Characterization and Analysis of Mechanical Vibrations in Photovoltaic Modules Transported by Road in Spain

Abstract

Large deployment of photovoltaic (PV) installation worldwide demands reliability assurance of the systems to maintain the confidence in the markets. With the diversity of PV applications, it is essential the detection of circumstances that can be the root of failure mechanisms, such as transportation and installation of the modules. They are one of the main sources of induced vibrations, which, in its turn, can provoke defects and damages in the PV modules. In this work, we have measured and analyzed tri-axial accelerations and mechanical vibration that photovoltaic crystalline modules withstand during transportation by road, including loading and unloading operations. We have also analyzed the natural oscillation frequencies, the resonance phenomena and the highest impacts. It is concluded that a proper fastening of the load inside the truck is necessary and that high impacts during loading and unloading should be avoided. Packing the modules to reduce vibrations is also recommendable. Several solutions to perform this are proposed.