GB2040562A - Solar cell arrays - Google Patents
Solar cell arrays Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2040562A GB2040562A GB7901335A GB7901335A GB2040562A GB 2040562 A GB2040562 A GB 2040562A GB 7901335 A GB7901335 A GB 7901335A GB 7901335 A GB7901335 A GB 7901335A GB 2040562 A GB2040562 A GB 2040562A
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- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- conductor
- array
- solar cells
- adjacent
- portions
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 238000003491 array Methods 0.000 title description 5
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 131
- 230000005855 radiation Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 21
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 claims description 26
- 239000000470 constituent Substances 0.000 claims description 22
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims description 22
- 239000011810 insulating material Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 8
- 230000000750 progressive effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000003252 repetitive effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000004642 Polyimide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002253 acid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000009792 diffusion process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229920001721 polyimide Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229910052709 silver Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000004332 silver Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005476 soldering Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004804 winding Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
- H01L31/042—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells
- H01L31/05—Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells
- H01L31/0504—Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells specially adapted for series or parallel connection of solar cells in a module
- H01L31/0508—Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells specially adapted for series or parallel connection of solar cells in a module the interconnection means having a particular shape
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- 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
- Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
- Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Sustainable Development (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
- Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)
Abstract
A regular rectangular array of solar cells 10 is mounted on a support 11 comprising a plurality of elongated discrete parts 20 extending parallel to each other, and transversely to the columns of cells of the array, each discrete support part 20 comprising a conductor 23 extending along the length of the support part. A plurality of spaced conductor portions 30 are partially punched out of each support part 20, and bent, each bent conductor portion connecting a pair of adjacent cells 10 in a column of the array in series, the bent conductor portion 30 being bonded to a contact 13 on a major surface exposed to incident radiation of one of the two cells 10, whilst an unbent conductor portion is bonded to a contact on the opposite major surface of the other cell, and each conductor 23 connects in parallel within the array each of the pairs of cells 10 which it also connects in series. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Solar cell arrays
This invention relates to solar cell arrays, each solar cell of which array is to convert radiant energy into electrical energy, and comprises a radiation-sensitive P-N junction in a semiconductor body.
Such an array comprises at least one part having a plurality of solar cells connected in series with each other, the number of solar cells in each series-connected part of the array determining the voltage of the output of the part of the array. The current of the output of the part of the array is the current output of one constituent solar cell, and if a greater current is required the array has the appropriate number of series-connected parts connected in parallel with each other. An array of terrestrial solar cells may comprise only one part, comprising series-connected solar cells, and producing an output of the desired voltage and only a small current.However, arrays of solar cells may comprise a regular rectangular arrangement, with the solar cells therein comprising a plurality of series-connected parts, and these parts being connected in parallel with each other, and it is to such regular rectangular arrays that the present invention relates. Thus, for example, if in each column of such an array the cells are connected in series the desired output currents of the array is obtained by connecting the requisite number of columns in parallel with each other, possible by each cell being connected to the cells adjacent to it in the same column and in the same row.For convenience, in this specification, for a regular rectangular array of solar cells, the solar cells of each column will be referred to as being connected in series with each other, and the columns being connected in parallel with each other, although it will be understood that, alternatively, the solar cells in each row of the array may be connected in series with each other, and the rows being connected in parallel with each other.
Because the array is required to be exposed to radiation when in use, and because the array is required to have a substantial area exposed to incident radiation, the array usually extends in a plane when in use, which plane may be curved, and when not in use the array may have a different more manageable shape, for example, being wound upon a reel. However, for convenience, in this specification, the array, in general, will be considered to extend only in a plane, which plane may be curved, or not.
Further, for convenience, in this specification the term regular rectangular array of solar cells will be used to refer any array in which each cell is connected to the cells adjacent to it in the same column and in the same row, even when the cells in adjacent columns are staggered in relation to each other, but otherwise a regular rectangular array is provided.
It is conventional for a solar cell to be formed in a semiconductor wafer body with substantially the whole of the radiation-sensitive P-N junction extending parallel to a major face of the semiconductor body, radiation to which the device is responsive to be incident on this major face.
Current leakage due to the P-N junction being exposed at the edge of the solar cell is unimportant. Contacts for the solar cell are provided one on this major face of the semiconductor body, and the other contact on the opposite major face of the semiconductor body to be contiguous with a support for the solar cell. The contact on the major face on which radiation is to be incident obscures as small an area of this major face as possible, commensurate with the solar cell having a desired operating performance, and so that the solar cell is as sensitive as possible to the incident radiation. It is conventional for this contact to have a plurality of parallel fingers which extend over the major face from a common part of the contact, to which common part an electrical connection is to be bonded. Hence, the internal resistance of the solar cell is low.
In an array the semiconductor wafer bodies of the solar cells extend substantially in a common plane, which can be considered as comprising the plane of the array, with the major face of each semiconductor body on which radiation is to be incident being exposed, whilst the opposite major face is contiguous with a support for the array, the support including a substrate of electrical insulating material.
Electrical connections are provided to extend between the solar cells of the array. In particular, and for solar cells in an array to which the present invention relates, for each adjacent pair of solar cells to be series-connected, a conductive member extends from a contact on a major face of the semiconductor body of one solar cell, which major face is contiguous with the support for the array, to a contact on a major face of the semiconductor body of the other solar cell, on which major face radiation is to be incident, the conductive member otherwise being whollyspaced from the semiconductor bodies of both the solar cells.
In our British patent specification number 1,522,618 there is described a regular rectangular array of solar cells having a support comprising a common substrate in the form of an initially continuous sheet of electrical insulating material, and a predetermined pattern of conductors is provided on at least one major surface of the substrate. Minor portions of the support, each comprising a portion of the substrate carrying a portion of a conductor, are partially punched out, there being two partially punched out portions within each conductor of the pattern, and with a part of the periphery of each conductor portion connected to the remainder of the associated conductor. Each partially punched out conductor portion is bent about said part of the periphery of the conductor portion.The arrangement of the conductor pattern is such that, with each solar cell in its desired position in the array, each conductor has another portion, which is not bent, and with a region to be adjacent to, and to be bonded to, a contact on a major face of the semiconductor body of one solar cell, which major face is to be contiguous with the support. Further, a region of one of the two bent conductor portions is to be adjacent to, and is to be bonded to, a contact on a major face of the semiconductor body of another solar cell, on which major face radiation is to be incident.The bent conductor portion otherwise is to be wholly spaced from the semiconductor bodies of both the associated solar cells, at least by the portion of the insulating substrate adhering to the bent conductor portion, and partially connects the associated pair of solar cells in series with each other within the array. In addition, a further portion of the conductor, which is not bent, and with a region to be adjacent to, and to be bonded to, a contact on a major face of the semiconductor body of one solar cell of another, adjacent pair of solar cells to be connected in series with each other.Said other, adjacent pair of solar cells to be connected in series with each other are in an adjacent column of the array to the first mentioned adjacent pair of solar cells to be connected in series with each other, and said one solar cell of said other, adjacent pair of solar cells is in the same row of the array as said one solar cell of the first mentioned adjacent pair of solar cells. Further, a region of the other of the two bent conductor portions is to be adjacent to, and is to be bonded to, a contact on the other of said other, adjacent pair of solar cells, in the same manner as for the first mentioned adjacent pair of solar cells.
Said other of said other, adjacent pair of solar cells is in the same row of the array as the other of the first mentioned adjacent pair of solar cells. Thus, the two pairs of series-connected, adjacent solar cells also are connected in parallel with each other, by the conductor. This arrangement is repeated throughout the array, to obtain a regular rectangular array of solar cells.
This construction for a regular rectangular array of solar cells is advantagous in that, inter alia, the array can be assembled automatically in a progressive manner by employing appropriate apparatus.
However, this construction for a regular rectangular array of solar cells is not suitable to be employed when the cells in adjacent columns are staggered in relation to each other.
In addition, because an initially continuous sheet of electrical insulating material is provided, even if the substrate is of flexible material, it is undesirable to bend the array, for example, by winding the array upon a reel, when the array is inoperable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and advantageous construction of a regular rectangular array of solar cells, which array can be assembled automatically by employing appropriate apparatus, and in which array, possibly, the cells in adjacent columns are staggered in relation to each other.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a flexible construction for a regular rectangular array of solar cells, enabling the array to be curved in shape, for example, by being wound upon a reel when inoperable, and irrespective of whether cells in adjacent columns are staggered in relation to each other, or not.
According to the present invention an array of solar cells, comprising a regular rectangular array of solar cells, has a support comprising a plurality of elongated discrete parts, each constituent discrete part of the support comprising an initially continuous, flexible, substrate of electrical insulating material, with a conductor extending on one major surface of the substrate and at least substantially along the length of the elongated support part, the conductor-bearing major surfaces of the substrates of the plurality of elongated discrete parts extending at least substantially parallel to each other in a common plane and transversely to the columns of solar cells of the regular rectangular array, each of a plurality of minor, spaced portions of each support part, comprising a portion of a substrate carrying a portion of a conductor, is partially punched out, with a part of the periphery of the conductor portion connected to the remainder of the conductor, each partially punched out conductor portion is bent about said part of the periphery of the conductor portion, the arrangement being such that, with each solar cell in its desired postion in the regular rectangular array, the conductor or each elongated discrete support part has a further plurality of minor, spaced portions, each such portion not being partially puched out, and each with a region adjacent to a contact on a major face of the semiconductor body of one solar cell, which major face is to be contiguous with the support, and a region of a partially punched out, and bent, conductor portion adjacent to a contact on a major face of the semiconductor body of another solar cell, on which major face radiation is to be incident, the conductor otherwise to be wholly spaced from the semiconductor bodies of both the solar cells, and the conductor connects the two solar cells in series with each other within a column of the array, different conductor portions of said further plurality of spaced conductor portions are connected to the different solar cells of a constituent row of the regular rectangular array, with each constituent solar cell of the row being so connected to one of said further plurality of spaced conductor portions, different bent conductor portions are connected to the different solar cells of an adjacent constituent row of the regular rectangular array, with each constituent solar cell of said adjacent row being so connected to one of the bent conductor portions, different pairs of solar cells of the two adjacent rows of the regular rectangular array being connected in series with each other within the array by the conductor, and each of the different series-connected pairs of solar cells of the two adjacent rows being connected in parallel with each other within the array by the conductor, different conductors of different discrete support parts so connecting together the solar cells of different adjacent pairs of rows of the regular rectangular array, and the array being completed by bonding the contacts of the solar cells directly to the adjacent regions of the portions of the conductors of each discrete elongated support part.
Usually the plurality of solar cells of the array are identical with each other.
Each partially punched out, and bent, conductor portion, other than the region thereof to be bonded to the associated solar cell contact, is spaced from the semiconductor body of said one solar cell of the associated adjacent pair of solar cells at least by the portion of the insulating substrate adhering to the bent conductor portion, and within the array the bent conductor portion is arranged to be separated from the semiconductor body of said other solar cell of the adjacent pair of solar cells connected in series thereby.
The array can be assembled automatically in a progressive manner by employing appropriate apparatus.
The plane in which the conductor-bearing major surface of the substrates extend may be curved about an axis parallel to the lengths of the plurality of elongated discrete support parts. In particular, the provision of a plurality of elongated discrete support parts enables the array to have a flexible construction, for example, being capable of being wound upon a reel when inoperable.
When the solar cells in adjacent columns of the regular rectangular array are staggered in relation to each other, the conductor of each discrete elongated support part has the appropriate nonlinear, but elongated, shape in plan, whilst extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated support part, the adjacent longitudinal edge of the conductor conforming to the adjacent overall periphery of a row of cells.
Irrespective of whether the cells in adjacent columns of the regular array are staggered in relation to each other, or not, the substrate of each elongated support part may be rectangular shaped -in plan.
Terminal members for the array may be provided by conductors on substrates of elongated discrete support parts, one such discrete terminalbearing support part being provided at either end of each column of the regular rectangular array, one terminal conductor providing a plurality of bent conductor portions to be connected to each of the solar cells at the column ends of the array adjacent to said one terminal conductor, and the other terminal conductor providing a plurality of conductor portions which are not partially punched out, and which are to be connected to each of the solar cells at the column ends of the array adjacent to said other terminal conductor.
Usually the consituent solar cells of the array have a regular shape in plane.
In one arrangment for the array of solar cells each have a regular hexagonal shape in plan.
Alternatively, each solar cell of the array may have six peripheral portions, each with a linear extending part and an arcuate part, the arcuate parts of the periphery being concentric.
The present invention will now be described by
way of example with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:~
Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a regular
rectangular array of solar cells during the
assembling of the array, the constituent identical
solar cells of the array each having a regular
hexagonal shape in plan, and within the array
the cells of adjacent columns are staggered in
relation to each other, and
Figure 2 is a section on the line Il-Il of Figure
1.
An array of terrestrial solar cells, part of which
array is shown in Figures 1 and 2, extends in a
common plane, and has the constituent plurality
of identical solar cells 10 mounted on a support
indicated generally at 11.
Each constitutent solar cell 10 of the array is
formed in a semiconductor wafer body by known
diffusion process steps, the completed wafer body
being regular hexagonal shape in plan. A radiation
sensitive P-N junction (not shown) is provided,
and the whole of this P-N junction extends
parallel to a major face 12 of the semiconductor
body, radiation to which the device is responsive is
to be incident on this major face 12. The
completed solar cell has the P-N junction Z exposed at the edges of the wafer body by
grinding the edges with a grinding wheel. A
contact 13 is formed on the major face 12 to be
exposed to radiation, and another contact 14 is
formed on the opposite major face 1 5 of the
semiconductor body to be contiguous with the
support, as shown in Figure 2.
The contact 13 on the major face 12 is required
to obscure as small an area of this face as possible
commensurate with the solar cell having the
desired operating performance, and so that the
device is as sensitive as possible to the incident
radiation. The contact 13 of the illustration solar
cell comprises a common part of adjacent to a
straight portion of the periphery of the body, only
this common contact part being illustrated, and a
plurality of narrow finger-shaped parts, which are
not illustrated for the sake of clarity. The finger
shaped contact parts are substantially uniformly
distributed over the face 12, and extend to
adjacent to the periphery of the face. The contact
14 on the opposite major face 1 5, as shown in
Figure 2, covers substantially the whole of this
major face 15.Both contacts 13 and 14 are
provided in a known manner, the contact 13 being
provided for an initially continuous metal layer by
employing known photolithographic techniques.
The array comprises a regular rectangular array,
with the solar cells in each column bing connected
in series with each other, and with the solar cells
in each row being connected in parallel with each
other. The number of solar cells in each column
determines the voltage of the array output, and
the number of solar cells in each row determines
the current of the array output.
The advantage of employing constituent solar
cells within the array which are regular hexagonal
shape in plan is that the array is compact, the
constituent solar cells being arranged on the support with substantially no part of the support exposed to radiation, the solar cells being spaced apart only by the small amount required to that the semiconductor bodies of the solar cells do not touch each other under any normallyencountered operating overall shape for the common plane of the array.
Thus, the cells in adjacent columns are staggered in relation to each other, the cells of each constituent row of the array having their centres on two parallel lines, with the centres of alternate cells of each row exclusively being on one of the two lines.
In the completed array the solar cells are mounted on a support 11 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan, and comprising a plurality of elongated, flexible, parts 20, each such constituent part 20 being substantially rectangular shape in plan.
The constituent parts 20 of the support extend in a common plane, which can be considered to be the plane of the array, and with the longitudinal axes of the discrete support parts being parallel to each other, and parallel to the lines through the centres of each row of solar cells of the array.
As shown in Figure 2, each constituent part of the support comprises a substrate 21 in the form of a sheet of flexible electrical insulating material, such as a polyimide, and on the major surface 22 ef the sheet 21 to be opposite to the solar cells 10 there is provided a copper conductor 23 extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support part. Each such support part is fabricated
in manner conventional for manufacturing flexible
printed circuits. With the solar cells 10 mounted in the array, one longitudinal edge of the conductor 23 of each support part 20 is closely adjacent to, but separate from, and conforms to, the adjacent.
overall periphery of the solar cells of one row of the array. Thus, the conductor 23, which has a substantially uniform width, also has in plan a repetitive truncated uniform saw-tooth shape.
in each truncated part of the repetitive uniform saw-tooth shape of the conductor there are provided two adjacent, but separated, minor partially punched out portions 30 of the support, the underlying substrate portion 31 for each partially punched out conductor portion also being partially punched out. Each minor partially punched out support portion 30 can be bent about the part of the periphery of the partially punched out conductor portion 32 connected to the remainder of the conductor 23. This part of the periphery of the partially punched out conductor portion 32 is adjacent to, but spaced from the longitudinally extending edge of the conductor, to be adjacent to the overall periphery of a row of the array, and the partially punched out conductor portion 32 extends across the width of the conductor.The partially punched out conductor portions are provided by employing a suitably shaped tool.
With the partially punched out conductor portions bent at least at right angles to the plane of the remainder of the conductor, the next row of solar cells are mounted on the support. Initially, however, a further elongated part of the support is placed adjacent to the first mentioned support part referred to above, and the next row of solar cells are placed to span the abutting edges of these adjacent support parts. In particular, the next row of solar cells is placed closely adjacent to, but spaced from the preceding row of solar cells, and extending over the major part of the conductor of the first mentioned support part, but this row of solar cells does not extend over the partially punched out conductor portions of the conductor; and this row of solar cells does not extend over any region of the conductor of the further support part.
Each partially punched out conductor portion of the first mentioned support part referred to above is bent and a region thereof is connected to the contact 13 on the major face 12 of a solar cell of the adjacent first mention row of solar cells exposed to incident radiation. Each such contact
13 is required to be connected to the contact 1 4 opposite to the support of the adjacent solar cell of the next row, and in the same column, of the array, and these latter contacts 14 are to be connected directly to regions of the portions of the conductor, not providing the partially punched out conductor portions, but directly beneath the adjacent solar cell of the next row.Thus, each partially punched out conductor portion comprises part of a conductive member which extends partially between the associated adjacent pair of solar cells of a column of the array, the conductive' member being wholly integral with the associated conductor, there being such conductive members provided for each adjacent pair of solar cells in each column of the array. Such conductive members are described in our British patent specification number 1,522 618.
The conductor portions are bonded to the solar cell contacts in any convenient way, for example, by welding, possibly by employing silver, or by soldering. Reliable bonds between the conductor portions and the solar cell contacts easily can be provided with the construction of the array described above. The bonds to the conductor portions not comprising partially punched out conductor portions are adjacent to the partially punched out conductor portions.
The conductor connects together the two associated rows of cells, so that the pairs of series-connected cells in adjacent columns of the regular rectangular array also are connected in parallel with each other.
The above-mentioned assembly steps are repeated for each adjacent pair of rows of the array until the array is completed.
Conveniently, the conductors of the end
elongated support parts comprise terminal
members for the array. One such terminal conductor is connected to the contacts opposite to the support of the adjacent ends of the columns of the array, and does not have any partially punched conductor portions; and the other terminal conductor is connected to the contacts on the major faces to be exposed to incident radiation of the adjacent ends of the columns of the array, the terminal conductor being so connected by partially punched conductor portions of the terminal conductor. The terminals may extend beyond the array in any convenient manner. Possibly, the conductors comprising terminals of the array may have different shapes to the conductors provided within the array.
The assembly steps described above easily can be performed automatically, and progressively, by appropriate apparatus. Thus, the constituent elongated support parts of the array initially can be in the form of a continuous strip wound upon a reel. Within the apparatus the strip is fed in an intermittent manner to an assembly position where the solar cells are supplied from a magazine to be placed in their required positions on the support. Initially a piece of a desired length of the strip, and having a conductor to comprise a terminal of the array, is fed to the assembly position and is severed. Then this piece of the strip is indexed forward in the direction in which each column of the array is to extend within the assembly position of the apparatus, and by an amount equal to the width of the strip.A second piece of a desired length of the strip, to form an intermediate part of the support, is fed to the assembly postion and severed. The first row of solar cells of the array is placed on the two support parts, with portions of the conductor of the first terminal-bearing support part directly beneath the contacts of the major faces of the solar cells opposite to the support; and the partially punched out conductor portions of the second support part are bent to be connected to the contacts of the major faces of the solar cells to be exposed to incident radiation. Then, the contacts of the solar cells are bonded to regions of the conductor portions with which they are contiguous.
The support parts are indexed forward in the assembly position, and a third piece of strip is fed from the reel, and is severed, to comprise a further support part. The second row of solar cells are placed on the second and third support parts, and is bonded to the conductors of these support parts in the manner indicated above for the first row of solar cells.
These steps are repeated until the array is completed, the final strip, of a desired length fed from the reel, having a conductor comprising the other terminal of the array. These are partially punched out portions of this terminal conductor which are bonded to the final row of solar cells of the array.
The terminals of this array are identical to the intermediate conductors of the array.
The array of solar cells, on the support, may be wound upon a reel as it leaves the assembly position of the apparatus, and whilst the array is being assembled.
The illustrated array has three cells in each row connected in parallel with each other, and has 20 cells of a maximum diameter of approximately 7.5
centimetres, and connected in series with each
other, in each column. The maximum output of the
array is 950 milliamperes at 8 volts, suitable for
providing a trickle charge for a conventional 6 volt
lead-acid storage battery.
The construction of the array described above,
and in particular the support of the array,
facilitates the assembling of the array when the
cells in adjacent columns are staggered in~reX tion to each other, as described above. Otherwise it
would be difficult to provide the required parallel
connections between adjacent columns of such a
regular rectangular array.
Alternatively, the cells in adjacent columns of
the array may not be staggered in relation to each
other, the array construction according to the
present invention being advantageous over the
known continuous sheet supports in that it is
flexible, and it facilitates the common plane of the
array being curved in shaped, for example, by
being wound upon a reel when inoperable.
In general it is required that, within the array,
each conductor providing the partially punched
out portions to be connected to a row of cells
extends closely adjacent to, but is spaced from the
row of cells, and the adjacent longitudinal edge of 'the conductor conforms to the adjacent overall
periphery of the row of cells. Alternatively, the
conductors of the support parts may have any
convenient shape in plan.
The solar cells may comprise satellite solar cells
instead of terrestrial solar cells.
The solar cells may have any convenient shape
in plan, for example, being square shaped, or each
solar cell may have six peripheral portions, each
with a linear extending part and an arcuate part,
the arcuate parts of the periphery being
concentric. The constituent solar cells may not
have a regular shape in plan.
The arrangement may be such that the
constituent plurality of solar cells of the array are
not identical with each other.
Terminals of such an array may be provided in
any convenient manner.
The substrates of the support parts may have
any convenient shape in plan.
Claims (6)
1. An array of solar cells, comprising a regular
rectangular array of solar cells, having a support
comprising a plurality of elongated discrete parts,
each constituent discrete part of the support
comprising an initially continuous, flexible,
substrate of electrical insulating material, with a
conductor extending on one major surface of the
substrate and at least substantially along the
length of the elongated support part, the
conductor-bearing major surfaces of the
substrates of the plurality of elongated discrete
parts extending at least substantially parallel to
each other in a common plane and transversely to
the columns of solar cells of the regular
rectangular array, each of a plurality of minor,
spaced portions of each support part, comprising a
portion of a substrate carrying a portion of a conductor, is partially punched out, with a part of the periphery of the conductor portion connected to the remainder of the conductor, each partially punched out conductor portion is bent about said part of the periphery of the conductor portion, the arrangement being such that, with each solar cell in its desired postion in the regular rectangular array, the conductor of each elongated discrete support part has a further plurality of minor, spaced portions, each such portion not being partially punched out, and each with a region adjacent to a contact on a major face of the semiconductor body of one solar cell, which major face is to be contiguous with the support, and a region of a partially punched out, and bent, conductor portion adjacent to a contacts a major face of the semiconductor body of another solar cell, on which major lace radiation is to be incident, the conductor otherwise to be wholly spaced from the semiconductor bodies of both the solar cells, and the conductor connects the two solar cells in series with each other within a column of the array, different conductor portions of said further plurality of spaced conductor portions are connected to the different solar cells of a constituent row of the regular rectangular array, with each constituent solar cell of the row being so connected to one of said further plurality of spaced conductor portions, different bent conductor portions are connected to the different solar cells of an adjacent constituent row of the regular rectangular array, with each constituent solar cell of said adjacent row being so connected to one of the bent conductor portions, different pairs of solar cells of the two adjacent rows of the regular rectangular array being connected in series with each other within the array by the conductor, and each of the different series-connected pairs of solar cells of the two adjacent rows being connected in parallel with each other within the array by the conductor, different conductors of different discrete support parts so connecting together the solar cells of different adjacent pairs of rows of the regular rectangular array, and the array being completed by bonding the contacts of the solar cells directly to the adjacent regions of the portions of the condcutors of each discrete elongate support part.
2. An array as claimed in claim 1 in which the solar cells in adjacent columns of the regular rectangular array are staggered in relation to each other, and the conductor of each discrete elongated support part has the appropriate nonlinear, but elongated, shape in plan, whilst extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated support part, the adjacent
longitudinal edge of the conductor conforming to the adjacent overall periphery of a row of cells.
3. An array as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 having terminal members for the array provided by conductors on substrates of elongated discrete support parts, one such discrete terminal-bearing support part being provided at either end of each column of the regular rectangular array, one terminal conductor providing a plurality of bent conductor portions to be connected to each of the solar cells at the column ends of the array adjacent to said one terminal conductor, and the other terminal conductor providing a plurality of conductor portions which are not partially punched out, and which are to be connected to each of the solar cells at the adjacent column ends of the array adjacent to said other terminal conductor.
4. An array as claimed in any one of the
preceding claims in which each solar cell has a
regular hexagonal shape in plan.
5. An array as claimed in any one of claims 1 to
3 in which each solar cell has six peripheral
portions, each with a linear extending part and an
arcuate part, the arcuate parts of the periphery
being concentric.
6. A regular rectangular array of solar cells
substantially as described herein with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB7901335A GB2040562B (en) | 1979-01-13 | 1979-01-13 | Solar cell arrays |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB7901335A GB2040562B (en) | 1979-01-13 | 1979-01-13 | Solar cell arrays |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2040562A true GB2040562A (en) | 1980-08-28 |
| GB2040562B GB2040562B (en) | 1983-01-06 |
Family
ID=10502514
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB7901335A Expired GB2040562B (en) | 1979-01-13 | 1979-01-13 | Solar cell arrays |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2040562B (en) |
Cited By (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4350836A (en) * | 1980-10-14 | 1982-09-21 | The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy | Solar array construction |
| EP0282826A2 (en) * | 1987-03-17 | 1988-09-21 | Telefunken Systemtechnik Gmbh | Solar cell array with in series and in parallel connected cells |
| US5185042A (en) * | 1991-08-01 | 1993-02-09 | Trw Inc. | Generic solar cell array using a printed circuit substrate |
| CN112510106A (en) * | 2020-12-18 | 2021-03-16 | 中山德华芯片技术有限公司 | Flexible solar cell module and manufacturing method thereof |
| US20220060145A1 (en) * | 2020-08-21 | 2022-02-24 | The Boeing Company | Flexible circuit for solar cell assemblies |
-
1979
- 1979-01-13 GB GB7901335A patent/GB2040562B/en not_active Expired
Cited By (11)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4350836A (en) * | 1980-10-14 | 1982-09-21 | The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy | Solar array construction |
| EP0282826A2 (en) * | 1987-03-17 | 1988-09-21 | Telefunken Systemtechnik Gmbh | Solar cell array with in series and in parallel connected cells |
| DE3708548A1 (en) * | 1987-03-17 | 1988-09-29 | Telefunken Electronic Gmbh | SOLAR CELL MODULE WITH PARALLEL AND SERIAL ARRANGED SOLAR CELLS |
| EP0282826A3 (en) * | 1987-03-17 | 1989-04-12 | Telefunken Electronic Gmbh | Solar cell array with in series and in parallel connected cells |
| US4877460A (en) * | 1987-03-17 | 1989-10-31 | Telefunken Electronic Gmbh | Solar cell module |
| AU605560B2 (en) * | 1987-03-17 | 1991-01-17 | Telefunken Electronic Gmbh | Solar cell module with solar cells arranged in series and in parallel |
| US5185042A (en) * | 1991-08-01 | 1993-02-09 | Trw Inc. | Generic solar cell array using a printed circuit substrate |
| US20220060145A1 (en) * | 2020-08-21 | 2022-02-24 | The Boeing Company | Flexible circuit for solar cell assemblies |
| US11722094B2 (en) * | 2020-08-21 | 2023-08-08 | The Boeing Company | Flexible circuit for solar cell assemblies |
| CN112510106A (en) * | 2020-12-18 | 2021-03-16 | 中山德华芯片技术有限公司 | Flexible solar cell module and manufacturing method thereof |
| CN112510106B (en) * | 2020-12-18 | 2021-08-03 | 中山德华芯片技术有限公司 | Manufacturing method of flexible solar cell module |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2040562B (en) | 1983-01-06 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |