In Mexico, owing to solar radiation conditions, there is great potential for PV (photovoltaic) systems. Besides, since 2007, the solar electricity interconnection agreement became official which allowed for an impor...In Mexico, owing to solar radiation conditions, there is great potential for PV (photovoltaic) systems. Besides, since 2007, the solar electricity interconnection agreement became official which allowed for an important growth of the photovoltaic industry. Due to the important development of the PV industry, there is a need for engineers trained to design, install, and evaluate PV systems The UAEMEX (autonomous university of the state of Mexico) offers a new bachelor degree of engineering program which dedicated to the development of sustainable energy systems. This kind of programs requires special equipment for experimentation and practice Specialists at UAEMEX also detected the need for a system to evaluate and demonstrate the application of PV modules, but they also found that most of the systems on the market are very expensive and unable to evaluate different arrangements. The goal of this paper is to present the design of a mobile system to evaluate PV modules and arrangements. This system is useful, not only for demonstration practices, but also for experimentation with different materials and types of PV panels. The design allows for two or four PV modules to be assembled in different positions and inclinations. The prototype is equipped with a data acquisition system that will be used to obtain the PV module performance curves. It will also be used to evaluate the atmospheric, interference and shadow effects on these modules. This prototype will be used to complement the practice learning of solar PV systems, but also to demonstrate the use of PV modules. The prototype is being design and constructed by a group of mechanical and electronic engineering students and this fact will be useful to meet the needs of basic science, math, and engineering teaching objectives in an integrated and hands-on way project. The essential features of system are described. A comparative analysis of the systems on the market is carried out. Also presented are the learning advantages for the students involved in the design and construction of this kind of systems, as well as a summary of practices that may be performed with the equipment.展开更多
文摘In Mexico, owing to solar radiation conditions, there is great potential for PV (photovoltaic) systems. Besides, since 2007, the solar electricity interconnection agreement became official which allowed for an important growth of the photovoltaic industry. Due to the important development of the PV industry, there is a need for engineers trained to design, install, and evaluate PV systems The UAEMEX (autonomous university of the state of Mexico) offers a new bachelor degree of engineering program which dedicated to the development of sustainable energy systems. This kind of programs requires special equipment for experimentation and practice Specialists at UAEMEX also detected the need for a system to evaluate and demonstrate the application of PV modules, but they also found that most of the systems on the market are very expensive and unable to evaluate different arrangements. The goal of this paper is to present the design of a mobile system to evaluate PV modules and arrangements. This system is useful, not only for demonstration practices, but also for experimentation with different materials and types of PV panels. The design allows for two or four PV modules to be assembled in different positions and inclinations. The prototype is equipped with a data acquisition system that will be used to obtain the PV module performance curves. It will also be used to evaluate the atmospheric, interference and shadow effects on these modules. This prototype will be used to complement the practice learning of solar PV systems, but also to demonstrate the use of PV modules. The prototype is being design and constructed by a group of mechanical and electronic engineering students and this fact will be useful to meet the needs of basic science, math, and engineering teaching objectives in an integrated and hands-on way project. The essential features of system are described. A comparative analysis of the systems on the market is carried out. Also presented are the learning advantages for the students involved in the design and construction of this kind of systems, as well as a summary of practices that may be performed with the equipment.