Composite Substrate for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional porous insulation substrates for dye-sensitized solar cells face challenges in mechanical strength, high-temperature resistance, chemical inertness, ion transport efficiency, and preventing electrical short circuits, particularly when using non-woven glass microfibers which require thick substrates for mechanical stability but result in slow ion transport, and woven fibers allow conductive particles to pass through, causing electrical issues.
Innovation Solution
A porous insulation substrate combining thin, strong woven microfiber layers with thin, filtering non-woven microfiber layers on both sides, where non-woven microfibers accumulate in the holes of the woven layer to block conductive particles and enhance mechanical stability, allowing for efficient ion transport and preventing electrical shorts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If non-woven glass microfibers are used as porous insulation substrate, then mechanical strength is improved, but ion transport efficiency deteriorates due to required thick substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two different fiber structures (woven and non-woven microfibers) into a composite substrate. The woven layer provides mechanical strength while the non-woven layer provides filtering capability, allowing thin substrate design that enables fast ion transport without sacrificing mechanical integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the substrate have different structures optimized for different functions: the woven microfiber layer is optimized for mechanical strength, while the non-woven microfiber layer is optimized for particle filtering. This local differentiation allows each layer to perform its specific function efficiently.
2Speed
If woven fibers are used as porous insulation substrate, then ion transport efficiency is improved, but electrical short circuit risk increases due to conductive particles passing through
Solution Approach 1:
The non-woven microfiber layer acts as an intermediary filtering layer between the conductive paste and the woven microfiber layer. It captures and retains conductive particles that pass through the woven layer, preventing electrical short circuits while maintaining ion transport efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate uses porous non-woven microfiber material with controlled pore structure that allows ion transport while physically blocking conductive particles. The porous structure enables ion diffusion while the fiber network captures particles.
3Strength
If thick substrate is used to improve mechanical stability, then mechanical strength is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to difficulty in handling thin layers
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure combines a thin woven layer (providing mechanical strength) with a thin non-woven layer (providing filtering), achieving sufficient mechanical stability without requiring a thick substrate that would be difficult to handle with precision during manufacturing.
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
The combined substrate achieves mechanical strength, high-temperature resistance, chemical inertness, and efficient ion transport while preventing electrical shorts, enabling faster ion transfer and improved solar cell performance with a thinner, more stable structure.
Implementation Method 1
a first layer of non-woven microfibers arranged on the layer of woven microfibers on a first side of the substrate... the non-woven microfibers accumulate in the holes of the woven layer to block conductive particles
Implementation Method 2
The porous insulation substrate must allow ions to pass through the substrate... the substrate must have sufficiently high porosity (pore volume fraction) and low tortuosity
Implementation Method 3
The transparent conducting oxide layer serves the function as a back contact extracting photo-generated electrons from the working electrode
Implementation Method 4
Sunlight is harvested by the dye, producing photo-excited electrons that are injected into the conduction band of the TiO2 particles
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 2~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a dye-sensitized solar cell including a working electrode (1), a first conducting layer (3) for extracting photo-generated electrons from the working electrode, a porous insulation substrate (4) made of a microfibers, wherein the first conducting layer is a porous conducting layer formed on one side of the porous insulation substrate, a counter electrode including a second conducting layer (2) arranged on the opposite side of the porous substrate, and electrolyte for transferring electrons from the counter electrode to the working electrode. The porous insulation substrate comprises a layer (5) of woven microfibers and a layer (6) of non-woven microfibers disposed on the layer of woven microfibers. The present invention also relates to a method for producing a dye-sensitized solar cell.