Drone Development for Thermal Inspection of Photovoltaic Power Systems
Project no. 414 · Status: Kapanmış · 2017
Summary
Upon the identification of legal regulations, photovoltaic power systems (PVPS) based on solar energy have been an attractive investment for any investors with small or large scale budgets in Turkey. In 2018, according to Turkish Ministry of Energy and Naturel Resources unlicensed/licensed installed photovoltaic power plants reached 4.723 MWe. A growth which was greater than in any European country has been experienced in the solar energy industry during previous years. In this context, the quality and the financial return of the installed systems have gained great importance. One of the effective method of fault detection of PVPSs is thermal imaging by checking the modules (such as, hot spots, faulty soldering joints, active diodes, cables, and terminal connection faults, burned fuses etc.). By using infrared imaging, which is an optical inspection method, it is possible to detect abnormal heat radiation caused by defects inside of the modules without touching, harming and interrupting its operation. In this research, the results of real-time fault detections of PVPSs which were installed in different locations of Turkey are planned to be examined by self-made aerial craft. Additionally, a comparison of the results between a fixed images and a drone camera images is planned to be realized. The experimentation, both in terms of accuracy and processing time, will be discussed in the matter of effectiveness and the efficiency of the thermal imaging approach.