Solar cells which include the use of certain poly(vinyl butyral)/film bilayer encapsulant layers with a low blocking tendency and a simplified process to produce thereof

a technology of solar cells and bilayers, which is applied in the direction of paper/cardboard containers, pv power plants, containers, etc., can solve the problems of low creep resistance during the lamination process and end-use, low weathering and light stability, and complicating the sheet production and ensuing lamination processes

Inactive Publication Date: 2008-06-05
EI DU PONT DE NEMOURS & CO
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Ethylene vinyl acetate compositions, which have commonly been utilized as the encapsulant layer within solar cell modules, suffer the shortcomings of low adhesion to the other components used in the solar cell module, low creep resistance during the lamination process and end-use and low weathering and light stability.
These shortcomings have generally been overcome through the formulation of adhesion primers, peroxide curing agents, and thermal and UV stabilizer packages into the ethylene vinyl acetate compositions, which necessarily complicates the sheet production and ensuing lamination processes.
However, due to the extreme softness and tackiness at ambient temperature, the use of poly(vinyl butyral) sheets within solar cell modules has been complicated by the need to refrigerate the poly(vinyl butyral) sheet during shipment and storage.
In addition, plasticized poly(vinyl butyral) films, wherein the tackiness augments with rising temperature and the sliding property towards glass gets worse, have a tendency to impair processability and workability.

Method used

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  • Solar cells which include the use of certain poly(vinyl butyral)/film bilayer encapsulant layers with a low blocking tendency and a simplified process to produce thereof
  • Solar cells which include the use of certain poly(vinyl butyral)/film bilayer encapsulant layers with a low blocking tendency and a simplified process to produce thereof
  • Solar cells which include the use of certain poly(vinyl butyral)/film bilayer encapsulant layers with a low blocking tendency and a simplified process to produce thereof

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

examples

[0102]The following Examples are intended to be illustrative of the present invention, and are not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. The solar cell interconnections are omitted from the examples below to clarify the structures, but any common art solar cell interconnections may be utilized within the present invention.

Methods

[0103]The following methods are used in the Examples presented hereafter.

I. Lamination Process 1:

[0104]The laminate layers described below are stacked (laid up) to form the pre-laminate structures described within the examples. For the laminate containing a film layer as the incident or back-sheet layer, a cover glass sheet is placed over the film layer. The pre-laminate structure is then placed within a vacuum bag, the vacuum bag is sealed and a vacuum is applied to remove the air from the vacuum bag. The bag is placed into an oven and while maintaining the application of the vacuum to the vacuum bag, the vacuum bag is heated at 1...

examples 1-14

[0106]The 12-inch by 12-inch solar cell laminate structures described below in Table 1 are assembled and laminated by Lamination Process 1. In each construct, the layers are described in the order of from top to bottom and the poly(vinyl butyral) sub-layer of the preformed bi-layer sheet is in direct contact with the solar cell surface.

TABLE 1Solar Cell Laminate StructuresExampleLayer 1Layer 2Layer 3Layer 4Layer 5 1, 15Glass 1PVBSolar Cell 1Bilayer 1 2, 16FPFEBASolar Cell 2Bilayer 2 3, 17Bilayer 3Solar Cell 3Bilayer 2 4, 18Glass 2Ionomer 1Solar Cell 4Bilayer 1 5, 19FPFEMASolar Cell 1Bilayer 2 6, 20Bilayer 3Solar Cell 1ACRAL 7, 21Glass 3EVASolar Cell 4Bilayer 2 8, 22Bilayer 3Solar Cell 1PVB AAL 9, 23Glass 1Ionomer 2Solar Cell 4Bilayer 210, 24Glass 2PVBBilayer 2Solar CellBilayer1211, 25Bilayer 3Solar Cell 4Bilayer 2ACRAL12, 26Bilayer 3Solar Cell 1Bilayer 313, 27Bilayer 3Solar Cell 2Ionomer 1Glass 114, 28Bilayer 3Solar Cell 3PVB AGlass 2ACR is a 20 mil (0.51 mm) thick embossed sheet of...

examples 15-28

[0107]The 12-inch by 12-inch solar cell laminate structures described above in Table 1 are assembled and laminated by Lamination Process 2. In each construct, the layers are described in the order of from top to bottom and the poly(vinyl butyral) sub-layer of the preformed bi-layer sheet is in direct contact with the solar cell surface.

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Abstract

The present invention provides a solar cell laminate comprising a preformed bi-layer sheet having a poly(vinyl butyral) sub-layer.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to solar cell modules comprising a non-blocking poly(vinyl butyral) containing bi-layer sheet.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]As a renewable energy resource, the use of solar cell modules is rapidly expanding. With increasingly complex solar cell modules or laminates, also referred to as photovoltaic modules, comes an increased demand for enhanced functional encapsulant materials. Photovoltaic (solar) cell modules or laminates are units that convert light energy into electrical energy. Typical or conventional construction of a solar cell laminate consists of at least 5 structural layers. The layers of a conventional solar cell module are constructed in the following order starting from the top, or incident layer (that is, the layer first contacted by light) and continuing to the backing (the layer furthest removed from the incident layer): (1) incident layer or front-sheet, (2) front-sheet (or first) encapsulant layer, (3) v...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): H01L31/042B29C65/00
CPCB32B17/10018B32B17/10678B32B17/10743B32B17/10761B32B17/10788Y10T156/10B32B2367/00H01L31/02168H01L31/048Y02E10/50B32B2327/12B32B17/10853H01L31/0481H01L31/049H01L31/0216
Inventor HAYES, RICHARD ALLEN
Owner EI DU PONT DE NEMOURS & CO
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