Photoelectric Panel Material Recovery via Crushing and Gravity Sorting

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for recycling photoelectric conversion panels, such as solar cell panels, involve immersing metals in etching solutions like nitric acid, resulting in metals with low material usability.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for collecting materials from photoelectric conversion panels without using etching solutions, involving a crushing step to form crushed material and a specific gravity sorting step to separate materials based on their specific gravity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If metal is immersed in etching solution such as nitric acid solution to be eluted, then metal can be collected from photoelectric conversion panel, but the collected metal has low material usability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemetal collectionVSAvoidmaterial usability

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the chemical etching process with a mechanical crushing process. Instead of using nitric acid solution to dissolve metal, the invention mechanically crushes the photoelectric conversion panel to separate materials based on their physical properties, specifically specific gravity, thereby avoiding chemical contamination and maintaining material usability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the separation parameter from chemical dissolution (using etching solutions) to physical separation based on specific gravity. By crushing the panel and then separating components according to their specific gravity densities, the method achieves both collection and preservation of material usability without chemical degradation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If etching solution is used to collect metal, then metal can be eluted and collected, but the process requires chemical handling and produces harmful waste

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemetal elutionVSAvoidchemical waste

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention substitutes the chemical etching method with a purely mechanical crushing and physical separation method. This eliminates the need for handling hazardous chemicals like nitric acid and prevents the generation of chemical waste, while still achieving effective metal collection through mechanical means.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful chemical etching process into a beneficial mechanical crushing process. The crushing action, which might seem destructive, actually enables clean separation of materials by specific gravity, transforming a potentially harmful chemical process into an environmentally friendly physical separation method.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Ease of manufacture

If mechanical crushing is used to collect material, then material usability is maintained, but the separation process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial usabilityVSAvoidseparation process

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent simplifies the separation process by focusing on a single physical parameter - specific gravity. After mechanical crushing, materials are separated based on their specific gravity densities, which provides a straightforward separation mechanism that maintains material usability while avoiding the complexity of multiple chemical processing steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 allows for the collection of metals and other materials in a solid state, enhancing their usability and enabling efficient separation and recycling of materials like copper, silicon, and resin without the need for etching solutions.

Implementation Method 1

a crushing unit that is configured to form a crushed material by crushing a structure constituting a photoelectric conversion panel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical force: Mechanical Force

Implementation Method 2

a specific gravity sorting unit that is configured to sort the crushed material into a first specific gravity material having at least a first specific gravity and a high specific gravity material having a specific gravity larger than the first specific gravity on a basis of specific gravity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpecific gravity separation: Density Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS20250196156A1Method for collecting material from photoelectric conversion panel and system for collecting material from photoelectric conversion panel

Publication Date: 2025.06.19 SOLAR FRONTIER KK

AI summary

Provided is a novel material collection method for collecting a material from a photoelectric conversion panel without using an etching solution. The method for collecting a material from a photoelectric conversion panel, comprises: a crushing step (S3) of forming a crushed material by crushing a structure constituting a photoelectric conversion panel; and a specific gravity sorting step (S5) of sorting the crushed material into a first specific gravity material having at least a first specific gravity and a high specific gravity material having a specific gravity larger than the first specific gravity on a basis of specific gravity.