Analysis system for identifying and measuring solar panel modules

Abstract

To provide an analyzing system for identifying and measuring a solar panel module.SOLUTION: A solar panel module includes a product label that is attached thereon. An analyzing system includes a housing 3, a carrying unit 4, and an image recognition unit 5. The carrying unit 4 is mounted on the housing 3 and is configured to carry the solar panel module and to measure a weight of the solar panel module that is carried. The image recognition unit 5 is mounted on the housing 3 and is configured to move relative to the carrying unit 4 and, while moving relative to the carrying unit 4 that is carrying the solar panel module, to capture an image of the solar panel module. The image recognition unit 5 is configured to process the image thus captured to obtain dimension data and product information of the solar panel module, where the product information is related to the product label.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an analytical system, and in particular to an analytical system for the identification and measurement of solar panel modules. [Background technology]

[0002] A solar panel module generally includes a solar panel configured to convert sunlight into electrical power, a frame surrounding the solar panel, and a junction box disposed on the back surface of the solar panel. The solar panel includes a cover layer, a base layer, and a number of solar cells sandwiched between the cover layer and the base layer.

[0003] Conventional methods for recycling solar panel modules include chemically or thermally decomposing the solar panel, or physically removing each layer of the solar panel by cutting or grinding. However, since the specifications of solar panel modules are currently very diverse, with more than 17,000 types, it is difficult to accurately and efficiently obtain the product information, dimensional data, structural data, and junction box position data of solar panel modules with different specifications before carrying out the conventional methods for recycling solar panel modules. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-086651 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an analytical system which is able to alleviate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The analysis system is used to identify and measure a solar panel module, which includes a solar panel and a product label affixed to the solar panel.

[0007] The analysis system includes a housing, a carrying unit, and an image recognition unit.

[0008] The carrying unit includes a weighing module attached to the housing and a carrying module attached to the weighing module and configured to carry a solar panel module placed within the housing. The weighing module is configured to measure a weight of the solar panel module carried by the carrying module.

[0009] The image recognition unit includes a first mobile module attached to the housing and configured to move relative to the carrying module; an imaging module attached to the first mobile module and configured to be driven by the first mobile module to move relative to the carrying module and configured to capture images of the solar panel module while moving relative to the carrying module carrying the solar panel module; and an image analysis module electrically connected to the imaging module and configured to process the images captured by the imaging module to obtain dimensional data of the solar panel module and product information related to the product label. Effect of the Invention

[0010] By arranging the carrying unit and the image recognition unit, the analysis system can automatically obtain measurement data, including weight and dimension data of the solar panel module and product information, so that the measurement data can be provided to a recycling system that recycles the solar panel module in a physical manner, and the recycling system can recycle the solar panel module based on the measurement data.

[0011] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiments which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a solar panel module. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a measurement module for measuring various layers of a solar panel module according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an analysis system for identifying and analyzing solar panel modules according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view showing a first door module of the analysis system according to the first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view showing a second door module of the analysis system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view of the analysis system of the first embodiment, in which a solar panel module is disposed in the internal space of the analysis system. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view showing transport components of an analytical system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a top view of an analysis system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a top view of an analysis system according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a solar panel module is disposed in an internal space. [Figure 10] 1 is a block diagram of an analysis system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a measurement unit of the analysis system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an analysis system for identifying and analyzing solar panel modules according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a measurement module for measuring various layers of a solar panel module according to a second embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Before describing the present invention in more detail, it should be noted that, where considered appropriate, reference numerals or terminal portions of reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or similar elements which may have similar characteristics.

[0014] Furthermore, in this specification, directional terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" are used only to exemplify the relative positions of multiple hardware components in embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings, and are not intended to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention.

[0015] 1 to 3, an analysis system 200 for identifying and analyzing a solar panel module 9 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The analysis system 200 is configured to identify specifications and measure dimensions of the solar panel module 9. The solar panel module 9 includes a solar panel 91, a junction box 92 disposed on the solar panel 91, a product label 93 attached to the solar panel 91, and a frame 94 surrounding the solar panel 91. The solar panel 91 includes a base layer 913, a cover layer 914, and a solar cell unit 911 sandwiched between the base layer 913 and the cover layer 914. The solar cell unit 911 includes an adhesive layer 915 bonded to the base layer 913 and the cover layer 914, and a plurality of solar cells 912 embedded in the adhesive layer 915, horizontally arranged in a matrix and spaced apart from one another (i.e., having a plurality of gaps between the solar cells 912). The junction box 92 and product label 93 are disposed on a base surface of the base layer 913 away from the cover layer 914. In a first embodiment, the analysis system 200 is configured to receive a solar panel module 9 disposed with the base layer 913 facing up and the junction box 92 and product label 93 facing down.

[0016] 3 to 5 and 10, the analysis system 200 includes a housing 3, a carrying unit 4 attached to the housing 3, an image recognition unit 5, a measurement unit 6, and a control unit 7. The control unit 7 is electrically connected to the housing 3, the carrying unit 4, the image recognition unit 5, and the measurement unit 6. The control unit 7 may be realized using a computer, and may include, but is not limited to, a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, a dual-core mobile processor, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), and the like.

[0017] The housing 3 includes a body 31 that surrounds and defines an interior space 310. The interior space 310 has an inlet 312 located on a first side of the interior space 310 and an outlet 311 located on a second side of the interior space 310 opposite the first side. The body 31 has a first side and a second side that correspond respectively to the first side and the second side of the interior space 310.

[0018] The housing 3 further includes a first door module 32 attached to a first side of the main body 31 and controllable by the control unit 7 to openably close the entrance 312, and a second door module 33 attached to a second side of the main body 31 and controllable by the control unit 7 to openably close the exit 311. Here, the direction in which the first side and the second side of the internal space 310 face each other is defined as a first direction, and the direction perpendicular to the first direction and the vertical direction of the analysis system 200 is defined as a second direction. The internal space 310 is defined by a combination of a plurality of rods and a plurality of walls of the main body 31. Note that the main body 31 can be realized in various forms, and is not the point of the present invention, so details are omitted for the sake of brevity. Also, some of the rods and walls of the main body 31 are omitted in the drawings of the present invention to clearly show other components disposed in the internal space 310, and therefore the main body 31 is not limited to the structure shown in FIG. 3.

[0019] The first door module 32 includes a first door panel 321 attached to a first side of the main body 31 and configured to openably close the entrance 312, and a first drive component 322 attached to the main body 31 and connected to the first door panel 321. The first drive component 322 is electrically connected to the control unit 7 and configured to be controlled by the control unit 7 to open the first door panel 321 to expose the entrance 312.

[0020] The second door module 33 includes a second door panel 331 attached to a second side of the main body 31 and configured to openably close the exit 311, and a second driving component 332 attached to the main body 31 and connected to the second door panel 331. The second driving component 332 is electrically connected to the control unit 7 and configured to be controlled by the control unit 7 to open the second door panel 331 to expose the exit 311. In this embodiment, each of the first driving component 322 and the second driving component 332 may include at least an electric motor, a pneumatic actuator (e.g., a pneumatic motor), a hydraulic cylinder, or any other actuator that drives and moves the first door panel 321 or the second door panel 331.

[0021] 3 and 6 to 8, the carrying unit 4 is disposed in the internal space 310 and includes a weighing unit 41 attached to the main body 31, a carrying module 42 attached to the weighing module 41, two first alignment modules 43 attached to one end of the carrying module 42 adjacent to the outlet 311 and disposed inside the outlet 311, and two second alignment modules 44 attached to the carrying module 42 and spaced apart from each other in the first direction. The weighing module 41 includes four load cells 411 (only two of which are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7) that are symmetrically attached to the main body 31 in the first direction and the second direction.

[0022] The carrying module 42 includes a carrying base 421 attached to the weighing module 41 (i.e., disposed on the load cell 411), and a transport part 422 attached to the carrying base 421 and disposed between the entrance 312 and the exit 311. The transport part 422 is configured to transport the solar panel module 9 placed in the internal space 310 through the entrance 312 toward the exit 311. The weighing module 41 is configured to measure the weight of an object (e.g., the solar panel module 9) carried by the carrying module 42 using the load cell 411, and obtain weight data of the solar panel module 9 based on the measured weight.

[0023] In this embodiment, the transport part 422 includes two conveyor belts 423 spaced apart in the second direction and extending in the first direction, a plurality of support frames 424 disposed on the carrying base 421, spaced apart in the second direction and arranged along the first direction, and a third driving part 425 electrically connected to the control unit 7 and configured to be controlled by the control unit 7 to drive the conveyor belt 423 to carry the solar panel module 9 toward the outlet 311. The support frame 424 is disposed under and abuts against the upper half of the conveyor belt 423, thereby maintaining the conveyor belt 423 at a predetermined height level when the solar panel module 9 is placed on the conveyor belt 423. In another embodiment, the transport part 422 may include a roller conveyor including a plurality of rollers each extending in the second direction and arranged in the first direction. The above-mentioned two kinds of transport parts 422 are well known to those skilled in the art and can be realized in various forms, and details are omitted for brevity. Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the above examples. In this embodiment, the third driving component 425 may include at least an electric motor, a pneumatic actuator (e.g., a pneumatic motor), a hydraulic cylinder, or any other actuator that drives and operates the conveyor belt 423.

[0024] 3, 6 and 9, the first alignment module 43 is attached to one end of the carrying module 42 adjacent to the exit 311 and disposed inside the exit 311. Each of the first alignment modules 43 is configured to be controlled by the control unit 7 to convert between a block position and a release position. When the first alignment module 43 is in the block position, it prevents the solar panel module 9 from moving through the exit 311, and the solar panel module 9 is aligned with the exit 311 by abutting against the first alignment module 43, and when the first alignment module 43 is in the release position, the solar panel module 9 can move through the exit 311.

[0025] In this embodiment, each of the first alignment modules 43 may be a telescopic cylinder that moves to the blocking position by extending upward in the vertical direction and moves to the releasing position by contracting downward in the vertical direction. Note that the first alignment modules 43 may have different structural configurations, and the specific moving methods are also various (for example, swinging up and down between the blocking position and the releasing position), and are not limited to the above examples.

[0026] 3, 8 and 9, the second alignment module 44 includes a guide part 441 attached to the carrying base 421 and extending in the second direction, two push parts 442 attached to opposite ends of the guide part 441 and configured to move along the guide part 441 in the second direction, a fourth drive part 443 attached to the carrying base 421, and a connection part 444 disposed between the push part 442 and connected to each of the fourth drive part 443 and the push part 442. The connection part 444 includes a rotation base 445 and two connection rods 446. The rotation base 445 is attached to the carrying base 421 and electrically connected to the fourth drive part 443, and configured to be driven by the fourth drive part 443 to rotate horizontally in a virtual plane perpendicular to the up-down direction. The connection rods 446 are connected to the push parts 442, respectively. Each of the connecting rods 446 has one end that pivots eccentrically to the rotating base 445 and the other end that pivots to a corresponding one of the push parts 442. The points where the two connecting rods 446 connect to the rotating bases 445 are radially symmetric. In this embodiment, the fourth driving part 443 may include at least an actuator (e.g., an electric motor, a pneumatic actuator (e.g., an air motor), a hydraulic cylinder, or any other actuator that drives the rotating base 445 to rotate) and a gear set that connects to the actuator and the rotating base 445.

[0027] For each of the second alignment modules 44, the fourth drive part 443 is configured to be controlled by the control unit 7 to drive the rotation base 445 to rotate horizontally, such that the connecting rods 446 are driven to move in opposite directions along the second direction, and the push parts 442 are driven to move along the guide part 441 in one of a first manner of moving toward each other and a second manner of moving away from each other. When the push parts 442 of the second alignment modules 44 move simultaneously to move toward each other along the guide part 441 by the connecting parts 444 driven by the fourth drive part 443, the push parts 442 cooperatively push the solar panel modules 9 on the transport part 422 to align with the first direction (see FIG. 9 ).

[0028] 3, 6 and 10, the image recognition unit 5 includes a first moving module 51, an imaging module 52, and an image analysis module 53. The first moving module 51 is attached to the main body 31, disposed above the transport part 422, and configured to move relative to the transport part 422. The imaging module 52 is attached to the first moving module 51, and the image analysis module 53 is electrically connected to the imaging module 52.

[0029] The first moving module 51 includes a first slide rail 511, a first moving base 512, and a fifth driving part 513. The first slide rail 511 is attached to the main body 31 and extends in a first direction. The first moving base 512 is disposed on the first slide rail 511 and configured to slide along the first slide rail 511, and the imaging module 52 is disposed on the first moving base 512. The fifth driving part 513 is connected to the first moving base 512 and configured to be controlled by the control unit 7 to drive the first moving base 512 to move along the first slide rail 511 in the first direction and move the imaging module 52 relative to the carrying module 42. In this embodiment, the fifth driving part 513 may include at least an electric motor, a pneumatic actuator (e.g., a pneumatic motor), a hydraulic cylinder, or any other actuator that drives and moves the first moving base 512.

[0030] The imaging module 52 is configured, under control of the control unit 7, to face downwards towards the solar panel module 9 and take a number of images showing different parts of the solar panel module 9 arranged on the transport part 422 while moving relative to the carrying module 42 carrying the solar panel module 9. The different parts of the solar panel module 9 may partially overlap each other. The imaging module 52 may, for example, be a camera.

[0031] The image analysis module 53 is integrated with the control unit 7 and configured to create an image of the top surface of the solar panel module 9 (hereinafter referred to as a "solar panel top surface image") based on images showing different parts of the solar panel module 9, and obtain an image of the product label 93 (hereinafter referred to as a "product label image") from the solar panel top surface image. In some embodiments, the image analysis module 53 obtains the product label image by the imaging module 52 directly photographing the product label 93. The image analysis module 53 is further configured to process the solar panel top surface image and obtain solar panel module data. The solar panel module data includes solar panel dimension data (e.g., the length and width of the solar panel module), junction box dimension data (e.g., the dimensions of the junction box 92), junction box position data (e.g., the position of the junction box 92 on the solar panel module 9), and frame dimension data (e.g., the length and width of the frame 94). The image analysis module 53 is further configured to perform character recognition on the product label image and obtain product information related to the product label 93 of the solar panel module 9. In this embodiment, the product information is printed on the product label 93, and the product information may include, but is not limited to, the brand name, model number, place of origin, power specifications of the solar panel module 9, etc.

[0032] The aforementioned operations of the image analysis module 53 may be implemented as a method, apparatus, or computer-readable storage medium using standard programming and / or engineering techniques to generate software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. The aforementioned operations may be implemented as program code stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, magnetic storage media (e.g., hard disk drives, floppy disks, magnetic tapes, etc.), optical storage media (optical disks such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, etc.), volatile / non-volatile storage devices (e.g., EEPROM, ROM, PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, etc.), solid-state drives (SSDs), etc. The program code stored in the computer-readable storage medium may be read and executed by a processor to perform the operations of the image analysis module 53. The processor may include, but is not limited to, a single core processor, a multi-core processor, a dual core mobile processor, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), and the like.

[0033] 3, 9 and 11, the measurement unit 6 includes a second moving module 61 attached to the main body 31 so as to be disposed below the carrying unit 4, and a measurement module 62 attached to the second moving module 61. The second moving module 61 includes a second slide rail 611, a second moving base 612, and a sixth driving component 613. The second slide rail 611 is attached to the main body 31 and extends horizontally so as to be perpendicular to the up-down direction in an oblique direction deviating from the first direction and the second direction. Specifically, the second slide rail 611 extends from one of the two push parts 442 of one of the two second alignment modules 44 to one of the two push parts 442 of the other of the two second alignment modules 44, and the one of the two push parts 442 of the one of the two second alignment modules 44 and the one of the two push parts 442 of the other of the two second alignment modules 44 are disposed on opposite sides in the second direction. The second moving base 612 is slidably disposed on the second slide rail 611. The sixth driving part 613 is attached to the main body 31 and is configured to connect to the second moving base 612 and drive the second moving base 612 to move along the second slide rail 611. In this embodiment, the sixth driving part 613 may be a linear actuator including a lead screw and a motor (e.g., a step motor). In other embodiments, the sixth driving component 613 may further include a pneumatic actuator (e.g., an air motor), a hydraulic cylinder, or any other actuator for driving the second moving base 612 to move.

[0034] In the first embodiment, when the solar panel module 9 is aligned with the first direction (see FIG. 9 ), one diagonal of the solar cells 912 is parallel to the extension direction (i.e., diagonal direction) of the second slide rail 611. The sixth driving component 613 is configured to drive the second moving base 612 to move in a diagonal direction along the second slide rail 611, thereby driving the measuring module 62 to move relative to the carrying module 42. As a result, when the solar panel module 9 is placed on the carrying module 42, the measuring module 62 is driven to move diagonally across the solar cells 912. In the first embodiment, the measuring module 62 is driven to move across at least two solar cells 912 arranged diagonally.

[0035] 2, 9 and 10, the measurement module 62 is configured to obtain solar panel structural data. The solar panel structural data includes a thickness D1 of the cover layer 914 (hereinafter referred to as a "first thickness"), a thickness D2 between a light receiving surface of one of the solar cells 912 facing the cover layer 914 and an illuminated surface of the cover layer 914 adjacent to the carrying module 42 (hereinafter referred to as a "second thickness"), and a thickness D3 of an adhesive surface of the base layer 913 adjacent to the adhesive layer 915 and an illuminated surface of the cover layer 914 (hereinafter referred to as a "third thickness"). The measurement module 62 is configured to perform optical measurements to measure the solar panel 91 and obtain solar panel structural data. The measurement module 62 includes a first gauge 621, a second gauge 622, and a third gauge 623 arranged at the same reference height in the vertical direction.

[0036] The first instrument 621 is configured to measure the first thickness D1. In this embodiment, the first instrument 621 measures the first thickness D1 by emitting a laser beam (e.g., an ultraviolet laser beam) upward toward the solar panel 91 at a first predetermined power using a confocal laser scanning technique. In some embodiments, the first instrument 621 is configured to measure the first thickness D1 while moving horizontally across at least two of the solar cells 912. When the first instrument 621 emits a laser beam and the laser beam moves upward and hits the cover layer 914, the laser beam is partially reflected by the illuminated surface of the cover layer 914 and partially passes through the cover layer 914. Then, the laser beam that passes through the cover layer 914 is partially completely absorbed by the adhesive layer 915 and partially reflected by the interface between the cover layer 914 and the adhesive layer 915. The first meter 621 is configured to measure a time difference between the time when the first meter 621 receives the laser beam reflected by the illuminated surface of the cover layer 914 and the time when the first meter 621 receives the laser beam reflected by the interface between the cover layer 914 and the adhesive layer 915. This allows the first meter 621 to obtain a first thickness D1 of the cover layer 914 based on the measured time difference, specifically, by multiplying the time difference by the speed of light and then dividing by 2. In some embodiments, the first meter 621 is configured to perform a plurality of measurements of the time difference while moving horizontally, obtain a plurality of thicknesses of the cover layer 914 based on the plurality of measured time differences, and obtain an average of the thicknesses of the plurality of cover layers 914 as the first thickness D1. The third instrument 623 is configured to measure a distance D0 (hereinafter referred to as the "first distance") between the illuminated surface of the cover layer 914 and the third instrument 623 and send the first distance D0 to the second instrument 622. In the first embodiment, the third instrument 623 is configured to obtain the first distance D0 using a chromatic confocal imaging technique in a manner similar to the first instrument 621 measuring the first thickness D1. However, instead of measuring a time difference, the third instrument 623 measures the length of time between emitting a laser beam and receiving the laser beam reflected by the illuminated surface of the cover layer 914.This allows the third meter 623 to obtain the first distance D0 based on the measured length of time. Note that the method of obtaining the first distance D0 is not limited to the above example.

[0037] The second gauge 622 is configured to use an optical measurement technique to measure a distance D2' (hereinafter referred to as "second distance") between the second gauge 622 and a light receiving surface of one of the solar cells 912, and a distance D3' (hereinafter referred to as "third distance") between the second gauge 622 and an adhesive surface of the base layer 913. The second gauge 622 is further configured to obtain a third thickness D3 between the illuminated surface of the cover layer 914 and the adhesive surface of the base layer 913 based on the first distance D0 and the third distance D3', and to obtain a second thickness D2 between the illuminated surface of the cover layer 914 and the light receiving surface of one of the solar cells 912 based on the first distance D0 and the second distance D2'.

[0038] In the first embodiment, the second meter 622 is controlled by the control unit 7 and configured to measure a third distance D3' by emitting a first infrared ray upward at a first power while horizontally crossing at least two of the solar cells 912, and to measure a second distance D2' by emitting a second infrared ray upward at a second power while horizontally crossing at least two of the solar cells 912. Note that the second power of the second infrared ray is greater than the first power of the first infrared ray.

[0039] In one embodiment, a first power of the first infrared ray is designed such that the first infrared ray can be completely absorbed by the solar cells 912 (i.e., not reflected by the solar cells 912) and can pass through one of the gaps between the solar cells 912 towards the base layer 913. A second power of the second infrared ray is designed such that the second infrared ray is not completely absorbed by the solar cells 912 (i.e., part of the second infrared ray is absorbed by the solar cells 912 and part is reflected by the solar cells 912), and the second infrared ray passes through the adhesive layer 915, passes through one of the gaps between the solar cells 912 towards the base layer 913, and is reflected by the adhesive surface of the base layer 913.

[0040] When the second meter 622 emits a first infrared ray, the first infrared ray travels upward, passes through the cover layer 914, and reaches the solar cell 912. When the first infrared ray hits one of the solar cells 912, the first infrared ray is completely absorbed by one of the solar cells 912 without being reflected. When the first infrared ray passes through one of the gaps in the solar cell 912, the first infrared ray hits the base layer 913, is reflected by the adhesive surface of the base layer 913, and is received by the second meter 622.

[0041] When the second meter 622 emits the second infrared ray, the second infrared ray travels upward, passes through the cover layer 914, and reaches the solar cell 912. Because the second power of the second infrared ray is greater than the first power of the first infrared ray, and the second infrared ray is not completely absorbed by the solar cell 912, when the second infrared ray hits one of the solar cells 912, a part of the second infrared ray is absorbed by one of the solar cells 912, and a part of the second infrared ray is reflected by one of the solar cells 912, so that the second meter 622 can receive the second infrared ray reflected by the light receiving surface of one of the solar cells 912. When the second infrared ray passes through one of the gaps between the solar cells 912 and passes through the adhesive layer 915, the second infrared ray hits the base layer 913 and is reflected by the adhesive surface of the base layer 913. In this embodiment, if the amount of the second infrared light reflected by the base layer 913 and received by the second instrument 622 is outside the measurable range of the second instrument 622, it is considered to be noise by the second instrument 622 (i.e., only a portion of the second infrared light reflected by the solar cell 912 is measured by the second instrument 622).

[0042] The second instrument 622 is configured to collect reflection time data of the first infrared ray to obtain a third distance D3', and is further configured to obtain a third thickness D3 between the illuminated surface of the cover layer 914 and the adhesive surface of the base layer 913 by subtracting the first thickness D1 from the third distance D3'. The reflection time data of the first infrared ray includes at least the length of time from when the second instrument 622 emits the first infrared ray to when the second instrument 622 receives the first infrared ray reflected by the adhesive surface of the base layer 913.

[0043] The second instrument 622 is configured to collect reflection time data of the second infrared ray to obtain a second distance D2', and is further configured to obtain a second thickness D2 between the illuminated surface of the cover layer 914 and the light receiving surface of one of the solar cells 912 by subtracting the first thickness D1 from the second distance D2'. The reflection time data of the second infrared ray includes at least the length of time from when the second instrument 622 emits the second infrared ray to when the second instrument 622 receives the second infrared ray reflected by one of the solar cells 912.

[0044] The control unit 7 is electrically connected to the first door module 32, the second door module 33, the weighing module 41, the carrying module 42, the first alignment module 43, the second alignment module 44, the image recognition unit 5, and the measurement unit 6, and is configured to control the operation of the first door module 32, the second door module 33, the weighing module 41, the carrying module 42, the first alignment module 43, the second alignment module 44, the image recognition unit 5, and the measurement unit 6. The control unit 7 is further configured to construct measurement data related to the solar panel module 9, the measurement data including weight data measured by the weighing module 41, solar panel module data and product information obtained by the image analysis module 53, and solar panel structure data (i.e., the first thickness D1, the second thickness D2, and the third thickness D3) obtained by the measurement module 62.

[0045] In the first embodiment, the two second alignment modules 44 are attached to the carrying module 42 and arranged in the first direction, and the two first alignment modules 43 are attached to one end adjacent to the exit 311 of the carrying module 42. In some embodiments, only one second alignment module 44 may be attached to the carrying module 42, in which case the second alignment module 44 extends in length in the first direction so that the solar panel module 9 on the transport part 422 can be pushed and aligned with the first direction. Similarly, in some embodiments, only one first alignment module 43 may be attached to one end adjacent to the exit 311 of the carrying module 42 to align the solar panel module 9 with the exit 311. In some embodiments, the first alignment module 43 and the second alignment module 44 may be omitted, and the solar panel module 9 placed in the interior space 310 is appropriately positioned by the carrying module 42. In more detail, the carrying module 42 is configured to move the solar panel module 9 and stop it at a position in the internal space 310 where the image recognition unit 5 can take an image of the solar panel module 9 and where the measurement unit 6 can measure the solar panel module 9.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the solar panel module 9 is placed in the interior space 310 with the base layer 913 facing up, and the image recognition unit 5 and the measurement unit 6 are respectively disposed above and below the carrying module 42. In some embodiments, the solar panel module 9 may be placed in the interior space 310 with the cover layer 914 facing up (i.e., opposite to the orientation in the first embodiment), and the positions of the image recognition unit 5 and the measurement unit 6 may be swapped accordingly (i.e., the image recognition unit 5 is disposed below the carrying module 42, and the measurement unit 6 is disposed above the carrying module 42).

[0047] 12 and 13, an analysis system 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The analysis system 200 of the second embodiment includes a housing 3, a carrying unit 4, an image recognition unit 5, and a control unit 7 similar to those of the first embodiment, and a measurement unit 8 different from the measurement unit 6 of the first embodiment. In the following description, for the sake of brevity, only the differences between the measurement unit 8 of this embodiment and the measurement unit 6 of the first embodiment will be described in detail.

[0048] In the second embodiment, the measurement unit 8 includes a measurement module 82 attached to the main body 31. The measurement module 82 includes a first meter 821 disposed below the transportation part 422 and a second meter 822 disposed above the transportation part 422.

[0049] The first instrument 821 includes a first telescopic cylinder 823 and a first ultrasonic probe 824 disposed on the first telescopic cylinder 823 and facing upward toward the carrying module 42. The first telescopic cylinder 823 is configured to be controlled by the control unit 7 to extend upward so that the first ultrasonic probe 824 abuts against the irradiated surface of the cover layer 914. The first ultrasonic probe 824 is configured to emit ultrasonic waves at a second predetermined power to the solar panel 91, thereby measuring the first thickness D1 of the cover layer 914 and the thickness D4 (hereinafter referred to as the "fourth thickness") between the adhesive surface of the cover layer 914 adjacent to the adhesive layer 915 and the light receiving surface of one of the solar cells 912 using an ultrasonic thickness measurement technique.

[0050] The second instrument 822 includes a second telescopic cylinder 826 and a second ultrasonic probe 825 disposed on the second telescopic cylinder 826 and facing downward toward the carrying module 42. The second telescopic cylinder 826 is configured to be controlled by the control unit 7 to extend downward so that the second ultrasonic probe 825 abuts against a base surface of the base layer 913 that is away from the cover layer 914. The second ultrasonic probe 825 is configured to emit ultrasonic waves at a third predetermined power to the solar panel 91, thereby measuring a thickness D5 (hereinafter referred to as the "fifth thickness") of the base layer 913 and a thickness D6 (hereinafter referred to as the "sixth thickness") between the adhesive surface of the base layer 913 and a non-light-receiving surface of one of the solar cells 912 that faces the base layer 913 using an ultrasonic thickness measurement technique.

[0051] Thus, in the second embodiment, the solar panel structure data includes a first thickness D1, a fourth thickness D4, a fifth thickness D5 and a sixth thickness D6 obtained using a first instrument 821 and a second instrument 822.

[0052] In some embodiments, the first meter 821 may measure the first thickness D1 using a sound wave, an eddy current, etc. Note that the method of measuring the first thickness D1 by the first meter 821 is not limited to the above example.

[0053] In summary, the arrangement of the carrying unit 4, the image recognition unit 5, and the measuring units 6 and 8 allows the analysis system 200 to automatically obtain the measurement data. The measurement data includes weight data, solar panel module data (e.g., solar panel dimension data, junction box dimension data, junction box position data, frame dimension data), product information, and solar panel structure data (e.g., the first thickness D1 to the third thickness D3, or the first thickness D1 and the fourth thickness D4 to the sixth thickness D6). This allows the measurement data to be provided to a recycling system that recycles the solar panel module in a physical manner. The recycling system can search for processing parameters in a recycling database based on the product information, which correspond to the solar panel module 9, and can remove the frame 94 and the junction box 92 of the solar panel module 9 based on the solar panel module data of the solar panel module 9, and can remove different layers of the solar panel module 9 based on the solar panel structure data of the solar panel module 9. The recycling system can further calculate a recycling rate based on the weight data (e.g., dividing the total weight of the recycled materials obtained from the solar panel module 9 by the weight of the solar panel module 9 before it was processed by the recycling system).

[0054] Furthermore, in some embodiments in which the analysis system 200 includes a first alignment module 43 and a second alignment module 44, the positioning of the first alignment module 43 and the second alignment module 44 properly aligns the solar panel module 9 placed in the interior space 310, thereby improving the accuracy of various measurements of the solar panel module 9.

[0055] In the above description, for the purpose of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that one or more other embodiments may be implemented without the specific details. In addition, in the description of "one embodiment" or "one embodiment" in this specification, it should be understood that all descriptions accompanied by ordinal numbers or other indications may be included in the specific implementation of the present invention having specific aspects, structures, and features. Furthermore, in this specification, multiple variations are sometimes incorporated into one embodiment, drawing, or description thereof, but this is for the purpose of streamlining the specification and for the purpose of understanding the multiple aspects of the present invention, and one or more features or specific examples in one embodiment may be implemented together with one or more features or specific examples in other embodiments, where appropriate, in the implementation of the present invention.

[0056] Although the embodiments and modified examples of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these, and is intended to encompass all modifications and equivalent configurations as various configurations falling within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 200 Analysis System 3. Housing 31 Main unit 310 Interior Space 311 Exit 312 Entrance 32 First Door Module 321 1st Door Panel 322 First Drive Part 33 Second Door Module 331 Second Door Panel 332 Second Drive Part 4 Carrying Unit 41 Weighing Module 411 Load Cell 42 Carrying module 421 Carrying Base 422 Transport Parts 423 Conveyor Belt 424 Support Frame 425 Third Drive Part 43 First Alignment Module 44 Second Alignment Module 441 Guide parts 442 Push Parts 443 4th Drive Part 444 Connection parts 445 Rotating Base 446 Connecting Rod 5 Image Recognition Unit 51 First Mobile Module 511 First Slide Rail 512 First Mobile Base 513 5th Drive Part 52 Imaging module 53 Image Analysis Module 6 Measurement Units 61 Second Mobile Module 611 Second Slide Rail 612 Second Mobile Base 613 6th Drive Part 62 Measurement Module 621 First Instrument 622 Second Instrument 623 Third Instrument 7. Control Unit 8 Measurement Units 82 Measurement Module 821 First Instrument 822 Second Instrument 823 First telescopic cylinder 824 First Ultrasound Probe 825 Second Ultrasound Probe 826 Second telescopic cylinder 9. Solar Panel Module 91 Solar Panel 911 Solar cell unit 912 Solar Cell 913 Base Layer 914 Cover Layer 915 Adhesive layer 92 Junction Box 93 Product Label 94 frames D1 First thickness D2 Second thickness D3 Third thickness D4 Fourth thickness D5 Fifth thickness D6 6th thickness D0 First Distance D2' Second distance D3' Third distance

Claims

1. 1. An analytical system for identifying and measuring a solar panel module, the solar panel module including a solar panel and a product label affixed to the solar panel; The analysis system includes a housing, a carrying unit, and an image recognition unit. The carrying unit includes: a weighing module attached to the housing; a carrying module attached to the weighing module and configured to carry the solar panel module placed in the housing, the weighing module configured to measure a weight of the solar panel module carried by the carrying module; The image recognition unit includes: a first translation module attached to the housing and configured to move relative to the carrying module; an imaging module attached to the first mobile module and configured to be driven by the first mobile module to move relative to the carrying module and configured to take images of the solar panel module while moving relative to the carrying module carrying the solar panel module; an image analysis module electrically connected to the imaging module and configured to process the images captured by the imaging module to obtain dimensional data of the solar panel module and product information related to the product label. Analysis system.

2. The solar panel includes a base layer, a cover layer, and a solar cell unit sandwiched between the base layer and the cover layer, the solar cell unit including an adhesive layer bonded to the base layer and the cover layer, and a plurality of solar cells embedded in the adhesive layer and horizontally arranged in a matrix and spaced apart from one another; The analysis system further includes a measurement unit, the measurement unit including a second moving module and a measurement module attached to the second moving module and driven by the second moving module to move relative to the carrying module and configured to obtain solar panel structural data, the solar panel structural data including a first thickness of the cover layer, a second thickness between a light receiving surface of one of the solar cells facing the cover layer and an illuminated surface of the cover layer adjacent to the carrying module, and a third thickness between an adhesive surface of the base layer adjacent to the adhesive layer and the illuminated surface of the cover layer. The analytical system of claim 1 .

3. the housing encircles and defines an interior space therein, the interior space having an inlet located on a first side of the interior space and an outlet located on a second side of the interior space opposite the first side; The carrying module includes a carrying base attached to the weighing module, and a transport component attached to the carrying base and configured to transport the solar panel module placed in the interior space through the entrance toward the exit, the carrying unit further includes a first alignment module attached to one end of the carrying base adjacent to the exit, the first alignment module being arranged inside the exit and configured to convert between a block position and a release position, the first alignment module preventing the solar panel module from moving through the exit when in the block position, the solar panel module being aligned with respect to the exit by the solar panel module abutting against the first alignment module, and the first alignment module allowing the solar panel module to move through the exit when in the release position; The analysis system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the first side and the second side of the internal space face each other in a first direction; the carrying unit further includes a second alignment module attached to the housing; The second alignment module includes: a guide member attached to the housing and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; two push parts attached to the guide part and configured to move along the guide part; a connection part disposed between the push parts and connected to the push parts; a drive component attached to the housing, electrically connected to the connection component, and configured to drive the connection components to cooperatively push the solar panel module on the transport component into alignment with the first orientation by simultaneously moving the push components such that the push components move toward each other along the guide component. The analysis system according to claim 3 .

5. The connection part is a rotation base attached to the housing and configured to connect to the drive component and rotate horizontally; two connecting rods respectively connected to the push parts; each of the connecting rods has one end pivotally connected to the rotating base eccentrically and another end pivotally connected to a corresponding one of the push pieces, the points at which the connecting rods connect to the rotating base are radially symmetric; the rotating base is configured to rotate horizontally while being driven by the driving parts, such that the connecting rods are driven to move in opposite directions along the second direction, and the pushing parts are driven to move in one of a first manner of moving towards each other and a second manner of moving away from each other; The analysis system according to claim 4.

6. The housing includes: a body defining the interior space and having a first side and a second side corresponding to the first side and the second side of the interior space, respectively; a first door module attached to the first side of the body and controllable to retractably close the entrance; a second door module attached to the second side of the body and controllable to retractably close the exit. The analysis system according to claim 3 .

7. the measurement module is configured to perform optical measurements to measure the solar panel to obtain the solar panel structural data; The analysis system according to claim 2 .

8. The solar panel is arranged with the base layer facing upward, and the measurement unit is arranged below the carrying module, and the measurement unit comprises: a first instrument configured to measure the first thickness of the cover layer using a confocal laser scanning technique while moving horizontally across at least two of the solar cells; a second instrument configured to measure a first distance to the adhesive surface of the base layer by emitting a first infrared ray upwardly at a first power while moving horizontally across at least two of the solar cells, and to measure a second distance to the light receiving surface of one of the solar cells by emitting a second infrared ray upwardly at a second power greater than the first power while moving horizontally across at least two of the solar cells; and a third instrument configured to measure a third distance between the illuminated surface of the cover layer using a chromatic confocal imaging technique; the second gauge is further configured to obtain the second thickness and the third thickness based on the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance. The analytical system according to claim 7.

9. The solar panel includes a base layer and a cover layer opposite the base layer and spaced from the base layer; The analytical system further includes a measurement unit mounted to the housing and including a measurement module, the measurement module comprising: a first instrument including a first ultrasonic probe configured to contact a surface of the cover layer remote from the base layer and measure a first thickness of the cover layer using the first ultrasonic probe based on an ultrasonic thickness measurement technique; a second instrument including a second ultrasonic probe configured to contact a surface of the base layer remote from the cover layer and measure a second thickness of the base layer using the second ultrasonic probe based on the ultrasonic thickness measurement technique. The analytical system of claim 1 .

10. The analytical system of claim 1 , wherein the weighing module includes four load cells symmetrically mounted on the housing, and the carrying module is disposed on the load cells.

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