Detecting hot spots in photovoltaic panels using low-cost thermal cameras

One of the most important challenges to mitigate global climate change is to move towards replacing petroleum-based energy sources. In this idea, non-conventional renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic (PV) solar and wind power are the most used worldwide. In the case of the massification of PV solar generation systems due to its low cost, it has resulted in the use of large-scale supervision techniques that allow a quick and effective determination of the health status of its main components. This study, performs an analysis of the performance of different low-cost cameras for thermography. The analysis compares the accuracy of the thermal images obtained and the error is quantified by means of an image dispersion analysis in each of them. Three-dimensional meshes and contours figures are also made to determine the temperature of a faulty cell. The study shows that the performance obtained with low-cost cameras presents errors below 10% in costs and less than 0.015 USD/pixel. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.One of the most important challenges to mitigate global climate change is to move towards replacing petroleum-based energy sources. In this idea, non-conventional renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic (PV) solar and wind power are the most used worldwide. In the case of the massification of PV solar generation systems due to its low cost, it has resulted in the use of large-scale supervision techniques that allow a quick and effective determination of the health status of its main components. This study, performs an analysis of the performance of different low-cost cameras for thermography. The analysis compares the accuracy of the thermal images obtained and the error is quantified by means of an image dispersion analysis in each of them. Three-dimensional meshes and contours figures are also made to determine the temperature of a faulty cell. The study shows that the performance obtained with low-cost cameras presents errors below 10% in costs and less than 0.015 USD/pixel. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.Sori

Laser‐induced optothermal response of gold nanoparticles: From a physical viewpoint to cancer treatment application

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs)-based photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising minimally invasive thermal therapy for the treatment of focal malignancies. Although GNPs-based PTT has been known for over two decades and GNPs possess unique properties as therapeutic agents, the delivery of a safe and effective therapy is still an open question. This review aims at providing relevant and recent information on the usage of GNPs in combination with the laser to treat cancers, pointing out the practical aspects that bear on the therapy outcome. Emphasis is given to the assessment of the GNPs' properties and the physical mechanisms underlying the laser-induced heat generation in GNPs-loaded tissues. The main techniques available for temperature measurement and the current theoretical simulation approaches predicting the therapeutic outcome are reviewed. Topical challenges in delivering safe thermal dosage are also presented with the aim to discuss the state-of-the-art and the future perspective in the field of GNPs-mediated PTT. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved