Photovoltaic module and folding method of photovoltaic module

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of solar cells, and particularly to a photovoltaic module and a folding method thereof, including: a plurality of solar cells, which are arranged in an array, wherein the solar cells in each row are arranged at intervals in a first direction, and the solar cells in each column are arranged at intervals in a second direction, and the solar cells have a first surface and a second surface; a first flexible cover layer, which is located on one side of the first surface of the solar cells; a second flexible cover layer, which is located on one side of the second surface of the solar cells; the photovoltaic module is configured to be folded along the gap between adjacent rows of solar cells or along the gap between adjacent columns of solar cells, and the folding angle between two adjacent solar cells is 0° to 180°. Embodiments of the present application are beneficial to improving the folding performance of the photovoltaic module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of solar cells, and particularly to a photovoltaic module and a folding method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Photovoltaic modules, also known as solar panels, generate electricity through the "photovoltaic effect" and are the core part of a solar power generation system. With the popularization of the dual-carbon policy, green buildings have become the main theme of the industry. Foldable flexible photovoltaic modules can be used as sunshades for building doors and windows, RVs, or sun visors. When the flexible photovoltaic module is unfolded, it can not only provide shading but also generate electricity. Since the occupied area after folding is relatively small and it is convenient for storage, flexible photovoltaic modules are becoming increasingly popular.

[0003] However, the current folding performance of photovoltaic modules is poor. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide a photovoltaic module and a folding method thereof, which are at least beneficial to improving the folding performance of the photovoltaic module.

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a photovoltaic module, including: a plurality of battery cells, which are arranged in an array, wherein each row of the battery cells is arranged at intervals in a first direction, and each column of the battery cells is arranged at intervals in a second direction, and the battery cells have a first surface and a second surface; a first flexible cover layer, which is located on one side of the first surface of the battery cells; a second flexible cover layer, which is located on one side of the second surface of the battery cells; the photovoltaic module is used to fold along the gap between adjacent rows of the battery cells or along the gap between adjacent columns of the battery cells, and the folding angle between adjacent two battery cells is 0° to 180°.

[0006] In addition, it further includes: a plurality of support plates, which are arranged at intervals, the extending direction of the support plates is the same as the arrangement direction of each column of the battery cells or the arrangement direction of each row of the battery cells, and one support plate is located on the first surface of one column of the battery cells or one row of the battery cells.

[0007] In addition, the thickness of the support plate is 20 μm to 5000 μm, and the distance between adjacent two support plates is 10 mm to 200 mm.

[0008] In addition, along the arrangement direction of the support plates, among the two outermost support plates, at least one support plate surface is not provided with the battery cells.

[0009] In addition, the photovoltaic module is configured to be folded along the gaps between adjacent rows of the solar cells, and one of the support plates is located on the first surface of one row of the solar cells; the photovoltaic module is configured to be folded along the gaps between adjacent columns of the solar cells, and one of the support plates is located on the first surface of one column of the solar cells.

[0010] In addition, in one column of the solar cells, two adjacent solar cells are connected in series, and one column of solar cells is configured to form a battery string.

[0011] In addition, the photovoltaic module is configured to be folded along the gaps between adjacent rows of the solar cells, and two adjacent battery strings are connected in series.

[0012] In addition, the distance between adjacent rows of solar cells is 10 mm to 200 mm.

[0013] In addition, it further includes: a bus bar, the bus bar is located on the first surface or the second surface of the solar cells, the bus bar extends along a first direction, the bus bar electrically connects the positive electrode of one battery string and the negative electrode of another battery string among the two outermost battery strings, and the bus bar is further configured to connect two adjacent battery strings in series.

[0014] In addition, the battery string is configured to be folded along the gaps between adjacent columns of the solar cells, and two adjacent battery strings are connected in parallel.

[0015] In addition, the distance between adjacent columns of solar cells is 10 mm to 200 mm.

[0016] In addition, it further includes: a bus bar, the bus bar is located on the first surface or the second surface of the solar cells, the bus bar extends along a second direction and is configured to electrically connect the two outermost solar cells in one battery string.

[0017] In addition, the photovoltaic module includes a central region and a peripheral region, the battery string is located in the central region, and it further includes: a junction box, the junction box is located in the peripheral region of the photovoltaic module, and the junction box is located on one side of the photovoltaic module along the folding direction of the photovoltaic module.

[0018] In addition, the junction box is located on the side of the bus bar away from the solar cells, and when the battery string is configured to be folded along the gaps between adjacent columns of the solar cells, the junction box is aligned with one end of the bus bar.

[0019] Accordingly, an embodiment of the present application further provides a folding method for a photovoltaic module, which is applied to the photovoltaic module described in any one of the above, and includes: along the arrangement direction of the rows of the cells, each row of the cells is sequentially named as the first row of cells to the Nth row of cells, and along the arrangement direction of the columns of the cells, each column of the cells is sequentially named as the first column of cells to the Mth column of cells. The folding method includes: folding the photovoltaic module along the gap between two adjacent rows of the cells, wherein the (n + 1)th row of cells is located above the nth row of cells, 1 ≤ n < N; or folding the photovoltaic cell along the gap between two adjacent columns of the cells, wherein the (m + 1)th column of cells is located above the mth column of cells, 1 ≤ m < M. Each row of cells is folded sequentially or each column of cells is folded sequentially. When the folding angle between adjacent cells is 0°, a stacked structure is formed.

[0020] The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application has at least the following advantages:

[0021] In the technical solution of the solar cell provided by the embodiment of the present application, the first flexible cover layer and the second flexible cover layer are provided, so that the photovoltaic module is easy to fold. When the photovoltaic module is folded, it can be folded along the gap between two adjacent rows of cells or along the gap between two adjacent columns of cells. In this way, not only can the folding within a single photovoltaic module be realized, but also the folding of the photovoltaic module is relatively regular, which is beneficial to the storage of the photovoltaic module. In addition, the folding angle between two adjacent cells is set to be 0° to 180°, so that after the photovoltaic module is folded, two adjacent rows of cells or two adjacent columns of cells can completely overlap, reducing the volume of the photovoltaic module after folding and further facilitating the storage of the photovoltaic module. Description of the Drawings

[0022] One or more embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by the pictures in the corresponding drawings. These exemplary illustrations do not limit the embodiments. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute a proportional limitation.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a photovoltaic module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 And Figure 3 It is a schematic folding structural diagram of a photovoltaic module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 It is a schematic circuit structural diagram of a photovoltaic module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5Schematic top view structure of a photovoltaic module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 6 Schematic circuit structure in another photovoltaic module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 7 Schematic top view structure of another photovoltaic module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 8 Schematic structure of another photovoltaic module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 9 Schematic structure of yet another photovoltaic module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 10 Schematic structure of still another photovoltaic module provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0032] As can be seen from the background art, there is currently a problem of poor folding performance of photovoltaic modules.

[0033] Analysis reveals that one of the reasons for the poor folding performance of photovoltaic modules is that in current foldable photovoltaic modules, one type is to replace only the cover plates on the two surfaces of the battery cells with flexible front plates or flexible rear plates, enabling the module to bend within the radius of curvature of the flexible front plate and the flexible rear plate. However, the degree of bending of this folding is limited and it cannot be folded and stored. Another type of foldable photovoltaic module mainly connects two or more photovoltaic modules together through connecting components and folds the multiple photovoltaic modules up and down. However, this folding method cannot achieve folding within a single photovoltaic module, resulting in a relatively large volume of the folded photovoltaic module and making it difficult to carry.

[0034] An embodiment of the present application provides a photovoltaic module, which is provided with a first flexible cover layer and a second flexible cover layer, thereby making the photovoltaic module easy to fold. The photovoltaic module is set to fold along the gap between adjacent two rows of battery cells or along the gap between adjacent two columns of battery cells. In this way, not only can folding within a single photovoltaic module be achieved, but also the folding of the photovoltaic module is more regular, which is beneficial for storing the photovoltaic module. The folding angle between adjacent two battery cells is 0° to 180°, so that after the photovoltaic module is folded, adjacent two rows of battery cells or adjacent two columns of battery cells can completely overlap, reducing the volume of the folded photovoltaic module and further facilitating the storage of the photovoltaic module.

[0035] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that in the embodiments of the present application, many technical details are provided to help readers better understand the present application. However, even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments, the technical solutions claimed in the present application can still be implemented.

[0036] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a photovoltaic module provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] Referring to Figure 1 , the photovoltaic module includes: a plurality of solar cells 100, which are arranged in an array. Among them, each row of solar cells 100 is arranged at intervals along the first direction X, and each column of solar cells 100 is arranged at intervals along the second direction Y. The solar cell 100 has a first surface and a second surface; a first flexible cover layer 102, which is located on one side of the first surface of the solar cell 100; a second flexible cover layer 103, which is located on one side of the second surface of the solar cell 100; the photovoltaic module is configured to be folded along the gap between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100, or folded along the gap between two adjacent columns of solar cells 100, and the folding angle between two adjacent solar cells 100 is 0° to 180°.

[0038] The solar cell 100 is configured to absorb photons in the incident light and generate electron-hole pairs. The electron-hole pairs are separated by the built-in electric field in the solar cell 100, and an electric potential is generated at both ends of the PN junction, thereby converting light energy into electrical energy. In some embodiments, the first surface of the solar cell 100 serves as the light-receiving surface for absorbing incident light. In other embodiments, both surfaces of the solar cell 100 serve as light-receiving surfaces for absorbing incident light. In some embodiments, the solar cell 100 may be a crystalline silicon solar cell, for example, a monocrystalline silicon solar cell or a polycrystalline silicon solar cell. It can be understood that in some embodiments, the solar cell 100 may be a whole piece or multiple sub-pieces (for example, multiple sub-pieces such as 1 / 2 sub-piece, 1 / 3 sub-piece, 1 / 4 sub-piece, etc.).

[0039] The first flexible cover layer 102 and the second flexible cover layer 103 are respectively located on two opposite surfaces of the solar cell 100. The materials of the first flexible cover layer 102 and the second flexible cover layer 103 can be selected to have good flexibility, insulation, water resistance, and aging resistance. In this way, the first flexible cover layer 102 and the second flexible cover layer 103 can provide good protection and sealing for the solar cell 100. At the same time, due to the good flexibility of the first flexible cover layer 102 and the second flexible cover layer 103, the entire photovoltaic module is easy to fold.

[0040] Specifically, in some embodiments, the first flexible cover layer 102 can be a flexible cover plate. In this way, the setting of the first flexible cover layer 102 can not only enable the folding of the photovoltaic module, but also provide good protection for the first surface of the cell 100. Specifically, in some embodiments, the flexible cover plate can be made of materials resistant to environmental aging and scratch resistance, such as PVF (polyvinyl fluoride), PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), or ETFE (Ethylene-terafluoroethlene).

[0041] In some embodiments, the second flexible cover layer 103 can be an insulating cloth. On the one hand, the insulating cloth can prevent the leakage of electricity from the cell 100 and maintain the normal use performance of the cell 100. On the other hand, the insulating cloth has great flexibility and can further improve the folding performance of the cell 100.

[0042] The folding angle between two adjacent cells 100 is set to be 0° to 180°. Specifically, when the folding angle between two adjacent cells 100 is 180°, the photovoltaic module is in an unfolded state; when the folding angle between two adjacent cells 100 is 0°, the two adjacent cells 100 form a stacked structure. In this way, after the photovoltaic module is folded along the gap between two adjacent rows of cells 100 and in the arrangement direction of the rows in sequence, a stacked structure is formed between each row of cells 100 and the adjacent row of cells 100. As a result, in the finally folded photovoltaic module, multiple rows of cells 100 are stacked in sequence, so that the occupied area of the folded photovoltaic module is actually only the area of one row of cells 100. Thus, the area of the folded photovoltaic module is greatly reduced. For example, if there are 10 rows of cells 100 arranged at intervals in the photovoltaic module, after the photovoltaic module is folded along the gap between two adjacent rows of cells 100 and in the arrangement direction of the rows in sequence, the occupied area of the photovoltaic module is actually only the occupied area of 1 row of cells 100, and the occupied area of the folded photovoltaic module is only one-tenth of the occupied area of the unfolded photovoltaic module, thus greatly reducing the difficulty of storage. Similarly, after the photovoltaic module is folded along the gap between two adjacent columns of cells 100 and in the arrangement direction of the columns in sequence, a stacked structure is formed between each column of cells 100 and the adjacent column of cells 100. As a result, in the finally folded photovoltaic module, multiple columns of cells 100 are stacked in sequence.

[0043] Specifically, the folding angle between two adjacent cells 100 can be adjusted to multiple angles according to different requirements. For example, refer to Figure 2, in some embodiments, the folding angle between two adjacent cell sheets 100 can be 0° to 30° or 30° to 45°. Within the above angle range, it is suitable for the storage of the photovoltaic module, making the floor area of the photovoltaic module smaller after storage. Refer to Figure 3 , in other embodiments, the folding angle between two adjacent cell sheets 100 can be 45° to 60°, 60° to 80°, 80° to 90°, 90° to 120°, 120° to 145°, 145° to 165° or 165° to 180°. Within the above angle range, the folding angle between two adjacent cell sheets 100 is relatively large, so that the area between two adjacent cell sheets 100 is relatively large after expansion. Furthermore, it can be used as a light-shielding curtain or a light-shielding shed, and the expansion area of the photovoltaic module can be adjusted by adjusting the folding angle between two adjacent cell sheets 100, thus being suitable for different requirements.

[0044] In some embodiments, in a column of cell sheets 100, two adjacent cell sheets 100 are connected in series, and a column of cell sheets 100 is used to form a battery string 1 ( Figure 4 and Figure 6 shown by the dashed box in). In some embodiments, it further includes: a flexible solder strip, and the flexible solder strip is used to connect two adjacent cell sheets 100 in series. The flexible solder strip is disposed on the surface of the cell sheet 100, and the flexible solder strip can be located on the surface of the grid lines on the cell sheet 100 and connect two adjacent cell sheets 100 to electrically connect two adjacent cell sheets 100. The flexible solder strip has good flexibility. In this way, two adjacent cell sheets 100 in a battery string 1 can be folded with each other, and at the same time, the flexible solder strip can still maintain normal current transmission performance.

[0045] In some embodiments, one end of the flexible solder strip is electrically connected to the first surface of a cell sheet 100, and the other end of the flexible solder strip is electrically connected to the second surface of an adjacent cell sheet 100 to form an electrical connection between two cell sheets 100. In other embodiments, one end of the flexible solder strip is electrically connected to the first surface of a cell sheet 100, and the other end of the flexible solder strip is electrically connected to the first surface of the adjacent cell sheet 100, or one end of the flexible solder strip is electrically connected to the second surface of a cell sheet 100, and the other end of the flexible solder strip is electrically connected to the second surface of the adjacent cell sheet 100 to form an electrical connection between adjacent cell sheets 100. In some embodiments, the shape of the flexible solder strip can be any one of a circle, a rectangle, a trapezoid or a triangle. The flexible solder strip with the above shape has a relatively large thickness, which can improve the current transmission performance of the flexible solder strip.

[0046] In some embodiments, the thickness of the flexible solder ribbon is 50 μm to 500 μm, for example, it can be 50 μm to 80 μm, 80 μm to 100 μm, 100 μm to 150 μm, 150 μm to 180 μm, 180 μm to 230 μm, 230 μm to 250 μm, 280 μm to 300 μm, 300 μm to 350 μm, 350 μm to 400 μm, 400 μm to 450 μm, or 450 μm to 500 μm. Within this thickness range, the thickness of the flexible solder ribbon is not too thick, preventing the problem that when folding along the gap between two adjacent solar cells 100 in a battery string, the folding angle between the two adjacent solar cells 100 is restricted due to the excessive thickness of the flexible solder ribbon. On the other hand, within this range, the thickness of the flexible solder ribbon is not too small, so that good current transmission performance of the flexible solder ribbon can be maintained, improving the current collection ability of the photovoltaic module.

[0047] Reference Figure 4 , in some embodiments, the photovoltaic module is used to fold along the gap between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100, and two adjacent battery strings are connected in series. That is to say, in the photovoltaic module, the electrical connection relationship between the solar cells 100 is all in series, that is, the circuit formed by multiple solar cells 100 in the photovoltaic module is a series circuit. In some embodiments, two adjacent battery strings can also be electrically connected through a flexible solder ribbon.

[0048] A column of solar cells 100 is used to form a battery string. When two adjacent battery strings are set to be connected in series, the photovoltaic module folds along the gap between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100, that is, in one battery string, two adjacent solar cells 100 are folded with each other. Such a setting can reduce the folding of the remaining lines in the photovoltaic module, thereby ensuring the integrity of the photovoltaic module circuit. This is because when the circuit in the photovoltaic module is a series circuit, the current of each solar cell 100 in the photovoltaic module needs to be collected. Since each string of solar cells 100 is in series, only the current input ends and current output ends of the two outermost battery strings among the multiple battery strings arranged at intervals need to be connected, that is, the current of the entire circuit is collected. Usually, in order to reasonably arrange the wiring and reduce the wiring amount, the extending direction of the line used for current collection in the photovoltaic module is set to be the same as the arrangement direction of the battery string, that is, the same as the arrangement direction of each solar cell 100 in a row of solar cells 100, so that the electrical signals of the two outermost battery strings can be led out. Based on this, setting the photovoltaic module to fold along the gap between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100 enables the photovoltaic module not to fold the line used for current collection when folding, preventing problems such as line breakage or hindrance to current transmission, which is beneficial to maintaining the integrity of the circuit.

[0049] Reference Figure 4, specifically, in some embodiments, it further includes: a bus bar 10, the bus bar 10 is located on the first surface or the second surface of the cell 100, the bus bar 10 extends along the first direction X. When two adjacent battery strings are connected in series, the bus bar 10 is electrically connected to the positive electrode of one battery string and the negative electrode of the other battery string among the two outermost battery strings, and the bus bar 10 is also used to connect two adjacent battery strings in series. The bus bar 10 can be used as a circuit for collecting the current of each cell 100 in the photovoltaic module. The positive electrode of the battery string refers to the end where the current is input in a battery string, and the negative electrode of the battery string refers to the end where the current is output in a battery string. And the end where the current is input in the battery string is located in the cell 100 at the head of a battery string, specifically, it can be the positive electrode of the cell 100. The end where the current is output in the battery string is located in the cell 100 at the tail of a battery string, specifically, it can be the negative electrode of the cell 100. The head refers to the cell 100 where the current input end is located in a battery string, and the tail refers to the cell 100 where the current output end is located in a battery string. Specifically, each cell 100 has a current input end and a current output end, that is, each cell 100 has a positive electrode and a negative electrode. The negative electrode of one cell 100 is electrically connected to the positive electrode of an adjacent cell 100 to form a series circuit.

[0050] The bus bar 10 extends along the first direction X, that is, the extension direction of the bus bar 10 is the same as the arrangement direction of multiple battery strings, so that one end of the bus bar 10 can be electrically connected to either the positive electrode or the negative electrode in one of the outermost battery strings, and the other end of the bus bar 10 can be electrically connected to the other of the positive electrode or the negative electrode in the other outermost battery string, thereby collecting the current of the entire circuit composed of the cells 100 in the photovoltaic module. Moreover, two adjacent battery strings are also electrically connected through the bus bar to form a series circuit, and the bus bar located between two adjacent battery strings extends along the first direction X, connecting the head of one battery string and the tail of an adjacent battery string respectively.

[0051] It is not difficult to find that the bus bar 10 extends along the first direction X, making the extension direction of the bus bar 10 the same as the arrangement direction of each row of cells 100. In this way, when folding along the gap between two adjacent rows of cells 100, the bus bar 10 will not be folded, thereby preventing the problem of breaking the bus bar 10. Specifically, reference can be made to Figure 5 , Figure 5 the dotted line in

[0052] In addition, since the bus bar 10 is not folded during the folding process of the photovoltaic module, in some embodiments, the bus bar 10 can be made of a relatively hard and thick material, so as to ensure that the bus bar 10 has good current transmission performance and good current collection ability. In other embodiments, the bus bar 10 can also be made of a flexible material.

[0053] It can be understood that when the photovoltaic module is folded, a row of solar cells 100 will be folded towards an adjacent row of solar cells 100, or a column of solar cells 100 will be folded towards an adjacent column of solar cells 100. That is to say, two adjacent rows of solar cells 100 are folded with each other or two adjacent columns of solar cells 100 are folded with each other. Therefore, it is necessary to set the thickness of the solar cells 100 not to be too large, so as to avoid the side edges of adjacent solar cells 100 abutting against each other when two adjacent rows of solar cells 100 or two adjacent columns of solar cells 100 are folded with each other, resulting in the problem that the photovoltaic module cannot be further folded and the folding angle cannot be further reduced.

[0054] Based on the above considerations, in some embodiments, the thickness of the solar cells is 100 μm to 170 μm, for example, it can be 100 μm to 110 μm, 110 μm to 120 μm, 120 μm to 130 μm, 130 μm to 140 μm, 140 μm to 150 μm, 150 μm to 160 μm or 160 μm to 170 μm. Within this range, the thickness of the solar cells 100 is relatively small. On the one hand, it is beneficial to form a lightweight photovoltaic module. On the other hand, when two adjacent rows of solar cells 100 or two adjacent columns of solar cells 100 are folded with each other, the probability of the side edges of adjacent solar cells 100 abutting against each other in the direction of approaching each other is reduced, preventing the folding between the solar cells 100 from being hindered, so that the folding angle between two adjacent solar cells 100 cannot be further reduced, which is beneficial to the storage of the photovoltaic module. On the other hand, within this range, the thickness of the solar cells 100 is not too small, so as to ensure the photoelectric conversion performance of the solar cells 100.

[0055] In some embodiments, when two adjacent battery strings are connected in series, the distance between two adjacent rows of solar cells is 10 mm to 200 mm. For example, it can be 10 mm to 30 mm, 30 mm to 50 mm, 50 mm to 70 mm, 70 mm to 100 mm, 100 mm to 130 mm, 130 mm to 150 mm, 150 mm to 180 mm, or 180 mm to 200 mm. It can be understood that when the photovoltaic module is folded along the gap between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100, the folding angle between two adjacent solar cells 100 is related to the thickness of the solar cell 100 and the distance between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100. When two adjacent rows of solar cells 100 are folded towards each other, if the distance between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100 is too small, the sides of two adjacent solar cells 100 will abut against each other. In addition, if the thickness of the solar cell 100 is too large, the sides of two adjacent solar cells 100 will also abut against each other, resulting in the problem that the folding angle between two adjacent solar cells 100 cannot be further reduced.

[0056] Based on the above considerations, the distance between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100 is set within this range, so that the distance between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100 and the thickness of the solar cell 100 are in a matching relationship, and the distance between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100 is sufficient to accommodate the total thickness after two solar cells 100 are stacked, so that the folding angle between two adjacent solar cells 100 can reach 0°. On the other hand, the width between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100 is not too large, preventing too much incident light from passing through the gap between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100 and irradiating into the room, resulting in the problem that the light-shielding performance of the photovoltaic module cannot meet the user's requirements.

[0057] In some embodiments, when the photovoltaic module is used to fold along the gap between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100, in the second direction Y, the width of each solar cell 100 is 10 mm to 300 mm. For example, it can be 10 mm to 30 mm, 30 mm to 50 mm, 50 mm to 80 mm, 80 mm to 110 mm, 110 mm to 150 mm, 150 mm to 200 mm, 200 mm to 250 mm, or 250 mm to 300 mm. The second direction Y is the arrangement direction of the solar cells 100 in a battery string. The photovoltaic module is used to fold along the gap between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100, that is, two adjacent solar cells 100 in a battery string are folded with each other. When the folding angle between two adjacent solar cells 100 is 0°, each row of solar cells 100 after the photovoltaic module is folded is stacked in sequence, so that in the second direction Y, the width of the photovoltaic module after folding is actually determined by the width of each solar cell 100 in the second direction Y. Based on this, the width of each solar cell 100 in the second direction Y is set to be 10 mm to 300 mm, so that the photovoltaic module has a smaller width in the second direction Y after folding, which is beneficial to the storage of the photovoltaic module. And within this range, the occupied area of the solar cells 100 in the photovoltaic module is not too large, so that there can be a larger spacing between two adjacent solar cells 100 in the second direction Y, which is beneficial to reducing the folding angle between the two solar cells 100.

[0058] Reference Figure 6 , in some embodiments, the battery string is used to fold along the gap between two adjacent columns of solar cells 100, and two adjacent battery strings are connected in parallel. That is to say, in the photovoltaic module, the electrical connection relationship between the solar cells 100 is series-parallel. Such a setting can reduce the folding of the remaining circuits in the photovoltaic module, and then ensure the integrity of the photovoltaic module circuit. This is because, since each battery string is in a parallel relationship, it is necessary to electrically connect the two outermost solar cells 100 in each battery string to collect the current transmitted in each battery string. In order to reasonably arrange the wiring and reduce the wiring consumption, usually the extension direction of the circuit for current collection is set to be the same as the arrangement direction of the solar cells 100 in the battery string, that is, the same as the arrangement direction of the solar cells 100 in a column of solar cells 100. Based on this, the photovoltaic module is set to fold along the gap between two adjacent columns of solar cells 100, so that when the photovoltaic module is folded, it avoids the circuit for current collection, prevents the folding of the circuit for current collection, and prevents problems such as circuit breakage or hindrance to current transmission, which is beneficial to maintaining the circuit integrity.

[0059] In some embodiments, two adjacent battery strings can be electrically connected through a flexible solder tape.

[0060] Reference Figure 7, in some embodiments, when two adjacent battery strings are connected in parallel, the bus bar 10 is arranged to extend along the second direction Y, and the bus bar 10 is connected to the outermost two solar cells 100 in one battery string.

[0061] The outermost two solar cells 100 in one battery string respectively serve as the current input end and the current output end of the battery string. Among them, the solar cell 100 serving as the current input end is in the first position in one battery string, and the solar cell 100 serving as the current output end is in the last position in one battery string. That is to say, one end of the bus bar 10 is used to electrically connect the first stage of one battery string, and the other end of the bus bar 10 is used to electrically connect the last stage of one battery string. In this way, the bus bar 10 can be used to collect the current transmitted in each battery string. Specifically, the bus bar can only electrically connect the first stage and the last stage of the outermost one battery string. In some embodiments, two adjacent battery strings can also be connected in parallel through a bus bar, and the bus bar between two adjacent battery strings extends along the first direction Y.

[0062] When the photovoltaic module is folded, it can be folded along the gap between two adjacent battery strings, so as to prevent the problem that the bus bar 10 is folded and the bus bar 10 is damaged or even broken during the folding process of the photovoltaic module. Specifically, reference can be made to Figure 7 , Figure 7 where the dotted line is the folding line of the photovoltaic module, and the photovoltaic module is folded along the folding line.

[0063] In some embodiments, when two adjacent battery strings are connected in parallel, the distance between two adjacent columns of solar cells is 10 mm to 200 mm, for example, it can be 10 mm to 30 mm, 30 mm to 50 mm, 50 mm to 70 mm, 70 mm to 100 mm, 100 mm to 130 mm, 130 mm to 150 mm, 150 mm to 180 mm or 180 mm to 200 mm. Within this range, the distance between two adjacent columns of solar cells 100 and the thickness of the solar cells 100 are in a matching relationship, so that the distance between two adjacent columns of solar cells 100 is sufficient to accommodate the total thickness after two solar cells 100 are stacked, and then the folding angle between two adjacent solar cells 100 can reach 0°, greatly improving the folding and accommodation performance of the photovoltaic module.

[0064] In some embodiments, when the photovoltaic module is used to fold along the gap between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100, in the first direction X, the width of each solar cell 100 is 10 mm to 300 mm. For example, it can be 10 mm to 30 mm, 30 mm to 50 mm, 50 mm to 80 mm, 80 mm to 110 mm, 110 mm to 150 mm, 150 mm to 200 mm, 200 mm to 250 mm, or 250 mm to 300 mm. The first direction X is the arrangement direction of the solar cells 100 in a row of solar cells 100. The photovoltaic module is used to fold along the gap between two adjacent columns of solar cells 100, that is, two adjacent solar cells 100 in a row of solar cells 100 are folded relative to each other. When the folding angle between two adjacent solar cells 100 is 0°, each column of solar cells 100 after the photovoltaic module is folded is stacked in sequence, so that in the first direction X, the width of the photovoltaic module after folding is actually determined by the width of each solar cell 100 in the first direction X. Based on this, it is set that in the first direction X, the width of each solar cell 100 is 10 mm to 300 mm, so that the photovoltaic module has a smaller width in the first direction X after folding, which is beneficial to the storage of the photovoltaic module. Moreover, within this range, the occupied area of the solar cells 100 in the photovoltaic module is not too large, so that there can be a larger spacing between two adjacent solar cells 100 in the first direction X, which is beneficial to reducing the folding angle between the two solar cells 100.

[0065] Reference Figures 4 to 7 , in some embodiments, the photovoltaic module includes a central region and a peripheral region. The battery string is located in the central region, and further includes: a junction box 20, which is located in the peripheral region of the photovoltaic module, and the junction box 20 is located on one side of the photovoltaic module along the folding direction of the photovoltaic module. The junction box 20, as a connecting device, is used to connect the bus bar 10 to an external circuit and transmit the current in the bus bar 10 to the external circuit. Setting the junction box 20 in the peripheral region of the photovoltaic module facilitates the combination of the photovoltaic module with the window, is easy to hide the junction box 20, and does not affect the integrity of the circuit.

[0066] The folding direction here means that a row of solar cells 100 away from the junction box 20 is folded towards a row of solar cells 100 close to the junction box 20 in sequence, or a column of solar cells 100 away from the junction box 20 is folded towards a column of solar cells 100 close to the junction box 20 in sequence. In this way, during the stacking process of the photovoltaic module, there is no need to move the junction box 20, and thus the stable connection between the junction box 20 and the external circuit can be ensured.

[0067] Reference Figure 5, in some embodiments, when the battery string is used to fold along the gap between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100, the photovoltaic module can be folded up and down. Therefore, it can be applied to windows and used as a light-shielding curtain. The folding method of the photovoltaic module is similar to that of a Venetian blind. By controlling the folding angle between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100, the light-shielding area of the photovoltaic module for the window can be adjusted, thereby meeting the needs of users. It can be set that the side of the photovoltaic module where the junction box 20 is located is at the top of the window. On the one hand, it is beneficial to hide the junction box 20 and maintain the beauty of the photovoltaic module. On the other hand, it is beneficial to fix the junction box 20 and maintain a stable connection between the junction box 20 and the external circuit. Specifically, in some embodiments, the junction box 20 can be located on the side of the bus bar 10 away from the solar cell 100. The junction box 20 can be directly opposite to the middle of the bus bar 10 or the end of the bus bar 10. In the embodiments of the present application, the specific positional relationship between the bus bar 10 and the junction box 20 is not limited.

[0068] Reference Figure 6 , in other embodiments, the junction box 20 is located on the side of the bus bar 10 away from the solar cell 100, and when the battery string is used to fold along the gap between two adjacent columns of solar cells 100, the junction box 20 is directly opposite to one end of the bus bar 10. When the battery string is used to fold along the gap between two adjacent columns of solar cells 100, the photovoltaic module can be folded left and right. Therefore, it can be used as a light-shielding shed or a light-shielding board, etc., and can be specifically applied to a motor home or other buildings. Specifically, it can be set that the side of the photovoltaic module where the junction box 20 is located is connected to the motor home or the building. Generally, the external lines in the motor home or the building are arranged along the wall of the motor home compartment or the wall of the building. When the side of the photovoltaic module is connected to the motor home or the building, the end of the bus bar 10 is arranged close to the compartment wall or the wall. Based on this, setting the junction box 20 to be directly opposite to one end of the bus bar 10 makes the distance between the junction box 20 and the compartment wall of the motor home or the wall of the building close when the side of the photovoltaic module where the junction box 20 is located is connected to the motor home or the building, which is beneficial to maintaining a stable connection between the junction box 20 and the external circuit and is also beneficial to hiding the junction box 20.

[0069] Reference Figure 8 Only Figure 9 , in some embodiments, it further includes: a plurality of support plates 101, the support plates 101 are arranged at intervals, the extending direction of the support plates 101 is the same as the arrangement direction of each column of solar cells 100 or the arrangement direction of each row of solar cells 100, and one support plate 101 is located on the first surface of one column of solar cells 100 or one row of solar cells 100.

[0070] A row or a column of solar cells 100 is disposed on the surface of the support plate 101, and the solar cells 100 are fixed to the surface of the support plate 101. In some embodiments, the second surface of the solar cell 100 and the surface of the support plate 101 can be fixed by adhesive. That is to say, the support plate 101 plays a role in supporting and fixing a column or a row of solar cells 100. Thus, when folding the photovoltaic module, it is only necessary to fold along the gap between adjacent support plates 101, and then two adjacent columns or two adjacent rows of solar cells 100 can be folded. Such a setting can make the folding mode of the photovoltaic module similar to that of a shutter, and thus it can be better applied as a curtain to a window to meet the needs of users.

[0071] In some embodiments, the photovoltaic module is used to fold along the gap between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100, and a support plate 101 is located on the first surface of a row of solar cells 100; the photovoltaic module is used to fold along the gap between two adjacent columns of solar cells 100, and a support plate 101 is located on the first surface of a column of solar cells 100.

[0072] Specifically, referring to Figure 9 , in some embodiments, multiple support plates 101 are arranged at intervals along the second direction Y, and each support plate 101 extends along the first direction X, and each support plate 101 is located on the second surface of a row of solar cells 100.

[0073] Referring to Figure 10 , in other embodiments, multiple support plates 101 are arranged at intervals along the first direction X, and each support plate 101 extends along the second direction Y, and each support plate 101 is located on the second surface of a column of solar cells 100.

[0074] When the photovoltaic module is folded along the gap between two adjacent support plates 101, it can be that two rows of solar cells 100 are folded against each other, that is, the two rows of solar cells 100 approach each other, or it can be that two support plates 101 are folded against each other, that is, the two support plates 101 are folded towards the direction of approaching each other. Therefore, when the thickness of the support plate 101 is too large, it will also cause the side wall edges of two adjacent support plates 101 facing each other to abut, which will further cause the problem that the folding angle between the two support plates 101 cannot be further reduced. In addition, when the thickness of the support plate 101 is too small, it will not be able to provide good support and protection for the solar cells 100. Based on this, in some embodiments, the thickness of the support plate is 20 μm to 5000 μm, for example, it can be 20 μm to 50 μm, 50 μm to 200 μm, 200 μm to 500 μm, 500 μm to 850 μm, 850 μm to 1000 μm, 1000 μm to 1500 μm, 1500 μm to 2000 μm, 2000 μm to 2500 μm, 2500 μm to 3000 μm, 3000 μm to 3500 μm, 3500 μm to 4000 μm, 4000 μm to 4500 μm or 4500 μm to 5000 μm. The distance between two adjacent support plates 101 is 10 mm to 200 mm, for example, it can be 10 mm to 30 mm, 30 mm to 50 mm, 50 mm to 80 mm, 80 mm to 100 mm, 100 mm to 140 mm, 140 mm to 180 mm or 180 mm to 200 mm. Within this thickness range, on the one hand, the thickness of the support plate 101 is small, so that during the folding process of the photovoltaic module, the problem that the side walls of two adjacent support plates 101 facing each other abut and further folding is impossible can be improved, thus improving the folding performance of the photovoltaic module. On the other hand, within this range, the thickness of the support plate 101 is not too small, so that the support plate 101 can also provide good support and protection for the solar cells 100, improving the quality of the photovoltaic module. When within this thickness range, the thickness of the support plate 101 matches the distance between two adjacent columns of solar cells 100 or the distance between two adjacent rows of solar cells 100, so that the distance between two adjacent solar cells 100 is sufficient to accommodate the total thickness of two superimposed support plates 101, and the folding angle between two adjacent support plates 101 can reach 0°, greatly improving the folding and accommodation performance of the photovoltaic module. In addition, when the distance between two adjacent support plates is within the range of 10 mm to 200 mm, the distance between two adjacent support plates 101 matches the thickness of the support plate 101 itself, so that the distance between two adjacent support plates 101 is sufficient to accommodate the total thickness of two superimposed support plates 101, and thus the folding angle between two adjacent support plates 101 can reach 0°.

[0075] In some embodiments, along the arrangement direction of the support plates 101, among the two outermost support plates 101, at least one support plate 101 has no solar cells 100 disposed on its surface. In some embodiments, among the support plates 101 arranged at intervals, one of the outermost support plates 101 may be arranged without solar cells 100 on its surface; in other embodiments, among the support plates 101 arranged at intervals, the two outermost support plates 101 may be arranged without solar cells 100 on their surfaces. Compared with arranging solar cells 100 on the surface of each support plate 101, arranging no solar cells 100 on the surface of at least one of the two outermost support plates 101 can increase the distance between the outermost row of solar cells 100 and the side of the photovoltaic module, thereby increasing the creepage distance of the photovoltaic module. It can be understood that the side of the photovoltaic module referred to here means the side of the photovoltaic module opposite to the outermost row of solar cells 100.

[0076] In other embodiments, each support plate 101 may also correspond one by one to each column of solar cells 100 or each row of solar cells 100. Specifically, when the arrangement mode of the support plate 101 is the same as that of a column of solar cells 100, the support plate 101 is located on the second surface of each column of solar cells 100; when the arrangement mode of the support plate 101 is the same as that of a row of solar cells 100, the support plate 101 is located on the second surface of each row of solar cells 100.

[0077] In some embodiments, the material of the support plate includes any one of metal materials or glass fiber composite materials.

[0078] Reference Figure 10 , in some embodiments, it further includes: a first encapsulant film 104 and a second encapsulant film 105. The first encapsulant film 104 is located between the first flexible cover layer 102 and the solar cells 100, and the second encapsulant film 105 is located between the second flexible cover layer 103 and the solar cells 100. The first encapsulant film 104 and the second encapsulant film 105 are used to encapsulate the solar cells 100, and can bond the solar cells 100 to the first flexible cover layer 102 and the solar cells 100 to the second flexible cover layer 103.

[0079] In some embodiments, when the photovoltaic module further includes a support plate 101, the second encapsulant film 105 is located between the support plate 101 and the solar cells 100, and is used to bond the solar cells 100 to the support plate 101. In some embodiments, at least one of the first encapsulant film 104 and the second encapsulant film 105 is a POE encapsulant film or an EVA encapsulant film.

[0080] In some other embodiments, a third adhesive film 106 may also be included. The third adhesive film 106 is located between the support plate 101 and the second flexible cover layer 103 and is used to bond the support plate 101 to the insulating cloth. The material of the third adhesive film 106 may be the same as that of the second adhesive film 105 and the first adhesive film 104.

[0081] In the photovoltaic module provided by the above embodiments, the first flexible cover layer 102 and the second flexible cover layer 103 are provided, so that the photovoltaic module is easy to fold. The photovoltaic module is folded along the gap between adjacent two rows of the solar cells 100 or along the gap between adjacent two columns of the solar cells 100. In this way, not only can the folding within a single photovoltaic module be realized, but also the folding of the photovoltaic module is relatively regular, which is beneficial to the storage of the photovoltaic module. The folding angle between two adjacent solar cells 100 is 0° to 180°, so that after the photovoltaic module is folded, two adjacent rows of the solar cells 100 or two adjacent columns of the solar cells 100 can completely overlap, reducing the volume of the photovoltaic module after folding and further facilitating the storage of the photovoltaic module.

[0082] Correspondingly, an embodiment of the present application also provides a folding method for a photovoltaic module, which is applied to the photovoltaic module provided by the above application embodiment. Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , and includes: in the arrangement direction of the rows of the solar cells 100, each row of the solar cells 100 is sequentially named as the first row of solar cells 100 to the Nth row of solar cells 100, and in the arrangement direction of the columns of the solar cells 100, each column of the solar cells 100 is sequentially named as the first column of solar cells 100 to the Mth column of solar cells 100. The folding method includes: folding the photovoltaic module along the gap between adjacent two rows of the solar cells 100, wherein the (n + 1)th row of the solar cells 100 is located above the nth row of the solar cells 100, 1 ≤ n < N; or folding the photovoltaic cell along the gap between adjacent two columns of the solar cells 100, wherein the (m + 1)th column of the solar cells 100 is located above the mth column of the solar cells 100, 1 ≤ m < M.

[0083] In some embodiments, the second flexible cover layer 103 may be an insulating cloth, thus greatly improving the flexibility of the photovoltaic module.

[0084] Refer to Figure 7 , in some embodiments, multiple support plates 101 and the second flexible cover layer 103 can be bonded through the third adhesive film 106. In order to improve the stability of the support plate 101 on the surface of the second flexible cover layer 103, a high-temperature tape may also be provided on the surface of the support plate 101 facing the second flexible cover layer 103. The high-temperature tape is used to further fix the support plate 101, and the third adhesive film 106 can also be used to bond the high-temperature tape and the support plate 101.

[0085] In some embodiments, the cell 100 and the support plate 101 can be bonded through the second adhesive film 105. First, the second adhesive film 105 is formed on the surface of the support plate 101, and then the cell 100 is laid on the surface of the second adhesive film 105. Multiple cells 100 are laid on the surface of one support plate 101. After the laying is completed, the cells 100 located on the surfaces of multiple support plates 101 are arranged in an array. The cells 100 in each row are spaced apart along the first direction X, and the cells 100 in each column are spaced apart along the second direction Y.

[0086] In some embodiments, the cell 100 and the first flexible cover layer 102 can be bonded through the first adhesive film 104. First, the first adhesive film 104 is formed on the surface of the cell 100, and then the cell 100 is laid on the surface of the second adhesive film 105. In some embodiments, the first flexible cover layer 102 can be a flexible cover plate. Thus, while the first flexible cover layer 102 has flexibility, it also has a certain toughness. Furthermore, it can enable the first flexible cover layer 102 not only to achieve the folding of the photovoltaic module but also to provide good protection for the first surface of the cell 100. Specifically, in some embodiments, the flexible cover plate can be PVF, PVDF, or ETFE.

[0087] Although the present application is disclosed above with preferred embodiments, it is not used to limit the claims. Any person skilled in the art can make several possible changes and modifications without departing from the concept of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the scope defined by the claims of the present application.

[0088] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that the above embodiments are specific embodiments for implementing the present application. In actual applications, various changes can be made in form and details without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic module, characterized in that, Comprising: A plurality of solar cells, which are arranged in an array. Among them, the solar cells in each row are arranged at intervals in a first direction, and the solar cells in each column are arranged at intervals in a second direction. The solar cells have a first surface and a second surface; A first flexible cover layer, which is located on one side of the first surface of the solar cells; A second flexible cover layer, which is located on one side of the second surface of the solar cells; The photovoltaic module is used to fold along the gap between adjacent two rows of the solar cells, or fold along the gap between adjacent two columns of the solar cells. The folding angle between two adjacent solar cells is 0° to 180°; The photovoltaic module further includes: a plurality of support plates, which are arranged at intervals. The extending direction of the support plates is the same as the arrangement direction of the solar cells in each column or the arrangement direction of the solar cells in each row, and one support plate is located on the first surface of one column of the solar cells or one row of the solar cells; along the arrangement direction of the support plates, among the two outermost support plates, at least one support plate surface is not provided with solar cells.

2. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the support plate is 20μm to 5000μm, and the distance between two adjacent support plates is 10mm to 200mm.

3. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1, wherein The photovoltaic module is used to fold along the gap between adjacent two rows of the solar cells, and one support plate is located on the first surface of one row of the solar cells; the photovoltaic module is used to fold along the gap between adjacent two columns of the solar cells, and one support plate is located on the first surface of one column of the solar cells.

4. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1, characterized in that, Among one column of the solar cells, two adjacent solar cells are connected in series, and one column of solar cells is used to form a battery string.

5. The photovoltaic module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The photovoltaic module is used to fold along the gap between adjacent two rows of the solar cells, and two adjacent battery strings are connected in series.

6. The photovoltaic module according to claim 5, wherein The distance between two adjacent battery strings is 10mm to 200mm.

7. The photovoltaic module according to claim 5, characterized in that, Further comprising: A bus bar, which is located on the first surface or the second surface of the solar cells. The bus bar extends in the first direction. The bus bar electrically connects the positive electrode of one battery string and the negative electrode of another battery string among the two outermost battery strings, and the bus bar is also used to connect two adjacent battery strings in series.

8. The photovoltaic module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The battery string is used to fold along the gap between adjacent two columns of the solar cells, and two adjacent battery strings are connected in parallel.

9. The photovoltaic module according to claim 8, characterized in that, The distance between two adjacent battery strings is 10mm to 200mm.

10. The photovoltaic module according to claim 9, wherein, Further comprising: A bus bar, which is located on the first surface or the second surface of the solar cells. The bus bar extends in the second direction and is used to electrically connect the two outermost solar cells in one battery string.

11. The photovoltaic module according to claim 5 or 8, characterized in that, The photovoltaic module includes a central area and a peripheral area. The battery string is located in the central area. Further comprising: a junction box, which is located in the peripheral area of the photovoltaic module, and the junction box is located on one side along the folding direction of the photovoltaic module.

12. The photovoltaic module according to claim 11, characterized in that, The photovoltaic module further includes: a bus bar located on the first surface or the second surface of the cell, the bus bar extending in the second direction and configured to electrically connect the two outermost cells in a cell string; and a junction box located on a side of the bus bar away from the cell, and when the cell string is configured to be folded along a gap between two adjacent columns of cells, one end of the junction box faces the bus bar.

13. A folding method for a photovoltaic module, which is applied to the photovoltaic module described in any one of the above claims 1 to 12, and is characterized in that: In the arrangement direction of rows of the cells, each row of the cells is sequentially named as the first row of cells to the Nth row of cells, and in the arrangement direction of columns of the cells, each column of the cells is sequentially named as the first column of cells to the Mth column of cells. The folding method includes: folding the photovoltaic module along a gap between two adjacent rows of cells, wherein the (n + 1)th row of cells is located above the nth row of cells, where 1 ≤ n < N; or folding the photovoltaic module along a gap between two adjacent columns of cells, wherein the (m + 1)th column of cells is located above the mth column of cells, where 1 ≤ m < M.

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