Solar Panel Junction Box with Displacement Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solar panels face inefficiencies due to varying irradiation intensity across solar cells, requiring complex bypass diodes and precise filling of sealing compounds to ensure operational reliability and moisture protection, which can be challenging with manufacturing tolerances and different module dimensions.
Innovation Solution
A junction box design featuring a cover device with a displacement element and a hydraulic connection to a reservoir, allowing for a reduced volume of filling material and eliminating the need for precise filling levels, while maintaining moisture protection through a blocking device that prevents material displacement during hardening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the functional interior is completely filled with filling material before closing the cover device, then moisture protection of electrical components is ensured, but the volume of filling material required increases and precise filling level control becomes necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The displacement element is pre-integrated into the cover device at manufacturing, so that when the cover device is installed, the filling material is automatically displaced from the functional interior into the reservoir. This preliminary arrangement eliminates the need for precise filling level control during assembly while ensuring complete encapsulation of electrical components for moisture protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The reservoir acts as an intermediary space that temporarily stores filling material displaced from the functional interior. This mediator allows the system to achieve complete filling of the functional interior (ensuring moisture protection) without requiring precise control of the initial filling amount, as excess material is automatically redirected to the reservoir.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different versions of solar modules and junction boxes are used, then adaptability to various configurations is achieved, but the precision of filling material volume matching becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cover device with integrated displacement element and reservoir is designed as a universal component that can be applied to different versions of junction boxes and solar modules. The displacement volume and reservoir capacity are designed to accommodate variations in functional interior volumes across different configurations, eliminating the need for version-specific filling material volumes while maintaining complete encapsulation.
3Productivity
If the functional interior volume varies due to manufacturing tolerances, then production flexibility is improved, but the precision of filling material volume control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system accommodates variations in functional interior volume (caused by manufacturing tolerances) by allowing the filling material volume to vary within a range. The displacement element and reservoir are designed with sufficient capacity to handle these volume variations, transforming the precision requirement from a fixed value to a flexible range, thereby improving production flexibility without sacrificing encapsulation quality.
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 design enhances operational reliability by reducing material usage, simplifying the filling process, and ensuring complete encapsulation of electrical components, while accommodating manufacturing tolerances and varying module dimensions without compromising moisture protection.
Implementation Method 1
the functional interior can be hydraulically connected to the reservoir and wherein in one arrangement position the displacement element fills the interior volume V I of the functional interior by a predetermined displacement volume V V
Data Source
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AI summary
The socket (3) has a cover device (5) with a displacer element (31), and a housing device (7) provided with a functional interior space (21). The functional interior space is hydraulically connected with a reservoir (37). Interior space volume of the functional interior space is reduced around predetermined displacer volume in an arrangement position of the displacer element. Fluid i.e. filling material, provided in the interior space is displaced from the interior space by the displacer element and is partially transferred into the reservoir. An independent claim is also included for a method for manufacturing a solar panel.