Solar panel with dynamically configured bypass diodes

Abstract

The utility model provides a solar panel with dynamically configured bypass diodes, which is characterized in that the solar panel comprises a solar panel main body, a control box and an electrode lead connecting the solar panel main body and the control box; wherein the solar panel main body comprises A) a plurality of solar cell units positioned on the front side; b) electrode connecting lines for connecting the positive and negative electrodes of each battery unit in a series-parallel connection manner; and C) a plurality of threading holes located at the edge and used for allowing electrode connecting wires to pass through and connecting the electrode connecting wires to electrode leads on the back surface of the solar panel main body. A control circuit board is assembled in the control box, a voltage detection circuit, a processor, a switch matrix and a plurality of bypass diodes are integrated on the control circuit board, and all the units are electrically connected through PCB routing. According to the utility model, the dynamic configuration of the bypass diode of the solar cell panel can be realized, the output power under partial shading is improved, unnecessary energy loss is reduced, and the service life of the solar cell panel is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of new energy, and in particular to a solar power panel with dynamically configurable bypass diodes. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the photovoltaic industry, the reliability and stability of photovoltaic systems have become increasingly apparent. Photovoltaic cells are susceptible to factors such as irradiance, temperature, and parasitic impedance. In particular, non-uniform irradiance caused by unpredictable factors such as trees, moving clouds, and birds can directly affect the output power of photovoltaic arrays and may cause hot spot effects due to local overheating, damaging photovoltaic cells and module encapsulation materials. The traditional solution is to connect bypass diodes in parallel across a certain number of series-connected cell units. When a cell unit is in shade and cannot generate electricity, it acts as a bypass, allowing the current generated by other cells to flow through the bypass diodes of the non-generating cell, enabling the solar panel to continue generating electricity. Currently, commercial solar panels typically have a bypass diode connected in parallel on both sides of 36 series-connected battery cells. However, this method has significant drawbacks. If one battery cell is in shadow, all 36 battery cells within the bypass diode will fail, greatly affecting the power generation efficiency of the solar panel. Theoretically, a bypass diode could be configured for each series-connected battery cell. However, this solution not only significantly increases the cost, but also, when multiple series-connected battery cells are in shadow, the internal resistance of multiple bypass diodes connected in series cannot be ignored, resulting in significant power loss and rapid local temperature rise. This localized heating phenomenon reduces the lifespan of the photovoltaic module.

[0003] This invention addresses the aforementioned problems by proposing a solar panel with dynamically configured bypass diodes. By implementing this invention, a significantly smaller number of bypass diodes than battery cells can be configured according to the application scenario. During operation, the use of bypass diodes is dynamically configured based on the actual shading conditions, thereby increasing output power under partial shading, reducing unnecessary energy loss, and helping to extend the lifespan of the solar panel. Utility Model Content

[0004] This utility model proposes a solar panel with dynamically configured bypass diodes, including a solar panel body and a control box, as well as electrode leads connecting the two; wherein, the solar panel body includes:

[0005] A) Multiple solar cell units located on the front;

[0006] B) Electrode connection wires connecting the positive and negative terminals of each battery cell in series and parallel connection.

[0007] C) Multiple wire holes located at the edge for passing electrode connection wires through and connecting them to the electrode leads on the back of the solar panel body.

[0008] The control box contains a control circuit board, which integrates a voltage detection circuit, a processor, a switch matrix, and multiple bypass diodes. The various units are electrically connected through PCB traces.

[0009] The solar cell units are connected in a mesh configuration of M parallel and N series via electrode connection lines. That is, every M solar cell units are connected in parallel to form a group of parallel solar cell columns, and the N groups of parallel solar cell columns are then connected in series to form the final mesh connection. The parallel electrode connection lines extend to the edge, and then through the wire holes, and then through the electrode leads on the back to the control circuit board in the control box. Finally, they are electrically connected to the voltage detection circuit and the input terminal of the switch matrix through PCB traces.

[0010] The voltage detection circuit is used to detect the open-circuit voltage of each group of parallel solar cells in real time and transmit the detection data to the processor through the data interface; the processor controls the switch matrix through the control interface to complete the dynamic connection configuration between the electrode leads and the bypass diodes.

[0011] The switch matrix consists of multiple MOSFET-based electronic switches, with its output connected to a bypass diode.

[0012] The number of bypass diodes configured is N / n, where n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. Each bypass diode is responsible for protecting n parallel columns of solar cells. Through the connection configuration of the switch matrix, it can be connected in parallel to the positive and negative terminals of 1-n parallel columns of solar cells to provide a bypass current path.

[0013] By implementing this utility model, a number of bypass diodes far less than that of battery cells can be configured according to the application scenario. During operation, the use of bypass diodes can be dynamically configured according to the actual shading situation. This can improve the output power under partial shading, reduce unnecessary energy loss, and help extend the service life of solar panels.

[0014] Other features and advantages of this utility model will become clearer after reading the detailed description of the embodiments of this utility model in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To clearly illustrate the technical solution and embodiments of this utility model, the accompanying drawings are briefly described below. It should be noted that the drawings are primarily intended to explain the interconnections, structural features, and advantages of the various components of the device, and are not drawn to scale according to the actual dimensions of the device. Obviously, the drawings only relate to a limited set of embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the present utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily obtain new embodiments through formal variations based on these drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the present utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a functional block diagram of the control circuit board in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the connection relationship between the switch matrix and the bypass diode in one embodiment of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The specific embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] This invention proposes a solar panel with dynamically configured bypass diodes, comprising a solar panel body and a control box, as well as electrode leads connecting the two. The solar panel body includes multiple solar cell units on the front side, electrode connection lines connecting the positive and negative terminals of each cell unit in series and parallel, and multiple through holes located on the edge of the solar panel body for passing the electrode connection lines through and connecting them to electrode leads on the back side of the solar panel body. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a 3x4 unit embodiment is provided. As shown in the figure, 12 solar cell units A1 are connected in a mesh via electrode connection lines A2. Three cells are first connected in parallel to form a column, labeled as four parallel columns C1, C2, C3, and C4. The four parallel columns are connected in series to form the final mesh connection. All parallel electrode connection lines extend to the edge, and then through the wire holes, and further through the electrode leads on the back to the control box.

[0021] The control box contains a control circuit board, which integrates a voltage detection circuit, a processor, a switch matrix, and at least one bypass diode. These units are electrically connected at the physical layer via PCB traces. At the logic layer, the voltage detection circuit is connected to the processor via a data interface, and the processor is connected to the switch matrix via a control interface. Figure 2 A functional block diagram of the control circuit board is provided. The electrode leads converge into a parallel array of positive and negative electrode bundles of the solar cells, which are connected to the control circuit board. These bundles are then electrically connected to the voltage detection circuit and the input terminals of the switch matrix via PCB traces. The voltage detection circuit detects the voltage between the positive and negative electrodes of each parallel array in real time and transmits the results to the processor via a data interface. Based on the detected voltage values, the processor determines whether a bypass diode needs to be connected in parallel to the corresponding parallel array of solar cells, thereby determining the control logic of the switch matrix. Finally, the processor controls the switch matrix through the control interface to complete the connection configuration of the bypass diode.

[0022] by Figure 1 Taking the solar panel shown as an example, Figure 3A schematic diagram of the switch matrix and bypass diode connection is further provided. In this embodiment, the bypass diodes are configured in half, that is, two bypass diodes are configured in four parallel columns. Groups C1 and C2 share bypass diode D1, and groups C3 and C4 share bypass diode D2. If the processor determines that the parallel column C1 needs a bypass diode, it controls the switch matrix to connect C1+ and C1-; if the processor determines that the parallel columns C1 and C2 both need a bypass diode, it controls the switch matrix to connect C1+ and C2-; and so on.

[0023] Traditional bypass diodes are typically connected in parallel across a certain number of series-connected battery cells, for example, one bypass diode for every 12-24 cells, or sometimes as many as 36 cells in commercial applications. However, this fixed configuration cannot adapt to various shading conditions. If even one cell in a series connection is shaded, all cells within the protection range of the parallel bypass diode will fail completely, including those that are functioning normally and unable to output power. This drawback significantly impacts the power generation efficiency of solar panels. Configuring a bypass diode for each series-connected cell also has significant drawbacks. Besides increasing costs considerably, when multiple cells are shaded, multiple bypass diodes connected in series to provide a bypass path result in significant power loss due to their internal resistance.

[0024] Therefore, optimizing the number of bypass diodes and adopting a dynamic configuration scheme can improve the power generation efficiency of solar panels while also saving costs for users. The optimal number of bypass diodes depends on the specific structure of the solar panel, the number of cell units, and the expected shading mode. To achieve dynamic configuration, it is recommended to equip each of the n parallel cell units with a smart-controlled bypass diode, where n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, typically between 2 and 4. Each bypass diode is responsible for protecting the n parallel solar cell units and can be connected in parallel to the positive and negative terminals of 1-n parallel solar cell units through a switch matrix configuration, providing a bypass current path. This allows for more precise control of the bypass current path, reducing unnecessary energy loss while controlling costs.

[0025] For dynamically configured bypass diodes, an initial connection state needs to be determined. For example, in Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, considering safety and to avoid hot spot effects that may result from initial shading, D1 can be initially connected in parallel across C1 and C2, and D2 can be connected in parallel across C3 and C4. Subsequently, the processor dynamically adjusts the connection status of these bypass diodes based on the monitoring results of the open-circuit voltage.

[0026] The core of this solution lies in monitoring the open-circuit voltage of different parts of the solar panel to determine whether there is local shading, and dynamically adjusting the connection status of the bypass diodes to optimize output power and reduce unnecessary conduction energy loss.

[0027] The processor pre-stores a voltage reference value, which is obtained through initialization statistics and continuously fine-tuned during long-term operation based on operational data and environmental changes (e.g., temperature, overall irradiance changes) to adapt to long-term system drift. During operation, the processor continuously monitors the real-time open-circuit voltage of each monitored area through a voltage detection circuit. If an open-circuit voltage is significantly lower than its reference voltage by a certain percentage (e.g., below 90% of the reference voltage or a threshold set according to the specific application), it is preliminarily determined that the area may be shaded. At this time, the bypass diode responsible for protecting this area is connected by controlling the switch matrix to provide a bypass for the current flowing through other normally operating areas, preventing excessive reverse bias of the battery cells in the shaded area from generating hot spots. If the voltage of multiple consecutive monitored areas drops significantly, it may indicate a larger area of ​​shading. In this case, a bypass diode responsible for these consecutively shaded areas can be selected for connection, that is, continuously shaded battery cells share a single bypass diode, thereby avoiding energy loss caused by multiple bypass diodes connected in series.

[0028] The processor is an ARM processor with multiple I / O interfaces, and the switch matrix consists of multiple MOSFET-based electronic switches.

[0029] The solution proposed in this utility model can realize the dynamic configuration of bypass diodes in solar panels, optimize the use of bypass diodes according to the actual shading conditions, improve the output power under partial shading, reduce unnecessary energy loss, and help extend the service life of solar panels.

[0030] The description of this utility model is given for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the utility model to the disclosed forms. The embodiments were chosen and described to better illustrate the principles and practical applications of the utility model, and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the utility model and design various embodiments with various modifications suitable for a particular purpose. All new embodiments that fall within the basic concept, construction principles, and spirit of this utility model, and are achieved through simple variations, modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements, should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model. The scope of this utility model is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A solar panel with dynamically configured bypass diodes, characterized in that, The solar panel includes a solar panel body and a control box, as well as electrode leads connecting the two; wherein, the solar panel body includes: multiple solar cell units located on the front side; Electrode connection lines that connect the positive and negative terminals of each battery cell in series and parallel; Multiple wire holes located at the edge are used to pass through the electrode connection wires and connect them to the electrode leads on the back of the solar panel body; The control box contains a control circuit board, which integrates a voltage detection circuit, a processor, a switch matrix, and multiple bypass diodes. The various units are electrically connected through PCB traces.

2. The solar panel with dynamically configured bypass diodes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The solar cell units are connected in a mesh configuration of M parallel and N series via electrode connection lines. That is, every M solar cell units are connected in parallel to form a group of parallel solar cell columns, and the N groups of parallel solar cell columns are then connected in series to form the final mesh connection. The parallel electrode connection lines extend to the edge, and then through the wire holes, and then through the electrode leads on the back to the control circuit board in the control box. Finally, they are electrically connected to the voltage detection circuit and the input terminal of the switch matrix through PCB traces.

3. The solar panel with dynamically configured bypass diodes according to claim 2, characterized in that, The voltage detection circuit is used to detect the open-circuit voltage of each group of parallel solar cells in real time and transmit the detection data to the processor through the data interface; the processor controls the switch matrix through the control interface to complete the dynamic connection configuration between the electrode leads and the bypass diodes.

4. The solar panel with dynamically configured bypass diodes according to claim 2, characterized in that, The switch matrix consists of multiple MOSFET-based electronic switches, with its output connected to a bypass diode.

5. The solar panel with dynamically configured bypass diodes according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The number of bypass diodes configured is N / n, where n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. Each bypass diode is responsible for protecting n parallel columns of solar cells. Through the connection configuration of the switch matrix, it can be connected in parallel to the positive and negative terminals of 1-n parallel columns of solar cells to provide a bypass current path.

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