Photovoltaic structure - The "Swimming Champion" in photovoltaic systems
In recent years, with the significant increase of terrestrial photovoltaic power stations, there has been a serious shortage of land resources available for installation and construction, which has constrained the further development of such power stations.
At the same time, another branch of photovoltaic technology-floating power plants has entered people's field of vision.
Floating photovoltaic systems are one of the five innovative applications of photovoltaics in the future. It will become a very marketable form of photovoltaic systems after ground photovoltaic systems, rooftop photovoltaic systems, and BIPV. It will be widely developed and applied worldwide.
According to a report by the World Bank, even under conservative assumptions, the floating photovoltaic system can reach 400 gigawatts.
The floating bracket consists of a float and a wire trough forming a base network, and a lower base and support are installed on the upper part of the base network. The photovoltaic modules are fixedly installed on the lower base and support. During construction, first install the float anchor on the water, then install the photovoltaic array bracket components on the shore, move the photovoltaic array into the water, and finally assemble the photovoltaic array on the water and fix it in place.
The classification of floating photovoltaic mounting systems
Floating photovoltaic mounting systems are divided into two categories: floating tube type and floating box type:
1. The "floating pipe" scheme mainly includes using a floating pipe made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with a bracket, or using a lightweight metal pipe coated with anti rust paint (such as thin wall steel), filling the interior with material to increase buoyancy, covering the exterior with a protective rubber layer, and finally adding corresponding mounting systems. The design concept of this type of power station is to use the buoyancy of the water pipe itself to carry the weight of the photovoltaic system above, while the orderly arranged front and rear mounting systems will be connected by connecting components to form a unified whole, and then firmly bound to a fixed anchoring system.
2. The "floating box" solution includes multiple options, such as standard floating boxes made of high-strength polyethylene (HDPE), HDPE floating boxes with additional support mounting systems, stainless steel floating boxes equipped with corresponding mounting systems, and even floating boxes are made of high-strength composite concrete materials with mounting systems.
These types of power stations rely on sturdy and durable floating boxes to ensure the smooth operation of the power generation equipment above.
Components of floating photovoltaic systems
1. Photovoltaic panels: This is the core part of the floating photovoltaic system on water, which is responsible for collecting solar energy and converting it into electrical energy.
2. Floating bodies: These are structures used to support photovoltaic panels, which are usually made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP) materials. Floating bodies not only support photovoltaic panels, but also protect them from water and wave impacts.
3. Anchor systems: This is a device used to fix a floating body, usually consisting of steel wire ropes, ground anchors, and buoys, to ensure the stability of the floating body under natural conditions such as wind, waves, and water flow.
4. Power conversion and storage systems: This is a device that converts the direct current generated by photovoltaic panels into alternating current and stores it, including inverters and battery packs.
5. Monitoring and maintenance systems: This is a system used for real-time monitoring of the operating status of photovoltaic systems, regular maintenance, and troubleshooting.
