Solar Cell Capacitance Determination Based on an RLC Resonant Circuit

Petru Adrian Cotfas, Daniel Tudor Cotfas, Paul Nicolae Borza, Dezso Sera and Remus Teodorescu
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Petru Adrian Cotfas: Department of Electronics and Computers, Transilvania University of Brasov, Eroilor 29, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Daniel Tudor Cotfas: Department of Electronics and Computers, Transilvania University of Brasov, Eroilor 29, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Paul Nicolae Borza: Department of Electronics and Computers, Transilvania University of Brasov, Eroilor 29, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Dezso Sera: Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, Pontoppidanstraede 101, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Remus Teodorescu: Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, Pontoppidanstraede 101, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: The capacitance is one of the key dynamic parameters of solar cells, which can provide essential information regarding the quality and health state of the cell. However, the measurement of this parameter is not a trivial task, as it typically requires high accuracy instruments using, e.g., electrical impedance spectroscopy (IS). This paper introduces a simple and effective method to determine the electric capacitance of the solar cells. An RLC (Resistor Inductance Capacitor) circuit is formed by using an inductor as a load for the solar cell. The capacitance of the solar cell is found by measuring the frequency of the damped oscillation that occurs at the moment of connecting the inductor to the solar cell. The study is performed through simulation based on National Instruments (NI) Multisim application as SPICE simulation software and through experimental capacitance measurements of a monocrystalline silicon commercial solar cell and a photovoltaic panel using the proposed method. The results were validated using impedance spectroscopy. The differences between the capacitance values obtained by the two methods are of 1% for the solar cells and of 9.6% for the PV panel. The irradiance level effect upon the solar cell capacitance was studied obtaining an increase in the capacitance in function of the irradiance. By connecting different inductors to the solar cell, the frequency effect upon the solar cell capacitance was studied noticing a very small decrease in the capacitance with the frequency. Additionally, the temperature effect over the solar cell capacitance was studied achieving an increase in capacitance with temperature.

Keywords: solar cells; AC parameters; underdamped oscillation; impedance spectroscopy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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