TY - GEN
T1 - Fault impacts on solar power unit reliability
AU - Bazzi, Ali M.
AU - Kim, Katherine A.
AU - Johnson, Brian B.
AU - Krein, Philip T.
AU - Dominguez-García, Alejandro
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - This paper introduces a generalized reliability model of a solar power unit (SPU) based on physical characteristics including material, operating conditions, and electrical ratings. An SPU includes a photovoltaic panel, power converter, control and sensing. Possible faults in each component of the unit are surveyed and their failure rates based on physics-of-failure models are formulated. PV panel faults include possible installation faults, environmental effects, and material degradation. Power electronics faults are developed in depth for different components of a dc-dc boost converter. A systemlevel simulation model is developed and verified experimentally, and then used to define the survivor function of the SPU. Results show that it is important to include panel faults for accurate reliability values. The developed model is flexible and can be tailored for various SPU operating conditions, panel designs, and electrical ratings. The proposed reliability model can be extended to parallel and series interconnected topologies of multiple SPUs.
AB - This paper introduces a generalized reliability model of a solar power unit (SPU) based on physical characteristics including material, operating conditions, and electrical ratings. An SPU includes a photovoltaic panel, power converter, control and sensing. Possible faults in each component of the unit are surveyed and their failure rates based on physics-of-failure models are formulated. PV panel faults include possible installation faults, environmental effects, and material degradation. Power electronics faults are developed in depth for different components of a dc-dc boost converter. A systemlevel simulation model is developed and verified experimentally, and then used to define the survivor function of the SPU. Results show that it is important to include panel faults for accurate reliability values. The developed model is flexible and can be tailored for various SPU operating conditions, panel designs, and electrical ratings. The proposed reliability model can be extended to parallel and series interconnected topologies of multiple SPUs.
KW - photovoltaic reliability
KW - reliability modeling procedure
KW - solar power unit
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U2 - 10.1109/APEC.2011.5744749
DO - 10.1109/APEC.2011.5744749
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:79955783982
SN - 9781424480845
T3 - Conference Proceedings - IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition - APEC
SP - 1223
EP - 1231
BT - 2011 26th Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, APEC 2011
T2 - 26th Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, APEC 2011
Y2 - 6 March 2011 through 10 March 2011
ER -