Folded Insulating Sheets for Photovoltaic Panels

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional photovoltaic panels have inefficiencies due to a significant inactive edge region that does not contribute to power generation, leading to suboptimal space utilization and reduced solar power output.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a method where the front-side and backside insulating sheets of photovoltaic panels are folded over the peripheral photovoltaic cells, reducing the inactive edge region and allowing adjacent panels to be closer, thereby improving space utilization and increasing the ratio of photovoltaic cell area to total panel area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional photovoltaic panels are manufactured with flat insulating sheets, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the inactive edge region is large leading to suboptimal space utilization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidspace utilization efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The insulating sheets are folded along edge lines to create three-dimensional configurations, transforming the flat two-dimensional structure into a multi-dimensional form. This folding approach reduces the inactive edge region by allowing adjacent panels to be placed closer together, thereby improving space utilization without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The insulating sheets are designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing them to be folded and bent during manufacturing and installation. This dynamic property enables the sheets to conform to the folded configuration that optimizes space utilization while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard folding techniques.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If the inactive edge region is reduced by folding insulating sheets, then space utilization improves, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespace utilization efficiencyVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The insulating sheets are divided into multiple segments by introducing fold lines that create distinct regions: front-side insulating sheet, backside insulating sheet, and side insulating sheets. Each segment can be independently folded and positioned, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while achieving the desired three-dimensional configuration that reduces inactive edge region.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The insulating sheets are pre-folded along predetermined edge lines before final assembly. This preliminary action prepares the sheets in advance for their final three-dimensional configuration, reducing the complexity of the final assembly process and enabling standard manufacturing techniques to be used throughout.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If insulating sheets are folded over peripheral photovoltaic cells, then the ratio of photovoltaic cell area to total panel area increases, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephotovoltaic cell area ratioVSAvoidfolding precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The folding and adhesion operations are concentrated at specific locations along the edges of the photovoltaic panel, rather than requiring precision across the entire panel. By localizing the complex operations to edge regions only, the manufacturing precision requirements are significantly reduced while still achieving the goal of increasing the photovoltaic cell area ratio.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Adhesive materials are used as intermediaries to join the folded insulating sheets to the photovoltaic cells and to each other. This intermediary approach simplifies the manufacturing process by providing a tolerant bonding method that does not require extremely high precision, while still achieving secure attachment and the desired geometric configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 configuration enhances space efficiency and solar power generation by minimizing the inactive edge area, allowing for closer placement of adjacent panels and optimizing the use of available space.

Implementation Method 1

An edge portion of the front-side insulating sheet is adjoined to an edge portion of the backside insulating sheet in an adhesion region

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentUS11271126B2Photovoltaic panels with folded panel edges and methods of forming the same

Publication Date: 2022.03.08 BEIJING APOLLO DING RONG SOLAR TECH

AI summary

A photovoltaic panel is formed by providing a plurality of photovoltaic cells electrically connected by interconnect structures between a front-side insulating sheet extending over the plurality of photovoltaic cells and a backside insulating sheet extending under the plurality of photovoltaic cells, adjoining an edge portion of the front-side insulating sheet to an edge portion of the backside insulating sheet in an adhesion region, and folding at least one of the front-side insulating sheet or the backside insulating sheet over peripheral photovoltaic cells of the plurality of photovoltaic cells.