Photovoltaic Module Production Without Vacuum Lamination

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Solution Overview

Problem

The production of photovoltaic modules using vacuum lamination operations requires significant capital investment and can lead to breakage of brittle silicon semiconductor cells due to mechanical compression, resulting in high rejection rates.

Innovation Solution

A process involving suspending photovoltaic cells or matrices with their front sides facing upward, applying encapsulant layers, and positioning a front transparency without vacuum lamination, using a cell press system and inert gas atmosphere to minimize contact damage and enhance encapsulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If vacuum lamination operations are used to produce photovoltaic modules, then bonding and sealing of components is achieved, but capital investment in equipment increases and cell breakage occurs due to mechanical compression

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebonding and sealing qualityVSAvoidequipment complexity and capital investment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the vacuum lamination step from the module production process. Instead of using vacuum lamination equipment to bond and seal components, the invention uses a simplified process where encapsulant materials are applied and cured without requiring vacuum compression, thereby removing the need for complex vacuum lamination equipment while still achieving proper bonding and sealing through the encapsulant curing process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical vacuum compression system with a chemical/thermal curing process. Instead of relying on mechanical force from vacuum lamination to achieve bonding and sealing, the invention uses the curing properties of encapsulant materials (through heat or UV radiation) to achieve the same bonding and sealing functions without mechanical compression, thereby eliminating cell breakage and equipment complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If vacuum lamination operations are used to produce photovoltaic modules, then bonding and sealing of components is achieved, but cell breakage rates increase due to mechanical compression of brittle silicon cells

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebonding and sealing qualityVSAvoidmechanical compression damage to cells

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies encapsulant materials to the photovoltaic cells before the bonding and sealing process. These encapsulant materials serve as a protective cushioning layer that prevents direct mechanical contact and potential damage to the brittle silicon cells during the bonding process, while still allowing proper sealing and structural integrity to be achieved through curing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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 method reduces equipment costs and cell breakage, enabling efficient production of photovoltaic modules with improved reliability and reduced rejection rates by eliminating the need for vacuum lamination and using encapsulant layers to protect the cells effectively.

Implementation Method 1

curing the first encapsulant layer and the second encapsulant layer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCuring: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentUS9312424B1Process and system for producing photovoltaic modules

Publication Date: 2016.04.12 PPG INDUSTRIES OHIO INC

AI summary

A photovoltaic module can be produced by suspending a photovoltaic cell with a front side of the photovoltaic cell facing upward, positioning a backsheet and a first encapsulant layer underneath the suspended photovoltaic cell, lowering the suspended photovoltaic cell into contact with the first encapsulant layer wherein a back side of the photovoltaic cell contacts the first encapsulant layer, applying a second encapsulant layer over at least the front side of the photovoltaic cell, positioning a front transparency onto the second encapsulant layer, and curing the first encapsulant layer and the second encapsulant layer.