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