Unique material challenges in photovoltaic concentrator modules

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6838948

Beavis, L C

Photovoltaic concentrators operate in a unique environment of high light flux, high temperatures, and large variations in temperature and humidity. The stability of various polymethyl/methacrylate (PMMA) lens formulations to solar environmental exposure has been determined to be variable. The PMMA seems to be unaffected mechanically by the loss or absence of screening agents. Cells exposed to the moist environments become coated with interconnect corrosion products. A clear Dow Corning encapsulant has proven to be durable and capable of protecting cells in this environment. Solder bonds degrade due to temperature cycling and tin diffusion into copper. Finally, a new means of making an electrically insulated low thermal resistance path between the photovoltaic cell and heatsink is described.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6838948
• Report Number(s): SAND-83-2028C; CONF-840561-12; ON: DE84010846
• Resource Relation: Conference: 17. IEEE photovoltaic specialists conference, Kissimmee, FL, USA, 1 May 1984; Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
CONCENTRATOR SOLAR CELLS
LENSES
MATERIALS
CORROSION
ENCAPSULATION
HIGH TEMPERATURE
PHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERSION
PMMA
SOLAR FLUX
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONVERSION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ENERGY CONVERSION
EQUIPMENT
ESTERS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
POLYACRYLATES
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion