Methodology for designing accelerated aging tests for predicting life of photovoltaic arrays. Final report
Year: 1977
Type: report
Abstract: Current analyses dictate that for economic viability photovoltaic arrays should have a service life of 20 years or more. A need exists for meaningful accelerated tests to predict array life so that a relatively quick assessment can be made of the potential of present developmental designs and of the extent to which improvements in life are needed. The methodology developed builds upon past experience with regard to aging behavior in those material classes which are expected to be utilized as encapsulant elements, viz., glasses and polymers, and upon past experience with the design of aging tests. Accordingly, these experiences were reviewed and the results are presented. The improved methodology developed in this study is described. The first six steps of the developed methodology focus on the explicit identification of necessary engineering input information, identification of possible failure modes and environmental variables (stresses) that may affect the time rates of degradation for each failure mode without changing the failure mode, estimation of expected overall severity of each combination of environmental stresses, and analysis of severity ratings as a complete factorial experiment. Considerations of precision, accuracy, and test sensitivity are also included in the report. It is recommended that empirical, statistical, and conceptual methods be used to analyze the data resulting from the implemented accelerated test. It is also recommended that, during the test program, predictions be made both within and between stress conditions in order to generate a ''track record'' for predicting degradation at lower environmental stress conditions using data obtained from higher stress conditions.
DOI: 10.2172/7296470
Authors: G Gaines, R Thomas, G Derringer, C Kistler, D Bigg, D Carmichael
Language: English
Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Award: G7366658650
OpenAlex ID: W1583841045