An Online Novel Two-Layered Photovoltaic Fault Monitoring Technique Based Upon The Hybrid Parameters
In 2019, Dr. Abbas Fardoun, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Al Maaref University, participated in a conference paper titled "An Online Novel Two-Layered Photovoltaic Fault Monitoring Technique Based Upon The Hybrid Parameters".
This study involves a research team that includes Mr. Qamar Navid, Emirates Centre for Energy & Environment Research - United Arab Emirates University, Dr. Ahmed Hassan, Department of Architecture Engineering - College of Engineering at United Arab Emirates University, and Dr. Rashad Ramzan, Department of Electrical Engineering - National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences.
Abstract:
The utility-scale photovoltaic power plants are facing unique challenges compared to the traditional fossil fuel -based power plant in terms of faults localization, diversity, and frequency. The complex nature of faults raises serious concerns about grid-connectivity of photovoltaic plants in terms of operability, power quality, grid stability, and breakdown vulnerability. One of the predominant problems concerning utility-scale photovoltaic power plants remains in the variety, frequency, and nature of faults occurring during operation. In this research work, an online novel cost-effective two-layered fault monitoring scheme is introduced based upon the thermal and electrical signatures. The proposed scheme is implemented on a 1.6 kW photovoltaic array and various faults (short circuit, open circuit, and ground fault) are induced in the photovoltaic modules. The scheme shows promising results in fault monitoring and classification without making any hardware modifications in the solar module. The proposed scheme is compared and validated through thermography and results indicates that the proposed fault monitoring scheme can monitor and characterize the faults effectively compared to traditional means through thermography.