JP2010218935A - Solar cell module - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a solar cell module in which the conducting portion of a connected dye-sensitized solar cell is not easily damaged. <P>SOLUTION: A first dye-sensitized solar cell D1, in which a transparent substrate protruding part 12, is formed by protruding an end edge of a transparent substrate 1 toward a face direction, and a second dye-sensitized solar cell D2 in which a counter electrode substrate protruding part 22 is formed by protruding the end edge of the counter electrode substrate 2 toward the face direction are provided. The transparent substrate protruding part 12 and the counter electrode substrate protruding part 22 are made to couple and fasten with a fastening member so that the first dye-sensitized solar cell D1 and the second dye-sensitized solar cell D2 are made to be connected electrically. Since the transparent substrate protruding part 12 and the counter electrode protruding part 22 are made to be fastened by the fastening member, the connecting portions of the transparent electrode and the counter electrode become robust so that generation of conduction faults due to fracture, or the like, of the conduction portion is suppressed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a solar cell module configured by connecting a plurality of dye-sensitized solar cells.

  In recent years, various inventions have been disclosed for dye-sensitized solar cells, and various configurations have been proposed for solar cell modules in which a plurality of these are connected.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a dye in which an end portion of a catalyst layer or a counter electrode conductive layer of a dye-sensitized solar cell and a conductive layer of an adjacent dye-sensitized solar cell are electrically connected via a connection layer. A sensitized solar cell module is described.

JP 2006-134870 A

  Patent Document 1 describes an example in which a commercially available conductive paste is injected and dried to form a connection layer for connection to an adjacent dye-sensitized solar cell. When the mechanical strength of the solar cell module is low, there is a concern that the connection layer is destroyed when an external force or the like is applied to the solar cell module, resulting in poor conduction.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a solar cell module in which the conducting portion of the connected dye-sensitized solar cell is not easily damaged.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.
That is, the solar cell module according to the present invention is formed by supporting a sensitizing dye on a transparent substrate on which a transparent electrode is formed, a counter electrode substrate on which a counter electrode is formed, and a porous semiconductor material formed on the transparent electrode. A sealed semiconductor particle layer, an electrolyte layer made of a liquid or quasi-liquid electrolyte between the semiconductor particle layer and the counter electrode, and a seal that seals the electrolyte layer and fixes the transparent substrate and the counter electrode substrate A solar cell module in which a plurality of dye-sensitized solar cells provided with a material are connected,
Comprising a first dye-sensitized solar cell in which a transparent substrate protrusion is formed in which at least a part of the edge of the transparent substrate protrudes in the surface direction from the edge of the counter electrode substrate;
A second dye-sensitized solar cell on which a counter electrode substrate protrusion is formed in which at least a part of the edge of the counter electrode substrate protrudes in the surface direction from the edge of the transparent substrate;
Polymerizing the transparent substrate protrusion of the first dye-sensitized solar cell and the counter electrode protrusion of the second dye-sensitized solar cell;
The first dye-sensitized solar cell and the second dye-sensitized solar cell are electrically connected by fastening with a fastening member.

According to the solar cell module of the present invention,
The transparent substrate protrusion of the first dye-sensitized solar cell and the counter electrode protrusion of the second dye-sensitized solar cell are polymerized and fastened with a fastening member to be electrically connected. The transparent electrode of the protruding portion and the counter electrode of the adjacent counter electrode protruding portion are in direct contact with each other without any other conductive member, and the electrical resistance is reduced, thereby improving the efficiency of the solar cell module. .
In addition, since the transparent electrode protrusion and the adjacent counter electrode protrusion are fastened by the fastening member, the connection part between the transparent electrode and the counter electrode becomes strong, and the occurrence of poor conduction due to breakage of the conductive part is suppressed. The
In addition, since the first dye-sensitized solar cell and the second dye-sensitized solar cell can be electrically connected and fixed to each other by fastening the fastening member, the solar cell module can be simplified. Can be structured into a structure.

  In addition, since the transparent substrate protrusion and the counter electrode protrusion protrude from each other in the surface direction, there is no need to perform complicated processing such as cutting in the thickness direction on the transparent substrate and the counter electrode to form this. The plate-like substrate can be used as it is for a transparent substrate and a counter electrode substrate.

  According to the solar cell module of the present invention, the conductive portion of the connected dye-sensitized solar cell is not easily damaged.

It is the top view and front view which show one Embodiment of the solar cell module which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing of the dye-sensitized battery which expanded the principal part of the AA cross section of FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
First, the main part of the dye-sensitized solar cell according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In the drawings, 1 is a transparent substrate and 2 is a counter electrode substrate.
The dye-sensitized solar cell according to the present embodiment includes a transparent substrate 1 and a counter electrode substrate 2 arranged so as to face each other, and an electrolyte layer 4 containing an electrolyte between the substrates. It is sealed by filling the sealing material 5 in the surrounding gap.

  A transparent electrode 11 is laminated on the surface of the transparent substrate 1, and a counter electrode 21 is laminated on the surface of the counter electrode substrate 2, and these two electrodes are arranged so as to be inside each of the opposing substrates. That is, when the electrolyte layer 4 sealed by the sealing material 5 is in contact with the transparent electrode 11 and the counter electrode 21 laminated on the transparent substrate 1 and the counter electrode 2, the transparent electrode 11 becomes a negative electrode, and the counter electrode A solar battery cell having 21 as a positive electrode is formed. At this time, the electrolyte layer 4 is filled with an electrolyte, and the semiconductor particle layer 3 is formed on the transparent electrode 11 side.

As a material used for forming the transparent substrate 1, a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate resin, acrylic resin, polyarylate resin, polymethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, or the like can be used, and polyethylene terephthalate having high durability against the electrolyte layer 4 can be used. Resin, polyester synthetic resin such as polybutylene terephthalate resin and polyethylene naphthalate resin, polyolefin synthetic resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and cyclic polyolefin resin can also be suitably used.
In the present embodiment, a cyclic polyolefin resin formed on a 120 × 150 × 2.5 mm plate is used as the transparent substrate 1.

As for the formation of the transparent electrode 11, a vacuum-deposited method, sputtering, or a combination of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), gold, platinum, etc., which has excellent transparency and high conductivity, or a combination thereof. Forming on the surface of the transparent substrate 1 by an appropriate method such as a vapor deposition method, an ion plating method, a CVD method, an electrophoretic electrodeposition method, or attaching a film on which the thin film is formed to the transparent substrate 1 Can be formed.
In the present embodiment, ITO is sputter-deposited on the transparent substrate 1 to form the transparent electrode 11.

The material used to form the counter electrode substrate 2 can be formed using an appropriate material when transparency is not required, but when the transparency is required, Similar materials can be used.
In the present embodiment, a cyclic polyolefin resin formed on a 120 × 150 × 2.5 mm plate is used as the counter electrode substrate 2.

The counter electrode 21 is formed by vacuum deposition using platinum, carbon, a conductive polymer, a metal oxide such as tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) or fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), and a composite material of the above substances. It is formed on the counter electrode substrate 2 by an appropriate method such as a sputtering method, a sputter deposition method, an ion plating method, a CVD method, or an electrophoretic electrodeposition method, or a film on which these thin films are formed is attached to the counter electrode substrate 2 Or the like.
In the present embodiment, platinum is sputter deposited on the counter electrode substrate 2 to form the counter electrode 21.

For the formation of the electrolyte layer 4, a liquid electrolyte such as a mixed solution of acetonitrile and ethylene carbonate, a solvent such as methoxypropionitrile, an electrolyte such as lithium iodide or metallic iodine, or a polymer gel electrolyte It is possible to use a liquid electrolyte system such as a pseudo-solidified electrolyte.
In this embodiment, the electrolyte layer 4 is formed using a liquid electrolyte to which lithium iodide is added using a mixed solution of acetonitrile and ethylene carbonate as a solvent.

The semiconductor particle layer 3 is formed using a semiconductor material such as Fe2O3, Cu2O, In2O3, WO3, Fe2TiO3, PbO, V2O5, FeTiO3, Bi2O3, Nb2O3, SrTiO3, ZnO, BaTiO3, CaTiO3, KTaO3, SnO2, and ZrO2. It can be formed by supporting a sensitizing dye on the surface, and as a semiconductor material, titanium oxide (TiO2) or a transparent thin layer is excellent in terms of cost and workability, and can be electrodeposited. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is preferable, but is not limited thereto, and an appropriate one can be used. Although the pigment | dye carry | supported by the semiconductor particle layer 3 is not specifically limited, For example, a ruthenium bipyridium complex, a xanthene series pigment | dye, a porphyrin derivative, a phthalocyanine derivative complex etc. are mentioned.
In the present embodiment, the semiconductor particle layer 3 is formed by supporting a ruthenium bipyridium complex on a ZnO thin film.

The raw material of the sealing material 5 is not particularly limited as long as the leakage of the electrolyte layer 4 can be prevented. For example, an epoxy resin, an acrylic resin, a silicon resin, a fluorine resin, a melanin type Examples thereof include resins and phosphazene resins.
In the present embodiment, an epoxy resin is used for the sealing material 5.

  In the dye-sensitized solar cell of the present embodiment, the transparent substrate 1 and the counter electrode substrate 2 formed in the rectangular plate shape having the same size as described above are fixed so as to face each other. 1 and the counter electrode substrate 2 are arranged such that the long sides thereof are aligned and the short sides are shifted. Specifically, in a plan view of the dye-sensitized solar cell, the transparent substrate 1 protrudes in the surface direction from the counter electrode substrate 2 on one side to form a transparent substrate protruding portion 12, and the counter electrode substrate 2 on the opposite side. Protrudes in the surface direction from the transparent substrate 1 to form the counter electrode substrate protrusion 22, and the ends of the transparent substrate 1 and the counter electrode substrate 2 are aligned at the side between them.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view and a front view showing an embodiment of a solar cell module according to the present invention, and shows a state in which two dye-sensitized solar cells are connected. One where the transparent substrate protrusion 12 is connected to the connection portion of the two dye-sensitized solar cells D1 and D2 is the first dye-sensitized solar cell, and the counter electrode substrate protrusion 22 is connected. Is a second dye-sensitized solar cell. In the present embodiment, the first dye-sensitized solar cell is D1, and the second dye-sensitized solar cell is D2.

First, the shapes of the dye-sensitized solar cells D1 and D2 will be described.
The dye-sensitized solar cells D1 and D2 are configured in the same shape.
Two through-holes 13 through which the male screw portion of the screw 6 can be inserted are formed in the transparent substrate protruding portion 12 provided in the dye-sensitized solar cells D1 and D2.
Further, the counter electrode substrate protrusions 22 provided in the dye-sensitized solar cells D1 and D2 are formed with through holes 23 at the same intervals as the two through holes 13. A female screw portion 24 that can be screwed to the screw 6 is formed on the side surface.

Next, the connection configuration of the dye-sensitized solar cells D1 and D2 will be described.
In the dye-sensitized solar cells D1 and D2, the surfaces of the transparent substrate 1 and the counter substrate 2 are directed in the same direction.
Then, the positions of the two through holes 13 of the dye-sensitized solar cell D1 and the two through holes 23 of the dye-sensitized solar cell D2 are respectively aligned, and the transparent substrate protruding portion 12 and the counter substrate protruding portion 22 The male screw portion of the screw 6 is inserted through the through hole 13 and is screwed to the female screw portion 24 of the through hole 23 to be fixed.
Thereby, the counter electrode provided in the counter electrode protrusion part 22 of the 2nd dye-sensitized solar cell D2 in the transparent electrode 11 provided in the transparent substrate protrusion part 12 of the 1st dye sensitization type solar cell D1. 21 is abutted and firmly adhered.

At this time, the through hole 13 and the through hole are provided such that a gap 7a is provided between the transparent substrates 1 of the dye-sensitized solar cells D1 and D2, and a gap 7b is provided between the counter electrode substrates 2. 23 is formed.
By providing the gaps 7a and 7b, the positive and negative electrodes of the dye-sensitized solar cells D1 and D2 are not short-circuited but connected in series.

In the present embodiment, the through-hole 13 is formed so that the male screw portion can be inserted therethrough, and the female screw portion 24 that can be screwed with the screw 6 is formed on the inner surface of the through-hole 23, but the male screw portion can be inserted through the through-hole 23. An internal thread portion that can be screwed to the screw 6 may be formed on the inner surface of the through hole 13.
Further, both the through hole 13 and the through hole 23 are formed so that the male screw portion of the screw 6 can be inserted, the male screw portion of the screw 6 is inserted into both the boards, and the screw is inserted into the female screw portion such as a nut arranged on the outside thereof. You may comprise so that it may tie.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transparent substrate 11 Transparent electrode 12 Transparent substrate protrusion part 13 Through-hole 2 Counter electrode substrate 21 Counter electrode electrode 22 Counter electrode substrate protrusion part 23 Through hole 24 Female thread part 3 Semiconductor particle layer 4 Electrolyte layer 5 Sealant 6 Screw D Dye sensitized solar battery

Claims (1)

A transparent substrate on which a transparent electrode is formed; a counter electrode substrate on which a counter electrode is formed; a semiconductor particle layer formed on a transparent semiconductor material by carrying a sensitizing dye on a porous semiconductor material; and the semiconductor particles A dye-sensitized solar comprising an electrolyte layer made of a liquid or quasi-liquid electrolyte between a layer and a counter electrode, and a sealing material that seals the electrolyte layer and fixes the transparent substrate to the counter electrode substrate A solar cell module in which a plurality of batteries are connected,
Comprising a first dye-sensitized solar cell in which a transparent substrate protrusion is formed in which at least a part of the edge of the transparent substrate protrudes in the surface direction from the edge of the counter electrode substrate;
A second dye-sensitized solar cell on which a counter electrode substrate protrusion is formed in which at least a part of the edge of the counter electrode substrate protrudes in the surface direction from the edge of the transparent substrate;
Polymerizing the transparent substrate protrusion of the first dye-sensitized solar cell and the counter electrode protrusion of the second dye-sensitized solar cell;
A solar cell module, wherein the first dye-sensitized solar cell and the second dye-sensitized solar cell are electrically connected by fastening with a fastening member.

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