Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module

Title: Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module

Abstract

A method is provided for making a molded photovoltaic module. The module includes a flexible polymeric flex-circuit substrate having an electrically conductive printed wiring pattern and solder pads defined on it. Small photovoltaic cells are affixed to the flex-circuit substrate by back-surface contacts in electrical contact with the solder pads. At least one thermoformable polymeric film is joined to the flex-circuit substrate. Each said solder pad comprises a solder composition that, after an initial melt, has a melting point that lies above at least a portion of the temperature range for thermoforming the polymeric film.

Inventors:: Nelson, Jeffrey S.; Hibbs, Michael; Nielson, Gregory N.; Okandan, Murat; Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis; Resnick, Paul J.; Sanchez, Carlos Anthony; Gupta, Vipin P.; Clews, Peggy J.

Issue Date:: 2019-03-26

Research Org.:: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1568124

Patent Number(s):: 10243095

Application Number:: 16/040,190

Assignee:: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC (Albuquerque, NM)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES

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H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/022441 - {Electrode arrangements specially adapted for back-contact solar cells}

H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
H02S30/20 - Collapsible or foldable PV modules

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/048 - Encapsulation of modules

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E10/50 - Photovoltaic [PV] energy

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/0512 - {made of a particular material or composition of materials}
H01L31/0465 - comprising particular structures for the electrical interconnection of adjacent PV cells in the module

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E10/52 - PV systems with concentrators
Y02E10/547 - Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/0547 - {comprising light concentrating means of the reflecting type, e.g. parabolic mirrors, concentrators using total internal reflection}
H01L31/0516 - {specially adapted for interconnection of back-contact solar cells}

H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
H02S10/40 - Mobile PV generator systems

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DOE Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

Resource Type:: Patent

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 07/19/2018

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Formats


                    Nelson, Jeffrey S., Hibbs, Michael, Nielson, Gregory N., Okandan, Murat, Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis, Resnick, Paul J., Sanchez, Carlos Anthony, Gupta, Vipin P., and Clews, Peggy J. Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
        Web.

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                    Nelson, Jeffrey S., Hibbs, Michael, Nielson, Gregory N., Okandan, Murat, Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis, Resnick, Paul J., Sanchez, Carlos Anthony, Gupta, Vipin P., & Clews, Peggy J. Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module.  United States.

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                    Nelson, Jeffrey S., Hibbs, Michael, Nielson, Gregory N., Okandan, Murat, Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis, Resnick, Paul J., Sanchez, Carlos Anthony, Gupta, Vipin P., and Clews, Peggy J. Tue .  
        "Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1568124.

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@article{osti_1568124,

  title        = {Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module},

  author       = {Nelson, Jeffrey S. and Hibbs, Michael and Nielson, Gregory N. and Okandan, Murat and Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis and Resnick, Paul J. and Sanchez, Carlos Anthony and Gupta, Vipin P. and Clews, Peggy J.},

  abstractNote = {A method is provided for making a molded photovoltaic module. The module includes a flexible polymeric flex-circuit substrate having an electrically conductive printed wiring pattern and solder pads defined on it. Small photovoltaic cells are affixed to the flex-circuit substrate by back-surface contacts in electrical contact with the solder pads. At least one thermoformable polymeric film is joined to the flex-circuit substrate. Each said solder pad comprises a solder composition that, after an initial melt, has a melting point that lies above at least a portion of the temperature range for thermoforming the polymeric film.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2019},

  month        = {3}

}

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Variable melting point solders and brazes
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Formation of stretchable photovoltaic devices and carriers
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Variable melting point solders
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Photovoltaic power generation system free of bypass diodes
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Title: Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module

Abstract

Citation Formats

Variable melting point solders and brazes patent, September 2003

Interconnect structure for solar cells and method of making same patent, November 2001

Method for fabricating a solar tile patent, June 2005

Customized Color Patterning of Photovoltaic Cells patent-application, September 2014

Formation of stretchable photovoltaic devices and carriers patent-application, September 2010

Solar Panel Configurations patent-application, February 2012

Variable melting point solders patent, August 2015

Photovoltaic power generation system free of bypass diodes patent, July 2015

Hexagon solar power panel patent, May 1978

Variable melting point solders and brazes
patent, September 2003

Interconnect structure for solar cells and method of making same
patent, November 2001

Method for fabricating a solar tile
patent, June 2005

Customized Color Patterning of Photovoltaic Cells
patent-application, September 2014

Formation of stretchable photovoltaic devices and carriers
patent-application, September 2010

Solar Panel Configurations
patent-application, February 2012

Variable melting point solders
patent, August 2015

Photovoltaic power generation system free of bypass diodes
patent, July 2015

Hexagon solar power panel
patent, May 1978