Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1
A KIT FOR. INCREASING THE PERFORMANCES OF A SOLAR PANEL,
DESCRIPTION
The subject-matter of this invention is a kit for
increasing the performances of at least an existing solar
panel, a photovoltaic station including such a kit and a
method for reviving the performances of an existing solar
panel.
Photovoltaic stations including a plurality of solar
panels are well known in the art.
Some drawbacks connected with the operation of solar
panels are referred in the hereinafter.
A first drawback is connected with the fact that in
time the panels know a decay of tgheir performances,
particularly of their effective power.
A further drawback is connected with the fact that
above 40 C the performances of the panels lower
dramatically (more generally they lower with growing
temperature).
= Such drawbacks penalize the profit
of the
administration of the station.
In this context, the technical object at the basis of
this invention is to suggest a kit for increasing the
performances of at least an existing solar panel, a.
photovoltaic station including such a kit and a method for
reviving the performances of an existing solar panel that
overcome the drawbacks of prior art mentioned above.
The specified technical object and the detailed aims
are substantially reached by a kit for increasing the
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performances of at least an existing solar panel, a
photovoltaic station including such a kit and a method for
reviving the performances of an existing solar panel
including the same technical characteristics set forth in
one or more of the annexed claims.
Further characteristics and advantages of this
invention will turn out to be clearer from the exemplifying,'
and therefore not limiting, disclosure of a preferred, but
not exclusive, embodiment of a kit and a station, as
illustrated in the annexed figures, wherein:
- FIGURES i and 2 show two opposite views, in a
schematic way, of an example of a kit according to
this invention;
- FIGURE 3 shows a schematic view of a station.
according to this invention.
In the annexed figures with numeral 1 a kit has been
indicated for increasing the performances of at least a
photovoltaic solar panel (i.e. a panel that exploits solar
energy to obtain electric energy).
Advantageosuly the kit allows performances to be
increased even of more photovoltaic panels. By 'kit for
increasing the performances of the panel' a. kit is meant
that, combined with the panel, allows one to have global
performances greater than those of a single panel.
The kit includes photovoltaic generator 2. Such
generator 2 exploits photovoltaic effect to convert solar
energy into electrical energy. It may also be defined as a
'master'. Photovoltaic generator 2 includes at least first
photovoltaic cell 21 including:
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- graphene; and
- silver or silver compounds.
Generator 2 is (electrically) connectible with the
solar panel, particularly first photovoltaic cell 21 is
connectible in series with the solar panel.
The addition of such materials is important in that it
allows a significant increase of the current intensity and
not only of voltage. Particularly such materials allow the
yield of generator 2 to be increased. In this way by
connecting first cell 21 in series with a panel one has a
significant increase not only of overall voltage, but also
of circulating current and therefore of power.
First cell 21 includes opposite first and second face
211, 212.
Graphene on first cell 21 is arranged in stripes 213.
Advantageously such stripes 213 are arranged on first face
211. Advantageosuly stripes 213 develop parallelly. Stripes
213 connect two opposite sides of first cell 21. First cell
21 also includes a coating 214, typically a paint.
containing silver or compounds thereof. Such a coating is
preferably applied to second face 212. Advantageously such
a coating has a thickness lesser than 3 micrometers. First
face 211 defines the positive pole of first cell 21, second
face 212 defines the negative pole of first cell 21.
Suitably- generator 2 includes a plurality of
photovoltaic cells. Such a plurality of cells includes at
least first cell 21 and second cell 22. Normally at least
5 cells are present, advantageously at least 10 cells.
Preferably the cells are reciprocally connected in series.
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What disclosed in reference to first cell 21 may be
advantageously repeated for all of the cells of generator
2.
First cell 21 includes more than 40 stripes 213 of
graphene. Preferably such sripes 213 are 50. They are in
contact with electrical connection elements of first and
second cell 21, 22. Such electrical connection elements
advantageously include junction bus bars 5 that overlap to
first face 211 of first cell 21 coming into contact with
stripes 213 in graphene. Such bus bars 5 cross first face
211 tranversely (preferably orthogonally) to a direction
individualized by the longitudinal development of stripes
213 in graphene. Advantageously, but not necessarily
junction bus bars 5 could be physically connectible to first
cell 21 in a removable way, for instance through a quicX
attach/detach. connection (for instance through one or more
pressure buttons). In case they could be physically
connected fixedly with first cell 21. Such connection
elements are electrically conductors and preferably have a
cross section lesser than 7.5 cm2.
Moreover, the kit includes at least a connecting cable
3 of photovoltaic generator 2 with the outside. Such a cablo
has a greater diameter of 5 millimeters, preferably is equal
to 6 millimeters. This allows the passage of adequate
currents.
First face 211 of first cell 21 is intended to
intercept sun rays to convert solar energy into electrical
energy. Therefore, first face 211 has a surface greater
than 230 cm2, preferably 300 cm2.
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The dimensions of first cell 21, as of the other cells
that are part of photovoltaic generator 2 are important in
that they allow a significant increase of the intensity of
the circulating current, and not only of voltage, to be
obtained.
Preferably first cell 21 is a rectangle. Such a
rectangle comprises a first side having a length greater
than 13 centimeters and a second side having a length
greater than 18 centimeters.
Photovoltaic generator 2 includes a closed enveloped
containing at least first cell 21; said envelope includes
an opening and closing system for allowing the maintenance
of at least first cell 21. Preferably the envelope contains
all of the cells of photovoltaic generator 21. All of said
cells are anyhow reachable to an operator through the
opening and closing system. Therefore, the opening and
closing system allows a complete opening of the envelope.
Suitably such an opening and closing system may be of
various kinds, for instance: a zip fastener; an opening
port etc.
In a first embodiment the cells of generator 2 are
organized along a first stripe. Physically the cells of the
first string develop in succession along a straight line.
They are flanked and adjacent. Preferably the cells of said
first string are connected in series with each other.
In a second embodiment (see FIGURE 3) generator 2
includes a plurality of strings 6 of photovoltaic cells
(preferably connected in series). Inside generator 2, in
FIGURE 3, only a string and the cells that compose it are
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shown. Anyhow, the presence of remaining strings not
explicitly drawn can be realized from the presence of output
terminals. The strings of generator 2 are connectible with
each other in parallel (if a high current is desired) or
they may supply distinct loads. In a preferred solution
generator 2 may include up to 6 strings. Physically the
strings develop flanked the one to the other. Advantageously
eah string may supply a corresponding panel 10 or more
photovoltaic panels, preferably connected in series. For
instance, in an existing photovoltaic field, each string of
generator 2 may be connected to different groups of panels.
For instance a first string may revive a first group of
panels, the second string may revive a second group of
panels and so on.
In a preferred embodiment the string includes 10 cells.
Each one of said cells allows a voltage of 0.8 volt to
be reached with a current of 16 ampere. Applicant undescores
the advantages compared with classical stripes composed of
10 cells that are found in usual photovoltaic panels. In
this case indeed each cell allows a voltage of 0.5 volt to
be reahed with 8.2 ampere.
The subject matter of this invention is also
photovoltaic plant 100 including:
- at least a photovoltaic solar panel 10;
- kit 1 for increasing the power of solar panel 10.
Kit 1 includes one or more of the characteristics
disclosed above.
First cell 21 of photovoltaic generator 2 of the kit
is connected in series with solar panel 10. Advantageously
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=
the station includes a plurality of photovoltaic solar
panels, photovoltaic generator 2 being connected with said
plurality of photovoltaic solar panels. particularly
generator 2 may include a plurality of strings 6 of
photovoltaic cells. Each of said strings of photovolatic
cells includes aplurality of photovoltaic cells connected
in series. Each string supplies a corresponding panel or
more photovoltaic panels,. connected in series.
Suitably station 100 may be of 'island' type, also
known as 'stand alone'. In such case advantageously it is
isolated from an external distribution network.
Alternatively station 100 may be of the 'grid-connect'
type. in such case there is a connection with an external
distribution network, managed for instance by a national
entity.
Advantageously station 100 includes an inverter for
executing a transformation of direct electrical current in
alternating current (normally it also determines an
increase of rated voltage).
Suitably station 100 includes a control central unit
that allows the activation or the deactivation of
photovoltaic generator 2 to be controlled as a function of
at least a predetermined parameter.
Typically such parameter is the voltage put at disposal
by the station. When the external temperature is
particularly high, panel 10 not always is able to provide
satisfying performances and photovoltaic generator 2
intervenes to sustain the performances of the panel.
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Alternatively after a storm, limpid air and low
temperatures favour important performances to the station
such that sometimes the disconnecting of generator 2 could
become necessary to the end of protecting one or more
components of the station from a current excess. Typically
the inverter is the component more at risk from this
viewpoint.
Station 100 may include (preferably wireless) means
for transmitting a signal for the activation of photovoltaic
generator 2 as a function of a predetermined characteristic.
Such a predetermined characteristic characteristic iS
advantageosly the voltage or the power put at disposal by
the station (also a magnitude that may be brought back to
one of such parameters being meant).
Applicant refers that by applying an 8-volt-and-16-
ampere generator 2 to 36-volt panel 10 one manages to obtain
a peak power of 504 W.
Moreover, the subject-matter of this disclosure is a
method to revive the performances of an existing
photovoltauic panel 10. In such a case preferably a panel
10 is dealt with operating from several years and that has
undergone a performace decay in time.
The method includes the stages of:
- connecting kit 1 having one or more of previously
described characteristics to existing solar panel
10; this stage includes the substage of connecting
first cell 21 of photovoltaic generator 2 of the kit
in series with photovoltaic solar panel 10;
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- activating/deactivating photovoltaic generator 2 of
the kit as a function of the voltage put at disposal
by the assembly solar panel 10 and photovoltaic
generator 2.
This invention achieves important advantages.
First of all it allows the performances of an existing
panel to be improved.
By virtue of the particula conformation of the cells
one not only achieves a voltage increase, but a significant
current and therefore power increase.
The so conceived invention is susceptible of numerous
modifications and variations, all falling within the scope
of the inventive concept that characterizes it. Moreover,
all of the details may be substituted by other technically
equivalent elements. In practice, all of the employed
materials, as well as dimensions, may be whatever as a
function of the exigencies.
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