Mechanical Defects Detection on Solar Panel with Ultrasonic Guided Waves

Abstract

In order to ensure a solar power system runs at its optimum efficiency throughout the lifecycle, proper structuralhealth monitoring on photovoltaic module (PVM) should be performed as part predictive maintenance activities.Mechanical defects such as cracks may induce power loss, raise the risks of electrical failure, and compromise thePVM’s structural integrity. Therefore, early detection of their existence is crucial. This research emphasizes theutilization of ultrasonic guided waves (UGW) to develop an efficient inspection technique. Since the waves cantravel over large distances, they allow long-range defect detection, hence faster inspection process as compared to the conventional bulk wave scan. In this work, UGW experiments were done over areas with cracks of differentseverity. Dispersion characteristics of the propagating modes were evaluated through experiments and numerical simulations, where the obtained results were in agreement to each other. Time frequency analysis shows that certain modes have lower phase velocity in the area with cracks. In addition, the results demonstrate the capability of UGW to detect a crack that is invisible under visual inspection