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Title: Effects of Photovoltaic Module Materials and Design on Module Deformation Under Load

Abstract

Quasi-static structural finite-element models of an aluminum-framed crystalline silicon photovoltaic module and a glass-glass thin-film module were constructed and validated against experimental measurements of deflection under uniform pressure loading. Specific practices in the computational representation of module assembly were identified as influential to matching experimental deflection observations. Additionally, parametric analyses using Latin hypercube sampling were performed to propagate input uncertainties related to module materials, dimensions, and tolerances into uncertainties in simulated deflection. Sensitivity analyses were performed on the uncertainty quantification datasets using linear correlation coefficients and variance-based sensitivity indices to elucidate key parameters influencing module deformation. Results identified edge tape and adhesive material properties as being strongly correlated to module deflection, suggesting that optimization of these materials could yield module stiffness gains at par with the conventionally structural parameters, such as glass thickness. This exercise verifies the applicability of finite-element models for accurately predicting mechanical behavior of solar modules and demonstrates a workflow for model-based parametric uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis. Finally, applications of this capability include the assessment of field environment loads, derivation of representative loading conditions for reduced-scale testing, and module design optimization, among others.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3];  [1];  [3];  [3];  [4]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  3. First Solar Inc., Perrysburg, OH (United States)
  4. Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1617312
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1659818
Report Number(s):
SAND-2019-14301J; NREL/JA-5K00-76253
Journal ID: ISSN 2156-3381; 682725
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000; NA0003525; AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 10; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2156-3381
Publisher:
IEEE
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; finite-element modeling; mechanical load; simulation; uncertainty quantification; validation

Citation Formats

Hartley, James Y., Owen-Bellini, Michael, Truman, Thomas, Maes, Ashley, Elce, Edmund, Ward, Allan, Khraishi, Tariq, and Roberts, Scott A. Effects of Photovoltaic Module Materials and Design on Module Deformation Under Load. United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.1109/JPHOTOV.2020.2971139.
Hartley, James Y., Owen-Bellini, Michael, Truman, Thomas, Maes, Ashley, Elce, Edmund, Ward, Allan, Khraishi, Tariq, & Roberts, Scott A. Effects of Photovoltaic Module Materials and Design on Module Deformation Under Load. United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2020.2971139
Hartley, James Y., Owen-Bellini, Michael, Truman, Thomas, Maes, Ashley, Elce, Edmund, Ward, Allan, Khraishi, Tariq, and Roberts, Scott A. 2020. "Effects of Photovoltaic Module Materials and Design on Module Deformation Under Load". United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2020.2971139. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1617312.
@article{osti_1617312,
title = {Effects of Photovoltaic Module Materials and Design on Module Deformation Under Load},
author = {Hartley, James Y. and Owen-Bellini, Michael and Truman, Thomas and Maes, Ashley and Elce, Edmund and Ward, Allan and Khraishi, Tariq and Roberts, Scott A.},
abstractNote = {Quasi-static structural finite-element models of an aluminum-framed crystalline silicon photovoltaic module and a glass-glass thin-film module were constructed and validated against experimental measurements of deflection under uniform pressure loading. Specific practices in the computational representation of module assembly were identified as influential to matching experimental deflection observations. Additionally, parametric analyses using Latin hypercube sampling were performed to propagate input uncertainties related to module materials, dimensions, and tolerances into uncertainties in simulated deflection. Sensitivity analyses were performed on the uncertainty quantification datasets using linear correlation coefficients and variance-based sensitivity indices to elucidate key parameters influencing module deformation. Results identified edge tape and adhesive material properties as being strongly correlated to module deflection, suggesting that optimization of these materials could yield module stiffness gains at par with the conventionally structural parameters, such as glass thickness. This exercise verifies the applicability of finite-element models for accurately predicting mechanical behavior of solar modules and demonstrates a workflow for model-based parametric uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis. Finally, applications of this capability include the assessment of field environment loads, derivation of representative loading conditions for reduced-scale testing, and module design optimization, among others.},
doi = {10.1109/JPHOTOV.2020.2971139},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1617312}, journal = {IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics},
issn = {2156-3381},
number = 3,
volume = 10,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2020},
month = {Thu Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2020}
}

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