Bypass Conductor for Shingled Solar Cell Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in photovoltaic (PV) solar cell modules is the difficulty in repairing or reworking shingled solar cell modules due to the delicacy of the cells and the thinness of the electrically conductive bonds, making it expensive and challenging to remove or replace defective cells, thus necessitating a method to bypass defective cells to maintain module efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a bypass conductor system that couples the rear surfaces of adjacent solar cells, allowing electricity to bypass defective cells by conducting from the rear surface of one cell to another, thereby short-circuiting the defective cell and maintaining module performance without the need for cell removal or replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If shingled solar cell modules are used to improve power output and efficiency, then module performance is improved, but the difficulty of repair and replacement of defective cells increases due to cell delicacy and thin conductive bonds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the defective cell from the current path by implementing a bypass conductor that routes electricity around the defective cell through the rear surface, effectively removing the defective cell from the functional circuit without physically extracting it from the module structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass conductor acts as an intermediary element that provides an alternative current path between adjacent cells, mediating the electrical connection around the defective cell and enabling module functionality to be maintained without direct intervention on the fragile cells themselves.
2Reliability
If defective cells are removed or replaced to maintain module efficiency, then module performance is maintained, but the cost and complexity of repair increases due to cell delicacy and thin conductive bonds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the defective cell from the current path by implementing a bypass conductor that routes electricity around the defective cell through the rear surface, effectively removing the defective cell from the functional circuit without physically extracting it from the module structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the electrical configuration parameter by introducing a parallel current path through the bypass conductor, transforming the series connection into a hybrid series-parallel arrangement that allows the module to operate with reduced but acceptable efficiency while avoiding costly repairs.
3Loss of energy
If bypass conductors are implemented to bypass defective cells, then resistive losses and heat flow issues are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass conductor acts as an intermediary element that provides an alternative current path between adjacent cells, mediating the electrical connection around the defective cell and enabling module functionality to be maintained without direct intervention on the fragile cells themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the rear surface dimension of the solar cells to implement the bypass conductor, moving the current path from the traditional front surface plane to the rear surface plane, thereby adding a spatial dimension to the bypass strategy without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively bypasses defective cells, reducing resistive losses and heat flow issues, enhancing the reliability and durability of the solar module while avoiding costly repairs, and maintaining power output by ensuring current flows through a low resistance path around the defective cell.
Implementation Method 1
a bypass conductor coupled to the rear surface of a first solar cell in the first super cell and coupled to the rear surface of a second solar cell in the first super cell disposed after the first defective solar cell in series, wherein the bypass conductor is adapted to bypass the first defective solar cell by conducting electricity from the rear surface of the first solar cell in the first super cell to the rear surface of the second solar cell in the first super cell
Data Source
AI summary
A high efficiency configuration for a solar cell module comprises solar cells arranged in a shingled manner to form super cells, which may be arranged to efficiently use the area of the solar module, reduce series resistance, and increase module efficiency. Removing a defective solar cell from a super cell may be difficult, however. It may therefore be advantageous to bypass defective solar cells in a super cell rather than remove and replace them. A bypass conductor may be applied to the rear surface of the super cell to bypass one or more defective solar cells in a super cell or in a solar module comprising super cells.