Flexible photoelectric module. RU patent 2493633.

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: flexible photoelectric module consists of series-arranged bottom carrier film, bottom reinforcing layer, bottom fastening film, solar cells electrically connected to each other, top fastening film, top reinforcing layer and top carrier film. The bottom and top carrier and fastening films are made from material transparent for sunlight, and the reinforcing layers used are layers of spheroidal elements made from material transparent for sunlight and coated with a layer of an anti-adhesive material. Dimensions of the spheroidal elements are in the range of 500÷1000 mcm.

EFFECT: invention provides reversible deformation of the plane of the photoelectric module simultaneously in two or more directions.

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The invention relates to the field of solar energy, in particular to flexible PV modules, which, in addition to its main function of generation , can additionally be used as the elements of the industrial and building design, exposed to elastic deformation in the longitudinal and/or transverse direction - twisting or bending.

Such structural elements, in particular, may include:

- inflatable projection portable systems of energy supply during the rescue and repair works;

- available at the roofs of the cars or the cars of trains of a system of additional power supply;

modules employees roofs of individual objects stops of the motor transport, information boards, telephone booths, etc., and simultaneously providing Autonomous power supply of the object;

modules in the form of elastic roofing materials and plates, as well as curtain walls-partitions for facade work.

For the application of photovoltaic modules as such, it is necessary to ensure, on the one hand, the flexibility of the design (in order to fit into the overall constructive design), on the other hand, there must be adequate rigidity of the structure, capable to resist distributed by wind or concentrated loads applied to a photovoltaic module: for example, blow ice hailstones or accidental pressing hand. In addition, PV module should be as easy as possible.

Known for flexible photovoltaic module, consisting of elastic polymer base on which formed a layer of amorphous silicon by deposition from the gas phase [1].

Such a design using as a base of a thin polymer film can have high flexibility, almost reach 100%.

Simplicity and low cost of production makes the modules of amorphous silicon demand in the widest spheres of human activity, however their efficiency is 8 to 11%, which is substantially lower than the cap modules based on crystalline silicon, which reaches 30%.

Besides modules of amorphous silicon are less durable due to significant degradation of the electrophysical properties of amorphous silicon with prolonged exposure to sunlight.

Known also flexible photovoltaic module, providing accommodation on the surface of flexible mesh membrane frame of solar cells, wired strings of internal together using metal tyres and covered with front and back sides of protective glass plates [2].

The disadvantages of this the design should include the inability to ensure the regularity of the deformable plane module, deformed only netted membrane, whereas each of the members of the module of solar cells deformation is not exposed: only change is in the spatial arrangement of elements relative to the each other.

Known for flexible solar module, which is an array mounted on a flexible printed circuit boards and electrically interconnected silicon solar cells, the hemispherical form, which in turn are fixed on a flexible basis of synthetic material type «Neoprene», and the top is covered with a transparent for visible light protective film [3].

The disadvantages of this design are:

- low reliability of the module, caused by a greater number and network commutative connective buses;

- the complexity of the module Assembly, conditioned by the necessity of switching on printed circuit boards of several tens of hemispherical solar elements and subsequent Assembly wired strings of internal boards in a single structure;

- a lot of weight and high cost of the module due to the use is not flat, but more expensive and heavy hemispherical solar elements of silicon.

Closest to the technical nature and the achieved result is a flexible PV module containing transparent to sunlight upper and lower bearing film, located between the bearing films electrically interconnected solar cells strapped with bearing films transparent to sunlight upper and lower counter films containing reinforcing layers in the form of a grid of high-strength synthetic threads, transparent to sunlight and impregnated with a substance (or containing such a substance) with a low coefficient absorption and scattering of light [4].

The maximum compensation of the elastic deformation of a plane flexible photovoltaic module by stored in its construction of the net and from transparent high-strength threads is provided at the location of the threads in parallel to the plane of flexible photovoltaic module.

If high-strength synthetic threads Orient in the direction of the vector of internal tension alleged bending flexible photovoltaic module, you can further improve the sustainability of flexible photovoltaic module to the deforming stress arising under specific the conditions of its operation.

In cases when flexible photovoltaic module is supposed to be maintained in the form of a curved in longitudinal and transverse direction elastically deformed design (placing it on the surfaces such as a bumper car, elements rigging boats or yachts and etc), the optimal location of high-strength synthetic threads in this case is the diagonal-cross.

In order to additionally introduced in the design of flexible photovoltaic modules grid of high-strength synthetic threads are not compromise its electrophysical parameters, high-strength synthetic yarns impregnated with a substance with a low coefficient of absorption and scattering of light: for example, silicon and the liquid mixtures polysiloxane containing dimethyl - or/and links, platinum catalyst and cross-linking the agent.

One of the variants of a design grid of high-strength artificial fibres impregnated with a substance of low coefficient of absorption and scattering of light, is a net where as artificial fibres used strands of substances with a low coefficient of absorption and scattering of light.

The thickness of the upper and lower lubricant film ~of 0.4 mm Thickness of the upper and lower tier films together with the introduction of these nets of high-strength synthetic threads is about 0,3 mm Thickness of silicon monocrystalline solar cells is 100 to 250 microns. The total thickness of flexible photovoltaic module is about 1,4 up to 1.5 mm In radius of maximum possible curvature under the action of bending stress, which is not yet the destruction of silicon solar cells, which is about 25 to 30 see

Specified flexible photovoltaic module can be subjected to elastic deformation in only one (longitudinal, transverse, or diagonal) direction, possible radius of curvature of the module is approximately equal to respectively length or width of flexible photovoltaic module when bending stresses, delivered pursuant to opposite edges in length or width of the module.

The disadvantage of this design is the inability of the elastic deformation of a plane flexible module in several directions simultaneously without mechanical destruction of solar elements of the module.

The objective of the invention is to increase the reliability of the module by providing reversible (elastic strain of the plane of the PV module simultaneously in two or more directions.

This is due to the fact that in the flexible PV modules, which represents a consistently located lower bearing film, lower reinforcing layer, the lower of this film, electrically interconnected solar cells, the top of this film, top, base coat and top carrier film, and lower and upper bearing and tie are made of a transparent film for sunlight material, as reinforcing layers using the layers of spheroid of the elements of transparent to sunlight material and covered by a layer of material.

Design of the proposed flexible PV modules is illustrated by figure 1, where:

1 and 7 - upper and lower carrier film, respectively;

2 and 6 - upper and lower countersigned film, respectively;

3 and 5 - spheroid elements of the upper and lower reinforcing layers respectively;

4 - solar cells.

As a spheroid elements of reinforcement layers use balls, ellipsoids of rotation, spheroids (flattened balls), the hemisphere.

Spheroid the elements are made from transparent to sunlight material, for example, optical glass and processed antiadhesive composition, for example, silicone .

During the subsequent lamination process occurs clutch bearing and counter-films with each other, and spheroid elements are fixed to the border of these films.

By surface properties of spheroid of items 3 and 5 of them are rigidly attached to the surfaces films, 6 and 7, while outside the areas of location of spheroid the elements of the film 6 and 7 are firmly bound together.

After clutch in laminator carrier and counter films, between which are processed antiadhesive composition spheroid elements on both sides of the solar cells are formed reinforcing layers containing many countervailing micro volumes: spheroid elements located in the cavities between the counter and carrier films and with limited mobility in these cavities.

Because spheroid elements in reinforcing layers arranged in any order, established by them compensation provide compensation attached to the module deforming effort in any direction.

Thus, spheroid elements fulfil the function of dampers elastic deformation in any direction plane module. In this case, the optimum compensation elastic deformation of plane flexible photovoltaic module by stored in its design with limited mobility reinforcing elements.

The size of spheroid elements should not be more than thickness of the counter-film, so that, if you laminating not interrupted elements beyond counter-film (to avoid any possible uncontrolled contact with the chain of solar cells). As the typical film thickness «EVA», used in the technology of solar modules do not exceed 1000 microns, and the maximum size of reinforcing elements is limited to this amount. The minimum size of reinforcing elements must not be less than 500 microns, since at lower dimensions of the module would be insufficient rigidity, and at high bending stresses can have mechanical damage of solar cells (cracking, the appearance of cracks, delamination bands etc).

The famous science and technology solutions analogous problem is not detected the use of flexible photovoltaic modules as a reinforcing layer inputs of reinforcing elements form of transparent to sunlight material, covered with a layer of material.

Concrete implementation of the proposed design of flexible photovoltaic modules with the use of reinforcement layers of spheroid of the elements in the form of balls from the optical glass KU-1 is as follows.

On the pasteboard unfolds the first carrier film (transparent ethylene- film «TEFZEL» given area). It placed third reinforcing layer of spheroid elements (spheres with a diameter of 500 to 600 mcm of optical quartz glass of KU-1, coated with non-stick covering «SYL-OFF» company «Dow Coming»). On top of this layer balls placed second countersigned film ( film «EVA»). On top formed by the stack is placed fourth layer, which is a chain solar cells the size of 125 x 125 mm-crystalline silicon. The thickness of each solar cell does not exceed 200 microns. On top of the solar cells consistently stack sixth of this tape «EVA»), the fifth reinforcing layer of coated non-stick layer balls with a diameter of 600 to 800 mcm of optical glass KU-1 and the seventh carrier tape «TEFZEL»). Cooked laminated billet is placed in laminator, which is the formation of a photovoltaic module at ~150 C for 20 minutes

The resulting flexible photovoltaic module can be subjected to elastic deformation in both longitudinal and transverse directions simultaneously, and the possible radius of curvature of the module is approximately equal to respectively length or width of flexible photovoltaic module.

The technical result is achieved by using the proposed design is to ensure the elastic deformation of a plane flexible photovoltaic module simultaneously in two or more directions.

Sources of information

1. Patent of Russian Federation №2190901 of 24 September 1997

2. Patent of Russian Federation №2234166 of 21 April 2003

3. An application for a US patent # 20100101627 of April 29, 2010

4. Patent of Russian Federation №2416056 from December 17, 2009 - a prototype.

1. Flexible solar module, which is a consistently placed lower bearing film, lower reinforcing layer, the lower this film, electrically interconnected solar cells, the top of this film, top, base coat and top carrier film, and lower and upper bearing and tie the film made of transparent to sunlight material, wherein as reinforcement layers using the layers of spheroid of the elements of transparent to sunlight material and covered by a layer of material.

2. Flexible photovoltaic module according to claim 1, characterized in that the dimensions of spheroid elements are within the range of 500 to 1000 microns.