Solar power plant
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current floating solar power systems face challenges such as exposure to harsh marine conditions, high deployment and maintenance costs, and limited energy generation capacity, particularly in offshore and remote locations, where fossil fuel-based generators are commonly used due to limited land availability for conventional renewables.
Innovation Solution
A floating photovoltaic power plant system comprising flexible mats with interconnected PV modules, buoyant structures, and heat sink elements designed to withstand wave forces and facilitate cooling, allowing for efficient energy generation and reduced carbon footprint, with the option to connect to a land-based grid or operate standalone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If floating solar power systems are deployed on calm water, then the system can generate renewable energy, but the system is exposed to loads from waves and currents which reduces reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs buoyant structures that provide counterbalancing forces to offset the loads from waves and currents. The buoyancy elements create upward forces that counteract the downward and lateral forces exerted by water movement, thereby maintaining system stability and reliability while enabling renewable energy generation in marine environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes flexible floating platforms and mat structures that can adapt to wave motion and current forces. These flexible elements distribute mechanical loads across the structure and allow the system to move with the water rather than resist it rigidly, improving reliability while maintaining energy generation capability.
2Productivity
If conventional solar installations are used on land, then energy generation is efficient, but land availability is limited in offshore and remote locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions solar energy generation from the two-dimensional land surface to the three-dimensional marine environment by deploying floating platforms on water bodies. This dimensional shift opens up vast offshore and remote water areas as new sites for solar installations, enabling energy generation in locations where land is unavailable while maintaining productivity through optimized panel arrangements on the floating structures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If floating solar power systems are deployed, then renewable energy can be generated in remote locations, but deployment and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the floating solar power system into modular segments including interchangeable floating platforms, standardized photovoltaic module assemblies, and separate buoyant support structures. This segmentation enables simplified manufacturing, easier transportation to remote locations, and straightforward maintenance by allowing individual modules to be replaced without dismantling the entire system, thereby reducing deployment and maintenance costs while maintaining adaptability.
4Use of energy by moving object
If PV modules are exposed to marine environment, then renewable energy generation is possible, but salt and solid particles accumulate on plant surfaces reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs hydrophobic and anti-fouling coatings on the PV module surfaces that cause salt and solid particles to bead up and roll off rather than accumulate. The wave motion and water flow that previously caused concern now actively clean the surfaces by preventing adhesion of contaminants, converting the harmful marine environment into a self-cleaning mechanism that maintains energy generation efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides reliable and cost-effective renewable energy generation in harsh marine environments, reducing the need for fossil fuels and enhancing energy efficiency by using wave-dampening mats and water-cooled PV modules, suitable for remote or near-shore locations with limited land for conventional solar installations.
Implementation Method 1
an offshore photovoltaic power plant comprising a pliable mat configured to be arranged on a surface of a body of water, the mat having a plurality of photovoltaic modules fixed thereon
Implementation Method 2
the mat having a plurality of photovoltaic modules fixed thereon
Implementation Method 3
heat sink elements designed to withstand wave forces and facilitate cooling
Data Source
AI summary
An offshore photovoltaic power plant (100) comprising a pliable mat (2) configured to be arranged on a surface (33) of a body of water, the mat (2) having a plurality of photovoltaic modules (1) fixed thereon. The photovoltaic modules may be marinized and equipped with a buoyant rigid aluminium structure which prevents mechanical damage to the cells. The rigid backside structure may also serve as an efficient heat sink by direct thermal conduction from the solar cells to the pliable mat. There is also provided a fish farm, an offshore power plant, a method of constructing an offshore photovoltaic power plant and a method of installing a floating photovoltaic power plant.