Optimal Design for Flexible Solar Panels Attached Around Cylindrical Poles

Light-weight flexible solar panels attached on the cylindrical poles standing perpendicular to the ground have been expected as the power source for the high-speed communication infrastructures and the road information infrastructures. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the partial shading effects for the rolled solar panels and to suggest the optimum design for the rolled solar panels. The electrical characteristics of the rolled solar panels under the realistic outdoor environment were investigated by numerical simulation. Two types of panel designs were suggested, Type I had series cell connections to circumferential direction with bypass diodes and Type II had parallel string connections to circumferential direction without bypass diodes. As compare with the flat panel, annual power generation on Type I and Type II panels were about 53% and 67%, respectively. In the case of 12V system, the Type I panel only showed 33% power generation as compare with the flat panel. Type II design also showed the relatively constant output from morning to evening as well as from spring to winter. These results clearly showed that the Type II should be the most suitable design for the solar panels attached on the cylindrical poles.