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Solar Energy Laboratory

Solar Energy Laboratory

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      A new Solar Energy Laboratory has been set up at Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy (HRED) (Formerly Alternate Hydro Energy Centre) with state-of -the-Art. Equipment and instruments facilities to carry out R&D and to evaluate the performance of Solar Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal System in the field.

      The main facilities include Multifunction instrument for testing single and three phase PV system (MODEL NO.: 300N), Solar array simulator of 5 kW (Model No.: 62050H-600S), Solar Energy Kit along with programmable AC/DC Electronics load, Wind Power generation system for hybrid model, Grid tied invertors test setup and Solar thermal training kit with water heating.
 

Detail of the Instruments

 

Digital Portable solar power meter - It is designed to measure solar irradiation (W/m2) and temperature (oC) It can also be used in combination with a MASTER instrument to carry out above mentioned measurements for testing/recording the efficiency of single phase and three-phase PV installations.
 

Multifunction instrument for testing single-phase and three phase PV system MODEL NO.: 300N - The instrument allows a totally new approach to the measuring world when dealing with photovoltaic systems and mains analysis on single-phase and three-phase electrical systems; the combination between instruments provided with microprocessor and the Windows CE technology allows analyzing a huge amount of data in such a simple and quick way as with no other system available. It is used for:

  • PV systems: Single-phase and three-phase photovoltaic systems.
  • NPV systems: Single-phase and three-phase non-photovoltaic electrical systems.
  • MPPT: Maximum Power Point Tracker
 

Multifunction Instrument for testing and verifying single-phase PV installations Model No.: SOLAR I-V400 - The instrument was designed to perform complete yield test on single-phase (and three-phase if combined with optional accessory MPP300) PV installations with calculations of efficiencies (only SOLAR I-V) and to perform all I-V curve tests on single modules (panels) or complete strings of photovoltaic (PV) plants in order to verify the reference parameters given by the manufacturers. Therefore, the meter is an ideal solution for troubleshooting any PV installation.

Solar array simulator for 5KW Model No.: 62050H-600S - It is a high power density DC power supplies which can provide stable DC output and accurate measurement for voltage and current. The support hardware and communication protocol can be connected to PC for command transmission.
Solar Energy Kit along with programmable AC/DC Electronics load 4.5KW/350 Vrms/45 Arms (GP-6W and 63804 series) with standard accessories, halogen lamp 250 W - The GP-6W is a entry for the solar energy conversion platform to allow users to understand the "Maximum Power Point Tracking"(MPPT), a single-chip feature is added that allows users to make changes for the "MPPT algorithm", The 63804 series provide simulated load current for the test unit they can be operated independently AC load simulation and DC load simulation, it also provide variations on input voltage, load current and power ratings. The application program and communication protocol can be connected to PC.
Wind Power generation system for hybrid model - It provides 12V and 5V power output. Efficient use of light, small size electrical generator, no iron core & brushless, low loss, starts easily.
 

Grid tied invertors test setup - It consists of (a) Grid connected inverter, (b) Solar PV modules (230Wp), and (c) Measuring devices: Ammeter, Voltmeter, Energy meter. This system will be useful various operations such as Demonstration of grid synchronization process, Evaluation of active and reactive power flow between inverter and load, Efficiency evaluation of grid tied inverter & PV modules and to demonstrate the effect of shading on the grid connected system.
Solar thermal training kit with water heating:
Solar thermal technology uses the sun's energy, rather than fossil fuels, to generate low-cost, environmentally friendly thermal energy. This energy is used to heat water or other fluids, and can also power solar cooling systems. Consists of Water and Air Heater (Flat plate collector) – 0.733 m2, Insulation Rockwool (density > 40 kg/ m3, thickness: 50 mm base, 25 mm side), Casing frame type (Thickness 1.4 mm), 0.75 m2 , One cooler 200W, One Ribbon Meter 100 m (For measuring the height of Storage Tank), Water flow meter 0.5-25 LPM for measuring water flow rate.
SOLAR ENERGY TRAINER KIT
   
 
   
 Make  :
 Model  :
 Output Power  :
 Output Voltage of Solar Power  :
 Output Current of Solar Power  :
 Accuracy  :
 Display  :
 Purchasing Year  :
 Cost  :		   Leap Electronic Co. Ltd.
  GP-6W
  6W
  8V
  780MA
  0.5% rdg + 2dgt
  LED
  2012
  1197657.12/- (19, 184 $)
 Purpose  :  Green power learning kit offers user solar and wind power experiments such as charge/discharge on Lead-Acid & NI-MH batteries, in/output voltage & current detection, MPP (maximum power point) racking, DC/DC & DC/AC transfer, temperature & brightness sensing, input & output, RS232, LCM, PWM, etc. Master controller of the kit is MPC83G516 embedded with 64KFLASH-ROM and 256-RAM+1K-XRAM.
 Allow users to understand
  • The "Maximum Power Point Tracking"(MPPT).
  • Current–Voltage (I-V), Voltage–Power (V-P) curve with MPP and converting them into other applications.
 Features :
  1. Application of MPPT algorithm.
  2. LCD shows the input/output voltage, current and power value.
  3. DC to DC converter module for learning of module transduction.
  4. DC to AC inverter module converts output experiment.
  5. Battery charging control function: VBAT
  6. Learn the regeneration use of solar power through the charging module.
  7. Learn the generation use of solar power through load module. Ex, LED shining.
  8. Based on open design. User can change the operating procedure during the experiment.
 
PROGRAMMABLE AC/DC ELECTRONIC LOAD 63800 SERIES GP-6W INTERFACE
   
   
 Make  :
 Model  :
 Purchasing Year  :
 Power Rating  :
 Voltage Range  :
 Current Range  :
 Peak Current  :
 Frequency Range  :
 Crest Factor Range  :
 Power Factor Range  :		   Chroma ATC INC.
  62050H-600S
  2012
  1800W, 3600W, 4500W
  50V ~ 350Vrms
  Up to 18Arms, 36Arms, 45Arms
  Up to 54A, 108A, 135A
  45 ~ 440Hz, DC
  1.414 ~ 5.0
  0 ~ 1 lead or lag (Rectified mode)
 Purpose  : Chroma's 63800 Series AC&DC Electronic Loads are design for testing uninterruptible power supplies(UPS), Off-Grid Inverters, AC sources and other power devices such as switches, circuit breakers, fuses and connectors.
The Chroma 63800 Loads can simulate load conditions under high crest factor and varying power factors with real time compensation even when the voltage waveform is distorted. This special feature provides real world simulation capability and prevents overstressing thereby giving reliable and unbiased test results.
 Features :
  • Parallel / 3-Phase Function
  • CC, CR, CV, CP for DC Loading
  • Constant & Rectified Load Modes for AC Loading
  • Analog Voltage & Current Monitor
  • GP-6W & RS-232 interfaces
 
MULTIFUNCTION INSTRUMENT FOR TESTING AND VERIFYING SINGLE PHASE PHOTOVOLTAIC INSTALLATIONS
   
 
   
 Make  :
 Model  :
 Purchasing Year  :
 Display  :
 Memory  :
 Number of Saved Curves  :
 PC Communication Port  :
 Reference Temperature  :
 Working Temperature  :
 Storage Temperature  :
 Relative Humidity  :
 Storage Humidity  :
 Power Supply  :
 Battery Life  :
 Auto Power Off  :
 Dimension  :
 Weight  :
 Cost (Rs)  :		   HT Italia
  Solar I-V
  2012
  Custom LCD (128 X 128 pxl) display with backlight
  256 Kbytes
  > 200
  USB
  23oC ±5oC
  0oC to 40oC
  -10oC to 60oC
  < 80% R.H.
  < 80% R.H
  6 X 1.5 Volt type 'AA' LR06 Alkaline batteries
  greater than 200 tests
  approx. 5 minutes
  235mm (L) X 165mm (W) X 75mm (D)
  approx. 1.2kg (batteries included)
  1, 91,371.49/-
 Purpose  : The I-V400 is the ideal solution for the ordinary and scheduled maintenance of photovoltaic systems. The I-V400 will search for possible failures and problems in systems and carry it out efficiently and quickly, and in the field carry out measurement of the I-V characteristic and of the main characteristic parameters both of a single string module and of a module string.
 
  • Real-time display, Recording and Saving.
  • Synchronized with the following instrument.
 
Description Acronym HT Model
Irradiation sensor with two silicon cells Irr-S2 HT 304N
Master instrument – USB connection M-USB SOLAR 300N
Master instrument – Radio Freq. connection M-RF SOLAR I-V
 
SOLAR 300N MULTIFUNCTION INSTRUMENT FOR TESTING SINGLE AND THREE-PHASE PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS
   
   
 Make  :
 Model  :
 Purchasing Year  :
 Dimension  :
 Weight  :
 Display  :
 Sensor  :
 Power Supply  :
 External Power Supply  :
 Resolution Voltage & Time  :
 Accuracy Time   :
 Power Factor (1&3Q)  :
 Internal memory  :
 External memory  :
 PC Port  :
 Cost (Rs)  :		   HT Italia
  Solar 300N
  2012
  235mm (L) X 165mm (W) X 75mm (D)
  approx. 1.0kg (batteries included)
  Graphic TFT 1/4 VGA (320 X 240 pixel) display with backlight
  HT 304
  Lithium ion 3.7 re-chargeable battery (greater than 6 hours)
  AC/DC 100 to 240V, 50/60Hz / 5V DC adapter
  0.2 & 10 ms
  ± 10 ms
  0.2 - 1.0
  15 Mbyte
  USB, Flash Card
  USB, Wireless RF Communication (max 1m)
  403086.72/- (5001 EURO)
 Purpose  : The SOLAR-300N carries out all tests required for the verification of the efficiency of single-phase and three-phase photovoltaic systems. Testing photovoltaic systems requires contemporarily measuring environmental parameters (incident irradiation of modules, temperature of environment and modules) and electric parameters (continuous power, alternating power, etc.).
 
  • Real-Time display of the values of the electrical quantities, Recording and Saving.
  • Synchronized with the following instrument.
 
Description Acronym HT Model
Irradiation sensor with two silicon cells Irr-S2 HT 304
Master instrument – USB connection M-USB SOLAR 300N
Master instrument – Radio Freq. connection M-RF SOLAR I-V
 
MODEL SOLAR-02 REMOTE UNIT FOR IRRADIATION TEMPERATURE ON PV PLANTS
   
 
   
 Make  :
 Model No.  :
 Purchasing Year  :
 Display  :
 Standard  :
 Internal Memory Autonomy  :
 PYRA/CELL Inputs  :
 Working Temperature  :
 Storage Temperature  :
 Relative Humidity  :
 Storage Humidity  :
 Power Supply  :
 Battery Life  :
 Auto Power Off  :
 Dimension  :
 Weight  :		   HT Italia
  Solar 02
  2012
  Custom LCD, 4-digit (2000 counts) + decimal point and comma
  CE mark
  Input Port approx. 1.5 hours at PI master meter = 5 seconds USB 2.0
  type Hypertac
  0oC to 40oC
  -10oC to 60oC
  0 to 80% R.H.
  0 to 80% R.H
  4 X 1.5 Volt Alkaline type 'AAA' LR03 batteries
  approx. 480 hours in continuous operation
  after 5 minutes of idleness (in independent mode)
  120mm (L) X 65mm (W) X 35mm (D)
  approx. 215g (including battery)
 Purpose  : The remote unit SOLAR-02 has been designed to measure sun irradiation (W/m2) and temperature (oC) by means of appropriate probes connected to it. It can also be used in combination with an HT Italia instrument with USB connection (SOLAR300, SOLAR300N) and with RF connection (SOLAR I-V, I-V, I-V400) to carry out the above-mentioned measurements for testing/recording the efficiency of single-phase and three-phase photovoltaic installations and detection of I-V curve of PV module/strings.
 
 Functions :
  • Real-time display of irradiation and temperature values.
  • Setting up to three irradiation probes.
  • Use with pyrano-meters and reference cells.
  • Synchronization with master unit when starting testing /recording.
  • Measurement of the tilting angle of PV panels.
  • Magnetics on the back side of meter
 
MODEL HT304 REFERENCE CELL FOR IRRADIATION MEASUREMENTS ON SILICON SINGLE AND POLY CRYSTALLINE PV MODULES
   
 
   
 Make  :
 Model No.  :
 Purchasing Year  :
 Available Reference Cells  :
 Standard  :
 LVD Directive  :
 EMC Directive  :
 Calibration  :
 Mechanical Protection  :
 Pollution Degree  :
 Working Temperature  :
 Storage Temperature  :		   HT Italia
  Solar-02
  2012
  MONO Crystalline and MULTI Crystalline Silicon
  CE mark
  2006/95/EEC
  2004/108/EEC
  IEC/EN 60904-2
  IP65 in compliance with IEC/EN 60529
  2
  -20oC to 50oC
  -20oC to 60oC
 Purpose  : The HT304 accessory is a reference cell for sun irradiation measurement (W/m2) on PV modules manufactured with Silicon Single and Poly crystalline technology (the case of thin film modules is considered as a Poly crystalline). The cell is designed for use together with Ht Italia instruments for testing /recording on PV generic plants as SOLAR300, SOLAR300N, IV400, SOLAR250, SOLAR-IV models by connection with the remote SOLAR-02. The accessory is supplied with a bracket for a correct mounting on a panel surface.
 
 Functions :
  • Double input for connection to SINGLE or POLY crystalline modules.
  • Irradiation measurement up to 1400 W/m2.
  • IP65 mechanical protection.
  • Bracket for correct fixing on panels.
 
DIGITAL PORTABLE SOLAR POWER METER
   
 
   
 Make  :
 Model  :
 Detector  :
 Purchasing Year  :
 Accuracy  :
 Resolution  :
 Display  :
 Sample Rate  :
 Low Battery Indication  :
 Standard  :
 EMC Directive  :
 Reference Temperature  :
 Working Temperature  :
 Storage Temperature  :
 Working Humidity  :
 Storage Humidity  :
 Maximum Altitude  :
 Power Supply  :
 Battery Life  :
 Dimensions  :
 Weight  :
 Cost (Rs)  :		   HT Italia
  HT204
  Silicon photodiode sensor
  2012
  Between ± 10 W/m2 and ± 5%
  1 W/m2
  LCD, 3-1/2 digit with "OL" indication
  4 times /second
  Symbol on display when voltage of battery is too low
  CE mark
  2004/108/EEC
  23oC ± 5oC
  5oC to 40oC
  -10oC to 60oC
  < 80% R.H.
  < 70% R.H.
  2000 meters
  1 X 9 Volt Alkaline battery type 6LR61
  approx 100 hours (alkaline battery)
  172mm (L) X 60mm (W) X 38mm (D)
  approx. 150g (including batteries)
  19697.82/-
 Purpose  : The HT204 is a portable meter for power solar radiation measurement. The meter is extremely compact and easy to use with a photo-sensor connected to the body of the meter for accurate measurement readings. The model is used to check and verify parameters inside solar system industrial plants.
 
 Features :
  • Power solar radiation up to 2000 W/m2.
  • Data Hold function.
  • User selection between W/m2 and BTU/(ft2*h).
 
SOLAR ARRAY SIMULATOR
   
   
 Manufacturer  :
 Model No.  :
 Purchasing Year  :
 Accuracy  :
 Output Power  :
 Line Regulation  :
 Load Regulation  :
 Voltage Measurement  :
 Current Measurement  :
 Cost (Rs)  :		   Chroma ATC INC
  62050H-600S
  2012
  Voltage: 0.05% + 0.05 f.s, Current: 0.1% + 0.1% f.s
  5000 W
  Voltage & Current: ±0.001% f.s & ±0.05% f.s
  Voltage & Current: ±0.05% f.s & ±0.01% f.s
  Range 120v/600v, Accuracy 0.05% + 0.05% f.s
  Range 3.4A/8.5A, Accuracy 0.1% + 0.1% f.s
  588279.99/- (9417$)
 Purpose  : Real time analysis of PV inverter MPPT tracking and data record, solar cell material I-V curve simulation.
 
WIND POWER GENERATION
   
   
 Make  :
 Model  :
 Purchase Year  :
 Blade Cycle Diameter  :
 Start Wind Speed  :
 Start Charging Wind Speed  :
 Charging Voltage  :
 Battery  :
 Cost (Rs)  :		   Leap Electronics
  LP-2025
  2012
  75 cm
  2 m/s
  2.5 m/s
  (12V): 2.3 A
  Sealed deep cycle lead-acid battery
  137698.00/- (2200$)
 Purpose  : A Wind power generator is used for power generation. Generated power can be stored in a battery.
 
 Applications :
  • Portable monitoring system experiment.
  • Small wind power generation systems and power supply experiments.
  • For the green energy industry thematic studies. Using the different accessories to understand the wind power system.
 
GRID TIED INVERTORS TEST SETUP
   
 
   
 Make  :
 Model  :
 Purchase Year  :
 Measuring Meters  :
 Cost (Rs)  :		   Eco-sense
  Inverter 300 W
  2012
  Energy Meter: 2 kw, DC. Voltmeter: 200 V, DC. Ammeter: 20 A, TDH
  3,15,000/-
 Purpose  : For grid tied operation of Solar PV system.
 
SOLAR THERMAL TRAINING KIT WITH WATER HEATING
   
 Make  :
 Model  :
 Purchasing Year  :
 Aperture Area  :
 Glazing Type  :
 Affective Absorptive Area  :
 Glazing Transmission  :
 Emittance / Absorbtance  :
 Raiser Dimension  :
 Raiser Test Pressure  :
 Raiser Working Pressure  :
 Insulation  :
 Casing  :
 Tank Type  :
 Tank Material  :
 Tank Size  :
 Tank Insulation  :
 Halogen Area  :
 One Cooler  :
 One Ribbon Meter  :		   Eco-Sense
  Water and Air Heater (Flat plate collector) – 0.733 m2
  2012
  0.75 sqm
  Toughened Glass (4 mm Thick)
  0.75 sqm (>0.1 mm Thick)
  > 80%
  < 10% / > 90%
  12.7 mm (> 3 liters)
  5 kg / sq cm
  > 3 kg / sq cm
  Rockwool (density > 40 kg / m3, thickness: 50 mm base, 25 mm side)
  frame type (Thickness 1.4 mm)
  Non - Pressurized
  SS304
  Dia 450 mm, Length 1000 mm
  PUF
  0.75 m2
  200 W
  100 m (For measuring the height of Storage Tank)
 Water Flow Meter  :
  • 0.5-25 LPM for measuring water flow rate
  • Multi-turbine wheel based tech
  • Pressure gauge 0-6 bar to measure the inlet and outlet pressure
 Anemometer  :
  • Range: 0.4 to 45.0 m/sec
  • Fan: 0 to 4 m/sec
  • External Water Tank (2)
  • Volume: 70 lit to 100 lit
 Radiation Meter  :
 Tested Pressure  :
 Display Range  :
 Water Pump with Regulator  :
 Detectors  :
 Cost (Rs)  :		   Range 0 to 1999 w/m2, Stop watch, System efficiency > 7%
  1 Kg / m3
  100-200 oC
  0.5 HP (AC Pump for circulation)
  Thermometer (4)
  2,70,000/-
 Purpose  : Solar thermal technology uses the sun’s energy, rather than fossil fuels, to generate low-cost, environmentally friendly thermal energy. This energy is used to heat water or other fluids, and can also power solar cooling systems.
 

People

  Officer in Charge
  Prof R P Saini

Area of expertise:

Phone : Off.(+91 1332) 285841
E-mail : rajsafah@iitr.ac.in, saini.rajeshwer@gmail.com

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Credits : Information Management Group, IIT Roorkee
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