Abstract
Underwater grounding methods could be applied in deep water for grounding a floating PV (photovoltaic) system. However, the depth at which the electrodes should be located is a controversial subject. In this study, grounding resistance was measured for the first time by analyzing the water temperature at different water depths in an area where a floating PV system is installed. The theoretical calculation of the grounding resistance has a maximum error range of 8% compared to the experimentally measured data. In order to meet the electrical safety standards of a floating PV system, a number of electrodes were connected in parallel. In addition, the distance between electrodes and number of electrodes were considered in the test to obtain a formula for the grounding resistance. In addition, the coefficient of corrosion was obtained from an electrode installed underwater a year ago, and it was added to the formula. Through this analysis, it is possible to predict the grounding resistance prior to installing the floating PV system. Furthermore, the electrical safety of the floating PV system could be achieved by considering the seasonal changes in water temperature.
Highlights
Photovoltaic (PV) systems have become one of the major sustainable energy resources as a practical solution to environmental problems
This paper presents an underwater grounding method that uses the water resistivity instead of earth resistivity to calculate the theoretical resistance, which was predicted and validated by measuring the grounding resistance and temperature variations associated with water depth
The grounding method for a floating PV system is slightly different from the grounding method for a PV system on land
Summary
Photovoltaic (PV) systems have become one of the major sustainable energy resources as a practical solution to environmental problems. The installation of the system is understandably more difficult compared with land-based PV systems; the power generation efficiency of a floating PV system is 10–15% higher than that of a land-based PV system because of the ambient temperature drop, which is caused by the absorption of the evaporation heat and reflection of light from the water surface [8,9,10,11,12]. A grounding system must be installed to prevent possible damage by lightning or current leakage. It allows for the flow of normal or fault currents into the earth without exceeding operating and equipment limits or affecting service continuity in an adverse manner [16]. This paper presents an underwater grounding method that uses the water resistivity instead of earth resistivity to calculate the theoretical resistance, which was predicted and validated by measuring the grounding resistance and temperature variations associated with water depth
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