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At least 595 records · Page 33

Chapter 3: Photovoltaic Module Stability and Reliability

Profits realized from investment in photovoltaic will benefit from decades of reliable operation. Service life prediction through accelerated tests is only possible if indoor tests duplicate power loss and failure modes observed in fielded systems. Therefore, detailing and quantifying power loss and failure modes is imperative. In the first section, we examine recent trends in degradation rates, the gradual power loss observed for different technologies, climates and other significant factors. In the second section, we provide a summary of the most commonly observed failure modes in fielded systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Initial Demonstration of 9-MHz Framing Camera Rates on the FAST UV Drive Laser Pulse Trains

We report the configuration of a Hamamatsu C5680 streak camera as a framing camera to record transverse spatial information of green-component laser micropulses at 3- and 9-MHz rates for the first time. The latter is near the time scale of the ~7.5-MHz revolution frequency of the Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) ring and its expected synchroton radiation source temporal structure. The 2-D images are recorded with a Gig-E readout CCD camera. We also report a first proof of principle with an OTR source using the linac streak camera in a semi-framing mode.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Optical Stochastic Cooling Experiment at the Fermilab IOTA Ring

Beam cooling enables an increase of peak and average luminosities and significantly expands the discovery po-tential of colliders; therefore, it is an indispensable com-ponent of any modern design. Optical Stochastic Cooling (OSC) is a high-bandwidth, beam-cooling technique that will advance the present state-of-the-art, stochastic cool-ing rate by more than three orders of magnitude. It is an enabling technology for next-generation, discovery-science machines at the energy and intensity frontiers including hadron and electron-ion colliders. This paper presents the status of our experimental effort to demon-strate OSC at the Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IO-TA) ring, a testbed for advanced beam-physics concepts and technologies that is currently being commissioned at Fermilab. Our recent efforts are centered on the develop-ment of an integrated design that is prepared for final engineering and fabrication. The paper also presents a comparison of theoretical calculations and numerical simulations of the pickup-undulator radiation and its interaction with electrons in the kicker-undulator.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Performance and Reliability of Bonded Interfaces for High-Temperature Packaging

The presentation focuses on mechanical characterization, reliability evaluation and thermomechanical modeling of sintered silver bonded interface material. Two types of sintered silver material are being investigated in this study - first one based on nanosilver particles and the other one comprising of a mixture of nanosilver particles and micron-sized silver flakes. Shear stress results obtained as a function of displacement rates and ambient temperature are reported. Also, scanning acoustic microscopy images of samples for accelerated testing and thermomechanical modeling results are presented.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Magnetic Field Mapper

The scientific program at the Integrable Optics Test Accelerator(IOTA)ring depends on a variety of specialize dmagnets,and validation of their field quality is important for ensuring proper performance.Many of these magnets have small physical aperture which makes the magnetic field hard to map.Solutions to this problem have not been readily available inhouse or with external vendors.To solve this problem,a new magnetic-field mapping device was built.This new Magnetic Field Mapper(MFM),shown in Figure1,will be capable of quickly mapping a wide variety of magnets to high precision while staying inhouse.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Theory and Conceptual design of kickers

We design dipole and quadrupole striplinekickers to study the effect of echoes in the Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) ring. We need to use these kickers to generate an echo:a recoherence of particle motion in phase space. To produce an echo, we use an electromagnetic pulse to kick the beam in a controlled manner. To prevent unwanted reflections and ringing, the characteristic impedance of the kicker should match both the line coming from the pulse generator andsome terminating load(s).

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Magnetic Field Mapper

The scientific program at the Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) ring depends on a wide variety of specialized magnets, and validation of their field quality is important for ensuring proper performance. A number of these magnetic elements have both high field quality and a small physical aperture, and adequate field-mapping solutions have not been readily available in house or with external vendors. To solve this problem, a new magnetic-field mapping device needs to be developed. This new system features a high-precision tesla-meter, with a low-profile three-axis Hall probe, and stepper motors to allow for high-speed, accurate positioning of the probe. This new Magnetic Field Mapper (MFM), shown in Figure 1, will be capable of quickly mapping a wide variety of magnets to high precision, thus eliminating the need to send magnets off-site for expensive and time-consuming mapping.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Measurements of a 2.1 MeV H$^-$ beam with an Allison scanner

Transverse 2D phase space distribution of a 2.1 MeV, 5 mA H$^-$ beam is measured at the PIPIT test accelerator at Fermilab with an Allison scanner. The paper describes the design, calibration, and performance of the scanner as well as the main results of the beam measurements. Analyses of the recorded phase portraits are performed primarily in action-phase coordinates; the stability of the action under linear optics makes it easier to compare measurements taken with different beamline conditions, e.g. in various locations. The intensity of a single measured point (\pixel") is proportional to the phase density in the corresponding portion of the beam. When the Twiss parameters are calculated using only the high-phase density part of the beam, the pixel intensity in the beam core is found to be decreasing exponentially with action and to be phase-independent. Outside of the core, the intensities decrease with action at a significantly slower rate than in the core. This `tail' comprises 10-30% of the beam, with 0.1% of the total measured intensity extending beyond the action 10-20 times larger than the rms emittance. The transition from the core to the tail is accompanied by the appearance of a strong phase dependence, which is characterized in action-phase coordinates by two `branches' extending beyond the core. A set of selected measurements shows, in part, that there is no measurable emittance dilution along the beam line in the main portion of the beam; the beam parameters are practically constant over a 0.5 ms pulse; and scraping in various parts of the beam line is an effective way to decrease the transverse tails by removing the branches.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

RECENT RESULTS AND OPPORTUNITIES AT THE IOTA FACILITY

The Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) was recently commissioned as part of the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology (FAST) facility. The IOTA ring was briefly operated with electrons at 47 MeV followed by a 6-months run with 100 MeV electrons. The main goal of the first runwas to study beam dynamics in the integrable lattices with elliptical nonlinear magnets and in the quasi-integrable case with profiled octupole channel. The flexibility of the IOTA ring allowed a wide range of complementary studies, such as experiments with a single electron; studies of fluctuations in undulator radiation and operation with low emittance beams. Over the next year the proton injector will be installed and two runs carried out. One run will be dedicated to the refinement of nonlinear experiments and another will be dedicated to the proof-of-principle demonstration of Optical Stochastic Cooling.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Consensus International Solar Resource Standards and Best Practices Development: Preprint

Standardization and best practices of data sets and models enable the industry to develop widely accepted protocols for various stages of solar project development and operations. In collaboration with the International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme Task 16, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed and regularly updates the Best Practices Handbook for the Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data for Solar Energy Applications. In collaboration with ASTM members on the radiometry subcommittee, NREL assists in and leads the development of radiometric standards that contribute to increased accuracy in the measurement of solar resources available to conversion systems and to the development and improvement of models. These models can then provide long-term geographic distribution of solar resources for areas where measured solar data are not available. Further, these standards play a preeminent role in all aspects of solar energy projects, including standard conditions, methods and instrumentation, accelerated testing, and service lifetime of materials.

41 EE - Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)↗

Arrhenius Analysis of the Degradation Modes in BackFLIP Study of Emerging Photovoltaic Backsheets: Preprint

With increasingly large-scale deployments of photovoltaic (PV) modules to meet global energy demands, interest in better establishing module lifespans is growing. We report on the performance of co-extruded polyolefin- (PO) based backsheets as environmentally friendly alternatives to fluoropolymer-reinforced polyethylene-terephthalate- (PET)-based backsheets using three hygrometric accelerated test conditions. After completing 4000 cumulative hours of aging, we analyzed data from electrical performance (I-V), surface roughness (gloss), and appearance (L, a*, b* color) characterizations are analyzed to quantify degradation rates, quantify the corresponding activation energy, and cross-correlate between the characteristics examined, thereby providing insights into the relationship between physical characteristics and operating performance.

BackFLIP↗

Characterization of Octuopole Elements for IOTA

The Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) is a research storage ring constructed and operated at Fermilab to demonstrate the advantages of nonlinear integrable lattices. One of the nonlinear lattice configurations with one integral of motion is based on a string of short octupoles. The results of the individual magnets characterizations, which were necessary to determine their multipole composition and magnetic centers, are presented. This information was used to select and align the best subset of octupoles for the IOTA run 4.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Spatiotemporal Modeling of Real World Backsheets Field Survey Data: Hierarchical (Multilevel) Generalized Additive Models: Preprint

Assessing photovoltaic module backsheet durability is critical to increasing module lifetime. Lab based accelerating testing has recently failed to predict large scale failures of widely adopted polymeric materials. Field surveyed data is critical to assess the performance of component lifetime. Using a documented field survey protocol, 13 field surveys where conducted. Each measurement is encoded with it's spatial location in respect to the other modules. By combining field survey data on degradation predictors with real time satellite weather data, data-driven predictive models of backsheet degradation were trained. LOESS models were constructed to investigate the spatial dependence of measurements. It was found that micro-climatic effects like treelines, ground surface changes, and elevation changes effected the magnitude and variance of the measurements. A GAM model was created to predict the value of degradation based on measured predictors. The model includes variables on the climate of the system and the location of each measurement in the PV mounting structure. The model performed well with an adj:R2 of 0:95 for yellowness index prediction. The model was cross-validated using k-folds.

backsheet↗

Life after 30 years - a PV system in Colorado

The PV system consisted of 155 monocrystalline Si Arco M53 panels, installed in 1987. 80 were installed on a fixed tilt rack, and 75 on 5 separate dual-axis passive trackers. The system was decommissioned in 2017 due a campus re-design and building expansion at the Platte River Power Authority (PPRA) site. Prior to decommissioning a site visit established the following failure type observations: EVA browning (100%), cracked cells (60%), and cracked wires or grommets (9%, or more if replacements were made selectively on cracked parts). EVA browning is typical in modules of this vintage, whereas the occurrence of so many cracked cells is surprising and is likely weather-related. The fairly frequent occurrence of cracked wires and grommets serves as a reminder that accelerated testing of these components is important for goals of low-cost 50-year energy generation. In smaller numbers, thermal effects (7%), bent frames (1%), and cell corrosion (<1%) were observed. A sample of 20 modules was selected and brought to NREL for in-depth characterization. Because baseline measurements were not available using the nameplate rating, which can be inaccurate, revealed a mean module sample degradation of 0.7 %/year. Sporadic production data during the 30 years determined a system degradation rate closer to 1.2 %/year. Subsequently, four of these modules were re-mounted outdoors at NREL and are now approaching a total lifetime of 34 years.

durability↗

An Open-Source Python Library for Modeling LETID and LID in Silicon Solar Cells and Wafers

This poster demonstrates an (in development) open-source software library, written in python, to aid in modeling and understanding light- and elevated temperature-induced degradation (LETID) and boron-oxygen light-induced degradation (B-O LID) in silicon solar cells and wafers. We discuss the underlying equations and necessary input parameters for constructing realistic models. We demonstrate several use cases for the library, including modeling LETID progression in scenarios like indoor, accelerated tests and outdoor field deployment. We also demonstrate using the library to model B-O LID, and we demonstrate using the library to model degradation in passivated wafers, rather than solar cells.

LETID↗

Incoherent Dynamics of Intense Proton Beams Under Electron Cooling

The minimum emittance of ion beams achieved using electron cooling is limited by the heating processes of Intra Beam Scattering and diffusion driven by resonance crossing of particles due to space-charge. We describe a new experiment to explore the intense space-charge regime with a transverse tune shift approaching -0.5 using 2.5 MeV protons at the Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) at Fermilab. We also report on the results from PyORBIT simulations incorporating transverse space-charge and electron cooling with emphasis on the incoherent dynamics of the particles.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Improved Measurements of Nonlinear Integrable Optics Invariants at IOTA

Nonlinear integrable optics (NIO) are a promising novel approach at improving the stability of high intensity beams. Implementations of NIO based on specialized magnetic elements are being tested at the Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) at Fermilab. One method of verifying proper implementation of these solutions is by measuring the analytic invariants predicted by theory. The initial measurements of nonlinear invariants were performed during IOTA run in 2019/20, however the covid-19 pandemic prevented the full-scale experimental program from being completed. Several important improvements were implemented in IOTA for the 2022/23 run, including the operation at higher beam energy of 150 MeV, improved optics control, and chromaticity correction. This report presents the results of improved measurements of nonlinear invariants.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗