Operating temperatures of open-rack installed photovoltaic inverters

Zhang, Z.; Wang, L.; Kurtz, S.; Wu, J.; Quan, P.; Sorensen, R.; Liu, S.; Bai, J. B.; Zhu, Z. W.

doi:10.1016/j.solener.2016.08.017

Title: Operating temperatures of open-rack installed photovoltaic inverters

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Abstract

This paper presents a model for evaluating the heat-sink and component temperatures of open-rack installed photovoltaic inverters. These temperatures can be used for predicting inverter reliability. Inverter heat-sink temperatures were measured for inverters connected to three grid-connected PV (photovoltaic) test systems in Golden, Colorado, US. A model is proposed for calculating the inverter heat-sink temperature based on the ambient temperature, the ratio of the consumed power to the rated power of the inverter, and the measured wind speed. To verify and study this model, more than one year of inverter DC/AC power, irradiance, wind speed, and heat sink temperature rise data were collected and analyzed. The model is shown to be accurate in predicting average inverter temperatures, but will require further refinement for prediction of transient temperatures.

Authors:: Zhang, Z.; Wang, L.; Kurtz, S.; Wu, J.; Quan, P.; Sorensen, R.; Liu, S.; Bai, J. B.; Zhu, Z. W.

Publication Date:: Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

OSTI Identifier:: 1325509

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5J00-67120
Journal ID: ISSN 0038-092X

DOE Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Solar Energy

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 137; Journal ID: ISSN 0038-092X

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 42 ENGINEERING; inverter; photovoltaic system; operating temperature; reliability

Citation Formats


                    Zhang, Z., Wang, L., Kurtz, S., Wu, J., Quan, P., Sorensen, R., Liu, S., Bai, J. B., and Zhu, Z. W. Operating temperatures of open-rack installed photovoltaic inverters.  United States: N. p., 2016. 
        Web.  doi:10.1016/j.solener.2016.08.017.

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                    Zhang, Z., Wang, L., Kurtz, S., Wu, J., Quan, P., Sorensen, R., Liu, S., Bai, J. B., & Zhu, Z. W. Operating temperatures of open-rack installed photovoltaic inverters.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2016.08.017

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                    Zhang, Z., Wang, L., Kurtz, S., Wu, J., Quan, P., Sorensen, R., Liu, S., Bai, J. B., and Zhu, Z. W. 2016.  
        "Operating temperatures of open-rack installed photovoltaic inverters".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2016.08.017.

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@article{osti_1325509,

  title        = {Operating temperatures of open-rack installed photovoltaic inverters},

  author       = {Zhang, Z. and Wang, L. and Kurtz, S. and Wu, J. and Quan, P. and Sorensen, R. and Liu, S. and Bai, J. B. and Zhu, Z. W.},

  abstractNote = {This paper presents a model for evaluating the heat-sink and component temperatures of open-rack installed photovoltaic inverters. These temperatures can be used for predicting inverter reliability. Inverter heat-sink temperatures were measured for inverters connected to three grid-connected PV (photovoltaic) test systems in Golden, Colorado, US. A model is proposed for calculating the inverter heat-sink temperature based on the ambient temperature, the ratio of the consumed power to the rated power of the inverter, and the measured wind speed. To verify and study this model, more than one year of inverter DC/AC power, irradiance, wind speed, and heat sink temperature rise data were collected and analyzed. The model is shown to be accurate in predicting average inverter temperatures, but will require further refinement for prediction of transient temperatures.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.solener.2016.08.017},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1325509},
  journal      = {Solar Energy},

  issn         = {0038-092X},

  number       = ,

  volume       = 137,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016},

  month        = {Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016}

}

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