A new solution and technique of coating for photovoltaic panels

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for coating photovoltaic panel surfaces with coating material obtained to protect photovoltaic panel surfaces from adverse effects such as contaminants, dust, etc., and to provide additional properties. Thanks to the invention, the photovoltaic panel surfaces can be coated without any chemical and physical adverse effects.

Description

[0001] A NEW SOLUTION AND TECHNIQUE OF COATING FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The invention relates to a coating material for the development of the properties of photovoltaic solar panels, which has anti-reflection and self-cleaning properties, showing a hydrophobic effect, and the coating method of the coating material on the photovoltaic panel.

[0004] The main subject of the invention is a coating method for coating materials with antireflection and self-cleaning properties without causing any chemical and physical adverse effects on photovoltaic panels.

[0005] PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE

[0006] Today, electrical energy production is divided into two; energy obtained from fossil fuels and renewable sources such as wind and solar. Due to the harmful effects of consumed fossil energy sources frequently used in the current technique for nature and human and CO2 emissions, energy production is shifted to inexhaustible, environmentally friendly, renewable energy sources.

[0007] Efficiency, environmental factors, low cost, and availability of resources in the production of electrical energy highlight solar and wind energy systems in renewable energy sources. In addition to being a clean, low-maintenance, reliable, and inexhaustible main source of energy from solar radiation, it plays a more important role with the recent developments in technologies. In the solar energy system, radiation is converted to electric energy through panels.

[0008] The panels used in the solar energy system are called photovoltaic panels and can be produced in various sizes and properties. Solar photovoltaic solar cells are systems consisting of semiconductor materials that directly convert to DC electrical energy. Solar cells, whose surfaces are usually square, rectangular, or circular, have an average area of 100 / 156 / 243 square centimeters and a thickness of 0.2-0.4 mm. Solar cells operate on a photovoltaic principle. This means that electrical voltage is generated at the poles with the light incident on it. Solar cells absorb photons and activate electrons with the energy of photons. Electron flow takes place between the two poles of the cell, and the voltage that occurs here creates an electrical current. Cells placed with modules and panels are connected in series and parallel within themselves to reach the desired power level.

[0009] Photovoltaic panels are positioned in such a way that maximum efficiency can be obtained from the sun. Over time, on the surfaces of photovoltaic panels, there is a loss of efficiency in output power due to many contaminants such as dust, dirt, and organic waste caused by reflection and environmental effects. Self-cleaning and anti-reflective coating materials are coated on the surface of the photovoltaic panels to eliminate the mentioned negative effects. These coating materials, which can have various properties, can be coated with various methods such as sol-gel, spraying, dip-coating, spin-coating, PVD, CVD, and atomic layer deposition on the surface of photovoltaic panels in the literature.

[0010] In the technical field, many studies are being carried out on coating materials and coating methods of the said coating materials to improve the performance of photovoltaic panel surfaces. These coating materials and coating methods are intended not to cause chemical and mechanical damage to the photovoltaic panel surfaces and not to reduce the working performance of the surfaces.

[0011] As a result, it is foreseen that providing the coating material and a new coating method for these materials to improve the performance of photovoltaic panels in the relevant technical field can meet the criteria of innovation and inventive step.

[0012] AIM OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention relates to a novel coating material for the surfaces of photovoltaic panels and to a coating method of the said coating material on the surfaces of photovoltaic panels which provides solutions to the problems and provides additional advantages for the relevant technical field.

[0014] The aim of the invention is to obtain a coating material, that prevents the accumulation of organic dirt, contaminants, dust, unwanted water, or rain deposits on the surface area that reduces the working efficiency on the surface of photovoltaic panels and has self-cleaning and anti-reflection properties, and a coating technique of this coating material on the photovoltaic panel surface.

[0015] The aim of the invention is to provide a coating material that will prevent the direct sunlight coming to the surface of photovoltaic panels from reflecting into the atmosphere and allow more sunlight to enter the solar cells and easily clean the unwanted substances such as dust, dirt, etc. accumulated on them thanks to the rain or water coming for different reasons.

[0016] The aim of the invention is to provide more power output from the unit panel surface area with the coating of the coating material according to the invention on the surface of the photovoltaic panels.

[0017] To realize all these aims, the invention can provide protection against many contaminations such as dust, dirt, etc. caused by environmental effects on the surfaces of photovoltaic panels and it is a method for coating the coating material obtained by applying the following process steps, which has anti-reflection and self-cleaning properties, without causing any chemical and physical adverse effects on the surface of photovoltaic solar panels using 3D printers

[0018] • adding the matrix component to the solvent component and stirring until it forms a homogeneous mixture, wherein the matrix component is polylactic acid, wherein the solvent is chloroform,

[0019] • adding the base components to the homogeneous mixture obtained and stirring until the homogeneous mixture is formed, wherein the base component is at least one selected from the group of compounds such as silicon and titanium-based components, aluminum oxide, magnesium fluoride, zinc oxide, or mixtures thereof in certain proportions or all at once.

[0020] The coating material comprises a polylactic acid in the range of 70% to 99% by weight, and base particles in the range of 1% to 30% by weight.

[0021] Base nanoparticles are silicon and titanium-based materials.

[0022] It comprises PLA polymer preferably from 95% to 99% in the coating material and silicon and titanium-based compounds in a ratio of 5% to 1% by weight.

[0023] The stirring operations are carried out over a period of 2 to 4 hours. The extruder width in the coating process with the 3D printer is in the range of 0.3 to 0.4 mm.

[0024] The filling percentage in the coating process with the 3D printer is in the range of 35% to 50%.

[0025] The extruder multiplier in the coating process with the 3D printer is in the range of 7 to 10.

[0026] The coating thickness in the coating process with the 3D printer is in the range of 0.04 to 0.06 mm.

[0027] The speed of the printer in the coating process with a 3D printer is 300 mm / sec.

[0028] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] The subject of the invention in this detailed description relates to a coating material with antireflection and self-cleaning properties for the development of the properties of photovoltaic solar panels, to the coating of the coating material on the photovoltaic panel and is explained with examples that do not have any limiting effect only for a better understanding of the subject of the invention.

[0030] The top surface of photovoltaic panels is mainly glass material. It is essential to use coating materials compatible with the glass material in question. Coating materials are added to provide photocatalytic effect, self-cleaning and anti-reflection properties on the glass surface.

[0031] The purpose of photovoltaic panels is to obtain as much energy as possible from the sun; therefore, the sunlight coming from the sun should be prevented from hitting the panel surface and reflecting and breaking from the surface. The coating material according to the invention contains at least one selected from the group of materials such as silicon and titanium-based components, aluminum oxide, magnesium fluoride, zinc oxide, mixtures in certain weight ratios, or all of them as base material to eliminate this negative effect.

[0032] Photovoltaic panels are positioned in the most suitable environments where sunlight can be taken to receive and benefit from the sun as much as possible. The photovoltaic panel surface, which cannot be protected in any way, can be damaged by various impurities, dust, rain, and water droplets. This negative situation directly affects the operating efficiency of solar panels, and this should be prevented. The coating material of the invention comprises at least one or all or mixtures of titanium-based components, aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, and magnesium fluoride compounds to prevent this negative effect, and the coating material also has a hydrophobic structure. The coating material, which has a hydrophobic structure and contains titanium oxide components, is coated on the surface of the photovoltaic panel, prevents the surface from gathering dirt and dust, prevents them from sticking to the surface, and allows them to flow away in water and rain drops.

[0033] In the coating material, it contains silicon oxide and titanium nanoparticles as base materials, as well as at least one of aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, and magnesium fluoride.

[0034] The coating material contains at least one matrix component to provide all these properties. The matrix component in the invention is referred to as the component that holds the base components together and provides the coating material with basic properties. The coating material of the invention comprises the polylactic acid (abbreviated as PLA) polymer as the matrix component.

[0035] The coating material of the invention comprises the polylactic acid compound as the matrix component and the titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide compounds as the base components.

[0036] The coating material of the invention contains PLA polymer in an amount of 70% to 99% by weight, 30% to 1% by weight of at least one selected from the group of compounds such as silicon and titanium-based components, aluminum oxide, magnesium fluoride, zinc oxide, mixtures in certain weight ratios or all of them.

[0037] The coating material of the invention preferably comprises PLA polymer in an amount of 70% to 99% by weight, and silicon and titanium-based compounds at a rate of 30% to 1% by weight.

[0038] The coating material of the invention preferably comprises 95% to 99% PLA polymer and from 5% to 1% by weight silicon and titanium-based compounds.

[0039] During the production of the coating material of the invention, solvent material is used. The chloroform material is used as the solvent material.

[0040] The first process step for preparing the coating material is to add the matrix component to the solvent component. A homogeneous mixture is obtained by mixing two components. The stirring process herein is carried out for 2 to 4 hours at room temperature. The silicon oxide and titanium oxide compounds in the determined weight ratios are added to the homogeneous matrix component-solvent mixture. A second stirring process is applied to homogenize the resulting mixture. The second stirring operation herein is carried out for 2 to 4 hours at room temperature. A coating material solution in a homogeneous structure is obtained as a result of the aforementioned processes.

[0041] The innovative aspect of the invention is that the coating material obtained in a homogeneous structure is coated on the photovoltaic panel surfaces using three-dimensional (to be abbreviated in 3D) printers. First, the coating material solution is taken into the injector of the 3D printer. Subsequently, the coating process parameter settings of the 3D printer are made.

[0042] The prepared coating material solution of the invention is placed in the injector that can print the solution of the biocompatible modified Ultimaker 2+ 3D printer. For the PV panel, X-Y axes alignment settings are made. The parameters required for the use of the 3D printer in the coating method of the invention are given in Table 1 .

[0043] Table 1. Parameters applied during the coating of the coating material of the invention on the photovoltaic panel surfaces with the 3D printer method

[0044] Example

[0045] 1.6 g of solid PLA polymer is dissolved in a magnetic stirrer with 20 ml of chloroform for 2-4 hours to form a homogeneous gel consistency. 0.025 g SiOs and 0.025 g TiOs are added to the homogeneous and gel-formed PLA polymer and stirred in a magnetic stirrer for 2 to 4 hours to obtain a completely homogeneous sol-gel. After the coating material is obtained, it is taken to the injector part of the 3D printer and the coating process is applied to the PV panel with the parameters given in Table 1 . After the application of the coating processes, the PV panel was tested in the solar simulator. In addition, electrical energy generated during 24 hours was measured by testing outside for 10 days. Together with the coated PV panel, an electrical energy production measurement was done for an equivalent uncoated panel under the same conditions in the same way and compared. According to the comparison, the coated PV panel produced 9.114% more electrical energy than the uncoated one. When the PV panels were compared according to the daily radiation datas calculated from the Turkish State Meteorological Service, the uncoated PV panels used had an average efficiency of 9.616% for 10 days, while the coated panel had an efficiency of 10.453% and an efficiency increase of 8.7%.

[0046] The scope of protection of the invention is specified in the attached claims and cannot be limited to those explained for sampling purposes in this detailed description. It is evident that a person expert in the technique may exhibit similar structures considering the above- mentioned facts without departing from the main theme of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1. The invention can provide protection against many contaminations such as dust, dirt, etc. caused by environmental effects on the surfaces of photovoltaic panels and it is a method for coating the coating material obtained by applying the following process steps, which has anti-reflection and self-cleaning properties, without causing any chemical and physical adverse effects on the surface of photovoltaic solar panels using 3D printers■ adding the polymer to the solvent component and stirring until it forms a homogeneous mixture, wherein the polymer material is polylactic acid, wherein the solvent is chloroform,■ adding the base materials to the homogeneous mixture obtained and stirring until the homogeneous gel solution mixture is formed, wherein the base materials are at least one selected from the group of materials such as silicon and titanium-based, aluminum oxide, magnesium fluoride, zinc oxide, or mixtures thereof in certain proportions or all at once.

2. A method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the said coating material comprises a polylactic acid in the range of 70% to 99% by weight, and a base material in the range of 1% to 30% by weight.

3. A method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the base materials are silicon and titanium-based compounds.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 -3, characterized in that it comprises PLA polymer in the coating material, preferably in the range of 95% to 99%, and silicon and titanium-based particles in the range of 5% to 1% by weight.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 -5, characterized in that the said stirring operations are carried out for a period in the range of 2 to 4 hours.

86. A method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the extruder width in the coating process with the said 3D printer is in the range of 0.3 to 0.4 mm.

7. A method according to one of claims 1-6, characterized in that the percentage ratio in the coating process with the 3D printer is in the range of 35% to 50%.

8. A method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the extruder multiplier in the coating process with the 3D printer is in the range of 7 to 10.

9. A method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that the coating thickness in the coating process with the 3D printer is in the range of 0.04 to 0.06 mm.

10. A method according to one of claims 1 -9, characterized in that the speed of the printer in the coating process with a 3D printer is 300 mm / sec.9

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