Method for visual inspection of photovoltaic module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12418261-B2
Application number	US-202218071912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2022
Priority date	Jul 28, 2022
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

A method for visual inspection of a photovoltaic module, including: turning on a first light source located above the photovoltaic module, and recording, by an image collector, first coordinates and second coordinates of edge intersections at ends of the film strips; turning on a second light source located below the photovoltaic module, and recording, by the image collector, third coordinates and fourth coordinates of overlapping points among edges of the solar cells, the ends of the film strips, and the cell gaps or the string gaps; and analyzing, by the image collector, differences between the first coordinates and the third coordinates and between the second coordinates and the fourth coordinates along width directions of the cell gaps or the string gaps, wherein the differences are overlap spacings between the film strips and the solar cells.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for visual inspection of a photovoltaic module, wherein the photovoltaic module comprises a plurality of sets of solar cell strings and a plurality of film strips, the sets of solar cell strings each comprise a plurality of solar cells, the film strips are arranged opposite to cell gaps formed between the solar cells or string gaps formed between the solar cell strings, and lengths of the film strips are less than lengths of the cell gaps or the string gaps,
the method comprises:
turning on a first light source located above the photovoltaic module, and recording, by an image collector, first coordinates and second coordinates of edge intersections at ends of the film strips;
turning on a second light source located below the photovoltaic module, and recording, by the image collector, third coordinates and fourth coordinates of overlapping points among edges of the solar cells, the ends of the film strips, and the cell gaps or the string gaps; and
analyzing, by the image collector, differences between the first coordinates and the third coordinates and between the second coordinates and the fourth coordinates along width directions of the cell gaps or the string gaps, wherein the differences are overlap spacings between the film strips and the solar cells.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein vertical distances between the first light source and the film strips range from 50 mm to 500 mm.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein light-emitting intensity of at least one of the first light source or the second light source ranges from 1000 Lm to 20000 Lm.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein vertical distances between the second light source and the solar cells range from 1 mm to 200 mm.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein lengths of ends of the cell gaps or the string gaps not covered by the film strips range from 0.5 mm to 200 mm.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein vertical distances between the image collector and the solar cells range from 100 mm to 600 mm.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic module comprises a photovoltaic back sheet provided with a plurality of film strips, and the film strips are arranged opposite to cell gaps formed between the solar cells or string gaps formed between the solar cell strings, widths of the film strips are greater than widths of the cell gaps or the string gaps, and along length directions of the cell gaps or the string gaps, at least part of two ends of the film strips does not cover the cell gaps or the string gaps.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein ratios of widths of the film strips and the cell gaps or the string gaps range from 2.5:1 to 3.5:1.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein, along the width directions of the cell gaps or the string gaps, overlap spacings between the film strips and the solar cells range from 0.01 mm to 10 mm.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting, based on the analyzing result, defective photovoltaic module with light leakage caused by small overlap spacings therebetween or incomplete covering of the cell gaps or the string gaps with two sides of the film strips for repair.

11. A method for visual inspection of a photovoltaic module, wherein the photovoltaic module comprises a plurality of sets of solar cell strings and a plurality of film strips, the sets of solar cell strings each comprise a plurality of solar cells, the film strips are arranged opposite to cell gaps formed between the solar cells or string gaps formed between the solar cell strings, and lengths of the film strips are less than lengths of the cell gaps or the string gaps,
the method comprises:
placing a photovoltaic back sheet upwards on a worktable, turning on a first light source located above the photovoltaic module, and recording, by an image collector, first edge position information of the film strips in width directions;
identifying, by the image collector, positions of solder strips through the film strips and obtaining second edge position information of the solar cells;
analyzing, by the image collector, the first edge position information and the second edge position information to obtain differences therebetween in a horizontal direction,
wherein the differences are overlap spacings between the film strips and the solar cells.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein vertical distances between the first light source and the film strips range from 50 mm to 500 mm.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein light-emitting intensity of at least one of the first light source or the second light source ranges from 1000 Lm to 20000 Lm.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein vertical distances between the second light source and the solar cells range from 1 mm to 200 mm.

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein lengths of ends of the cell gaps or the string gaps not covered by the film strips range from 0.5 mm to 200 mm.

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein vertical distances between the image collector and the solar cells range from 100 mm to 600 mm.

17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the photovoltaic module comprises a photovoltaic back sheet provided with a plurality of film strips, and the film strips are arranged opposite to cell gaps formed between the solar cells or string gaps formed between the solar cell strings, widths of the film strips are greater than widths of the cell gaps or the string gaps, and along length directions of the cell gaps or the string gaps, at least part of two ends of the film strips does not cover the cell gaps or the string gaps.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein ratios of widths of the film strips and the cell gaps or the string gaps range from 2.5:1 to 3.5:1.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein, along the width directions of the cell gaps or the string gaps, overlap spacings between the film strips and the solar cells range from 0.01 mm to 10 mm.

20. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
selecting, based on the analyzing result, defective photovoltaic module with light leakage caused by small overlap spacings therebetween or incomplete covering of the cell gaps or the string gaps with two sides of the film strips for repair.

Assignees

• Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co Ltd
• Jinko Solar Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Zhendong
• Wang Luchuang
• Tao Wusong

Classifications

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• B07C5/342

  according to optical properties, e.g. colour {(according to radiation transmittivity B07C5/3416)} · CPC title

• G01N21/01

  Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation · CPC title

• H02S50/10 Primary

  Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells (testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing {H10P74/00}) · CPC title

• H02S50/15 Primary

  using optical means, e.g. using electroluminescence · CPC title