Description
Photovol
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| MODULAR, HIGH PRECISION FOR SOLAR SIMULATION (SAS) AND INVERTER TESTING
INCLUDING OPERATING & SERVICE SOFTWARE (TopControl) 20kW – 256kW up to 2MW, 0 – 52VDC to 0 – 1500VDC
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APPLICATIONS |
TopCon SASControl SOFTWARE – PV Process Automation and Visualization allows for programming true voltage to current curves as they are in real PV cell arrays. The TopCon PV power supply acts like a real solar cell array under various weather and illumination conditions.In photovoltaic applications, the quality and technical data of the AC-DC converter is of primary interest. Solar installations are intended for a lifetime of roughly 20 years, therefore even fractions of a percent in efficiency will represent significant amounts of energy losses. Photovoltaic DC Power Sources
Development and final series testing of AC-DC converters call both for equipment being able to simulate solar arrays of different types as close as possible of the original.
Starting with single units in the 20 kW and 32 kW range and voltages up to 1200 VDC, much higher power levels can be achieved by series or parallel operation of multiple units. This allows for simulation of systems from 20 kW up to 2 MW.
TopCon Quadro power supplies are therefore especially suited for solar cell array simulation. A single curve or even an entire set of curves can be stored and edited aboard of TopCon flash memory.
TopCon Quadro power supplies are especially suited for solar cell array simulation. A single curve or even an entire set of curves can be stored and edited aboard the TopCon flash memory. The actual activated curve expresses the functional interdependence of current vs. voltage.
There are several factors causing variations of the basic slope values of a PV array:
- Temporary progression of cloudiness
- Temporary progression of temperature
- Temporary progression of solar radiation geometry as a daily/annual variation
- Partial shade caused by obstacles
- Selective or integral degradation due to moisture and pollution
- Panel-failures, resistance of bonding and terminalsMost parts of the work to be done is reflected by the implementation of two physical units:
- changing the irradiance to a new reference value ( “setIrradianceRef(…..)”)
- changing the temperature to a new reference value ( “setTemperatureRef(…)”)
Tests defined by SANDIA LABS and EN50530 is the most important standard to be implemented. We included the execution of those tests in the software. The corresponding scripts are provided as open source and at no charge. The users are therefore able to modify the test procedures according to their own requirement.
Of course other test procedures can be implemented and executed as our SASControl provides an open environment.
The acronym „TopCon AAP“ stands for a standard TopConPV DC power supply extended by the versatile software function generator TFE. This operation mode allows not only running time-dependent functional slopes, but also the famous ‘Application area-programming mode’. Arbitrary functions like the above stated solar cell slopes can be loaded, manipulated and displayed. Configured with an appropriate U/I-curve, TopCon behaves like a real solar cell array and allows therefore the simulation of nearly any configuration of cells.
For the simulation of low-capacitance solar arrays in time-critical applications, we offer a Post-Processor unit TC.LIN.SER as an extension to the above described TopCon AAP system. This post-processing unit consists of an extremely fast current source fed by a full digital controller with a cycle time of only 5 usec! This unit enables the user to simulate low-capacity solar arrays with a phase error of only a fractional part of one electrical degree at a ripple frequency of 100 Hz.
TC.LIN.SER communicates with the leading TopCon via the same proprietary CAN-bus, which is also being used for master-slave-operation. TopConPV followed by a TC.LIN.SER unit forms basically a primary switched DC power module with a second precision current controller. With this configuration, the advantages of both systems are combined to benefit from a high efficiency power conversion and a loss optimized fast acting series controller. Photovoltaic DC Power Sources
Note: Both ‚TopCon AAP’ and the combination ‚TopCon/TC.LIN.SER’ can easily be controlled and parameterized by standard TopControl software. This software is included and works with RS232 or alternatively USB interface
Significant more functionality with a view to SOLAR applications is provided by the new software package SAScontrol. This software allows for the implementation of all functional demands.
