Solar cell assembly and method of bonding a solar cell component to a flexible support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The bowing phenomenon in solar cells leads to uneven spacing between the cells and supports, causing excessive bonding adhesive to flow away and contaminate the edges, resulting in inconsistent adhesion and potential defects in solar cell assemblies.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a flexible support with uniform borders extending beyond the solar cell edges, allowing bonding adhesive to wick and stay adjacent the edges by surface tension, ensuring consistent adhesion regardless of the degree of bowing, and optionally incorporating rigid particles for further support and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bonding adhesive is disposed between solar cells and support, then solar cells are bonded to support, but excessive adhesive flows away from edges due to uneven spacing from bowing
Solution Approach 1:
The support is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring a first thickness in the first region and a second thickness in the second region. This local variation in thickness compensates for the bowing of solar cells, ensuring that bonding adhesive remains within acceptable thickness ranges across different regions, preventing both excessive adhesive flow and insufficient bonding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thickness parameter of the support to address the bowing issue. By adjusting the support thickness locally (first thickness vs. second thickness), the patent compensates for variations in solar cell flatness, maintaining consistent bonding adhesive thickness and preventing adhesive overflow or contamination.
2Productivity
If solar cells with varying bow degrees are bonded to support, then all solar cells can be assembled, but bonding adhesive thickness becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The support is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring a first thickness in the first region and a second thickness in the second region. This local variation in thickness compensates for the bowing of solar cells, ensuring that bonding adhesive remains within acceptable thickness ranges across different regions, preventing both excessive adhesive flow and insufficient bonding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thickness parameter of the support to address the bowing issue. By adjusting the support thickness locally (first thickness vs. second thickness), the patent compensates for variations in solar cell flatness, maintaining consistent bonding adhesive thickness and preventing adhesive overflow or contamination.
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
Prevents bonding adhesive from flowing away, maintaining a uniform adhesive thickness and ensuring reliable bonding across varying bowing degrees, reducing contamination and enhancing assembly quality.
Implementation Method 1
allowing bonding adhesive to wick and stay adjacent the edges by surface tension
Data Source
AI summary
A solar cell assembly and a method of bonding a solar cell component to a flexible support are disclosed. The solar cell assembly comprises a flexible support with a predetermined size, a solar cell component, bonding adhesive between the support and the solar cell component, wherein the support with the predetermined size has substantially uniform borders of 0.003 inches to 0.2 inches in width extending beyond the edges of the solar cell component.