Trial Run of a Junction-Box Attachment Test for Use in Photovoltaic Module Qualification (Presentation)
Engineering robust adhesion of the junction-box (j-box) is a hurdle typically encountered by photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturers during product development and manufacturing process control. There are historical incidences of adverse effects (e.g., fires), caused when the j-box/adhesive/module system has failed in the field. The addition of a weight to the j-box during the 'damp-heat', 'thermal-cycle', or 'creep' tests within the IEC qualification protocol is proposed to verify the basic robustness of the adhesion system. The details of the proposed test are described, in addition to a trial run of the test procedure. The described experiments examine 4 moisture-cured silicones, 4 foam tapes, and a hot-melt adhesive used in conjunction with glass, KPE, THV, and TPE substrates. For the purpose of validating the experiment, j-boxes were adhered to a substrate, loaded with a prescribed weight, and then subjected to aging. The replicate mock-modules were aged in an environmental chamber (at 85 deg C/85% relative humidity for 1000 hours; then 100 degrees C/<10% relative humidity for 200 hours) or fielded in Golden, Miami, and Phoenix for 1 year. Attachment strength tests, including pluck and shear test geometries, were also performed on smaller component specimens.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/EERE Other
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1136208
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/PR-5200-62111
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Presented at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 8-13 June 2014, Denver, Colorado; Related Information: NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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