US 12,470,167 B2
Method for controlling a tracking device for maximizing the current produced by a bifacial photovoltaic solar module with multi-junction cells
Jean-Baptiste Puel, Paris (FR); and Arthur Julien, Antony (FR)
Assigned to INSTITUT PHOTOVOLTAIQUE D'ILE DE FRANCE (IPVF), Palaiseau (FR); ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE, Paris (FR); TOTALENERGIES ONETECH, Courbevoie (FR); CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE-CNRS-, Paris (FR); and ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE, Palaiseau (FR)
Appl. No. 18/577,749
Filed by INSTITUT PHOTOVOLTAIQUE D'ILE DE FRANCE (IPVF), Palaiseau (FR); ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE, Paris (FR); TOTALENERGIES ONETECH, Courbevoie (FR); CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE-CNRS-, Paris (FR); and ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE, Palaiseau (FR)
PCT Filed Jul. 5, 2022, PCT No. PCT/EP2022/068546
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 9, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/280830, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 12, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 2107515 (FR), filed on Jul. 9, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0322746 A1, Sep. 26, 2024
Int. Cl. H02S 20/32 (2014.01); H02S 40/36 (2014.01); H10F 10/142 (2025.01); H10F 19/40 (2025.01)
CPC H02S 20/32 (2014.12) [H02S 40/36 (2014.12); H10F 10/142 (2025.01); H10F 19/40 (2025.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for maximizing a current produced by a photovoltaic panel comprising one or more bifacial photovoltaic modules, said one or more bifacial photovoltaic modules comprising a plurality of cells, each provided with at least two stacked and series-connected junctions, the photovoltaic panel being able to be oriented and comprising a device for driving an orientation of the photovoltaic panel with respect to the sun, wherein the method comprises at least:
measuring a front face irradiance Ai on an upper photoactive face of said panel and measuring a rear face irradiance Ar on a lower photoactive face of said panel in an initial orientation of said panel,
measuring an initial current I produced by the panel in response to the front face irradiance Ai and rear face irradiance Ar and calculating currents Ijg generated by said at least two stacked and series-connected junctions on a basis of physical characteristics of the cells, said initial current I, said front face irradiance Ai and rear face irradiances Ar,
calculating an optimized theoretical orientation for which, knowing said front face irradiance Ai and rear face irradiance Ar measured, the currents Ijg generated by said at least two stacked and series-connected junctions, and the physical characteristics of the cells, equalization of a theoretical currents Ijtmax of said at least two stacked and series-connected junctions of the cells is obtained, and
positioning the panel in said theoretical orientation in the case where an imbalance between said theoretical currents Ijtmax and said generated currents Ijg is greater than a threshold value dIjmax or maintaining a current position of said panel in the case of a difference in current between said theoretical currents Ijtmax and said generated currents Ijg of less than said threshold value.