Flash testing of photovoltaic modules with integrated electronics

1. A method for testing a photovoltaic (PV) module comprising:

obtaining a reference output signature of a PV module design by testing a known good PV module in response to a flash pattern, wherein the PV module design includes an arrangement of one or more PV cells and an integrated power converter to process power from the arrangement of one of more PV cells, the reference output signature being produced at output terminals of the integrated power converter;

applying the flash pattern to a PV module under test similar to the PV module design;

acquiring an observed output signature produced at output terminals of an integrated power converter of the PV module under test in response to the flash pattern; and

comparing the observed output signature of the PV module under test to the reference output signature.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the flash pattern consists of a single light pulse.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the flash pattern includes multiple light pulses; and

the reference output signature and the observed output signature comprise extended output signatures.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the multiple light pulses have different intensities.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the multiple light pulses have different pulse widths.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the multiple light pulses are periodic.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the multiple light pulses have different intensities and different pulse widths.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the flash pattern is generated with a flash lamp.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the flash pattern is generated with a continuously operating lamp and a shutter arrangement.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference output signature of the PV module design is obtained through simulation.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a load to the PV module under test.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference output signature is a first reference output signature, the flash pattern is a first flash pattern, the observed output signature is a first observed output signature, and the method further comprises:

obtaining a second reference output signature of the PV module design by testing the known good PV module in response to a second flash pattern;

applying the second flash pattern to the PV module under test; and

acquiring a second observed output signature of the PV module under test in response to the second flash pattern.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising comparing the second observed output signature of the PV module under test to the second reference output signature.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

combining the first and second reference output signatures to generate a composite reference output signature;

combining the first and second observed output signatures to generate a composite observed output signature; and

comparing the composite observed output signature to the composite reference output signature.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first and second reference output signatures and the first and second observed output signatures are combined in a time domain.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the first and second reference output signatures and the first and second observed output signatures are combined in a frequency domain.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising logically determining one or more subsets of the first and second flash patterns and first and second reference output signatures to optimize test coverage.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference output signature is a first reference output signature, the flash pattern is a first flash pattern, the observed output signature is a first observed output signature, and the method further comprises:

obtaining a second reference output signature of the PV module design by testing the known good PV module in response to a second flash pattern with a portion of the arrangement of one or more PV cells on the PV module design shadowed;

applying the second flash pattern to the PV module under test with the same portion of the arrangement of one or more PV cells on the PV module under test shadowed; and

acquiring a second observed output signature of the PV module under test in response to the second flash pattern.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first and second flash patterns are analogous.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising synchronizing the load with the flash pattern.

21. A method for testing a photovoltaic (PV) module in accordance with a known good PV module of a PV module design having an arrangement of one or more PV cells and an integrated power converter to process power from the arrangement of one or more PV cells, the method comprising:

presetting one or more parameters of an integrated power converter on a PV module under test similar to the PV module design to one or more predetermined states;

applying a flash pattern to the PV module under test;

acquiring an observed output signature produced at output terminals of the integrated power converter of the PV module under test in response to the flash pattern; and

comparing the observed output signature of the PV module under test to a reference output signature produced at output terminals of the integrated power converter of the known good PV module of the PV module design.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein:

the flash pattern includes multiple light pulses; and

the reference output signature and the observed output signature comprise extended output signatures.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising releasing at least one of the parameters before applying the flash pattern to the PV module under test.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one of the parameters comprises a node voltage.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein presetting one or more parameters comprises enabling a power train in the integrated power converter.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein presetting one or more parameters comprises enabling a housekeeping power supply.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein presetting one or more parameters comprises presetting a digital state of a controller for the integrated power converter.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the flash pattern consists of a single light pulse.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein the one or more parameters may be preset a first time before a first one of the light pulses and may be preset a second time before a second one of the light pulses.