PV Cell Cracks and Impacts on Electrical Performance

Carolina M. Whitaker; Benjamin G. Pierce; Ahmad Maroof Karimi; Roger H. French; Jennifer L. Braid

doi:10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300374

PV Cell Cracks and Impacts on Electrical Performance

Carolina M. Whitaker, Benjamin G. Pierce, Ahmad Maroof Karimi, Roger H. French, Jennifer L. Braid

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cell cracking in PV modules can lead to a variety of changes in the modules operation, with vastly different performance degradation based on the type and severity of crack. In this work, we correlate cell crack metrics in images with current-voltage (I-V) curve features on a sample set of 38 four-cell Al-BSF and PERC mini-modules showing a range of fracture and electrical properties. Impacts of cracking on electrical performance demonstrated in this work include cell shunting and electrical isolation of cell regions, shown with electroluminescence (EL) images and I-V tracing. Cracks and other EL image properties are quantified with algorithmic computer vision techniques, and correlated with I-V properties at the cell and module levels.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2020 47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2020
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages	1417-1422
Number of pages	6
ISBN (Electronic)	9781728161150
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300374
State	Published - Jun 14 2020
Externally published	Yes
Event	47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2020 - Calgary, Canada Duration: Jun 15 2020 → Aug 21 2020

Publication series

Name	Conference Record of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference
Volume	2020-June
ISSN (Print)	0160-8371

Conference

Conference	47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2020
Country/Territory	Canada
City	Calgary
Period	06/15/20 → 08/21/20

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) Agreement Number DE-EE-0008550. JLB is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy administered bythe Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the DOE. ORISE is managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) under DOE contract number DE-SC0014664. This work was funded in part by the CWRU SOURCE SURES program.

Funders	Funder number
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
Solar Energy Technologies Office	DE-EE-0008550
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Oak Ridge Associated Universities	DE-SC0014664
Case Western Reserve University
U.S. Department of Energys Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Keywords

PV module
cell cracks
computer vision
electroluminescence
shunting

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300374

Cite this

Whitaker, C. M., Pierce, B. G., Karimi, A. M., French, R. H., & Braid, J. L. (2020). PV Cell Cracks and Impacts on Electrical Performance. In 2020 47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2020 (pp. 1417-1422). Article 9300374 (Conference Record of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference; Vol. 2020-June). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300374

@inproceedings{f9b40daca03041bfa6111f844aada917,

title = "PV Cell Cracks and Impacts on Electrical Performance",

abstract = "Cell cracking in PV modules can lead to a variety of changes in the modules operation, with vastly different performance degradation based on the type and severity of crack. In this work, we correlate cell crack metrics in images with current-voltage (I-V) curve features on a sample set of 38 four-cell Al-BSF and PERC mini-modules showing a range of fracture and electrical properties. Impacts of cracking on electrical performance demonstrated in this work include cell shunting and electrical isolation of cell regions, shown with electroluminescence (EL) images and I-V tracing. Cracks and other EL image properties are quantified with algorithmic computer vision techniques, and correlated with I-V properties at the cell and module levels.",

keywords = "PV module, cell cracks, computer vision, electroluminescence, shunting",

author = "Whitaker, {Carolina M.} and Pierce, {Benjamin G.} and Karimi, {Ahmad Maroof} and French, {Roger H.} and Braid, {Jennifer L.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 IEEE.; 47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2020 ; Conference date: 15-06-2020 Through 21-08-2020",

year = "2020",

month = jun,

day = "14",

doi = "10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300374",

language = "English",

series = "Conference Record of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference",

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Whitaker, CM, Pierce, BG, Karimi, AM, French, RH & Braid, JL 2020, PV Cell Cracks and Impacts on Electrical Performance. in 2020 47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2020., 9300374, Conference Record of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, vol. 2020-June, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., pp. 1417-1422, 47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2020, Calgary, Canada, 06/15/20. https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300374

PV Cell Cracks and Impacts on Electrical Performance. / Whitaker, Carolina M.; Pierce, Benjamin G.; Karimi, Ahmad Maroof et al.
2020 47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, PVSC 2020. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2020. p. 1417-1422 9300374 (Conference Record of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference; Vol. 2020-June).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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T1 - PV Cell Cracks and Impacts on Electrical Performance

AU - Whitaker, Carolina M.

AU - Pierce, Benjamin G.

AU - Karimi, Ahmad Maroof

AU - French, Roger H.

AU - Braid, Jennifer L.

PY - 2020/6/14

Y1 - 2020/6/14

N2 - Cell cracking in PV modules can lead to a variety of changes in the modules operation, with vastly different performance degradation based on the type and severity of crack. In this work, we correlate cell crack metrics in images with current-voltage (I-V) curve features on a sample set of 38 four-cell Al-BSF and PERC mini-modules showing a range of fracture and electrical properties. Impacts of cracking on electrical performance demonstrated in this work include cell shunting and electrical isolation of cell regions, shown with electroluminescence (EL) images and I-V tracing. Cracks and other EL image properties are quantified with algorithmic computer vision techniques, and correlated with I-V properties at the cell and module levels.

AB - Cell cracking in PV modules can lead to a variety of changes in the modules operation, with vastly different performance degradation based on the type and severity of crack. In this work, we correlate cell crack metrics in images with current-voltage (I-V) curve features on a sample set of 38 four-cell Al-BSF and PERC mini-modules showing a range of fracture and electrical properties. Impacts of cracking on electrical performance demonstrated in this work include cell shunting and electrical isolation of cell regions, shown with electroluminescence (EL) images and I-V tracing. Cracks and other EL image properties are quantified with algorithmic computer vision techniques, and correlated with I-V properties at the cell and module levels.

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KW - cell cracks

KW - computer vision

KW - electroluminescence

KW - shunting

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PV Cell Cracks and Impacts on Electrical Performance

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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