. The data acquisition device is used to upload the temperatures of each of the surfaces to the database; The database is used to store the temperatures of each of the aforementioned surfaces; The server is used to monitor the photovoltaic panel based on the temperature of each of the surfaces.
[0005] In some embodiments, at least one thermocouple is provided on the front and back sides of each of the photovoltaic panels; Each of the thermocouples is used to collect the surface temperature of the corresponding front or back side of the photovoltaic panel.
[0006] In some embodiments, the multi-channel temperature acquisition module includes a multi-channel analog RS485 acquisition module.
[0007] In some embodiments, the multi-channel analog RS485 acquisition module includes an analog-to-digital converter and a microcontroller; Each of the thermocouples is used to convert the acquired surface temperature into a corresponding analog quantity; The analog-to-digital converter module is used to convert the analog quantity into a digital quantity and transmit the digital quantity to the microcontroller; The microcontroller is used to encapsulate all the digital quantities according to the Modbus communication protocol and transmit the encapsulated digital quantities to the data acquisition unit via the RS485 bus.
[0008] In some embodiments, the device further includes a weather station sensor; the weather station sensor is connected to a third end of the data logger; The weather station sensor is used to collect environmental data from the photovoltaic power station and transmit the environmental data to the data acquisition unit. The data collector is also used to upload the environmental data to the database; The database is also used to store the environmental data; The server is also used to monitor the photovoltaic panel based on the environmental data and the surface temperatures of each of the panels.
[0009] In some embodiments, the weather station sensors include a wind direction and speed meter, a radiation meter, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor; The environmental data includes temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, wind speed, and radiation.
[0010] In some embodiments, the weather station sensor is connected to the third terminal of the data acquisition unit via the RS485 transmission protocol.
[0011] In some embodiments, the data collector communicates with the database via a 4G network.
[0012] In some embodiments, the data acquisition device includes a 4G communication module, a memory card, a power supply, and a microprocessor; The microprocessor is used to receive signals from the multi-channel temperature acquisition module and the weather station sensor connected to the device, and generate a timestamp consisting of all received signals and the timestamps after processing; the storage card is used to store the received signals and timestamps; and the 4G communication module is used to upload the received signals and timestamps to the database.
[0013] In some embodiments, the server, the database, the data acquisition device, and the multi-channel temperature acquisition module are integrated into a portable device case.
[0014] The embodiments of this application include at least the following beneficial effects: This application provides an integrated photovoltaic (PV) operation and environmental monitoring device, which includes a server, a database, a data acquisition unit, a multi-channel temperature acquisition module, and multiple thermocouples. Each thermocouple is connected to a first terminal of the multi-channel temperature acquisition module; a second terminal of the multi-channel temperature acquisition module is connected to the first terminal of the data acquisition unit; and a second terminal of the data acquisition unit is connected to the database. Each thermocouple is used to collect the surface temperature of the PV panel. The multi-channel temperature acquisition module integrates the surface temperatures collected by the thermocouples and transmits them to the data acquisition unit. The data acquisition unit uploads the surface temperatures to the database. The database stores the surface temperatures. The server monitors the PV panel based on the surface temperatures. This application's embodiment reduces the number of interfaces required by the data acquisition unit by using a multi-channel temperature acquisition module, thereby reducing the number of data acquisition units needed and achieving PV panel surface temperature collection at a lower cost and with lower system complexity. Attached Figure Description
[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring equipment provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0017] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of this application and are not intended to limit it. In the following description, when referring to the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with those of this application; they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the embodiments of this application as detailed in the appended claims.
[0018] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this application only and is not intended to limit this application.
[0019] Before providing a detailed description of the embodiments of this application, some related technologies involved in the embodiments of this application will be described first, as follows: The technical problem this application aims to solve is that thermocouple solutions require multiple data acquisition units to collect a large amount of thermocouple temperature data. Currently, the interface capacity of a single data acquisition unit is limited, making it impossible to simultaneously connect to the thermocouples of every photovoltaic panel in a large-scale photovoltaic power plant. A common solution is to install multiple data acquisition units to accommodate all the thermocouples, but this approach increases the installation cost and system complexity of the monitoring system, hindering monitoring and maintenance.
[0020] Reference Figure 1 This application provides an integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring device, which includes: a server, a database, a data acquisition unit, a multi-channel temperature acquisition module, and multiple thermocouples; Each of the thermocouples is connected to the first end of the multi-channel temperature acquisition module; The second end of the multi-channel temperature acquisition module is connected to the first end of the data acquisition unit; The second end of the data collector is connected to the database; Each of the aforementioned thermocouples is used to collect the surface temperature of the photovoltaic panel; The multi-channel temperature acquisition module is used to integrate the surface temperatures acquired by each of the thermocouples and transmit each of the surface temperatures to the data acquisition unit. The data acquisition device is used to upload the temperatures of each of the surfaces to the database; The database is used to store the temperatures of each of the aforementioned surfaces; The server is used to monitor the photovoltaic panel based on the temperature of each of the surfaces.
[0021] Optionally, at least one thermocouple is provided on the front and back of each of the photovoltaic panels; Each of the thermocouples is used to collect the surface temperature of the corresponding front or back side of the photovoltaic panel.
[0022] Optionally, the multi-channel temperature acquisition module includes a multi-channel analog RS485 acquisition module.
[0023] Optionally, the multi-channel analog RS485 acquisition module includes an analog-to-digital converter and a microcontroller; Each of the thermocouples is used to convert the acquired surface temperature into a corresponding analog quantity; The analog-to-digital converter module is used to convert the analog quantity into a digital quantity and transmit the digital quantity to the microcontroller; The microcontroller is used to encapsulate all the digital quantities according to the Modbus communication protocol and transmit the encapsulated digital quantities to the data acquisition unit via the RS485 bus.
[0024] Understandably, a multi-channel analog RS485 acquisition module mainly consists of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a microcontroller. The acquisition module first inputs the analog signals from multiple thermocouples to the ADC, converting them from analog to digital signals, and then transmits them to the microcontroller. The microcontroller then encapsulates the data from all thermocouples according to the Modbus communication protocol, and finally outputs the encapsulated data via the RS485 bus.
[0025] Optionally, the device further includes a weather station sensor; the weather station sensor is connected to the third end of the data acquisition unit; The weather station sensor is used to collect environmental data from the photovoltaic power station and transmit the environmental data to the data acquisition unit. The data collector is also used to upload the environmental data to the database; The database is also used to store the environmental data; The server is also used to monitor the photovoltaic panel based on the environmental data and the surface temperatures of each of the panels.
[0026] Optionally, the weather station sensors include a wind direction and speed meter, a radiation meter, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor; The environmental data includes temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, wind speed, and radiation.
[0027] It is understandable that meteorological sensors include, but are not limited to, wind direction and speed meters, irradiance meters, and temperature and humidity sensors, which are used to collect environmental data around photovoltaic panels and combine it with photovoltaic surface temperature data to determine whether the photovoltaic panels are abnormal.
[0028] Optionally, the weather station sensor is connected to the third terminal of the data acquisition unit via the RS485 transmission protocol.
[0029] Optionally, the data collector communicates with the database via a 4G network.
[0030] Optionally, the data acquisition device includes a 4G communication module, a memory card, a power supply, and a microprocessor; The microprocessor is used to receive signals from the multi-channel temperature acquisition module and the weather station sensor connected to the device, and generate a timestamp consisting of all received signals and the timestamps after processing; the storage card is used to store the received signals and timestamps; and the 4G communication module is used to upload the received signals and timestamps to the database.
[0031] Understandably, the data acquisition unit consists of a 4G communication module, a memory card, a power supply, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor receives signals from the RS485 data acquisition module and other meteorological sensors that transmit signals according to the RS485 standard, generates a record containing all sensor signals and timestamps indicating the completion of data processing, temporarily stores it in the memory card, and finally uploads it to the server's database via the 4G communication module.
[0032] Optionally, the server, the database, the data acquisition device, and the multi-channel temperature acquisition module are integrated into a portable device case.
[0033] The following sections will provide a detailed description and explanation of some optional implementation methods of the embodiments of this application, using specific application examples.
[0034] Still refer to Figure 1 This application proposes a solution that reduces the number of interfaces required by the data acquisition unit by using a multi-channel analog-to-RS485 data acquisition module, and connects the integrated signal to a weather station for collecting environmental data from photovoltaic power plants via the RS485 standard. This solution can collect surface temperature data of photovoltaic panels simultaneously with environmental data from the photovoltaic power plant, achieving the required surface temperature data collection and monitoring at a lower cost and with less system complexity. The functions of the relevant modules are shown in Table 1. Table 1
[0035] Specifically, the embodiments of this application are described as follows: 1. Thermocouples collect the temperature of the front and back of the photovoltaic panel to monitor its health status.
[0036] 2. The multi-channel analog RS485 acquisition module mainly consists of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a microcontroller. The acquisition module first inputs the analog signals from multiple thermocouples to the ADC, converting them from analog to digital signals, and then transmits them to the microcontroller. The microcontroller then encapsulates the data from all thermocouples according to the Modbus communication protocol, and finally outputs the encapsulated data via the RS485 bus.
[0037] 3. The data acquisition unit consists of a 4G communication module, a memory card, a power supply, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor receives signals from the RS485 data acquisition module and other meteorological sensors that transmit signals according to the RS485 standard, generates a record containing all sensor signals and timestamps of the completed data processing, temporarily stores it in the memory card, and finally uploads it to the server's database via the 4G communication module.
[0038] 4. Meteorological sensors include, but are not limited to, wind direction and speed meters, irradiance meters, and temperature and humidity sensors, used to collect environmental data around photovoltaic panels and to combine photovoltaic surface temperature data to determine whether the photovoltaic panels are abnormal.
[0039] 5. The database stores two types of data. The first type is the surface temperature data of the photovoltaic panels, and the second type is meteorological data. Both are stored on the server as timestamped records and can be used for photovoltaic health monitoring and surrounding environmental monitoring.
[0040] 6. This application embodiment integrates photovoltaic monitoring and environmental monitoring into one device. It can be used simply by connecting to the power and signal interfaces reserved on the box and inserting a SIM card.
[0041] Some optional application scenarios of the embodiments of this application are shown in Table 2: Table 2
[0042] Some alternative options are as follows: 1. Thermocouples can be directly connected to the data acquisition unit via the RS485 standard, but this will occupy more interfaces.
[0043] 2. Environmental data sensors can also reduce the number of interfaces by using a multi-channel analog-to-RS485 acquisition module, but considering that there are not many relevant sensors, it is not necessary to adopt this connection method.
[0044] 3. The data acquisition device can download locally stored data on-site.
[0045] This application proposes adding a multi-channel analog-to-RS485 module to integrate thermocouple signals for monitoring the surface temperature of photovoltaic panels, effectively reducing the number of data acquisition interfaces required, and further reducing the cost and system complexity of collecting relevant data by connecting to existing weather station data acquisition devices.
[0046] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. (if present) in the specification and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.
[0047] It should be understood that in this application, "at least one (item)" means one or more, and "more than" means two or more. "And / or" is used to describe the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent three cases: only A exists, only B exists, and both A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.
[0048] The preferred embodiments of the present application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but this does not limit the scope of the claims of the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and substance of the embodiments of the present application shall be within the scope of the claims of the present application.
Claims
1. An integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring device, characterized in that, The device includes: a server, a database, a data acquisition unit, a multi-channel temperature acquisition module, and multiple thermocouples; Each of the thermocouples is connected to the first end of the multi-channel temperature acquisition module; The second end of the multi-channel temperature acquisition module is connected to the first end of the data acquisition unit; The second end of the data collector is connected to the database; Each of the aforementioned thermocouples is used to collect the surface temperature of the photovoltaic panel; The multi-channel temperature acquisition module is used to integrate the surface temperatures acquired by each of the thermocouples and transmit each of the surface temperatures to the data acquisition unit. The data acquisition device is used to upload the temperatures of each of the surfaces to the database; The database is used to store the temperatures of each of the aforementioned surfaces; The server is used to monitor the photovoltaic panel based on the temperature of each of the surfaces.
2. The integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the photovoltaic panels shall have at least one thermocouple installed on its front and back sides; Each of the thermocouples is used to collect the surface temperature of the corresponding front or back side of the photovoltaic panel.
3. The integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-channel temperature acquisition module includes a multi-channel analog RS485 acquisition module.
4. The integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The multi-channel analog RS485 acquisition module includes an analog-to-digital converter and a microcontroller; Each of the thermocouples is used to convert the acquired surface temperature into a corresponding analog quantity; The analog-to-digital converter module is used to convert the analog quantity into a digital quantity and transmit the digital quantity to the microcontroller; The microcontroller is used to encapsulate all the digital quantities according to the Modbus communication protocol and transmit the encapsulated digital quantities to the data acquisition unit via the RS485 bus.
5. The integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes a weather station sensor; the weather station sensor is connected to the third end of the data acquisition unit. The weather station sensor is used to collect environmental data from the photovoltaic power station and transmit the environmental data to the data acquisition unit. The data collector is also used to upload the environmental data to the database; The database is also used to store the environmental data; The server is also used to monitor the photovoltaic panel based on the environmental data and the surface temperatures of each of the panels.
6. The integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The weather station sensors include a wind direction and speed meter, an irradiance meter, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor; The environmental data includes temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, wind speed, and radiation.
7. The integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The weather station sensor is connected to the third terminal of the data acquisition unit via the RS485 transmission protocol.
8. The integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data acquisition device communicates with the database via a 4G network.
9. The integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The data acquisition device includes a 4G communication module, a memory card, a power supply, and a microprocessor; The microprocessor is used to receive signals from the multi-channel temperature acquisition module and the weather station sensor connected to the device, and generate a timestamp consisting of all received signals and the timestamps after processing; the storage card is used to store the received signals and timestamps; and the 4G communication module is used to upload the received signals and timestamps to the database.
10. The integrated photovoltaic operation and environmental monitoring equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The server, the database, the data acquisition device, and the multi-channel temperature acquisition module are integrated into a portable device case.