Photovoltaic module frame and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of photovoltaic technology, and particularly provides a photovoltaic module frame and a preparation method thereof.The photovoltaic module frame is prepared by pressing and sintering raw materials comprising the following components: first aluminum alloy powder, second aluminum alloy powder and ultraviolet shielding particles; the Vickers hardness of the first aluminum alloy powder and the second aluminum alloy powder is different.Compared with the prior art, the present application reduces the use amount of aluminum alloy raw materials under the premise of ensuring mechanical strength, thereby reducing the cost of the photovoltaic module frame, and obtaining a photovoltaic module frame with low cost, light weight, high strength and high ultraviolet shielding function.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of photovoltaic technology, and more particularly to a photovoltaic module frame and a preparation method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] The aluminum alloy frame plays an important role in the module packaging material and has a high degree of compatibility with the properties of photovoltaic products. The aluminum frame has the characteristics of light weight, corrosion resistance, high strength, convenient transportation and installation, long service life, and high residual value, which perfectly meet the needs of fixing, sealing, and strengthening the solar cell module, prolonging the service life, and facilitating transportation and installation. From the cost composition, the price of the photovoltaic module has dropped from 27 yuan / watt in 2008 to 1.7 yuan / watt now, while the price of aluminum alloy remains relatively stable, which makes the cost of aluminum alloy account for a higher and higher proportion in the cost composition of the photovoltaic module. For a conventional single-sided single-glass module, the packaging material accounts for about 27% of the module cost, among which the aluminum alloy frame has the highest cost proportion compared to other auxiliary materials, accounting for 8.5% of the single-watt cost. For a double-sided double-glass module, the packaging material accounts for about 34% of the module cost, among which the cost proportion of the aluminum alloy frame is slightly lower but still the highest, accounting for about 6.8% of the single-watt cost. From the quality composition, for a single-sided single-glass module, the weight proportion of photovoltaic glass is the highest, accounting for 72.3% of the total weight of the module. The weight proportion of the aluminum alloy frame is the second highest, accounting for about 15%. For a double-sided double-glass module, the weight proportion of glass can reach 82.96%, while the weight proportion of the aluminum alloy frame is about 13%. In the foreseeable future, with the advancement of technology, the cost of silicon material and the cost of solar cell will continue to decrease, while the price of module packaging material will remain stable. In the medium and long term, the cost proportion of the aluminum alloy frame will be greater than 15%. Light weight of the photovoltaic module is an important development trend in the future, which meets the application requirements of specific scenarios such as BIPV. SUMMARY

[0003] Therefore, the present application aims to provide a photovoltaic module frame and a preparation method thereof, which can reduce the use amount of aluminum alloy raw materials under the premise of ensuring mechanical strength, thereby reducing the cost of the photovoltaic module packaging frame, and obtaining a photovoltaic module frame with low cost, light weight, high strength, and high ultraviolet shielding function.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] The photovoltaic module frame is prepared by pressing and sintering from raw materials comprising the following components: a first aluminum alloy powder, a second aluminum alloy powder, and ultraviolet shielding particles.

[0006] The first aluminum alloy powder and the second aluminum alloy powder have different Vickers hardness.

[0007] In this invention, the mass ratio of the first aluminum alloy powder, the second aluminum alloy powder, and the ultraviolet shielding particles is 1:(1-5):(0.1-1).

[0008] The photovoltaic module frame of this invention has a porosity of 45% to 55% and a density of 2 to 3 g / cm³. 3 .

[0009] In this invention, the Vickers hardness of the first aluminum alloy powder is 95-125;

[0010] The Vickers hardness of the second aluminum alloy powder is 45-50.

[0011] In this invention, the particle size of the ultraviolet shielding particles is smaller than that of the first aluminum alloy powder and the second aluminum alloy powder.

[0012] The ultraviolet-shielding particles include one or more of carbon black, zinc dioxide, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, and titanium dioxide.

[0013] In this invention, the raw materials also include reinforcing agents, lubricants, and processing aids;

[0014] The reinforcing agent includes graphite;

[0015] The lubricant includes one or more of fatty acid diamide, zinc stearate, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, and aluminum stearate;

[0016] The processing aids include manganese sulfide.

[0017] The present invention also provides a method for preparing a photovoltaic module frame, comprising: mixing raw materials including first aluminum alloy powder, second aluminum alloy powder and ultraviolet shading particles, and then pressing and sintering them to obtain a photovoltaic module frame.

[0018] In this invention, the pressing pressure is 20-40 MPa.

[0019] In this invention, the sintering temperature is 500–800°C and the time is 20–30 minutes.

[0020] Compared to traditional aluminum alloy frame materials, the frame material produced by the above-mentioned powder metallurgy process has a typical porous structure (porosity of about 45% to 55%). Therefore, the photovoltaic module frame of the present invention can reduce the amount of aluminum alloy raw materials used while ensuring mechanical strength, thereby further reducing the cost of photovoltaic module encapsulation frame. The photovoltaic module frame of the present invention has the characteristics of being lightweight (under the same volume conditions, the weight is only 50% to 60% of that of traditional aluminum alloy materials) and high strength (Vickers hardness can reach 90 to 120, which is basically close to the Vickers hardness of 2000 series aluminum alloys).

[0021] In addition, the present invention introduces ultraviolet-shielding particles, which enhances the reflectivity of the photovoltaic module frame material to ultraviolet rays. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] The photovoltaic module frame is prepared from raw materials comprising the following components: first aluminum alloy powder, second aluminum alloy powder, and ultraviolet shielding particles; the first aluminum alloy powder and the second aluminum alloy powder have different Vickers hardness.

[0024] The photovoltaic module frame of the present invention has a porosity of 45%–55%, preferably 48%–55%; a Vickers hardness of 90–120, preferably 98–118; a tensile strength of 240–300 MPa, preferably 242–289 MPa; a flexural strength of 230–300 MPa, preferably 236–272 MPa; and a density of 2–3 g / cm³. 3 Preferably 2g / cm 3 .

[0025] In this invention, the mass ratio of the first aluminum alloy powder, the second aluminum alloy powder, and the ultraviolet shielding particles is 1:(1-5):(0.1-1), preferably 1:5:(0.7-1).

[0026] In this invention, the Vickers hardness of the first aluminum alloy powder is 95-125;

[0027] The Vickers hardness of the second aluminum alloy powder is 45-50;

[0028] The particle size of the first aluminum alloy powder is 0.1-5 μm, preferably 0.5 μm;

[0029] The particle size of the second aluminum alloy powder is 0.1 to 5 μm, preferably 0.5 μm.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first aluminum alloy powder is a 2000 series aluminum alloy; the second aluminum alloy powder is a 6000 series aluminum alloy.

[0031] In this invention, the particle size of the ultraviolet shielding particles is smaller than that of the first aluminum alloy powder and the second aluminum alloy powder.

[0032] The ultraviolet shielding particles include one or more of carbon black, zinc dioxide, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, and titanium dioxide, preferably silicon dioxide;

[0033] The ultraviolet-shielding particles have a particle size of 0.1–0.5 μm, preferably 0.2 μm or 0.4 μm. The diameter of the ultraviolet-shielding particles needs to be much smaller than the diameter of the aluminum alloy powder so that the ultraviolet-shielding particles can be well distributed in the gaps of the aluminum alloy powder, thereby effectively reflecting the ultraviolet light incident on the photovoltaic module.

[0034] In this invention, the raw materials also include reinforcing agents, lubricants, and processing aids; the raw materials for preparing the photovoltaic module frame are all solids.

[0035] The mass ratio of the first aluminum alloy powder, the second aluminum alloy powder, the ultraviolet shielding particles, the reinforcing agent, the lubricant, and the processing aid is 1:(1~5):(0.1~1):(0.1~1):(0.1~1):(0.1~1), preferably 1:5:(0.7~1):(0.3~0.5):(0.2~0.3):(0.1~0.2).

[0036] In this invention, the reinforcing agent includes graphite; preferably natural flake micronized graphite; the particle size of the reinforcing agent is 0.5 to 1 μm, preferably 0.5 μm or 1 μm.

[0037] Introducing graphite as a reinforcing agent into the powder metallurgy process helps to enhance the bonding force between aluminum alloy powders, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the product.

[0038] In this invention, the lubricant includes one or more of fatty acid diamide, zinc stearate, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, and aluminum stearate; preferably fatty acid diamide.

[0039] The addition of lubricant improves the demolding ability of powder metallurgy material blanks and reduces the wear rate of products.

[0040] In this invention, the processing aid includes manganese sulfide.

[0041] Manganese sulfide can significantly compensate for the additional impact between material pores, reduce the adverse effects of cutting speed on the main cutting force and tool life, reduce tool wear, and also improve the lubrication performance of the photovoltaic module frame surface, thereby improving the surface finish of the machined metal and acting as a solid lubricant. The addition of manganese sulfide powder has virtually no impact on other physical properties and dimensional shrinkage changes of the photovoltaic module frame of this invention.

[0042] The present invention also provides a method for preparing a photovoltaic module frame, comprising: mixing raw materials including first aluminum alloy powder, second aluminum alloy powder and ultraviolet shading particles, and then pressing and sintering them to obtain a photovoltaic module frame.

[0043] In this invention, the pressing pressure is 20-40 MPa, preferably 25-30 MPa.

[0044] In this invention, the sintering temperature is 500-800°C, preferably 500°C, and the sintering time is 20-30 minutes, preferably 30 minutes.

[0045] The mass ratio of the first aluminum alloy powder, the second aluminum alloy powder, and the ultraviolet shielding particles is 1:(1~5):(0.1~1).

[0046] The photovoltaic module frame of this invention has a porosity of 45% to 55% and a density of 2 to 3 g / cm³. 3 .

[0047] In this invention, the Vickers hardness of the first aluminum alloy powder is 95-125; the particle size of the first aluminum alloy powder is 0.1-5μm; and the first aluminum alloy powder is a 2000 series aluminum alloy.

[0048] In this invention, the Vickers hardness of the second aluminum alloy powder is 45-50; the particle size of the second aluminum alloy powder is 0.1-5μm; and the second aluminum alloy powder is a 6000 series aluminum alloy.

[0049] In this invention, the particle size of the ultraviolet shielding particles is smaller than that of the first aluminum alloy powder and the second aluminum alloy powder.

[0050] The particle size of the ultraviolet shielding particles is 0.1 to 0.5 μm, preferably 0.2 μm or 0.4 μm;

[0051] The ultraviolet-shielding particles include one or more of carbon black, zinc dioxide, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, and titanium dioxide.

[0052] In this invention, the reinforcing agent includes graphite;

[0053] The lubricant includes one or more of fatty acid diamide, zinc stearate, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, and aluminum stearate;

[0054] The processing aids include manganese sulfide.

[0055] In this invention, the mass ratio of the first aluminum alloy powder, the second aluminum alloy powder, the ultraviolet shielding particles, the reinforcing agent, the lubricant, and the processing aid is 1:(1~5):(0.1~1):(0.1~1):(0.1~1):(0.1~1), preferably 1:5:(0.7~1):(0.3~0.5):(0.2~0.3):(0.1~0.2).

[0056] In this invention, the mixing is preferably carried out by mechanical ball milling; the rotation speed of the mechanical ball mill is 500-800 rpm; and the annealing time is 30-60 minutes.

[0057] The preferred method of mixing includes: first mixing the first aluminum alloy powder, the second aluminum alloy powder, and the ultraviolet shielding particles, and then mixing them with the reinforcing agent and the lubricant; a more preferred method is to: mechanically ball-mill the first aluminum alloy powder, the second aluminum alloy powder, and the ultraviolet shielding particles at 500-800 rpm for 30-50 minutes, then cool them for 1 hour, and then ball-mill them with the reinforcing agent and the lubricant, with the ball milling speed being 200-800 rpm and the ball milling time being 30-40 minutes.

[0058] Compared to traditional aluminum alloy frame materials, the frame material produced by the above-mentioned powder metallurgy process has a typical porous structure (porosity of about 45% to 55%). Therefore, the photovoltaic module frame of the present invention can reduce the amount of aluminum alloy raw materials used while ensuring mechanical strength, thereby further reducing the cost of photovoltaic module encapsulation frame. The photovoltaic module frame of the present invention has the characteristics of being lightweight (under the same volume conditions, the weight is only 50% to 60% of that of traditional aluminum alloy materials) and high strength (Vickers hardness can reach 90 to 120, which is basically close to the Vickers hardness of 2000 series aluminum alloys).

[0059] In addition, the present invention introduces ultraviolet-shielding particles, which enhances the reflectivity of the photovoltaic module frame material to ultraviolet rays.

[0060] To further illustrate the present invention, the following embodiments provide a detailed description. All raw materials used in the following embodiments of the present invention are commercially available products. The aluminum alloy powder used in the embodiments of the present invention was purchased from Hebei Xinlizhong Nonferrous Metals Group Co., Ltd., and has a particle size of 0.5 μm.

[0061] Example 1

[0062] The raw material formulation for the photovoltaic module frame material is as follows (by percentage by weight): 80% (160g) aluminum alloy powder, 10% (20g) UV-shielding particles, 5% (10g) graphite powder, 2% (4g) processing aid, and 3% (6g) lubricant. The aluminum alloy powder is a homogeneous blend of 6000 series aluminum alloy (6061) and 2000 series aluminum alloy (2024), with a mass ratio of 5:1 (133g:27g) for both alloys, and a particle size of 0.5μm. The UV-shielding particles can be silica particles with a diameter of 0.2μm. The graphite powder is natural flake micronized graphite with a particle size of 0.5μm. The lubricant is fatty acid diamide, and the processing aid is manganese sulfide.

[0063] Preparation process:

[0064] 1. Add aluminum alloy powder and UV-shielding particles to a corundum ball mill jar at a mass ratio of 8:1, mechanically pre-stir the mixed particles, and then mechanically ball mill them at a speed of 500 rpm for 30 minutes.

[0065] 2. Allow the uniformly mixed aluminum alloy powder and UV-shielding particles to cool naturally for 1 hour. Add graphite powder, processing aids, and lubricant to the uniformly mixed aluminum alloy powder and UV-shielding particles, and then mechanically ball-mill them at 200 rpm for 30 minutes.

[0066] 3. The above-mentioned homogeneous powder is mechanically pressed into shape by applying an external mechanical load. The pressing pressure is 20 MPa and the pressing time is 20 minutes.

[0067] 4. The pressed aluminum alloy-based powder metallurgy system is sintered at a temperature of 500℃ and an annealing time of 30 minutes to obtain the photovoltaic module frame material.

[0068] The photovoltaic module frame material prepared through the above experimental steps exhibits a typical porous structure with a porosity of approximately 55%. Under equal volume conditions, the photovoltaic module frame material (density 2 g / cm³) 3 The weight of the photovoltaic module frame material is only 45% of that of traditional aluminum alloy frame materials. The Vickers hardness of the photovoltaic module frame material is 98, the tensile strength is 242MPa, and the bending limit strength is 236MPa.

[0069] Comparative Example 1

[0070] The steps in this comparative example, as described in Example 1, differ from those in Example 1 in that: other conditions remain unchanged, but a single type of aluminum alloy powder is selected as the raw material: 6061 aluminum alloy powder is selected and the frame material is prepared using the steps in Example 1.

[0071] The powder metallurgical frame material is made from 6061 aluminum alloy powder, with a porosity of 51%. Its mechanical properties are as follows: Vickers hardness 48, tensile strength 205 MPa, and flexural strength 198 MPa.

[0072] Comparative Example 2

[0073] The steps in this comparative example, as described in Example 1, differ from those in Example 1 in that: other conditions remain unchanged, but a single type of aluminum alloy powder is selected as the raw material: 2024 aluminum alloy powder is selected and the frame material is prepared using the steps in Example 1.

[0074] The powder metallurgical frame material is made from 2024 aluminum alloy powder, with a porosity of 58%. Its mechanical properties are as follows: Vickers hardness of 89, tensile strength of 221 MPa, and flexural strength of 166 MPa.

[0075] Comparative Example 3

[0076] Commercial 6061 aluminum alloy frame material: Vickers hardness 48, tensile strength 205 MPa, and flexural strength 228 MPa. Because commercial aluminum alloy frame materials are prepared using a casting method rather than the powder metallurgy method of this invention, it is impossible to obtain a photovoltaic module frame with UV-shielding function in a single step by adding raw materials.

[0077] Example 2

[0078] The raw material formulation for the photovoltaic module frame material is as follows (by percentage by weight): 80% (800g) aluminum alloy powder, 10% (100g) UV-shielding particles, 5% (50g) graphite powder, 2% (20g) processing aid, and 3% (30g) lubricant. The aluminum alloy powder is a homogeneous blend of 6000 series aluminum alloy (6061) and 2000 series aluminum alloy (2024) in a mass ratio of 5:1 (666g:134g), with a particle size of 1μm. The UV-shielding particles can be silica particles with a diameter of 0.4μm. The graphite powder is natural flake micronized graphite with a particle size of 0.5μm. The lubricant is fatty acid diamide, and the processing aid is manganese sulfide.

[0079] Preparation process:

[0080] 1. Add aluminum alloy powder and UV-shielding particles to a corundum ball mill jar at a mass ratio of 8:1, mechanically pre-stir the mixed particles, and then mechanically ball mill them at a speed of 600 rpm for 30 minutes.

[0081] 2. Allow the uniformly mixed aluminum alloy powder and UV-shielding particles to cool naturally for 1 hour. Add graphite powder, processing aids, and lubricant to the uniformly mixed aluminum alloy powder and UV-shielding particles, and then mechanically ball-mill them at 400 rpm for 30 minutes.

[0082] 3. The above-mentioned homogeneous powder is mechanically pressed into shape by applying an external mechanical load. The pressing pressure is 25 MPa and the pressing time is 20 minutes.

[0083] 4. The pressed aluminum alloy-based powder metallurgy system is sintered at a temperature of 500℃ and an annealing time of 30 minutes to obtain the photovoltaic module frame material.

[0084] The photovoltaic module frame material prepared through the above experimental steps exhibits a typical porous structure with a porosity of approximately 51%. Under equal volume conditions, the photovoltaic module frame material (density 2 g / cm³) 3 The weight of the photovoltaic module frame material is only 48% of that of traditional aluminum alloy frame materials. The Vickers hardness of the photovoltaic module frame material is 106, the tensile strength is 268MPa, and the bending limit strength is 255MPa.

[0085] Example 3

[0086] The raw material formulation for the photovoltaic module frame material is as follows (by percentage by weight): 80% (400g) aluminum alloy powder, 10% (50g) UV-shielding particles, 5% (25g) graphite powder, 2% (10g) processing aid, and 3% (15g) lubricant. The aluminum alloy powder is a homogeneous blend of 6000 series aluminum alloy (6061) and 2000 series aluminum alloy (2024) in a mass ratio of 5:1 (333g:67g), with a particle size of 2μm. The UV-shielding particles can be silica particles with a diameter of 0.2μm. The graphite powder is natural flake micronized graphite with a particle size of 1μm. The lubricant is fatty acid diamide, and the processing aid is manganese sulfide.

[0087] Preparation process:

[0088] 1. Add aluminum alloy powder and UV-shielding particles to a corundum ball mill jar at a mass ratio of 8:1, mechanically pre-stir the mixed particles, and then mechanically ball mill them at a speed of 800 rpm for 30 minutes.

[0089] 2. Allow the uniformly mixed aluminum alloy powder and UV-shielding particles to cool naturally for 1 hour after ball milling. Add graphite powder, processing aids, and lubricant to the uniformly mixed aluminum alloy powder and UV-shielding particles, and then mechanically ball mill them at 600 rpm for 30 minutes.

[0090] 3. The above-mentioned homogeneous powder is mechanically pressed into shape by applying an external mechanical load. The pressing pressure is 30 MPa and the pressing time is 20 minutes.

[0091] 4. The pressed aluminum alloy-based powder metallurgy system is sintered at a temperature of 500℃ for 30 minutes.

[0092] The photovoltaic module frame material prepared through the above experimental steps exhibits a typical porous structure with a porosity of approximately 48%. Under equal volume conditions, the photovoltaic module frame material (density 2 g / cm³) 3 The weight of the photovoltaic module frame material is only 54% of that of traditional aluminum alloy frame materials. The Vickers hardness of the photovoltaic module frame material is 118, the tensile strength is 289MPa, and the bending limit strength is 272MPa.

[0093] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic module frame, characterized in that, It is prepared by pressing and sintering raw materials comprising the following components: first aluminum alloy powder, second aluminum alloy powder and ultraviolet shielding particles; The Vickers hardness of the first aluminum alloy powder and the second aluminum alloy powder are different. The Vickers hardness of the first aluminum alloy powder is 95-125; The Vickers hardness of the second aluminum alloy powder is 45-50; The mass ratio of the first aluminum alloy powder, the second aluminum alloy powder, and the ultraviolet shielding particles is 1:(1~5):(0.1~1); The particle size of the ultraviolet shielding particles is smaller than that of the first aluminum alloy powder and the second aluminum alloy powder.

2. The photovoltaic module frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, Its porosity is 45%–55%.

3. The photovoltaic module frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, Its density is 2-3 g / cm³ 3 .

4. The photovoltaic module frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ultraviolet-shielding particles include one or more of carbon black, zinc dioxide, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, and titanium dioxide.

5. The photovoltaic module frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, The raw materials also include reinforcing agents, lubricants, and processing aids; The reinforcing agent includes graphite; The lubricant includes one or more of fatty acid diamide, zinc stearate, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, and aluminum stearate; The processing aids include manganese sulfide.

6. A method for preparing a photovoltaic module frame, characterized in that, include: Raw materials including first aluminum alloy powder, second aluminum alloy powder and ultraviolet shielding particles are mixed, pressed and sintered to obtain the frame of a photovoltaic module.

7. The method for preparing a photovoltaic module frame according to claim 6, characterized in that, The pressure applied during the pressing is 20–40 MPa.

8. The method for preparing a photovoltaic module frame according to claim 6, characterized in that, The sintering temperature is 500–800℃, and the time is 20–30 minutes.