Solar Test Products

Solar Array Simulator (Solare Test Products)

Solar Test Products are offered by MELSS.   Solar Array Simulator Products are from  Chroma ATE Inc., Taiwan. This Simulates the Electrical Parameters of a Solar Array. SAS is used in design validation testing of Invertor.

62000H series DC Power Supplies have an optional built in SAS mode that can easily program the Voc, Isc, Vmp, Imp parameters to simulate different solar cell materials I-V characteristic outputs with fast response time. Moreover, the “Table” mode is capable of saving a 128 point array of user programmed voltages and currents via a remote interface. It can easily create a  shadowed I-V Curve and the I-V Program Mode can save up to 100 I-V curves and dwell time intervals (1-15,000s) in memory. These advantages provide steady repetitive control conditions required for PV Inverter design as well as for verification testing. The solar array simulator is ideal for the following testing:

• Design and verify the maximum power tracking circuit and algorithm of the PV inverter.
• Verify the high/low limit of operating input voltage allowed for the PV inverter.
• Verify the high/low limit of operating input voltage allowed for the inverter’s maximum power point.
• Verify the static maximum power point tracking efficiency of the PV inverter.
• Measure and verify the overall efficiency & conversion efficiency of PV inverter.

• Verify the maximum power point tracking performance of the inverter for dynamic curves.
• Verify the maximum power point tracking performance of the inverter under different time period conditions spanning from morning to nightfall.
• Verify the maximum power point tracking mechanism of the inverter for the I-V curve when the solar array is shaded by clouds or trees.

• Simulate the I-V curve under the actual environmental temperatures within burn-in room to do inverter burn-in testing.

Solar Array I-V Curve Simulation Softpanel -(Solar Test Products)

The 62000H with SAS includes Graphical User Interface software that communicates through the remote digital interface (USB / GPIB / Ethernet / RS232) control port. The user can easily program the I-V curve of the 62000H as well as the I-V & P-V curve for real-time testing. In addition it will display the MPPT status for the PV inverter. Readings and the report function with real-time monitoring using the softpanel are shown below.

Simulates Different Solar Cell Materials I-V Characteristic (Fill Factor)  

The purpose of the PV inverter is to convert the dc voltage (from solar array) to the ac power (utility). The better a PV inverter can adapt to the various irradiation & temperature conditions of sun, the more power that can be fed into the utility grid over time. So, the MPPT performance is a very important factor for PV generation systems. The  62000H with SAS is capable of simulating different types of standard crystalline, multi-crystalline and thin-film fill factor* parameters to verify the MPPT tracking algorithm mechanism and efficiency. *Fill Factor = (Imp*Vmp)/(Isc*Voc)

Static MPPT Efficiency Testing (Solare Test Products)

The 62000H DC Power Supply with solar array simulation can program the I-V curve through SAS mode and table mode via front panel or softpanel easily and up to 100 I-V curves can be stored in the unit. The user can recall the I-V curve afterwards for testing and monitoring the MPPT performance of PV inverter with the real-time tracking feature. The softpanel allows the user to set the duration for static MPPT efficiency testing. Each curve test time should be set at between 60s-600s for best MPPT efficiency performance analysis.

Shadow I-V Curve Simulation

The table mode allows the user to create 128 points of I-V curve data consisting of voltage and current in Excel file format. This information is uploaded to the supply’s memory via the softpanel. The user is able to program various I-V curves such as the shadow I-V curve simulation, which is used to verify the maximum power tracking capability of the PV inverter based on the I-V curve when the solar cell is shaded by clouds or trees.

Evaluating The PV Invert’s Conversion Efficiency*

The Photovoltaic I-V curve model of Sandia Lab’s built in the softpanel allows the user to input the maximum dc input power (Pmax), I-V Fill Factor, Vmin, Vnom and Vmax desired to test the PV Inverter. Click the maximum power percentage value (5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 50%, 75%, 100%) desired directly and , the softpanel will produce the tested solar cell I-V curve automatically. Next, download it to the standalone unit to start simulating the I-V curve for the PV Inverter to test the conversion efficiency. *Required an extra power meter.

Inverter Tests For The Course of A Day

The I-V program function enables the user to edit multiple I-V curves to simulate the irradiation intensity and temperature level from early morning to nightfall. It can also set the execution time of each I-V curve to enable the user to perform MPPT tracking tests under the simulation of actual weather environments.

Master/Slave Parallel Operation Up To 150KW

When high power is required, it is common to connect two or more power supplies in parallel. The 62000H includes a smart master / slave control mode making the parallel operation fast and simple. In this mode, the master scales values and downloads data to slave units with a high speed sync signal process and automatic current sharing control.

MELSS distributes Solar Test Products from Chroma ATE.