The concept of "new quality productivity" was proposed in the past two years and was mentioned again at the just-concluded Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The core of this "new quality productivity" in the energy sector lies in efficient, green, intelligent, and safe energy production and consumption models driven by scientific and technological innovation. Energy storage and photovoltaic systems are key components of the new energy system. How can we achieve refined monitoring and efficient operation of energy storage and photovoltaic systems? In addition to independent innovation in hardware and system architecture design, real-time monitoring and data acquisition are also crucial. High-precision current/voltage sensors are key components for real-time monitoring and data acquisition. CHIPSENSE current sensors also meet different market demands.
While promoting energy transformation, energy storage and photovoltaic systems also face multiple core challenges, primarily in terms of technical coordination, economics, and policy mechanisms. These two key challenges are as follows:
1. Core Challenges of Energy Storage Systems
Technical Bottlenecks: Existing energy storage technologies (such as lithium batteries) have low energy density and limited cycle life, making them inadequate for long-term energy storage. Energy conversion efficiency losses during charging and discharging (typically 10%-20%) require optimized PCS (power conversion system) design.
Safety Risks: In high-voltage DC environments, insulation material aging, electrolyte leakage, or mechanical damage can lead to insulation failure, causing leakage or arcing. Accurately detecting DC leakage current requires real-time monitoring with high-sensitivity fluxgate current sensors (such as the CHIPSENSE FR series current sensors).
Thermal Runaway: Lithium batteries are prone to thermal runaway due to overcharge, over-discharge, or internal short circuits, potentially causing fire or explosion. High-precision current sensors (such as the CHIPSENSE CMxA series current sensor) are required to provide coordinated warnings with the BMS (battery management system).
Economical: Energy storage systems have a significant cost component (e.g., electrochemical energy storage, approximately 1,500-3,000 yuan/kWh), a long payback period, and high initial investment costs. Regular testing of insulation resistance and battery health requires high-precision monitoring equipment (such as Hall effect sensors), which incurs significant operational and maintenance costs. The emergence of CHIPSENSE current sensor provides a new solution for many companies.
Policies and Standards: Safety standards for some energy storage systems are still under development, and there is a lack of unified technical specifications for leakage detection. Energy storage in my country started late, and the pricing mechanism for participating in the electricity market is not yet fully developed, impacting investment returns.
2. Core Challenges of Photovoltaic Systems
Power generation efficiency: Dust and shadows can reduce module efficiency (up to 10%-30%). Solutions include intelligent, high-resolution robots combined with infrared thermal imaging monitoring. If inverter conversion efficiency (typically 95%-98%) is insufficient, high-precision current sensors (such as CHIPSENSE AN6V series current sensors) are needed to optimize the MPPT algorithm.
System Stability: PV power generation is highly intermittent, easily causing voltage fluctuations when connected to the grid, impacting grid stability. SVG (Static Var Generator) or energy storage systems can be used to smooth output and stabilize voltage fluctuations. When a DC system fault occurs, arcs are difficult to extinguish, requiring a fast-acting circuit breaker and arc detection sensors. CHIPSENSE current sensor is a good choice. CHIPSENSE current sensor can do this.
Operational Profitability: Although the LCOE (Levelized Cost of Electricity) for PV has dropped to 0.2-0.3 RMB/kWh, operational and maintenance costs (such as cleaning and equipment upgrades) remain significant. With reduced policy subsidies, profitability is reliant on market-based transactions (such as green certificates and carbon trading).
Technological Innovation Pressure: High-efficiency battery technologies such as PERC and TOPCon are rapidly evolving, requiring continuous investment in R&D. The market still lacks a unified digital platform, making full lifecycle management difficult. In response to these problems, CHIPSENS current sensors have corresponding solutions and products.
The differences between the operating principles of hall Effect open-loop and closed-loop sensors primarily lie in their magnetic field detection methods and feedback mechanisms. A specific comparison is as follows:
Open-Loop Hall Effect Sensor
Core Structure: Consists of a magnetic core, Hall element, and amplifier circuitry. The Hall element is placed in the air gap of the magnetic core.
Operating Principle: The measured current (IP) generates a magnetic field around the conductor. The magnetic core concentrates the magnetic lines of force at the air gap. The Hall element directly detects the magnetic induction intensity at the air gap and outputs a voltage signal, which, after amplification, reflects the magnitude of the primary current.
Features: No feedback compensation, simple structure, and low cost. Susceptible to temperature drift and core saturation, resulting in poor linearity. CHIPSENS current sensors are just the opposite.
Closed-Loop Hall Effect Sensor
Core Structure: A closed-loop system is formed by adding a secondary compensation winding and feedback circuit to an open-loop system.
Operating Principle: After the Hall element detects a magnetic field, an amplifier circuit drives the compensation winding to generate a reverse current, canceling the primary magnetic field and maintaining zero flux in the air gap. Based on the ampere-turn balance (Np × Ip = Ns × Is), the primary current is accurately inferred by measuring the compensation current (Is). CHIPSENS current sensors are all developed with high requirements.
Features:CHIPSENSE current sensors are high accuracy (error <0.1%) and a wide dynamic range. Fast response, but with complex circuitry and high cost. However, CHIPSENSE current sensor is a product specially developed to save costs for customers.
ASIC-Based Hall Effect Current Sensors
The application of ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) technology in hall effect current sensors significantly improves sensor accuracy, stability, and intelligence by integrating signal processing, compensation, and calibration functions into a single chip.
ASIC Hall Effect sensors offer the following advantages:
High Precision: Through digital calibration and temperature compensation, accuracy can reach 0.5% to ±0.8% (e.g.,CHIPSENSE AN6V PB50 series current sensors).
High Reliability: The integrated design reduces external interference and improves EMC immunity.
Miniaturization: A single chip integrates all functions, reducing the size by over 50% (e.g., the SOP-8 package).
Intelligence: Supports remote configuration and self-diagnosis, making it suitable for Industry 4.0 scenarios. CHIPSENS can also customize special current sensors according to customer applications.
The main applications of ASIC hall current sensors in photovoltaic systems include photovoltaic inverters: they are used for MPPT control, and ASIC processes Hall signals to optimize power generation efficiency. CHIPSENSE also offers this type of current sensors.
Fluxgate Current Sensors
A fluxgate sensor is a high-precision, high-sensitivity magnetic field measurement device, particularly suitable for detecting weak magnetic fields and DC/low-frequency AC currents. It is widely used in energy storage systems, photovoltaic inverters, and leakage protection. CHIPSENSE current sensors are also used in a variety of fields.
Conclusion
In energy storage systems, fluxgate current sensors are ideal for leakage detection, solving insulation monitoring issues. For current collection, Hall-effect closed-loop or open-loop sensors can be selected based on system operation and maintenance requirements. For risk warning, current and voltage sensors can be combined to provide real-time data to prevent over-current, overvoltage, and other faults. BMS (Battery Management System) systems can utilize higher-precision closed-loop sensors. CHIPSENSE current sensor is a preferred choice.
In photovoltaic systems, high-precision current sensors provide critical current and voltage data for inverter MPPT optimization and improved power generation efficiency.
CHIPSENSE is a national high-tech enterprise that focuses on the research and development, production, and application of high-end current and voltage sensors, as well as forward research on sensor chips and cutting-edge sensor technologies. CHIPSENSE is committed to providing customers with independently developed sensors, as well as diversified customized products and solutions.
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