A Review of I–V Tracers for Photovoltaic Modules: Topologies and Challenges

Current–voltage (I–V) curve tracers are used for measuring voltage and current in photovoltaic (PV) modules. I–V curves allow identifying certain faults in the photovoltaic module, as well as quantifying the power performance of the device. I–V curve tracers are present in different topologies and c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Electronics (Basel) 2021-06, Vol.10 (11), p.1283
Main Authors: Morales-Aragonés, José Ignacio, Dávila-Sacoto, Miguel, González, Luis G., Alonso-Gómez, Víctor, Gallardo-Saavedra, Sara, Hernández-Callejo, Luis
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Configurations
Converters
Electrical measurement
Fault detection
Modularity
Modules
Photovoltaic cells
Preventive maintenance
Radiation
Topology
Tracers
Transistors
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Summary:Current–voltage (I–V) curve tracers are used for measuring voltage and current in photovoltaic (PV) modules. I–V curves allow identifying certain faults in the photovoltaic module, as well as quantifying the power performance of the device. I–V curve tracers are present in different topologies and configurations, by means of rheostats, capacitive loads, electronic loads, transistors, or by means of DC–DC converters. This article focuses on presenting all these configurations. The paper shows the electrical parameters to which the electronic elements of the equipment are exposed using LTSpice, facilitating the appropriate topology selection. Additionally, a comparison has been included between the different I–V tracers’ topologies, analyzing their advantages and disadvantages, considering different factors such as their flexibility, modularity, cost, precision, speed or rating, as well as the characteristics of the different DC–DC converters.
ISSN:2079-9292
2079-9292
DOI:10.3390/electronics10111283