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#1
Start by
Lei Yuan
12-30-2013 09:15 PM
How to prevent the damage of lightning induction in large-scale photovoltaic plant?
How to prevent the damage of lightning induction in large-scale photovoltaic plant? Especially the damage of lightning induction on bypass diodes of panel.
12-30-2013 11:28 PM
Top #2
Johan Dirk (Hans) Spek
12-30-2013 11:28 PM
Hello Lei, what is the real problem and how many times the damage occur? Ofcourse it would be possible to prevent induction on the cables and diodes. But it is a question, if the more costs would be acceptable.
12-31-2013 02:03 AM
Top #3
Lei Yuan
12-31-2013 02:03 AM
Hi Hans,
It's in Thailand and the lightning is frequent during almost five months long rainy season.This year our two PV power plants were damaged by lightning induction.Many panels in series are failured by bypass diodes broken which are in the circuit with the cells in parallel.The diodes would short circuit when the voltage between the cells are to high to protect them.
12-31-2013 04:37 AM
Top #4
Nelu Faur
12-31-2013 04:37 AM
All the details you can fiind in IEC 61173.If you have a special design,or a concret problem you can send me an e-mail to faur_design@yahoo.com
12-31-2013 07:21 AM
Top #5
Michael Olsen
12-31-2013 07:21 AM
Lei,
Can you give us an idea of the magnitude of damage caused this year (i.e. how many diodes, panels, etc. had to be replaced and the cost of that)?
12-31-2013 09:31 AM
Top #6
Dimitar Iliev
12-31-2013 09:31 AM
@Lei
The bypass diodes are for reverse polarization protection, the blocking diodes are the ones to worry about (they prevent current passing through the whole pv panels). These are 1kV rated typically, but for more info you need to contact manufacturer, perhaps consider upgrading those.
As you might know the surge protection devices are the ones you need to guard from lightning. More particularly at every complete string you need to put a SPD, if you'd like to protect that particular string. So for PV modules protection they need to guard every string's + and - point at the input of associating combiner fox(if used) or DC/AC inverters down the line.
Hope this helps.
12-31-2013 12:06 PM
Top #7
Johan Dirk (Hans) Spek
12-31-2013 12:06 PM
Hello Lei,
As Nelu wrote, it is all in the IEC 61173, but too in the IEC 62305.
See too:
http://preventiontoday.ispesl.it/pdf%5Cric2009_01_3_en.pdf
This is a comprehensive article about all possible causes.
In fact, a good EPC and sitedesigner make this lighning risk assessment as standard procedure.
Basically, it is not a specifiv problem voor PV-installations, but a general problem to protect electronic systems against induction peak voltages by induction at high magnetic fields in electric wires.
Basically one has to protect the wires and systems to form an open loop as a coil.
These open loops can be exist in all types of the wires, as well in earthing lines.
Because induction in wires always occur, the systems need to create a balance in positive and negative voltages in lines, which will eliminate to zero voltage in a total system. Twisting wires is such a manner, what is very simple to do.
Inside the panel is more difficult to eliminate the open loop, caused by the cells in series. This is to the manufacturer of the panels to give maximum precautions that inducted voltages can not raise to much.
12-31-2013 03:00 PM
Top #8
Nelu Faur
12-31-2013 03:00 PM
Dear Mister Johan Dirk.
In articole you have mention the risk management is made after IEC 62305-2 ,but the conclusion is exactly by IEC 61173.
The real problem in all PV plant is nobody want to pay a real project designer of PV plants, make economy to the project and after they pay a lot for replace the modules,jonction box ... and they forget how much they lose then the the plant have any energy production.After this some company take a lot of money to make optimisation of performance and ligthning protection (internal and external).Very interesting is a lot of EPC contractor forget to put SPD to CATV and Internet conection and for that lines are cooming the indirect lightning strike.
All the best
