Motivation
The accelerated corrosion issue on critical infrastructures and Buildings arises due to direct current (dc) leakage detection blind-spots, inherent to PV systems’ operation and dc fault detection mechanisms.
The blind-spots are inherent to the existing thresholds for allowable dc leakage (emanating from PV systems) which have been so far based on other issues such as fire prevention or personnel safety.
However, the level of allowable dc leakage from PV systems can be high enough to cause accelerated dc corrosion on nearby critical infrastructures and on buildings.
This allowable dc leakage can effectively act as the Trojan horse when it comes to a cost-effectively maintaining the reliability and integrity of structural buildings and critical metallic infrastructures (e.g. natural gas pipelines).
Thus, this project will provide valuable insights that can be used in exploiting the Sustainable Planning and Management of Buildings and Infrastructures’ construction.
Project objectives
- Ιdentify the nature of the dc leakage detection blind-spot problem, as per the different use cases and operational characteristics of PV systems.
- Perform field testing and laboratory experiments to investigate the level and the parameters influencing dc leakage in PV systems under operational and faulty conditions.
- To develop and validate state-of-the-art simulation tools for the cost-effective assessment of critical infrastructures that are subject to PV induced dc leakage and corrosion.
- To understand and quantify PV induced dc corrosion on Energy Efficient Buildings
- To develop technical specifications covering maintenance, preventive and retrofitted mitigation actions to address PV induced dc corrosion on critical infrastructures and energy efficient buildings.