259 results about "Solar irradiance" patented technology

An array of solar powered photovoltaic modules is optimally oriented and operated to provide more electrical energy for uses such as powering an electrolyzer system for hydrogen production. The array is positioned with its light receiving surface at an optimal angle, preferably a continually changing angle determined by two-axis solar tracking, when continually measured solar irradiance indicates suitable sunlight, and at a horizontal position when measured solar irradiance indicates excessive atmospheric cloudiness.

The present invention relates to methods and systems for identifying PV system and solar irradiance sensor orientation and tilt based on energy production, energy received, simulated energy production, estimated energy received, production skew, and energy received skew. The present invention relates to systems and methods for detecting orientation and tilt of a PV system based on energy production and simulated energy production; for detecting the orientation and tilt of a solar irradiance sensor based on solar irradiance observation and simulated solar irradiance observation; for detecting orientation of a PV system based on energy production and energy production skew; and for detecting orientation of a solar irradiance sensor based on solar irradiance observation and solar irradiance observation skew.

An apparatus and method, as may be used for predicting solar irradiance variation, are provided. The apparatus may include a solar irradiance predictor processor (10) configured to process a sequence of images (e.g., sky images). The irradiance predictor processor may include a cloud classifier module (18) configured to classify respective pixels of an image of a cloud to indicate a solar irradiance-passing characteristic of at least a portion of the cloud. A cloud motion predictor (22) may be configured to predict motion of the cloud over a time horizon. An event predictor (24) may be configured to predict over the time horizon occurrence of a solar obscuration event. The prediction of the solar obscuration event may be based on the predicted motion of the cloud. The event predictor may include an irradiance variation prediction for the obscuration event based on the solar irradiance-passing characteristic of the cloud.

A solar tracking system for active tracking of a solar panel array relative to the sun's position includes at least two photovoltaic (PV) sensors disposed along a common axis at opposite cardinal headings. A shadow structure is configured with the PV sensors, wherein the PV sensors are oriented relative to the shadow structure such that one of the sensors lies at least partially in a shadow cast by the shadow structure at tilt angles of the sensor on either side of a null position of the PV sensors, with the null position defined when the PV sensors are exposed to equal solar irradiance.

Distribution of solar power in a solar DC source—variable frequency drive (VFD)—AC motor system is controlled by using solar irradiance. In addition, motor speed may be controlled as a function of available power, i.e. maximum power point tracking of motor speed, using solar irradiance.

The field of the invention relates to minimization of resistive loss of solar panels in order to achieve maximum solar energy conversion efficiency, extracting more electricity power from available solar irradiance. Schemes are designed to take advantage of the geometrical and mechanical configurations of back contact solar cells to make better electrical contacts and connections so as to achieve maximum solar energy conversion efficiency and better power extraction.

The method of forecasting for solar-based power systems (10) recognizes that no single solar irradiance forecasting model provides the best forecasting prediction for every current weather trend at every time of the year. Instead, the method trains a classifier to select the best solar irradiance forecasting model for prevailing conditions through a machine learning approach. The resulting solar irradiance forecast predictions are then used to allocate the solar-based power systems (10) resources and modify demand when necessary in order to maintain a substantially constant voltage supply in the system (10).

A measurement system and method of forecasting time-dependent corrections into a power output of photovoltaic power generators based on a determination of time-dependent shading of photovoltaic cells. Identification of cloud positioning in the sky is based on recordation of images of a scene within a field-of-view FOV that optionally subtends the Sun, base on which images a velocity vector associated with cloud movement is computed to form output associated with time when clouds will shade power generators in question. A method for producing a weather forecast based on such corrections.

A pyranometer for measuring solar irradiance at a selected site comprises a light detector adapted to produce an output signal in response to incident solar radiation, a reversible motor having a curved shadowband attached to its output shaft, means for mounting the light detector and motor so that the shadowband is at a fixed distance from the light detector; and a motor controller that is adapted to periodically cause the motor to rotate the shadowband from one to the other of two limit positions, with the shadowband acting to momentarily shadow the light detector during its movement between its two limit positions. A datalogger stores and processes the light detector's signal output to provide a measure of total horizontal, direct normal and horizontal diffuse solar irradiance.

The invention discloses a photovoltaic power interval prediction method combining a deep cycle neural network and parameter estimation, belonging to the technical field of photovoltaic power prediction. The method of photovoltaic power forecasting based on a long-term and short-term memory network firstly chooses the data of product day, ambient temperature, ambient humidity, wind speed and solarirradiance as the original data of photovoltaic power forecasting. The data of product day, ambient temperature, ambient humidity, wind speed and solar irradiance are selected as the original data ofphotovoltaic power forecasting. The confidence intervals of PV power values and predicted values corresponding to 24 hourly hours of the predicted day are outputted from the predicted model to 24 hourly hours of the predicted day for 365 days of the year. This method establishes a relationship between the current photovoltaic power change and the previous photovoltaic power change, realizes the dynamic modeling of the time series data, and can reflect the change law of photovoltaic power more fully, and realizes more accurate photovoltaic power prediction. The method is easy to operate, is high in practicability and has a high promotion value.

Load-matched photo-voltaic power units incorporating a plurality of photo-voltaic cells for delivery of electrical power are described. A photo-voltaic system incorporates temperature and solar irradiance sensors, whose outputs are used to estimate the photo-voltaic system maximum power output voltage. Appropriate numbers of cells are suitably interconnected to assemble at least one photo-voltaic power unit intended to both satisfy the electrical requirements of a load and enable operation of the unit at an efficiency of 90% or greater of its maximum efficiency. In an embodiment, voltage-to-voltage convertors may be used to better match the photo-voltaic power unit capabilities to the load requirements. In another embodiment an alert is issued if the photo-voltaic power unit delivers a voltage which differs by a predetermined amount from an estimated maximum power voltage.

The present invention relates to a measurement method to determine the magnitude and intensity of solar radiation/collected by a photovoltaic solar panel, without the need of using specific sensors for this purpose—With the present method̂ the power conditioning systems used in small photovoltaic panels to charge small rechargeable batteries, will now be able to provide an electrical signal, in the form of a pulse sequence or in any other electrical signal, that represents the value of the quantity that generates the available energy. The present method enables the monitoring the energy transfer between the solar panel and a rechargeable battery using a switched, voltage converter; additionally it indicates the magnitude of the solar radiation falling on the solar panel. It is based on the adaptation of a direct voltage to direct voltage boost converter circuit in. order to provide an electrical signal which is correlated to the magnitude of the solar irradiance falling on the solar panel, which in turn powers the voltage converter circuit. The invention also relates to a device for implementing this method.

Apparatus and method, as may be used to acquire different components of solar irradiance in a solar-based power generation system or as may be used in a sky imager, are provided. A filter matrix (12) may be arranged to receive incident solar irradiance. The filter matrix may include an array of pixels (20) controllable to selectively acquire different components of the solar irradiance. A module, such as a photosensor (22) or calculator module (29) may be configured to determine a spatial location of at least one of the irradiance components relative to the array of pixels of the filter matrix. A controller (26) may be electrically coupled to the module to supply a control signal to the filter matrix based on the determined location of the irradiance component to pass a selected one of the irradiance components.

The invention provides a super-short-term power prediction method based on a clearance model for a photovoltaic power station. The method comprises the following steps: data preprocessing; model training; and super-short-term power prediction for a photovoltaic power station according to the model. According to the super-short-term power prediction method based on the clearance model, the clearance model of the photovoltaic power station by combination of the clearance model of solar irradiance with output characteristics of the photovoltaic power station, the theoretical maximum output of the photovoltaic power station at specific time can be calculated, and the super-short-term power prediction model is established by employing normalization data and combining with autoregression time sequences on the basis of the theoretical maximum output, accordingly, the prediction accuracy is effectively improved.

A system for determining a viable area automatically and accurately includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive location information. The processor is configured to determine multi-view imagery data based on the location information, to determine a point cloud using the multi-view imagery data, determine one or more features using the point cloud, determine viable area using the one or more features, and determine a solar irradiance of the viable area.

The invention relates to a method for ultra-short-term prediction of solar irradiance in clear and cloudy weather, which is based on an all-sky imager (TSI-880) ground cloud picture, including cloud retrieval of real-time ground-based cloud images, using the cloud image retrieved from the time-series cloud cover to predict the cloud image; Then, the multiple linear regression equation is constructed by using the cloud amount and clear sky factor data of n time cloud pictures before t time. Finally, the cloud amount data of t + Delta t time cloud pictures in the future are substituted into theregression model to obtain the forecast clear sky factor, and then the forecast surface irradiance of the corresponding future time is calculated. The invention can effectively predict the variation of the ground solar irradiance caused by the movement and change of the clouds in the clear and cloudy weather condition in real time, overcomes the shortcomings of the existing solar radiation prediction method such as randomness, uncertainty, large error and the like in the clear and cloudy weather condition, and realizes the advantages of good real-time performance and high accuracy.

The invention provides a flow control method for a solar heat collector system. The flow control method comprises the following steps: setting interval of a time period; determining the initial solar irradiance E of each time period; determining the initial temperature T1 of an outlet of a heat-conducting oil pipe of the heat collector system in each time period; determining the initial temperature T2 of the outlet of the heat collector system in each time period; setting the terminal temperature T3 of an outlet of the heat collector system; calculating the flow q of heat-conducting oil in the heat-conducting oil pipe; and according to the flow of heat-conducting oil, regulating the frequency Q of a heat-conducting oil pump. The flow control method for the solar heat collector system can maintain the frequency of the heat-conducting oil pump unchanged within a certain time period, thus improving the stability of the solar heat collector system.