55 reinders performance_modelling_of_pv_systems_in_a_virtual_environment

Performance modelling of PV Systems in a Virtual Environment Angèle Reinders, Hans Veldhuis, Arend Jan Kamphuis, Twan van Leeuwen

Energy Center ARISE, Faculty of Engineering Technology

University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

e-mail: [email protected]

TUV-PVPerformanceModelling

CONTENTS

Why VR4PV?

How does VR4PV actually work?

Applications of VR4PV:

Case 1. PV in the built environment

Case 2. Design of moving PV systems - PV powered boats

Case 3. Shadow analysis for the design of a PV power lamp

Case 4. Allocation of PV systems and other RETs on small islands

Conclusions and recommendations


WHY VR4PV?

Enabling fast visualisations of PV systems during design and evaluation

Rendering of shades by surroundings as well as due to self-shading

Including movement of PV systems in simulations

Case 1: PV in the built environment

CASE 2: MOVING PV OBJECTS - PV BOATS


Project in the framework of the

Dong Energy Solar Challenge:

a world championship for PV-

powered boats in Friesland to

stimulate development of PV boats


How does VR4PV actually work?

VR4PV is a program created in Quest3D Virtual Reality software www.quest3d.com

The Quest3D tool can import 3D models and produce real-time 3D Windows

applications

Programming happens in a visual way, by graphical programming

Output: animations or export files

Combining visualization with physical or other

simulations as a background process

Advantages:

Fast visualizations

Natural modelling of surroundings, dynamic, movements


http://www.quest3d.com/

How does VR4PV work?

-Instead of ray-tracing, rasterization

with real-time visualized simulations

-3D CAD objects can be imported in

a scene (to be rendered)

-Rendering of shades: internal feature of

Quest3D

-PV cells / PV modules can be ‘glued’

on surfaces of objects in 3D scene

-Camera positions can be determined

in advance or by a preset scenario


1-min

to

hourly


FLOW SCHEME

Relatively simple model

Irradiance

Diffuse-direct components: Orgill-Hollands

Tilt conversion: Liu-Jordan

Sun’s position: Blanco-Muriel

Shading

By surrounding objects: stencil mapping (in Quest3D)

Self-shading: stencil mapping (in Quest3D)

Photovoltaics

Performance solar cell: one-diode model based on fit

Temperature solar cell: Skoplaki, Ross, King [1]

Other, to be added based on interest user

Soiling, Mismatch, DC cabling, Inverter (etc)

[1] Veldhuis, A.J., Nobre, A.M., Peters, I.M., Reindl, T., Rüther, R. and A.H.M.E. Reinders. “An Empirical Model for Rack-Mounted

PV Module Temperatures for Southeast Asian Locations Evaluated for Minute Time Scales.” IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Vol 5,

No 3 (2015): 774-782.

Irradiance in VR4PV

[2] Veldhuis, A. J., and A.H.M.E. Reinders. "Real-time irradiance simulation for PV products and building integrated PV in a virtual

reality environment.“, IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Vol 2, No 3 (2012): 352-358.


Relative error in tilt conversion irradiance < 5%, data from Bolzano, minute data [2]

Hourly data and/or other locations show similar results

Tilt conversion of irradiance

validated for four locations:

- Bolzano, Italy

- Los Angeles, USA

- Jayapura, Indonesia

- Enschede, NL

On a hourly and minute basis


MODELING PROCEDURE IN VR4PV USING QUEST3D AS MAIN SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENT

3D CAD model

Weather data

Irradiancemodel

Execute simulation

Results

Solid Works

3ds max

Maya

Input Global horizontal irradiance

Wind speed & ambient temperature

Date & time

Location

Input Isotropic model

Input Add solar cells on surfaces

Calculate irradiance on tilted planes

Determine shadows

Determine PV power production

Export data

Animation

Analyze

CASE 3: SHADOW SIMULATIONS OF

PV POWERED STREET LIGHT INSIDE A COURTYARD


lamp

POSITION OF SOLAR CELLS ON TOP OF STREET LIGHT


Three situations:

PV cell 1 is in full shadow:

It receives only the diffuse and

ground reflected irradiance,

PV cell 2 and 3 are partly shaded:

They receive a fraction of the

direct irradiance in addition to diffuse

and ground reflected irradiance.

PV cell 4 is fully lit:

It receives the full amount of

irradiance available.

VIEW FACTOR

69% sky view factor

diffuse

irradiance

albedo


View of PV cell 1

The amount of diffuse irradiance received by the PV cell, depends on the

amount of the sky seen from the perspective of the PV cell, the so-called view factor.

It is determined by rasterization of the view of a PV cell in a square of 16 by 16 pixels:

MOVIE - EXAMPLE OF USE VR4PV IN DESIGN PROCESS


TIME SERIES, INPUT & OUTPUT DATA

0

400

800

0

10

20

30

irra

dia

nce

(W

/m2)

Win

d s

pe

ed

(m

/s)

&

te

mp

era

ture

(°C

)

Tamb Vw Ghor

0

1

2

3

po

we

r (W

)

P1 P2 P3 P4

input

outp

ut


COMPARE VARIOUS CELL INTERCONNECTIONS

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

po

we

r (W

)

time

A) All cells in series B) All cells in parallel

C) Scheme P12-34 D) Scheme P14-23


Interconnection Energy (Wh)

A 20.9

B 25.6

C 24.2

D 23.6

CONCLUSIONS

VR4PV enables fast and easy shadow analysis for PV containing (1) self-shading, and (2) object

shading.

VR4PV can be used for simulations of power generated by PV cells and PV modules.

The software can be also used in dynamic environments and moving objects with PV modules.

Limitations of VR4PV are due to:

Absence of complex spectrally dependent light interaction such as a.o. transmittance (so far)

Processing speed depending on number of PV cells/modules applied

Future work could include:

1. Extension of VR4PV with anisotropic irradiance models.

2. Application of VR4PV could be applied to VLS, for real-time plant monitoring.

3. Applications of VR4PV in BIPV projects with architects, because of fine visualisation features.

Important notice: because of costs and current developments in VR software it may be necessary to

shift to more timely VR /gaming platforms, for instance Unity or others, however then the animation

and energy simulation will be separated, probably resulting in higher processing speed.


CASE 4: ALLOCATION OF PV SYSTEMS AND OTHER

RETs ON SMALL ISLANDS


This island, Kri, in Papua has to be fully powered by renewable energy.

INSTEAD OF QUEST3D in this case UNITY platform


ANIMATION AND SIMULATION SEPARATED


VR / GAMING

Environment

(UNITY)

ENERGY

simulations

(To be decided)

Visualization +

Quantification

PV SYSTEM ANIMATION ON THE SMALL ISLAND KRI


Aknowledgements

Thanking Arend Jan Kamphuis, Twan van Leeuwen, Hans Veldhuis, Luna

Mutiara and all students who contributed to the development of VR4PV.

Contact by [email protected]


Presentations & Public Speaking

55 reinders performance_modelling_of_pv_systems_in_a_virtual_environment