Smart PV power plant solutions feature intelligence, efficiency, safety, and reliability. Compared with traditional centralized solutions, the smart PV power plant solutions take ′making power plants simpler′ as the core concept. What we mean by making power plants simpler is that power plants have no non-essential facilities, like inverter rooms, DC solar junction boxes (SJBs), or fragile components, such as fuses, fans, so that the delivery of simplified and standard solutions is achieved. All the components can adapt to various harsh environments, including wind, sand, salt mist, high temperature, humidity, and altitude. Free of maintenance for 25 years, guarantee of reliable operation as well as simpler construction and O&M maximize the benefits of customers′ investment.
It is known that the solar power generation system works under the sun exposure and is frequently challenged by such adverse elements as scorching heat, bitter cold, high humidity, strong sandstorms, heavy rain, and salt mist. Conventional electronic devices work in a relatively stable environment, but the components in the PV system, like inverters and SJBs, operate in a capricious environment, so the reliability of these components faces greater challenges. Many factories in this industry have poor reliability testing conditions and only conduct simple tests of high and low temperature performance, so they lack a good deal of other reliability testing evaluations.
As the core equipment of smart PV power plants, inverters are the key factor in ensuring the smooth operation of the plants. Then, how were the reliability of the smart PV power plant solutions realized? Let us approach GCTC to find the answer.
Huawei Global Compliance & Testing Center (Huawei GCTC) is a comprehensive laboratory that integrates EMC, RF, telecom, safety, and reliable environment, and is recognized by international authoritative organizations, including CNAS, ATLA, MET, ITS CETECOM. GCTC offers services of testing, compliance, and design consultations to Huawei products in accordance with the ISO/IEC17025. In addition to traditional testing equipment, the Huawei GCTC also has the combined stress testing equipment and testing methods for temperature, humidity, and corrosive dust, high temperature rain, solar radiation, of lightening attraction. This improves the adaptation of Huawei products dramatically.
Thoroughly-tested Huawei Inverters Best of the Best
Huawei inverters need to pass the most strict tests of Huawei GCTC. The tests comprise of two parts: short-term and long-term reliability tests. Each part also contains many tests. The short- term tests include HALT test, high/low temperature tests, high temperature rain test, icing test, low pressure test, wet dust test, lightening attraction test, EMC tests (electromagnetic radiation, surge, static, lightening, and so on), and safety regulations test. The long-term tests include temperature cycle test (TC), temperature humidity bias test (THB), lifespan test (LLT), and outfield exposure test (high temperature, humidity, and salt). The time of long-term reliability tests all exceeds 1000 hours and some of the tests even last over a year. The reliability tests of Huawei inverters cover many real-world scenarios, such as high humidity, rain, salty and wet dust corrosion, solar radiation, capricious temperatures, lightening strikes, high altitudes, and extreme temperatures (from –60ºC to over 100ºC). Now, let′s move to the main labs of Huawei GCTC and experience in person the testing process of Huawei inverters.
1. HALT Test
HALT lab is short for Highly Accelerated Life Test lab. HALT test is one of the reliability tests that Huawei inverters must pass. The test is conducted at the development stage of products and mainly characterized by stepped high temperature limit test, stepped low temperature limit test (instant cooling of liquid nitrogen), stepped vibration test, and combined (temperature shock + vibration) stress test to reveal the weak points in design. The high temperature limit is 110ºC, the low temperature limit is –60ºC, and the vibration limit is 40 G acceleration. The test generally lasts 3 days. Inverters are powered on with loads in the whole process and the operating status of inverters is monitored.
2. Icing Test
Approaching the icing test chamber, you will feel the cold. This simulation test is to see whether Huawei inverters can adapt to the winter scenarios. This test is conducted under –40ºC and lasts one week. During the test, water the sample intermittently and leave it to freeze. After three days of icing, warm the sample to thaw. Do it twice within the week. In the process, power on and off the inverter, with and without loads, and repeat these operations several times, to test all its functions.
3. Heat Dissipation Limit Test
After the icing test, here comes the heat dissipation limit test. The heat dissipation limit test simulates the contained scenarios Huawei inverters work in to reveal the design demerits of inverters. Entering the contained lab, heat waves are attacking you. The heat sinks or the top are stuffed with tree leaves. Installed in different modes, inverters are operating with full loads.
