Mitigating shading in PV modules with new reconfiguration technique
Scientists in India are seeking to mitigate partial shading with a technique based on the Lo Shu nine-square grid of ancient Chinese mathematical tradition. Their approach features the 'magic grid' also used in popular sudoku puzzles, as a guide for reconfiguring arrays.
Researchers at the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), in India, have proposed a technique for mitigating partial shading in PV systems. The method is based on the Lo Shu nine-square grid of ancient Chinese mathematical tradition which was also used as a divination tool for ancient Chinese feng shui masters and is today the basis of popular sudoku puzzles.
Scientists from VIT's Solar Energy Research Cell and School of Electrical Engineering claim their sudoku method can completely remove shading by reconfiguring installations – physically or electrically. The academics claim approaches such as maximum power point tracking (MPPT) or using appropriate converters and inverters only partially alleviate the problem.
"The use of any array reconfiguration method alters the row current in such a way that every single row carries the same current and disperses the shade occurring on the PV panel," said the VIT group. That would mean fewer bypasses and mismatch power losses, as well as raised power output.
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