Soiling in Solar Energy Systems: The Role of the Thresholding Method in Image Analysis
<p dir="ltr">The use of image analysis has often been suggested as a practical way to monitor the soiling accumulated on the surfaces of solar energy conversion devices. Indeed, the deposited soiling particles can be counted and characterized to calculate the area they cover, and thi...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
| Published: |
2023
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1864513509310595072 |
|---|---|
| author | Leonardo Micheli (17509800) |
| author2 | Greg P. Smestad (17509806) Muhammad Zahid Khan (9533008) Katja Lange (3450476) Huda M. I. Almughary (19342546) Mounir Abraim (19342549) Yanal Alamat (19342552) Cody B. Anderson (19342555) Said Bentouba (19342558) Benjamin Figgis (18427935) Pavan Fuke (19342561) Ahmed Amine Hachicha (19342564) Mounia Karim (19342567) Anil Kottantharayil (1854736) Alfredo A. Martinez-Morales (2452978) Ahmed Alami Merrouni (19342570) Douglas Olivares (19342573) Giovanni Picotti (19342576) Jorge Rabanal-Arabach (19342579) Florian Wiesinger (7470617) Klemens Ilse (19342582) |
| author2_role | author author author author author author author author author author author author author author author author author author author author |
| author_facet | Leonardo Micheli (17509800) Greg P. Smestad (17509806) Muhammad Zahid Khan (9533008) Katja Lange (3450476) Huda M. I. Almughary (19342546) Mounir Abraim (19342549) Yanal Alamat (19342552) Cody B. Anderson (19342555) Said Bentouba (19342558) Benjamin Figgis (18427935) Pavan Fuke (19342561) Ahmed Amine Hachicha (19342564) Mounia Karim (19342567) Anil Kottantharayil (1854736) Alfredo A. Martinez-Morales (2452978) Ahmed Alami Merrouni (19342570) Douglas Olivares (19342573) Giovanni Picotti (19342576) Jorge Rabanal-Arabach (19342579) Florian Wiesinger (7470617) Klemens Ilse (19342582) |
| author_role | author |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv | Leonardo Micheli (17509800) Greg P. Smestad (17509806) Muhammad Zahid Khan (9533008) Katja Lange (3450476) Huda M. I. Almughary (19342546) Mounir Abraim (19342549) Yanal Alamat (19342552) Cody B. Anderson (19342555) Said Bentouba (19342558) Benjamin Figgis (18427935) Pavan Fuke (19342561) Ahmed Amine Hachicha (19342564) Mounia Karim (19342567) Anil Kottantharayil (1854736) Alfredo A. Martinez-Morales (2452978) Ahmed Alami Merrouni (19342570) Douglas Olivares (19342573) Giovanni Picotti (19342576) Jorge Rabanal-Arabach (19342579) Florian Wiesinger (7470617) Klemens Ilse (19342582) |
| dc.date.none.fl_str_mv | 2023-08-17T15:00:00Z |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv | 10.1002/solr.202300654 |
| dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv | https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Soiling_in_Solar_Energy_Systems_The_Role_of_the_Thresholding_Method_in_Image_Analysis/26508304 |
| dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv | CC BY 4.0 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv | Engineering Environmental engineering Mathematical sciences Applied mathematics Image Analysis Solar Energy Soiling Monitoring Particle Counting Thresholding Methods Micrograph Analysis Surface Coverage |
| dc.title.none.fl_str_mv | Soiling in Solar Energy Systems: The Role of the Thresholding Method in Image Analysis |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv | Text Journal contribution info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion text contribution to journal |
| description | <p dir="ltr">The use of image analysis has often been suggested as a practical way to monitor the soiling accumulated on the surfaces of solar energy conversion devices. Indeed, the deposited soiling particles can be counted and characterized to calculate the area they cover, and this area can be converted into an energy loss. However, several particle counting methodologies exist and can lead to dissimilar results. This work focuses on the role of thresholding, an essential step where particles are distinguished from a background based on the pixel brightness. Sixteen automatic thresholding methods are assessed using 13 200 micrographs of glass coupons soiled at nine locations globally. In low‐to‐intermediate soiling conditions, the “Triangle” method is found to return the minimum coefficient of variation and a mean deviation closer to zero. On the other hand, methods assuming a bimodal distribution of pixel brightness underestimate the area coverage. In addition, since soiling can be unevenly distributed over a surface, different loss estimations can be returned when the same image analysis process is used on different spots on a sample's surface. For these reasons, image analysis should be repeated at multiple locations on each investigated surface.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Solar RRL<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/solr.202300654" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/solr.202300654</a></p> |
| eu_rights_str_mv | openAccess |
| id | Manara2_8b289830e537ae6d44da11b7a77c532d |
| identifier_str_mv | 10.1002/solr.202300654 |
| network_acronym_str | Manara2 |
| network_name_str | Manara2 |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:figshare.com:article/26508304 |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| repository.mail.fl_str_mv | |
| repository.name.fl_str_mv | |
| repository_id_str | |
| rights_invalid_str_mv | CC BY 4.0 |
| spelling | Soiling in Solar Energy Systems: The Role of the Thresholding Method in Image AnalysisLeonardo Micheli (17509800)Greg P. Smestad (17509806)Muhammad Zahid Khan (9533008)Katja Lange (3450476)Huda M. I. Almughary (19342546)Mounir Abraim (19342549)Yanal Alamat (19342552)Cody B. Anderson (19342555)Said Bentouba (19342558)Benjamin Figgis (18427935)Pavan Fuke (19342561)Ahmed Amine Hachicha (19342564)Mounia Karim (19342567)Anil Kottantharayil (1854736)Alfredo A. Martinez-Morales (2452978)Ahmed Alami Merrouni (19342570)Douglas Olivares (19342573)Giovanni Picotti (19342576)Jorge Rabanal-Arabach (19342579)Florian Wiesinger (7470617)Klemens Ilse (19342582)EngineeringEnvironmental engineeringMathematical sciencesApplied mathematicsImage AnalysisSolar EnergySoiling MonitoringParticle CountingThresholding MethodsMicrograph AnalysisSurface Coverage<p dir="ltr">The use of image analysis has often been suggested as a practical way to monitor the soiling accumulated on the surfaces of solar energy conversion devices. Indeed, the deposited soiling particles can be counted and characterized to calculate the area they cover, and this area can be converted into an energy loss. However, several particle counting methodologies exist and can lead to dissimilar results. This work focuses on the role of thresholding, an essential step where particles are distinguished from a background based on the pixel brightness. Sixteen automatic thresholding methods are assessed using 13 200 micrographs of glass coupons soiled at nine locations globally. In low‐to‐intermediate soiling conditions, the “Triangle” method is found to return the minimum coefficient of variation and a mean deviation closer to zero. On the other hand, methods assuming a bimodal distribution of pixel brightness underestimate the area coverage. In addition, since soiling can be unevenly distributed over a surface, different loss estimations can be returned when the same image analysis process is used on different spots on a sample's surface. For these reasons, image analysis should be repeated at multiple locations on each investigated surface.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Solar RRL<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/solr.202300654" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/solr.202300654</a></p>2023-08-17T15:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1002/solr.202300654https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Soiling_in_Solar_Energy_Systems_The_Role_of_the_Thresholding_Method_in_Image_Analysis/26508304CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/265083042023-08-17T15:00:00Z |
| spellingShingle | Soiling in Solar Energy Systems: The Role of the Thresholding Method in Image Analysis Leonardo Micheli (17509800) Engineering Environmental engineering Mathematical sciences Applied mathematics Image Analysis Solar Energy Soiling Monitoring Particle Counting Thresholding Methods Micrograph Analysis Surface Coverage |
| status_str | publishedVersion |
| title | Soiling in Solar Energy Systems: The Role of the Thresholding Method in Image Analysis |
| title_full | Soiling in Solar Energy Systems: The Role of the Thresholding Method in Image Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Soiling in Solar Energy Systems: The Role of the Thresholding Method in Image Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soiling in Solar Energy Systems: The Role of the Thresholding Method in Image Analysis |
| title_short | Soiling in Solar Energy Systems: The Role of the Thresholding Method in Image Analysis |
| title_sort | Soiling in Solar Energy Systems: The Role of the Thresholding Method in Image Analysis |
| topic | Engineering Environmental engineering Mathematical sciences Applied mathematics Image Analysis Solar Energy Soiling Monitoring Particle Counting Thresholding Methods Micrograph Analysis Surface Coverage |