JP2016046496A - Dye-sensitized solar cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent short-circuiting by preventing a metal fiber structure that protrudes from an edge of a collector electrode, from penetrating an insulator and being brought into contact with a counter electrode when the counter electrode is abutted even if the collector electrode is formed from a porous metal plate in a dye-sensitized solar cell including a photoelectrode, the collector electrode which is formed in contact with the photoelectrode, and the counter electrode which is abutted to the collector electrode with an elastic force while interposing the insulator therebetween, within a translucent tubular container and filling the inside of the tubular container with an electrolyte.SOLUTION: The dye-sensitized solar cell is characterized in that the collector electrode is configured by forming the metal porous plate cylindrical, and that a metal foil is provided on at least a surface of an edge of the metal porous plate confronting the insulator.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a dye-sensitized solar cell that converts light energy into electrical energy, and in particular, a collector electrode, a photoelectrode, and a counter electrode are disposed in a translucent tubular container, and an electrolytic solution is provided. The present invention relates to an enclosed dye-sensitized solar cell.

  Conventionally, solar cells that convert solar energy into electrical energy have been actively researched and developed as environmentally friendly and clean energy sources. Among them, a dye-sensitized solar cell has attracted attention as a low-cost solar cell with high photoelectric conversion efficiency, and various proposals have been made.

One example is WO2013 / 031098 (Patent Document 1), which is shown in FIG.
In this dye-sensitized solar cell 1, a photoelectrode 5 made of a porous semiconductor in which an electrolytic solution 10 is sealed in a translucent tubular container 2 and a dye is adsorbed in the container 2, and the photoelectrode 5 is collected inside the photoelectrode 5. An electrode 6 is provided, a counter electrode 7 is disposed opposite thereto, and sunlight is incident on the photoelectrode 5 to excite it and emit electrons, so that the collector 6 and the counter electrode 7 are interposed. To extract electrical energy to the outside.
This type of dye-sensitized solar cell is attracting attention because it does not require a high-vacuum chamber or the like for its manufacture, has the advantage of being less expensive in terms of equipment and can be manufactured at low cost.

Particularly in this structure, as shown in the cross-sectional views perpendicular to the tube axis in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the photoelectrode 5, the collector electrode 6, A counter electrode 7 is arranged. Among these, the collector electrode 6 is specifically formed of a porous metal plate such as a metal mesh in which metal fibers are knitted in a lattice shape, or a punching metal in which a through hole 6a is formed in a metal sheet.
It is disclosed that an insulator 8 is disposed between the counter electrode 7 and the collector electrode 6 and is brought into contact with the collector electrode 6 through the elastic restoring force of the counter electrode 7 with the insulator 8 interposed therebetween. Specifically, the insulator 8 is made of a glass fiber or a fluororesin such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and electrically insulates the counter electrode 7 from the photoelectrode 5 and the collector electrode 6, as well as an electrolytic solution. 10 has a separator function.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 6, the collector electrode 6 made of a porous metal plate as described above generally has a structure in which a metal fiber structure 6b protrudes at an edge portion thereof. Then, as described above, the counter electrode 7 is a flat sheet that is inserted in a cylindrical shape and is brought into contact with the collector electrode 6 by interposing an insulator 8 using its elastic restoring force. It is.
The metal fiber structure 6b protruding from the end edge of the collector electrode 6 is very sharp and does not have the same direction. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, it often breaks through the insulator 8. There exists a problem that it may contact with the counter electrode 7 and may cause a short circuit.

WO2013 / 031098

  In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the problem to be solved by the present invention is that a photoelectrode, a collector formed in contact with the photoelectrode, and a collector are formed inside a translucent tubular container. In the dye-sensitized solar cell, the electrode is provided with a counter electrode that is in contact with the electrode by an elastic force through an insulator, and the inside of the tubular container is filled with an electrolyte solution. Even when the counter electrode is brought into contact, the metal fiber structure protruding from the edge of the collector electrode does not break through the insulator and contact the counter electrode, thereby preventing a short circuit. Is to provide.

In the dye-sensitized solar cell according to the present invention, the collector electrode is formed by forming a metal porous plate in a cylindrical shape, and a metal foil is provided on at least a surface of the edge of the metal porous plate facing the insulator. It is provided.
Further, the metal foil is provided on both sides by folding back at the end of the edge of the metal porous plate.

According to the dye-sensitized solar cell of the present invention, the metal fiber structure protruding from the edge is covered with the metal foil by providing the metal foil on the edge of the metal porous plate constituting the collector electrode. Thus, even if the counter electrode is brought into contact with the elastic force, it is possible to prevent a short circuit with the counter electrode without breaking through the insulator interposed therebetween.
Further, by providing the metal foil so as to be folded back at the tip of the edge of the metal porous plate so as to cover both surfaces, the metal foils can be joined together by spot welding or the like and easily fixed to the edge.

The side sectional view of the dye-sensitized solar cell of the present invention. The top view (A), sectional drawing (B) of the collector electrode in this invention, and sectional drawing (C) of another Example. The cross-sectional view (A) of FIG. 1, the X section enlarged view (B). The sectional side view of the conventional dye-sensitized solar cell. The cross-sectional view (A) of FIG. 3, the partial expanded sectional view (B). The top view of the conventional collector electrode. The figure explaining the malfunction of a prior art example (A), the X section enlarged view (B).

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing the entire dye-sensitized solar cell of the present invention.
The inner surface of the main body 2 of the tubular container 1 is in contact with a photoelectrode 5 that is laminated on the surface of the collector electrode 6.
Specifically, the collector electrode 6 is made of a porous metal plate such as a metal mesh in which metal fibers are knitted in a lattice shape, or a punching metal in which a through hole 6a is formed in a metal sheet. A photoelectrode 5 made of a semiconductor layer having a sensitizing dye adsorbed thereon is baked and laminated on the collector electrode 6.
The collector electrode 6 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and is inserted into the tubular container 1 in a reduced diameter state. When this diameter-restricting force is released, the elastic restoring force causes the inner surface of the tubular container 1 to be released. Abut. Thereby, the photoelectrode 5 contacts the inner surface of the tubular container 1.
Such a configuration is adopted, and the trouble of firing the collecting electrode and the photoelectrode on the inner surface of the tubular container is eliminated.

The counter electrode 7 is made of a metal plate such as SUS, is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, is curved so that a slit is formed in a part of the circumferential direction thereof, and has an elastic restoring force in the radial direction.
And as shown to FIG. 3 (A), the sheet-like insulator 8 is laminated | stacked on the surface.
The insulator 8 may be structured so as to be in close contact with the collector electrode 6 on the inner surface side of the tubular container 1 by the elastic force of the counter electrode 7. For example, a fiber formed by knitting or weaving a fibrous resin material or glass material A cloth can be used. In addition, for example, a resin material such as polytetrafluoroethylene formed in a sheet shape can be used. In that case, a large number of holes are formed in the sheet body so that an electrolyte solution 10 to be described later can penetrate. Use.
An electrolytic solution 10 is sealed in the tubular container 1 in which the photoelectrode 5, the collecting electrode 6, and the counter electrode 7 are thus disposed.

Further, in this embodiment, the tubular container 1 is sealed by the sealing portions 3 and 4 at both ends of the main body 2 and is in a sealed state. An internal lead 11 is connected to the counter electrode 7, and this is connected to an external lead 15 via a sealing metal foil 13. On the other hand, an internal lead 12 is connected to the collector electrode 6, and this is connected to an external lead 16 through a sealing metal foil 14.
When sunlight is incident on the photoelectrode 5, it is excited and emits electrons, whereby electric energy is taken out from the external leads 15 and 16 through the counter electrode 7 and the collector electrode 6.

As shown in FIG. 2A, a metal foil 20 is attached to the edge of the collector electrode 6 made of a sheet-like metal porous plate in the dye-sensitized solar cell of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2B, the metal foil 20 is provided on at least the surface of the collector electrode 6 facing the counter electrode 7 with the insulator 8 interposed therebetween.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2 (C), it may be folded at the tip of the end edge of the collector electrode 6 and provided on both sides thereof. By carrying out like this, the metal foil 20 can be easily attached to the edge part of the collector electrode 6 by carrying out spot welding of the folded metal foils.
The metal foil 20 may be any material that does not corrode in the electrolytic solution. Specifically, it is preferable to use a stainless steel foil.

3 (A) and 3 (B) show a dye-sensitized solar cell using the collector electrode 6, and the insulator 8 separating the collector electrode 6 and the counter electrode 7 is made of glass fiber or polytetrafluoroethylene. (PTFE) and the like, and the thickness thereof is as thin as about 1 to 100 μm. On the other hand, the metal fibers constituting the collector electrode 6 are as sharp as 1 to 10 μm, and the protruding metal fibers at the edge portions thereof May easily break through the insulator 8.
Providing the metal foil 20 at the edge of the collector electrode 6 prevents the protruding metal fiber from breaking through the insulator 8.

  As described above, in the dye-sensitized solar cell according to the present invention, the metal foil is attached to the edge portion of the collector electrode arranged in the tubular container, so that the edge of the porous metal plate constituting the collector electrode It is possible to prevent the protruding metal fiber in the portion from breaking through the laminated insulator and short-circuiting with the counter electrode.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tubular container 2 Main-body part 3, 4 Sealing part 5 Photoelectrode 6 Collector electrode 6a Through-hole 7 Counter electrode 8 Insulator 10 Electrolytic solution 11, 12 Internal lead 13, 14 Metal foil 15 for sealing 15, 16 External lead 20 Metal Foil

Claims (2)

Inside the translucent tubular container, a photoelectrode, a collecting electrode formed in contact with the photoelectrode, and a counter electrode that contacts the collecting electrode with an elastic force through an insulator, In a dye-sensitized solar cell in which an electrolytic solution is filled in a tubular container,
The dye-sensitized solar, wherein the collector electrode is formed by forming a metal porous plate in a cylindrical shape, and a metal foil is provided on at least a surface of the edge of the metal porous plate facing the insulator. battery. 2. The dye-sensitized solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the metal foil is folded on the front end of the edge of the metal porous plate constituting the collector electrode and provided on both sides.

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