Photovoltaic Module Fault Detection Using Integrated Magnetic Sensors

Fault detection and diagnosis of photovoltaic (PV) modules have become vital for reliable, efficient, and safe PV operating systems. This article proposes a new inspection method which is based on measuring the magnetic flux density on the surface of crystalline silicon PV modules. To measure the magnetic flux density generated around busbars of PV modules, their surfaces are scanned by two types of small integrated magnetic sensors for the one-dimensional (1-D) and 2-D magnetic profiles. This method enable us to detect different types of faults in PV modules, perform on-site measurements, and real time diagnosis. Since the measurement devices are composed of simple and small sensors, the overall cost of this method is very low as compared to other conventional fault detection methods.