Portable, X-Y translating, infrared microscope for remote inspection of photovoltaic solar arrays
The prevalent physical defect found in terrestrial photovoltaic modules during manufacture and field exposure has been the cracked solar cell. Cells can become cracked during handling, because of thermal mismatch in their encapsulation packages, or due to environmental phenomena such as hail. A device is described which can be used remotely to locate cracked silicon solar cells in photovoltaic modules. This solar-cell inspection device can be used either in the laboratory for quality assurance and failure analysis evaluation or at array fields to monitor cracked-cell occurrence. It consists of: (a) an infrared microscope that operates at 1.0 micron, uses darkfield illumination, has a relatively large field of view (3.0 in.), has low system magnification (5X to 15X), and has a video display output; (b) a portable X-Y translator that is capable of moving the microscope over an 8 ft. x 8 ft. area; and (c) a console that allows remote instrument control and visual inspection of modules or arrays (up to 500 ft). This system presently is undergoing laboratory and field testing as part of the DOE-sponsored MIT Lincoln Laboratory Solar Photovoltiac Residential Project.
- Research Organization:
- Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Lexington (USA). Lincoln Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76ET20279
- OSTI ID:
- 5287351
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ET/20279-101; CONF-801041-1
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International symposium for testing and failure analysis, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 27 Oct 1980
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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