Sensors placement for the faults detection and isolation based on bridge linked configuration of photovoltaic array

Introduction. The photovoltaic market has been increased over the last decade at a remarkable pace even during difficult economic times. Photovoltaic energy production becomes widely used because of its advantages as a renewable and clean energy source. It is eco-friendly, inexhaustible, easy to install, and the manufacturing time is relatively short. Photovoltaic modules have a theoretical lifespan of approximately 20 years. In real-life and for several reasons, some photovoltaic modules start to fail after being used for a period of 8 to 10 years. Therefore, to ensure safe and reliable operation of photovoltaic power plants in a timely manner, a monitoring system must be established in order to detect, isolate and resolve faults. The novelty of the proposed work consists in the development of a new model of sensors placement for faults detection in a photovoltaic system. The fault can be detected accurately after the analysis of changes in measured quantities. Purpose. Analysis of the possibility of the number and the position of the sensors into the strings in function of different faults. Methods. This new method is adapted to the bridge linked configuration. It can detect and locate failure points quickly and accurately by comparing the measured values. Results. The feasibility of the chosen model is proven by the simulation results under MATLAB/Simulink environment for several types of faults such as short-circuit current, open circuit voltage in the photovoltaic modules, partially and completely shaded cell and module.