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    mcentropic's Avatar
    mcentropic Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Nov 20, 2013, 06:11 AM
    Solar panel surface area vs output power
    Hey guys, this is quite an urgent question!

    I'm writing a paper (due tomorrow night) on the relation between the surface area of connected solar cells in a solar panel exposed to light and the output power. What I'm doing is covering the entire solar panel with aluminum and uncovering two cells at a time in the order in which they are connected, I then measure the voltage and current and find the power.

    What I don't understand is that I'm getting an exponential trend for the first 18 cells or so, then the power flatlines and then jumps up again for the last 2 cells.

    Can someone explain this? I've performed over 15 trials with difference multimeters and the results are always consistent.

    Thanks
    hfcarson's Avatar
    hfcarson Posts: 1,003, Reputation: 49
    Ultra Member
     
    #2

    Nov 20, 2013, 01:37 PM
    I have been told that each cell is wired in series with the next. If you cover up just one cell you can decrease power output by as much as 90%. Is you consider the current flow through the cells as something like a line of train cars on a track... if you slow down just one of them you slow the entire line.
    Take a few minutes and describe in more detail your testing and results... am I largely incorrect or does the above show up in your test data?
    I am very interested in your experiment as I expect others are as well.
    mcentropic's Avatar
    mcentropic Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #3

    Nov 20, 2013, 07:54 PM
    Sure thing, thanks for the reply!

    I have attached a copy an image of the results I obtained from one trial. All others have been very similar. What I find strange is that, as I uncover the 36th cells I have that large jump you can see, after which the power just stays the same. As if half of the panel did absolutely nothing. (Note: that power is in Watts and area in meters squared, I just found the areas of individual cells and added them up accordingly).

    I think this has something to do with the wiring of the cells within the panel but I am not sure. I have also attached an image of the metal conductors that I can see on top of the cells; however, it is possible that the cells are also connected on the bottom (which I can't tell without taking the whole thing apart).

    I need to find a good explanation so any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

    Thanks again.
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