Containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling apparatus and process

CN118080521BActive Publication Date: 2026-09-22YCERGY (SUZHOU) TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202410318698.5
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-11-17
Publication Date
2026-09-22
Estimated Expiration
2043-11-17

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Abstract

The application discloses a container type single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment and process, and the equipment comprises at least two containers, a junction box removing device, a frame removing device, a glass stripping device, a backboard removing device and a connection transfer device. On one hand, the application reduces the transportation cost of the battery piece by means of quality change, and the process of independent frame removing or independent stripping is needed, so that the independent operation and the combined operation can be realized, the flexibility is high, the combination can be freely selected, the connection transfer is not limited by the horizontal degree and the height difference of the site, and once the containers are connected, the recycling operation can be carried out in the site environment with inconsistent horizontal degree. On the other hand, after the junction box, the frame and the glass are removed, the wet grinding is adopted to remove the backboard, so that the environmental pollution and the toxic phenomenon caused by the gasification of the fluorine component are avoided, the mixture caused by the backboard residues is avoided, and the purity of the recycled silicon is further improved.
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Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Containerized Photovoltaic Module Recycling Equipment, filed on November 17, 2023, with application number 2023115321589. Technical Field

[0002] This invention belongs to the field of photovoltaic technology, specifically relating to a containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment and a containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling process. Background Technology

[0003] Photovoltaics (PV) is a new type of power generation system that utilizes the photovoltaic effect of solar cell semiconductor materials to directly convert solar radiation energy into electrical energy. It can operate independently or be connected to the grid. A photovoltaic panel module is a power generation device that generates direct current when exposed to sunlight. It consists of thin, solid-state photovoltaic cells made almost entirely of semiconductor materials (such as silicon), specifically including a glass panel, EVA adhesive layer, solar cells, backsheet, junction box, and frame. More than 90% of these materials are recyclable, possessing considerable recycling value and high economic profits. Therefore, photovoltaic modules that have reached the end of their lifespan need to be recycled, which not only alleviates the shortage of raw materials for photovoltaic devices to some extent but also avoids environmental pollution.

[0004] However, existing photovoltaic module recycling methods generally involve first collecting photovoltaic modules (including single-glass, double-glass, and frameless photovoltaic modules), then loading and transporting them to a designated site for individual recycling. Therefore, this recycling method has the following drawbacks:

[0005] 1) The weight of a single photovoltaic module is about 18-30kg. Therefore, not only is the quantity limited during recycling and transportation, but the number of recycling and transportation will also increase. This results in defects such as high recycling costs and low efficiency. However, after dismantling and stripping, the weight of the cells in a single photovoltaic module is 10-15g. Therefore, if the cells are recycled directly on site, it will be a qualitative change in terms of transportation.

[0006] 2) During the recycling process, recycling equipment is generally placed horizontally on the ground, and there are height differences between adjacent processes that require connection. Only after the entire process is dismantled can the recycling needs be met. However, if the recycling equipment is placed on-site, the limitations of the on-site environment (levelness and height differences, etc.) cannot solve the problem of placing the recycling equipment. Therefore, it is impossible to carry out recycling under conditions of inconsistent levelness, which has caused obvious technical obstacles to on-site recycling and has also hindered the development of on-site recycling of photovoltaic modules.

[0007] 3) During the removal of glass and backplate, due to the limitations of the peeling quality, silicon and silica (glass) are easily mixed, which not only increases the difficulty of subsequent processing, but also affects the purity of silicon. At the same time, the grinding process of removing the backplate will cause environmental pollution and toxicity caused by the vaporization of fluorine components. Furthermore, it is impossible to avoid the mixing caused by backplate residue, which further reduces the purity of silicon. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a brand-new containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment.

[0009] It also involves a containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling process.

[0010] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0011] A containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment includes at least two containers joined at their ends along the length direction, a junction box removal device, a frame removal device, a glass peeling device, a back panel removal device, and a connecting transfer device located between two adjacent containers. The junction box removal device and the frame removal device are located within the same container, while the glass peeling device and the back panel removal device are located within the remaining container. The sides of each container form openable or closed wing doors. Junction boxes, frames, and glass being recycled are discharged from the corresponding wing doors. The back panel removal device uses wet grinding to remove the back panel. The connecting transfer device eliminates the height difference between the preceding and following container sections and is located at the tail end of either the preceding or following container.

[0012] Preferably, the connecting transfer device includes a horizontally extending receiving section and a guide section inclined downwards, wherein a transfer channel that gradually decreases in size from front to back is formed between the receiving section and the guide section. The formation of this transfer channel allows for connection even on uneven road surfaces.

[0013] Furthermore, both the receiving section and the guiding section are annular transmission belts. The annular transmission more effectively eliminates height differences.

[0014] According to a specific embodiment and preferred aspect of the invention, there are two containers, wherein the junction box removal device and the frame removal device are located in the first container, and the glass peeling device and the back panel removal device are located in the second container. Furthermore, the two transport vehicles align the two containers in the longitudinal direction, starting from their rear ends. This direct docking of the two vehicles is very convenient and unaffected by the site environment, making it highly adaptable.

[0015] Preferably, the preceding container has two compartments, with the junction box removal device and the frame removal device sequentially arranged in the two compartments, and each compartment has wing doors on both sides that can be opened or closed to meet their respective needs.

[0016] Furthermore, the wing doors are wing-shaped and can be flipped open or closed along the length of the container. The dismantled junction boxes, frames, and broken glass are discharged from one or both sides of the corresponding container, while the battery cells are recycled inside the corresponding container.

[0017] According to another specific embodiment and preferred aspect of the present invention, the backplate removal device includes a transmission unit and a grinding unit located above the transmission surface formed by the transmission unit. The grinding unit performs wet grinding and includes multiple grinding groups arranged side-by-side above the transmission surface formed by the transmission unit. Each grinding group includes a grinding tool and a cooling tool. The grinding tool is a grinding wheel and / or abrasive belt, and the cooling tool is water jet cooling. In short, wet grinding removes the backplate, preventing environmental pollution and toxicity caused by the vaporization of fluorine-containing components after cooling. It also avoids mixing caused by backplate residue, further improving the purity of the recovered silicon.

[0018] Preferably, the transmission unit includes an annular transmission belt assembly and an inner support transmission roller located at the grinding point. The cooling tool is correspondingly arranged with the inner support transmission roller, and the cooling tool includes a water pipe located above the annular transmission belt assembly, high-pressure nozzles spaced along the length of the water pipe, and a cooling liquid pressurization supply component. The high-pressure nozzles are inclined downwards toward the grinding point, and the vertical component of the sprayed water flow constitutes a downward positive pressure to press the battery cell onto the annular transmission belt assembly, while grinding and transmission occur simultaneously under the transmission of the annular transmission belt assembly.

[0019] In some specific embodiments, the water pipes and high-pressure nozzles are symmetrically distributed on both sides of each of the inner support conveyor rollers; and / or, the grinding direction of the grinding wheel and / or the belt abrasive is the same as the conveying direction. Preferably, the belt abrasive uses at least two different grits of sandpaper. Preferably, the grit of the sandpaper increases sequentially along the conveying direction. Preferably, the sprayed water flow is symmetrical in direction, and the horizontal components of the water flow cancel each other out. The sprayed water flow creates positive pressure and provides cooling, while the opposing forces in the horizontal direction cancel each other out, thus not affecting the transmission of the battery cells.

[0020] In addition, the glass peeling device also includes a peeling pretreatment unit located at the front end of the primary peeling unit. The peeling pretreatment unit includes a stress-relieving mechanism and a preheating mechanism. The stress-relieving mechanism is used to prevent the glass from cracking or breaking under pressure, and the preheating mechanism is used to soften the adhesive layer on the glass. Specifically, the glass is first crushed by the stress-relieving mechanism, and then sent to a heating furnace at 80-120°C for preheating to soften the adhesive.

[0021] In some specific embodiments, the stress-relieving mechanism includes a transmission channel that connects to the transfer channel, a lifting component capable of vertical movement and connecting to photovoltaic modules from the transmission channel, and a crushing head located at the top. The lifting component, after connecting to the photovoltaic module, rises upwards and crushes the upper layer of glass under the vertical compression formed by the glass-fitting crushing head. The crushing method ensures multi-point contact, resulting in good crushing effect and facilitating subsequent glass peeling. Preferably, the lifting component includes a telescopic cylinder and a support frame. The support portion of the support frame is misaligned with the transmission channel, and the connection of the photovoltaic module is completed when the support portion protrudes from the transmission surface of the transmission channel. The lifting of the photovoltaic module is achieved using a misaligned connection method. Preferably, there are multiple crushing heads, arranged in an array on the bottom surface of the top seat plate. Each crushing head includes a fixed rod and a crushing head located at the bottom of the fixed rod, wherein the crushing head gradually narrows from top to bottom and has a spherical bottom. This generates optimal crushing pressure, reduces peeling difficulty, and avoids damage to the solar cells. Meanwhile, the preheating mechanism includes a heating furnace and heating rollers, with the heating rollers forming a conveying surface, and the temperature inside the heating furnace is 80–120℃. Generally, 90±2℃ is sufficient. The purpose of preheating is to break down the stress between the adhesive film and the glass, making the glass easier to detach.

[0022] Preferably, the primary stripping unit holds the broken photovoltaic module at the same inclination as the upper roller peels off the broken glass from its surface. A reversing unit is used to reverse the orientation of the photovoltaic module and connects the primary and secondary stripping units. The secondary stripping unit removes the remaining glass by maintaining the photovoltaic module at the same angle. By removing the glass twice at the same angle, combined with stress relief and preheating to eliminate some stress, and achieving high-quality and residue-free glass removal in multiple stripping processes, the mixing between silicon and silicon dioxide (glass) is significantly reduced, and the difficulty of subsequent processing is also reduced. Ultimately, the purity of silicon is effectively improved to meet the requirements for recycling.

[0023] Another technical solution of the present invention is: a containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling process, the recycling equipment comprising at least two containers that can be docked at their ends along the length direction; a junction box removal device, a frame removal device, a glass peeling device, and a back panel removal device arranged within each of the containers; and a connecting transfer device located between two adjacent containers, and comprising the following steps:

[0024] S1, Equipment Assembly

[0025] The junction box removal device and the frame removal device are loaded separately by a transport vehicle. The junction box removal device and the frame removal device are loaded into one container, and the glass peeling device and the back panel removal device are loaded into the remaining container. The required containers are delivered to the recycling site and the two containers are aligned and spliced ​​in the front and rear directions. The connecting transfer device eliminates the height difference between the front and rear sections of the container, and the connecting transfer device is located at the tail section of the front container or the rear container.

[0026] S2, Recycling

[0027] First, the junction box and backing adhesive are removed. The removed junction box is discharged from the side outlet of the container. After the junction box is removed, the photovoltaic module enters the frame removal device, which removes the long and short sides separately. The removed long and short sides are discharged from the side outlet. The photovoltaic module or frameless photovoltaic module with the frame removed is directly transferred through the transfer channel and gradually lowered to a horizontal state before being sent into the corresponding container for stress relief crushing. Then, it is softened and subjected to initial and secondary stripping. The broken glass is discharged from the side outlet. Next, the solar cells enter the backsheet removal device for wet grinding. Then, they are ground and cooled under the downward impact of the high-pressure nozzle to complete the recycling of the solar cells.

[0028] Preferably, the wet grinding process uses a two-stage belt abrasive, with the grit of the abrasive paper increasing between the two stages. The grinding direction and the transmission direction are the same. The vertical component of the sprayed water flow creates a downward positive pressure that presses the battery cells against the annular drive belt assembly, while the cells are simultaneously ground and transported under the transmission of the annular drive belt assembly.

[0029] Furthermore, the sprayed water flow is symmetrical, and the horizontal components of the water flow cancel each other out. The sprayed water creates positive pressure and provides cooling, while the opposing horizontal forces cancel each other out, thus not affecting the cell's transmission. In short, wet grinding to remove the backsheet avoids environmental pollution and toxicity caused by the vaporization of fluorine-containing components after cooling, and also avoids mixing caused by backsheet residue, further improving the purity of the recovered silicon.

[0030] Due to the implementation of the above technical solutions, the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0031] In current photovoltaic (PV) module recycling, a single PV module weighs approximately 18-30 kg. This not only limits the quantity that can be transported but also increases the number of transport trips, resulting in high recycling costs and low efficiency. However, after dismantling and stripping, the weight of a single PV module's solar cells is only 10-15 g. Therefore, directly recycling the solar cells on-site would significantly improve transportation efficiency. During the recycling process, recycling equipment is typically horizontally placed on the ground, and there are height differences between adjacent processes requiring seamless connections. The entire process must be dismantled before recycling can be completed. However, placing the recycling equipment on-site presents limitations due to environmental constraints (levelness and height differences). The existing methods cannot solve the problem of placing recycling equipment, making it impossible to recycle under conditions of inconsistent levelness. This has created significant technical obstacles for on-site recycling and hindered the development of on-site photovoltaic module recycling. During the removal of glass and backsheet, due to limitations in peeling quality, silicon and silica (glass) are easily mixed, which not only increases the difficulty of subsequent processing but also affects the purity of silicon. At the same time, the grinding process to remove the backsheet can cause environmental pollution and toxicity caused by the vaporization of fluorine-containing components. Furthermore, it is impossible to avoid the mixing caused by backsheet residue, which further reduces the purity of silicon. This invention cleverly solves the various shortcomings of the existing structure by comprehensively designing the single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment.After adopting this photovoltaic module recycling equipment, the modules are loaded separately using transport vehicles. The junction box removal device and frame removal device are loaded into one container, while the glass peeling device and backsheet removal device are loaded into the remaining containers. The required containers are delivered to the recycling site, and two containers are aligned and spliced ​​together in the front-to-back direction. A connecting transfer device eliminates the height difference between the two containers, and the connecting transfer device is located at the end of either the front or rear container. Then, the junction box and backing adhesive are removed first, and the removed junction box is discharged from the side outlet. The photovoltaic module with the junction box removed enters the frame removal device, where the long and short sides are removed separately, and the removed long and short sides are discharged from the side outlet. The photovoltaic module with the frame removed, or the frameless photovoltaic module, is directly transferred through the transfer channel and gradually lowered to a horizontal state before being fed into the corresponding container for stress-relieving crushing. After softening, the glass is peeled off, and the broken glass is discharged from the side outlet. Finally, the backsheet is wet-ground. To complete the recycling of solar cells, this invention, on the one hand, is based on the container-based on-site splicing and recycling conditions, to reduce the transportation cost of solar cells through qualitative changes. Since independent frame disassembly or stripping processes are required, the disassembly and stripping are performed on two separate containers. This allows for independent or combined operations, enabling multi-scenario applications with high flexibility. Furthermore, manufacturers of the required equipment can freely choose and combine options, including free combination of purchase or leasing. Through container docking and connection for transshipment, it is not limited by on-site levelness or height differences. Once the containers are docked, recycling can be carried out in on-site environments with inconsistent levelness, thereby overcoming on-site recycling technical obstacles and promoting the development of on-site recycling technology. On the other hand, after removing the junction box, frame, and glass, wet grinding is used to remove the backplate, avoiding environmental pollution and toxicity caused by the vaporization of fluorine-containing components. It also avoids mixing caused by backplate residue, further improving the purity of the recycled silicon. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the containerized photovoltaic module recycling equipment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged structural diagram of the front section of the container;

[0034] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the enclosure containing the junction box removal device after the wing door is opened;

[0035] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the box wing door where the middle frame removal device is located after it has been unfolded;

[0036] Figure 5 for Figure 1Enlarged structural diagram of the middle and rear container section;

[0037] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Simplified structural diagram;

[0038] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the primary stripping unit;

[0039] Figure 8 for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of the stripping unit in the middle;

[0040] Figure 9 for Figure 8 A partial structural diagram;

[0041] Of which: 1. Container; 10. Container compartments; 100. Wing doors;

[0042] 2. Connecting transfer device; 20. Receiving section; 21. Guiding section;

[0043] 3. Junction box removal device;

[0044] 4. Frame removal device;

[0045] 5. Glass peeling device; 50. Primary peeling unit; 51. Secondary peeling unit; 52. Connecting and reversing unit; 53. Peeling pretreatment unit; 531. Stress relief mechanism; a. Transmission channel; b. Lifting component; b1. Telescopic cylinder; b2. Bearing frame; c. Crushing head; c1. Fixed rod; c2. Crushing head; 532. Preheating mechanism; d. Heating furnace; e. Heating roller;

[0046] 6. Backplate removal device; 60. Transmission unit; 600. Circular transmission belt assembly; 601. Inner support transmission roller; 61. Grinding unit; m. Grinding tool; n. Cooling tool; n1. Water pipe; n2. High-pressure nozzle. Detailed Implementation

[0047] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0048] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0049] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0050] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0051] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0052] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0053] like Figure 1As shown, the containerized photovoltaic module recycling equipment involved in this embodiment includes at least two containers 1 that can be docked from the ends in the length direction, a connecting transfer device 2 located between two adjacent containers 1, a junction box removal device 3, a frame removal device 4, and a glass peeling device 5.

[0054] In some specific embodiments, container 1 has two sections. The junction box removal device 3 and the frame removal device 4 are located in the front section of container 1, and the glass peeling device 5 is located in the rear section of container 1. During recycling, two transport vehicles are aligned and spliced ​​from the rear. The connecting transfer device 2 eliminates the height difference between the front and rear sections and guides the photovoltaic modules with the junction boxes and frames removed into the glass peeling device 5. The side of each container 1 forms a material inlet. The photovoltaic modules undergo junction box removal, frame removal, peeling pretreatment, initial roller peeling, and second removal of residual glass in sequence and continuously through the connecting transfer device 2. The junction box, frame, and broken glass are discharged from the material inlet respectively. The solar cells are stored in the corresponding container 1.

[0055] Combination Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the preceding container 1 has two sub-compartments 10. A junction box removal device 3 and a frame removal device 4 are sequentially arranged within the two sub-compartments 10. Each sub-compartment 10 has openable or closed wing doors 100 on both sides. The wing doors 100 are designed to open or close from the top of the sub-compartment 10, rotating around the length of the container. The opposite sides of the open wing doors 100 form material inlets, through which the removed junction boxes and frames are discharged. Meanwhile, the junction box removal device 3 and the frame removal device 4 are respectively referenced in CN115179022A, patent titled: Integrated Disassembly and Removal Equipment and Method for Frames and Junction Boxes of Photovoltaic Modules. The junction box removal device 3 refers to a junction box removal station, and the frame removal device 4 refers to a frame removal station. Further details are omitted here, as they are clearly feasible.

[0056] Combination Figure 5 As shown, the connecting transfer device 2 is located at the tail end of the next container 1, and the output end of the frame removal device 4 is located above the input end of the glass peeling device 5. The connecting transfer device 2 includes a horizontally extending receiving section 20 and a guide section 21 that is inclined from top to bottom. A transfer channel that gradually decreases in size from front to back is formed between the receiving section 20 and the guide section 21, and both the receiving section 20 and the guide section 21 are annular transmission belts.

[0057] Combination Figures 6 to 9As shown, the glass peeling device 5 includes a primary peeling unit 50, a secondary peeling unit 51, and a connecting reversing unit 52. The glass peeling device 5 refers to CN116603836A, patent name: Glass Separation, Removal and Recycling Equipment for Photovoltaic Modules. That is, the primary peeling device corresponds to the primary peeling unit 50 of this application; the secondary peeling device corresponds to the secondary peeling unit 51 of this application; and the connecting reversing device corresponds to the connecting reversing unit 52 of this application. It is clear and feasible, without going into details here. In other words, the primary peeling unit 50 can keep the broken photovoltaic module from having its broken glass peeled off by the upper roller at the same slope; the secondary peeling unit 51 can remove the remaining glass at the same angle of the photovoltaic module; and the connecting reversing unit 52 is used to reverse the front and back of the photovoltaic module and connect the primary peeling unit and the secondary peeling unit.

[0058] See you again Figure 6 The glass peeling device 5 also includes a peeling pretreatment unit 53 located at the front end of the primary peeling unit 50. The peeling pretreatment unit 53 includes a stress-relieving mechanism 531 and a preheating mechanism 532. The stress-relieving mechanism 531 is used for glass to break or shatter under pressure. The stress-relieving mechanism 531 includes a transmission channel a connected to the transfer channel, a lifting component b that can move up and down and connects to the photovoltaic module from the transmission channel a, and a crushing head c located at the top. The lifting component b is lifted upward after connecting to the photovoltaic module and crushes the upper glass under the vertical compression formed by the glass adhering to the crushing head c. In some specific embodiments, the lifting component b includes a telescopic cylinder b1 and a support frame b2. The support part of the support frame b2 is misaligned with the transmission channel. When the support part protrudes from the transmission surface of the transmission channel a, the connection of the photovoltaic module is completed. Multiple crushing heads (c) are arranged in an array on the bottom surface of the top seat plate. Each crushing head (c) includes a fixed rod (c1) and a crushing head (c2) located at the bottom of the fixed rod (c1). The crushing heads gradually narrow from top to bottom and have a spherical bottom. This creates optimal crushing pressure, reducing the difficulty of peeling and preventing damage to the solar cells. The preheating mechanism (532) softens the adhesive layer of the glass and includes a heating furnace (d) and a heating roller (e). The heating roller (e) forms a transmission surface, and the temperature formed in the heating furnace (d) is 80–120°C. Generally, 90±2°C is sufficient. The purpose of the preheating temperature is to break the stress on the adhesive film and the glass, making the glass easier to peel off.

[0059] Furthermore, to further facilitate the subsequent processing of solar cells, the photovoltaic module recycling equipment in this embodiment also includes a backsheet removal device 6 docked with the re-stripping unit 51. The backsheet removal device 6 includes a transmission unit 60 and a grinding unit 61 located above the transmission surface formed by the transmission unit 60, wherein the grinding unit 61 performs wet grinding. Using wet grinding to remove the backsheet avoids environmental pollution and toxicity caused by the vaporization of fluorine-containing components, and also avoids mixing caused by backsheet residue, further improving the purity of the recycled silicon. The grinding unit 61 includes multiple grinding groups arranged side-by-side above the transmission surface formed by the transmission unit 60. Each grinding group includes a grinding tool m and a cooling tool n, wherein the grinding tool m is a grinding wheel and / or abrasive belt, and the cooling tool n is a water jet for cooling.

[0060] In some specific embodiments, the transmission unit 60 includes an annular drive belt assembly 600 and an inner support transmission roller 601 located at the grinding point. In this example, two grinding points are used in a front-to-back arrangement, where the grinding tool m is an abrasive belt grinding component, and the grit of the abrasive paper increases sequentially along the transmission direction. This combination of coarse grinding and fine grinding effectively improves the backsheet removal quality. There are two inner support transmission rollers 601, each corresponding to one of the grinding tools m. The cooling tool n corresponds to one of the inner support transmission rollers 601 and is symmetrically arranged about the front and back of the inner support transmission rollers 601. The cooling tool n includes a water pipe n1 located above the annular drive belt assembly 600, high-pressure nozzles n2 spaced along the length of the water pipe n1, and a cooling liquid pressurization supply component. The high-pressure nozzles n2 are inclined downwards towards the grinding point, and the vertical component of the sprayed water flow constitutes a downward positive pressure that presses the battery cell onto the annular drive belt assembly 600, while grinding and transmission occur simultaneously under the transmission of the annular drive belt assembly 600. In addition, the cooling is achieved by counter-current water flow, and the horizontal components of the water flow cancel each other out, thus not affecting the transmission of the battery cells; at the same time, the grinding direction of the grinding wheel and / or the belt grinding parts is the same as the transmission direction, which facilitates transmission; the grinding tool m can also be a combination of grinding wheel and belt grinding parts for wet grinding.

[0061] In summary, the implementation process of this embodiment is as follows:

[0062] S1, Equipment Assembly

[0063] Two transport vehicles are used to load the two containers. The junction box removal device 3 and the frame removal device 4 are loaded into one container 1, and the glass peeling device 5 and the back panel removal device 6 are loaded into another container 1. The two containers 1 are delivered to the recycling site, and the two transport vehicles are aligned from the rear to the front and rear to splice the two containers 1.

[0064] S2, Recycling

[0065] The photovoltaic module is sent to the junction box removal device 3, where the junction box and backing adhesive are removed. Simultaneously, the removed junction box is discharged from the side outlet. The photovoltaic module with the junction box removed then enters the frame removal device 4, where the long and short sides are removed separately. The removed long and short sides are discharged from the side outlet. After the frame is removed, the photovoltaic module enters the transfer channel and gradually descends to a horizontal position before being sent to the peeling pretreatment unit 53. Next, it is crushed by the stress-relieving mechanism 531 and then sent to a 90±2℃ heating furnace for preheating to soften the backing adhesive. The pretreated photovoltaic module is then sent to the glass peeling device 5, where the primary peeling unit 50 keeps the crushed photovoltaic module at the same incline as it is peeled off by the upper roller. The surface of the broken glass is connected to the reversing unit 52 for reversing the front and back of the photovoltaic module and connecting the primary stripping unit and the secondary stripping unit. The secondary stripping unit 51 removes the remaining glass at the same angle as the photovoltaic module to complete the glass removal. At this time, the broken glass is discharged from the side outlet. Meanwhile, the solar cells enter the back sheet removal device 6 with the back sheet facing upward. The back sheet is removed by wet grinding to form the solar cells. The wet grinding uses two-stage abrasive belt grinding parts, and the grit of the abrasive paper selected for the two-stage abrasive belt grinding parts increases. Then, the grinding is cooled by the downward impact formed by the high-pressure nozzle, and the solar cells are transported to the collection layer of the container 1 by the ring transmission belt assembly 600 to complete the recycling of the solar cells.

[0066] Therefore, after adopting this photovoltaic module recycling equipment, the equipment is assembled through on-site container docking. The photovoltaic modules undergo sequential and continuous dismantling of junction boxes, frame removal, pre-treatment by peeling, initial stripping by rollers, and removal of residual glass via a connecting transfer device. The junction boxes, frames, and broken glass are discharged from the material inlet, while the solar cells are stored in corresponding containers or discharged from the material inlet. Thus, this invention achieves several advantages. First, after implementing on-site recycling, the weight of the solar cells recycled from a single photovoltaic module is approximately 10g. Combined with the cost of transporting the equipment once, compared to existing centralized recycling methods involving loaded photovoltaic modules, transportation costs are significantly reduced, offering greater flexibility and practicality. Second, through container docking and connecting transfer, it is not limited by on-site levelness or height differences. Once the containers are docked, recycling can be carried out in environments with inconsistent levelness, thereby overcoming technical obstacles to on-site recycling and promoting on-site recycling. The development of recycling technology; the advantages of junction box and frame removal and glass peeling are respectively referred to CN115179022A and CN116603836A, and will not be elaborated here; the fourth aspect is that in the process of removing glass and backsheet, stress relief and preheating are combined to eliminate some stress, and the glass is peeled off with high quality and no residue in the multiple peeling, which greatly reduces the mixing between silicon and silicon dioxide (glass) and also reduces the difficulty of subsequent processing. In the end, the purity of silicon is effectively improved to meet the requirements of recycling. At the same time, wet grinding is used to remove the backsheet. The sprayed water flow forms positive pressure and is cooled by the water flow. After the water flow is flushed, the horizontal component force cancels each other out and does not affect the transmission of the battery cell. After cooling, it will not cause environmental pollution or toxicity caused by the vaporization of fluorine components. It also avoids mixing caused by backsheet residue and further improves the purity of recycled silicon.

[0067] The present invention has been described in detail above, with the aim of enabling those skilled in the art to understand and implement the invention. However, this description should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of the invention should be included within the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. A containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment, characterized in that, The single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment includes at least two containers joined end-to-end along the length direction, a junction box removal device, a frame removal device, a glass peeling device, a backsheet removal device, and a connecting transfer device located between the two adjacent containers. The junction box removal device and the frame removal device are located in the same container, while the glass peeling device and the backsheet removal device are located in the remaining container. The sides of the containers form openable or closed wing doors. The junction boxes, frames, and glass being recycled are discharged from the corresponding wing doors. The backsheet removal device uses wet grinding to remove the backsheet. The connecting transfer device eliminates the height difference between the preceding and following container sections. The connecting transfer device is located at the tail end of either the preceding or following container; the connecting transfer device includes a horizontally extending receiving section and a guide section inclined downwards, wherein a transfer channel that gradually narrows from front to back is formed between the receiving section and the guide section; the glass peeling device includes a primary peeling unit, a secondary peeling unit, a connecting reversing unit, and a peeling pretreatment unit, wherein the peeling pretreatment unit includes a stress-relieving mechanism and a preheating mechanism, the stress-relieving mechanism includes a transmission channel that connects to the transfer channel, a lifting component that can move up and down and connects to the photovoltaic modules from the transmission channel, and multiple crushing heads located at the top. The crushing heads are arranged in an array on the bottom surface of the top seat plate. Each crushing head includes a fixed rod and a crushing head located at the bottom of the fixed rod. The crushing heads gradually narrow from top to bottom and have a spherical bottom. The preheating mechanism includes a heating furnace and a heating roller. The temperature formed in the heating furnace is 80~120℃. The back plate removal device includes a transmission unit and a grinding unit located above the transmission surface formed by the transmission unit. The grinding unit includes multiple grinding groups arranged side by side above the transmission surface formed by the transmission unit. Each grinding group includes a grinding tool and a cooling tool. The transmission unit includes an annular transmission belt assembly and an inner support transmission roller located at the grinding point. The cooling tool... The cooling tool is configured corresponding to the inner support conveyor roller and includes a water pipe located above the annular transmission belt assembly, high-pressure nozzles spaced along the length of the water pipe, and a cooling liquid pressurization supply component. The high-pressure nozzles are inclined downwards toward the grinding area, and the vertical component of the sprayed water flow forms a downward positive pressure to press the battery cell onto the annular transmission belt assembly. At the same time, the battery cell is ground and transported under the transmission of the annular transmission belt assembly. The sprayed water flow direction is symmetrical, and the horizontal component of the water flow cancels each other out. The grinding tool is a grinding wheel and / or abrasive belt grinding component, and the grinding direction of the grinding wheel and / or abrasive belt grinding component is the same as the transmission direction.

2. The containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the receiving section and the guiding section are annular transmission belts.

3. The containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The container consists of two parts, wherein the junction box removal device and the frame removal device are located in the first container, and the glass peeling device and the back panel removal device are located in the second container.

4. The containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The preceding container has two compartments, with junction box removal device and frame removal device arranged sequentially in the two compartments, and each compartment has wing doors that can be opened or closed on both sides.

5. The containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The wing door is wing-shaped and can be flipped open or closed along the length of the container. The dismantled junction box, frame, and broken glass are discharged from one or both sides of the corresponding container, and the battery cells are recycled inside the corresponding container.

6. The containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water pipes and high-pressure nozzles are symmetrically distributed on both sides of each of the inner support transmission rollers.

7. The containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling tool is water jet cooling.

8. The containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The abrasive belt grinding parts are made of at least two different grit sizes of sandpaper.

9. The containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The grit size of the sandpaper increases sequentially along the transport direction.

10. A containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling process, characterized in that, It employs the containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling equipment as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, and includes the following steps: S1, Equipment Assembly The junction box removal device and the frame removal device are loaded separately by a transport vehicle. The junction box removal device and the frame removal device are loaded into one container, and the glass peeling device and the back panel removal device are loaded into the remaining container. The required containers are delivered to the recycling site and the two containers are aligned and spliced ​​in the front and rear directions. The connecting transfer device eliminates the height difference between the front and rear sections of the container, and the connecting transfer device is located at the tail section of the front container or the rear container. S2, Recycling First, the junction box and backing adhesive are removed. The removed junction box is discharged from the side outlet of the container. After the junction box is removed, the photovoltaic module enters the frame removal device, which removes the long and short sides separately. The removed long and short sides are discharged from the side outlet. The photovoltaic module or frameless photovoltaic module with the frame removed is directly transferred through the transfer channel and gradually lowered to a horizontal state before being sent into the corresponding container for stress relief crushing. Then, it is softened and subjected to initial and secondary stripping. The broken glass is discharged from the side outlet. Next, the solar cells enter the backsheet removal device for wet grinding. Then, they are ground and cooled under the downward impact of the high-pressure nozzle to complete the recycling of the solar cells.

11. The containerized single-glass photovoltaic module recycling process according to claim 10, characterized in that, The wet grinding process uses two-stage belt grinding media, and the grit of the sandpaper selected for the two-stage belt grinding media increases with each stage.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Frame and junction box integrated dismounting and mounting equipment and dismounting and mounting method for photovoltaic module

    CN115179022A

  • Equipment for stripping, dismantling and recycling glass of photovoltaic module by several times

    CN116603836A

  • Automatic dismounting and recovering production line and method for waste crystal silicon solar cell modules

    CN109365482A

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    CN111958352A

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    CN218423275U