Patent ID: 9209743
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: H02S,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A fault detection apparatus comprising: a sunshine condition estimation circuit configured to receive an actual electrical output from a string that is a unit in which a plurality of electricity generating modules are connected in series, and an output characteristic model based on which an electrical output is estimated depending on a sunshine condition affecting electricity generation, and to set a value of sunshine condition in the output characteristic model which is closest to the actual electrical output as a sunshine condition estimate for each string based on the received actual electrical output and output characteristic model; a sunshine condition spatial correction circuit configured to calculate a first total estimate that is a sum of sunshine condition estimates of all output characteristic models included in a target string, to calculate a second total estimate that is a sum of sunshine condition estimates of all electricity generating modules included in each of first adjacent strings adjacent to both lengthwise surfaces of the target string, and to correct the sunshine condition estimates of the target string so that the first total estimate falls within a range determined by the second total estimates; an electrical output fault detection circuit configured to identify a faulty electricity generating module when a difference between the actual electrical output and a sum of expected electrical outputs of the electricity generating modules calculated by using the output characteristic model and the corrected sunshine condition estimates within each string is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and the actual electrical outputs is smaller than the sum of the expected electrical outputs, and to output an identification of the faulty electricity generating module; and a unit configured to repair or replace the faulty electricity generating module.