Viscoelastic Material Characterization and Modeling of Photovoltaic Module Packaging Materials for Direct Finite-Element Method Input

Bosco, Nick; Springer, Martin; He, Xin

doi:10.1109/JPHOTOV.2020.3005086

Title: Viscoelastic Material Characterization and Modeling of Photovoltaic Module Packaging Materials for Direct Finite-Element Method Input

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Abstract

Numerical tools, such as the finite-element method, are increasingly used to design and evaluate the photovoltaic (PV) modules, providing for the reduction of development time and improved performance and reliability. However, high-fidelity material models are necessary to accurately model the complex structural behavior of the involved packaging materials. A common simplification used in recent years is to model the polymer materials (i.e., encapsulant and backsheet) as linear elastic, which will lead to inaccurate results. Therefore, in this work, we present a thorough characterization of the time- and temperature-dependent mechanical response of predominant PV module encapsulant and backsheet materials. Based on this material characterization, we developed and experimentally validated generalized Maxwell models to describe each material's viscoelastic response. In addition, we included measurements of the coefficient of thermal expansion and presented all material models in such a fashion for direct input into commercial finite-element method modeling software.

Authors:: Bosco, Nick; Springer, Martin; He, Xin

Publication Date:: 2020-07-20

Research Org.:: 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

OSTI Identifier:: 1665865

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5K00-76278
MainId:6257;UUID:53a7a728-595e-ea11-9c31-ac162d87dfe5;MainAdminID:18537

DOE Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 10; Journal Issue: 5

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: SOLAR ENERGY; FEM; finite element method; mechanical; modeling; module; photovoltaic; reliability; viscoelastic; viscoplastic

Citation Formats


                    Bosco, Nick, Springer, Martin, and He, Xin. Viscoelastic Material Characterization and Modeling of Photovoltaic Module Packaging Materials for Direct Finite-Element Method Input.  United States: N. p., 2020. 
        Web.  doi:10.1109/JPHOTOV.2020.3005086.

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                    Bosco, Nick, Springer, Martin, & He, Xin. Viscoelastic Material Characterization and Modeling of Photovoltaic Module Packaging Materials for Direct Finite-Element Method Input.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2020.3005086

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                    Bosco, Nick, Springer, Martin, and He, Xin. 2020.  
        "Viscoelastic Material Characterization and Modeling of Photovoltaic Module Packaging Materials for Direct Finite-Element Method Input".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2020.3005086.

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@article{osti_1665865,

  title        = {Viscoelastic Material Characterization and Modeling of Photovoltaic Module Packaging Materials for Direct Finite-Element Method Input},

  author       = {Bosco, Nick and Springer, Martin and He, Xin},

  abstractNote = {Numerical tools, such as the finite-element method, are increasingly used to design and evaluate the photovoltaic (PV) modules, providing for the reduction of development time and improved performance and reliability. However, high-fidelity material models are necessary to accurately model the complex structural behavior of the involved packaging materials. A common simplification used in recent years is to model the polymer materials (i.e., encapsulant and backsheet) as linear elastic, which will lead to inaccurate results. Therefore, in this work, we present a thorough characterization of the time- and temperature-dependent mechanical response of predominant PV module encapsulant and backsheet materials. Based on this material characterization, we developed and experimentally validated generalized Maxwell models to describe each material's viscoelastic response. In addition, we included measurements of the coefficient of thermal expansion and presented all material models in such a fashion for direct input into commercial finite-element method modeling software.},

  doi          = {10.1109/JPHOTOV.2020.3005086},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1665865},
  journal      = {IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics},
number       = 5,

  volume       = 10,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2020},

  month        = {7}

}

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