Photovoltaic Power System Monitor
Josh StoneRyan MannArt BarnesAustin Fisher
Overview
IntroductionPV MeasurementsFeaturesSystem at a GlanceDesign AspectsSensorsSystem Reconfiguration
Data PresentationPower ConsumptionEnvironmental IssuesList of PartsMarket and CostsScheduleIntellectual PropertyConclusion
Introduction
What does it do?– Monitors a Photovoltaic system
• Educational benefits• Diagnostic Readings
PV Measurements, Inc.
Halden Field – Founder
Produces instrumentation for the photovoltaics industry and research
Features
Sensors for both system and environmental dataDynamic ReconfigurationLocal and Remote Data PresentationModular Sensor ConnectivityMeasurement accuracy to +/- 1%Low Power Consumption
Charge Contro ller
Inverter
Load
TheW ebDisplay
W ebServer
II
VVII
VVII
§§
M onitor
Battery
W indSpeed
Insolation
Solar Panel V
II
VV
Battery
System at a Glance
Design Aspects
Modularization– Each sensor is its own
module– Each module is equipped
with Dip-switch for identification
PV Monitor Sensor Module
Design Aspects
Microcontroller– Onboard A/D
conversion– Watch Dog timer– Sleep Mode– Built-in RS232
capabilities– 16bit Processing
System Sensors
Current :– Zero Power loss– 0 – 72 Amp detection range– Requires temperature reading to scale data
Voltage:– Voltage divider to allow desired range– Small Power Loss– Voltage Buffer
Environment Sensors
Wind Sensor:– Provides wind chill data– Cooling makes solar cells more efficient
Insolation Sensor:– Provides data on amount of sunlight (Watts/m2)
Thermal Sensor:– General Environment information– Scales Current and Insolation sensor Readings
System Reconfiguration
Onboard dip-switches for static settingsDownloadable operating system (RS232)Change polling times through serial interfaceAuto-detection of attached sensor modules
Data Presentation
Output calculated from other data– Power consumption– Wind Chill
Remote Display– Uploads all data to a server via serial, modem or
Ethernet connection– Server formats and presents data on web page for
global access
Data Presentation
PV System Parameters---------------------Sunshine=700W/m^2Wind Speed=4m/sPanel Temp=27 degrees CSystem Current=7ASystem Voltage=14VLoad Current=7ABattery Current=6AWait, There's More...
Scroll Dow n
PV System M onitor Local Interface
Scroll Up
Update/Cancel
W ake Up/Accept
LCD Display– Will allow user to
force an instant update
– Onboard display to accommodate installation and maintenance
Power Consumption
Why does power use need to be low?– Avoid draining the system that it monitors (system runs off
batteries much of the time, so effective power usage is at least doubled)
– Allow portability
How will this be done?– Use of system sleep mode between readings– Use of energy efficient processor and components– Adjustable Data reading intervals
Environmental Issues
Product aides the use of Solar Energy and limiting power consumptionSystem provides no emissions and consumes low energyDisposal of batteryDirect connection to high voltages
Parts List
Microcontroller (68HC12 16 bit)ROM/RAMFlashA/D convertersSensorsLCD displayFPGAComputer (to be used as web server)
Target Market
Educational:– Schools– Museums– Demonstrations
Commercial:– PV system users– Power Plants
Cost Estimates
Similar products sell for $8,000Our product will sell for between $2,000-$5000 Rough production estimate:– Parts =$500– 24 man hours of Labor– Marketing– Workspace/Tools
Schedule
Intellectual Property
CU lays claims to work done under grants to the universityThis project is being done as class work, so it does not fall under CU IP PolicyDownside is that receiving class credit for work makes it illegal to also receive payment for it :(Patent RightsPotential Royalties
Conclusion
Above the Line– Voltage Sensing– Current Sensing– Temperature Sensing
and compensation– Insolation Sensing– Uploadable OS– Modular Sensor design– Low Power Consumption– Local LCD Display– Remote data display
Below the Line– Wind Sensor– Power calculations (AC)– Modem communication– Ethernet communication– TCP/IP (Internet)
integration– Offsite OS Updates– Event logging– Hot-swappable modules
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