A solar simulator

Abstract

The application provides a sunlight simulator. The sunlight simulator comprises a rack, an experimental platform and a pair of light source assemblies; the experimental platform and the pair of light source assemblies are arranged on the rack, and the pair of light source assemblies are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the experimental platform in the thickness direction; the experimental platform is used for placing a workpiece to be tested, and the workpiece to be tested has opposite front and back surfaces in the thickness direction; the back surface of the workpiece to be tested abuts against the surface of the experimental platform, and the front and back surfaces of the workpiece to be tested respectively face the pair of light source assemblies; the light source assemblies are used for emitting simulated sunlight, and the simulated sunlight emitted by the pair of light source assemblies respectively and synchronously reaches the front and back surfaces of the workpiece to be tested, so that the front and back surfaces of the workpiece to be tested synchronously receive the irradiation of the simulated sunlight. The sunlight simulator does not need to additionally add a second set of independent light source system to realize double-side detection of the workpiece to be tested, and therefore has the advantages of compact structure and stable performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of solar simulation technology, and in particular to a steady-state solar simulator capable of achieving double-sided illumination. Background Technology

[0002] A AAA-grade solar simulator is an artificial light source system or laboratory light source system capable of highly reproducing the characteristics, spatial uniformity, and temporal stability of the real solar spectrum. It is widely used in scientific experiments and industrial testing fields such as photovoltaic device testing, photocatalysis research, and material weathering evaluation. According to international standards (such as IEC 60904-9), a AAA-grade simulator must meet the highest level requirements (i.e., Grade A requirements) in three aspects: spectral matching, irradiance uniformity, and temporal stability. The third "A" corresponds to temporal stability, requiring extremely small fluctuations in output light intensity. Typically, short-term instability should be better than ±0.5%, and long-term instability should not exceed ±2%, to ensure the accuracy and repeatability of experimental data.

[0003] In recent years, bifacial photovoltaic (PV) cells have gradually become an important development direction for high-efficiency photovoltaic technology due to their ability to generate electricity simultaneously using direct sunlight from the front and reflected sunlight from the back. These devices possess photoelectric conversion capabilities on both the front and back sides; therefore, during performance testing, both sides must be simultaneously subjected to standard simulated sunlight. However, most mainstream solar simulators on the market currently employ a single-sided light-emitting structure, illuminating only one side of the sample, which is insufficient to meet the simulation requirements of full-light conditions for bifacial PV devices in real-world application scenarios.

[0004] While some studies have attempted to achieve bifacial illumination by adding a second independent light source system, such solutions often suffer from problems such as large equipment size, high cost, complex optical path calibration, and difficulty in synchronously controlling the light intensity on both sides, severely impacting testing efficiency and result consistency. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a compact, light-intensity-controllable, and AAA-standard bifacial illumination steady-state solar simulator to fill the current technological gap and support the research and industrialization of bifacial photovoltaic technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a sunlight simulator, which aims to solve at least some of the defects of existing sunlight simulators.

[0006] This utility model provides a sunlight simulator. The sunlight simulator includes: The machine frame, experimental platform, and a pair of light source assemblies; The experimental platform and the pair of light source components are both mounted on the frame, and the pair of light source components are respectively mounted on opposite sides of the experimental platform in its thickness direction. The experimental platform is used to place the workpiece to be tested, and the workpiece to be tested has a front and a back facing each other in its thickness direction; The back of the workpiece to be tested abuts against the surface of the experimental platform, and the front and back of the workpiece to be tested face the pair of light source components respectively; The light source assembly is used to emit simulated sunlight. The simulated sunlight emitted by the pair of light source assemblies arrives at the front and back of the workpiece under test respectively and synchronously, so that the front and back of the workpiece under test are simultaneously irradiated by simulated sunlight.

[0007] In some embodiments, the light source assembly includes at least: The housing is assembled from multiple equipment panels, the housing is mounted on the frame, and the interior of the housing forms a receiving cavity; A light source is disposed within the housing cavity of the enclosure, the light source dividing the housing cavity into a heat dissipation cavity and a beam cavity, the light source being used to emit simulated sunlight, and the light source generating heat when emitting simulated sunlight; The system includes a heat sink, a reflector, a cooling fan, and a beam-diffusing glass, wherein the heat sink is located inside the heat dissipation cavity, and the reflector is located inside the beam cavity. The heat sink is attached to the light source so that the heat generated by the light source is concentrated into the heat dissipation cavity; The housing is provided with fan mounting holes and heat dissipation grille holes, and both the fan mounting holes and the heat dissipation grille holes are connected to the heat dissipation cavity; The cooling fan is disposed at the fan mounting hole so that the heat concentrated in the heat dissipation cavity is blown by the cooling fan toward the heat dissipation grid hole and discharged from the heat dissipation cavity; The reflector is attached to the side of the light source away from the heat sink, and the reflector can reflect simulated sunlight that is not radiated along the light output direction back to the light output direction; The light-diffusing glass is disposed on the side of the housing that is close to the experimental platform in the light-emitting direction, and the light-diffusing glass is used to homogenize the emitted light spot.

[0008] In some embodiments, the inner surface of the device cover plate is subjected to at least one of anodizing, sandblasting, or coating with a light-absorbing coating to achieve a matte finish, and the frame is constructed of aluminum alloy profiles.

[0009] In some embodiments, the end of the reflector that is in close contact with the light source is at a first distance from the central axis of the light source, and the end of the reflector that is away from the light source is at a second distance from the central axis of the light source; The first distance is less than the second distance, so that the reflector is tilted relative to the central axis of the light source; The central axis of the light source extends along the light emission direction.

[0010] In some embodiments, the light source is a high-power LED array or a xenon lamp module.

[0011] In some embodiments, the surface of the homogenizing glass is provided with a microstructure or a diffusion coating.

[0012] In some embodiments, the light sources in a pair of light source assemblies can be controlled independently or in conjunction with synchronous control.

[0013] In some embodiments, the sunlight simulator further includes: The optical path control mechanism enables the solar simulator to continuously adjust the output irradiance within the range of 0.1 Sun to 2.0 Sun without adjusting the output power of the light source; A light intensity feedback sensor and a PID control module are configured to be connected to a light source in one of the pair of light source assemblies to control the output light intensity of the light source.

[0014] In some embodiments, the workpiece to be tested is a bifacial photovoltaic cell or a bifacial photodetector.

[0015] At least one beneficial effect of the solar simulator provided in this embodiment of the invention is that, through the structural design of incorporating a pair of symmetrically arranged light source components, the front and back sides of the workpiece placed on the experimental platform can be simultaneously illuminated, thereby achieving double-sided illumination of the workpiece. Compared with the single-sided illumination of traditional solar simulators, this solar simulator can achieve double-sided illumination without the need for an additional second independent light source system. This design gives the solar simulator advantages such as compact structure, stable performance, flexible operation, and high testing accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0016] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall external structure of the solar simulator provided in this embodiment of the utility model; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal optical and structural module layout of the solar simulator provided in this embodiment of the utility model.

[0018] Figure reference numerals: 1. Light source; 2. Heat sink; 3. Reflector; 4. Light-diffusing glass; 5. Experimental platform; 6. Workpiece to be tested; 7. Cooling fan; 8. Equipment cover plate; 9. Frame. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. It should be emphasized that the following description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope and application of the present invention.

[0020] It should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "internal," "external," "away from," etc., used in this specification to indicate the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. The terms "installed," "connected," "linked," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features; thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature; "a plurality" or "several" means two or more; "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0021] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The solar simulator includes: a frame 9, an experimental platform 5, and a pair of light source components.

[0022] The experimental platform 5 and a pair of light source components are both mounted on the frame 9, and the pair of light source components are respectively mounted on opposite sides of the experimental platform 5 in the thickness direction.

[0023] In addition, the experimental platform 5 is used to place the workpiece 6 to be tested, and the workpiece 6 to be tested has a front and a back side in its thickness direction.

[0024] In addition, the back side of the workpiece 6 to be tested abuts against the surface of the experimental platform 5, and the front and back sides of the workpiece 6 to be tested face a pair of light source components respectively.

[0025] It should be noted that the light source assembly is used to emit simulated sunlight. The simulated sunlight emitted by the pair of light source assemblies arrives at the front and back of the workpiece 6 under test separately and synchronously, so that the front and back of the workpiece 6 under test are simultaneously irradiated by simulated sunlight.

[0026] Specifically, the pair of light source components includes an upper light source component located above the experimental platform 5 and a lower light source component located below the experimental platform 5. The front of the workpiece 6 under test is illuminated by the upper light source component, while the back of the workpiece 6 under test is simultaneously illuminated by the lower light source component, thereby achieving double-sided synchronous illumination of the workpiece 6 under test, and thus realistically reproducing the actual working conditions of the double-sided photovoltaic device under test workpiece 6 in the outdoor environment.

[0027] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the light source assembly includes at least: a housing, a light source 1, a heat sink 2, a reflector 3, a cooling fan 7, and a light-diffusing glass 4.

[0028] Understandably, the enclosure is assembled from multiple equipment panels 8, which are mounted on a frame 9, and the interior of the enclosure forms a receiving cavity.

[0029] Specifically, the light source 1 is placed inside the housing cavity of the box. The light source 1 divides the housing cavity into a heat dissipation cavity and a beam cavity. The light source 1 is used to emit simulated sunlight, and the light source 1 generates heat when emitting simulated sunlight.

[0030] To further explain, the heat sink 2 is located inside the heat dissipation cavity, and the reflector 3 is located inside the beam cavity.

[0031] In this embodiment, the heat sink 2 is attached to the light source 1 so that the heat generated by the light source 1 is concentrated into the heat dissipation cavity.

[0032] The enclosure has fan mounting holes and heat dissipation grilles, both of which are connected to the heat dissipation cavity.

[0033] In addition, the cooling fan 7 is located at the fan mounting hole so that the heat concentrated in the heat dissipation cavity is blown by the cooling fan 7 to the heat dissipation grid hole and discharged from the heat dissipation cavity.

[0034] In addition, the reflector 3 is attached to the side of the light source 1 away from the heat sink 2, and the reflector 3 can reflect the simulated sunlight that is not radiated along the light output direction back to the light output direction. This design can improve the light energy utilization rate and enhance the irradiance uniformity.

[0035] Specifically, the light-diffusing glass 4 is located on the side of the chamber close to the experimental platform 5 in the light-emitting direction, and the light-diffusing glass 4 is used to homogenize the emitted light spot.

[0036] To further explain, the cooling fan 7 can be installed on the side wall or top of the housing, and together with the radiator 2, it forms a forced air cooling system, which effectively controls the temperature rise inside the heat dissipation cavity, thereby ensuring the long-term stable operation of the solar simulator.

[0037] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the inner surface of the equipment cover plate 8 is subjected to at least one of the following matte treatments: anodizing, sandblasting, or coating with a light-absorbing coating, and the frame 9 is made of aluminum alloy profiles.

[0038] Specifically, since the enclosure is made of equipment sealing plates 8 that have undergone extinction treatment, the enclosure can effectively suppress the reflection interference of stray light inside (which can also be understood as: the enclosure has good internal extinction performance), thereby improving the test accuracy.

[0039] To further explain, the frame 9 is made of high-strength aluminum alloy profiles, a design that gives the solar simulator excellent mechanical strength and thermal stability.

[0040] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the end of the reflector 3 that is close to the light source 1 has a first distance from the central axis of the light source 1, and the end of the reflector 3 that is away from the light source 1 has a second distance from the central axis of the light source 1.

[0041] The first distance is less than the second distance, so that the reflector 3 is tilted relative to the central axis of the light source 1.

[0042] In addition, the central axis of light source 1 extends along the light emission direction.

[0043] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, light source 1 is a high-power LED (Light Emitting Diode) array or xenon lamp module. The spectral output of light source 1, after being optimized by the filtering system, meets the Class A requirement for spectral matching of AAA-level solar simulators in IEC 60904-9 standard.

[0044] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the surface of the uniform light glass 4 is provided with a microstructure or diffusion coating, and the uniform light glass 4 is made of high transmittance optical glass, which makes the irradiance distribution in the irradiation surface meet the spatial uniformity Class A standard, that is, the irradiance non-uniformity ≤ ±2%.

[0045] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the height of the experimental platform 5 is adjustable to accommodate workpieces 6 of different thicknesses.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, light source 1 in a pair of light source components can be controlled independently or in a synchronized manner.

[0047] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the solar simulator also includes a light path control mechanism.

[0048] It should be noted that the optical path control mechanism enables the solar simulator to achieve continuous adjustment of the output irradiance within the range of 0.1 Sun to 2.0 Sun without adjusting the output power of the light source 1, thereby flexibly adapting to various experimental scenarios such as weak light response, standard efficiency calibration, and accelerated aging.

[0049] "Sun" refers to the solar constant, a relative unit used to express the relative intensity of solar irradiance. Its baseline value is the total solar irradiance at the average distance between the Earth and the Sun outside the Earth's atmosphere. Under standard conditions (the Earth is located at the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, and the plane outside the atmosphere is perpendicular to the solar radiation beam), the total solar irradiance is approximately 1361 W / m², that is, 1 Sun is approximately 1361 W / m². Therefore, 0.1 Sun is approximately 136.1 W / m², while 2.0 Sun is approximately 2722 W / m².

[0050] It is understandable that the light intensity feedback sensor and the PID control module (Proportional-Integral-Derivative Controller) are configured to be connected to light source 1 in a pair of light source components to control the output light intensity of light source 1, thereby realizing closed-loop control of the output light intensity, and thus enabling the time stability to meet the AAA level requirements: short-term fluctuation ≤ ±0.5%, long-term fluctuation ≤ ±2%.

[0051] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the workpiece 6 to be tested is a device with bifacial photoelectric response characteristics, such as a bifacial photovoltaic cell or a bifacial photodetector.

[0052] In this embodiment of the application, the solar simulator can support a variety of preset spectral standards, including but not limited to AM1.5G (Air Mass 1.5 Global Solar Spectrum) and UV-VIS (Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrum), which are suitable for photovoltaic device testing, photocatalysis research and material weather resistance assessment.

[0053] In summary, this solar simulator can meet the requirement of simultaneous light exposure testing on both the front and back sides of bifacial photovoltaic devices under real-world conditions. Furthermore, the simulator supports multi-standard spectral output and wide-range irradiance adjustment, significantly improving the flexibility of experimental design and environmental adaptability. It effectively reduces the repetitive investment costs incurred by users due to multi-condition testing needs, demonstrating outstanding technical advantages and broad market application prospects.

[0054] In summary, the solar simulator provided by this embodiment of the invention, through its structural design incorporating a pair of symmetrically arranged light source components, allows for simultaneous illumination of the front and back sides of the workpiece placed on the experimental platform, thereby achieving double-sided illumination of the workpiece. Compared to the single-sided illumination of traditional solar simulators, this solar simulator achieves double-sided illumination without requiring an additional independent second light source system. This design gives the solar simulator advantages such as compact structure, stable performance, flexible operation, and high testing accuracy.

[0055] The above description, in conjunction with specific / preferred embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the present invention. It should not be construed that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited to these descriptions. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and all of these fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sunlight simulator, characterized in that, include: The machine frame, experimental platform, and a pair of light source assemblies; The experimental platform and the pair of light source components are both mounted on the frame, and the pair of light source components are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the experimental platform in its thickness direction. The experimental platform is used to place the workpiece to be tested, and the workpiece to be tested has a front and a back facing each other in its thickness direction; The back of the workpiece to be tested abuts against the surface of the experimental platform, and the front and back of the workpiece to be tested face the pair of light source components respectively; The light source assembly is used to emit simulated sunlight. The simulated sunlight emitted by the pair of light source assemblies arrives at the front and back of the workpiece under test respectively and synchronously, so that the front and back of the workpiece under test are simultaneously irradiated by simulated sunlight.

2. The solar simulator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light source assembly includes at least: The housing is assembled from multiple equipment panels, the housing is mounted on the frame, and the interior of the housing forms a receiving cavity; A light source is disposed within the housing cavity of the enclosure, the light source dividing the housing cavity into a heat dissipation cavity and a beam cavity, the light source being used to emit simulated sunlight, and the light source generating heat when emitting simulated sunlight; The system includes a heat sink, a reflector, a cooling fan, and a beam-diffusing glass, wherein the heat sink is located inside the heat dissipation cavity, and the reflector is located inside the beam cavity. The heat sink is attached to the light source so that the heat generated by the light source is concentrated into the heat dissipation cavity; The housing is provided with fan mounting holes and heat dissipation grille holes, and both the fan mounting holes and the heat dissipation grille holes are connected to the heat dissipation cavity; The cooling fan is disposed at the fan mounting hole so that the heat concentrated in the heat dissipation cavity is blown by the cooling fan toward the heat dissipation grid hole and discharged from the heat dissipation cavity; The reflector is attached to the side of the light source away from the heat sink, and the reflector can reflect simulated sunlight that is not radiated along the light output direction back to the light output direction; The light-diffusing glass is disposed on the side of the housing that is close to the experimental platform in the light-emitting direction, and the light-diffusing glass is used to homogenize the emitted light spot.

3. The solar simulator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner surface of the equipment cover plate is subjected to at least one of the following matte treatments: anodizing, sandblasting, or coating with a light-absorbing coating, and the frame is made of aluminum alloy profiles.

4. The sunlight simulator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The end of the reflector that is in close contact with the light source is at a first distance from the central axis of the light source, and the end of the reflector that is away from the light source is at a second distance from the central axis of the light source; The first distance is less than the second distance, so that the reflector is tilted relative to the central axis of the light source; The central axis of the light source extends along the light emission direction.

5. The sunlight simulator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The light source is a high-power LED array or a xenon lamp module.

6. The sunlight simulator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The surface of the uniform glass is provided with a microstructure or a diffusion coating.

7. The sunlight simulator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The light sources in a pair of light source assemblies can be controlled independently or in conjunction with each other for synchronous control.

8. The sunlight simulator according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: The optical path control mechanism enables the solar simulator to achieve continuous adjustment of the output irradiance within the range of 0.1 Sun to 2.0 Sun without adjusting the output power of the light source; A light intensity feedback sensor and a PID control module are configured to be connected to a light source in one of the pair of light source assemblies to control the output light intensity of the light source.

9. The solar simulator according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The workpiece to be tested is a bifacial photovoltaic cell or a bifacial photodetector.

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