US20210367093A1 - Solar panel and method for producing the solar panel - Google Patents
Solar panel and method for producing the solar panel Download PDFInfo
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- US20210367093A1 US20210367093A1 US16/878,449 US202016878449A US2021367093A1 US 20210367093 A1 US20210367093 A1 US 20210367093A1 US 202016878449 A US202016878449 A US 202016878449A US 2021367093 A1 US2021367093 A1 US 2021367093A1
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- 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
- H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
- B64D27/00—Arrangement or mounting of power plants in aircraft; Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants
- B64D27/02—Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants
- B64D27/30—Aircraft characterised by electric power plants
- B64D27/35—Arrangements for on-board electric energy production, distribution, recovery or storage
- B64D27/353—Arrangements for on-board electric energy production, distribution, recovery or storage using solar cells
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64G—COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
- B64G1/00—Cosmonautic vehicles
- B64G1/22—Parts of, or equipment specially adapted for fitting in or to, cosmonautic vehicles
- B64G1/42—Arrangements or adaptations of power supply systems
- B64G1/44—Arrangements or adaptations of power supply systems using radiation, e.g. deployable solar arrays
- B64G1/443—Photovoltaic cell arrays
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- 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
- H01L31/02—Details
- H01L31/02016—Circuit arrangements of general character for the devices
- H01L31/02019—Circuit arrangements of general character for the devices for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier
- H01L31/02021—Circuit arrangements of general character for the devices for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier for solar cells
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- 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
- H01L31/0475—PV cell arrays made by cells in a planar, e.g. repetitive, configuration on a single semiconductor substrate; PV cell microarrays
-
- 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
- H01L31/048—Encapsulation of modules
- H01L31/049—Protective back sheets
-
- 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
- H01L31/052—Cooling means directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. integrated Peltier elements for active cooling or heat sinks directly associated with the PV cells
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
- H02S50/00—Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
- H02S50/10—Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells
-
- 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
-
- 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
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T50/00—Aeronautics or air transport
- Y02T50/50—On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency
Definitions
- the present disclosure is directed to a solar panel and a method for producing the solar panel. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to populating a front portion of a substrate with cover glass interconnected cells (CICs) and/or wiring before bonding the front portion to a back portion of the substrate to produce the solar panel.
- CICs cover glass interconnected cells
- a solar panel includes a substrate.
- the substrate includes an electrical insulation layer, a first (e.g., front) face sheet layer, a honeycomb core layer, and a second (e.g., back) face sheet layer.
- the electrical insulation layer is bonded to the front face sheet layer to create a front portion of the substrate
- the honeycomb core layer is bonded to the back face sheet layer to create a back portion of the substrate.
- the front and back portions are then bonded together to complete the substrate. More particularly, the front face sheet is bonded to the honeycomb core to complete the substrate.
- CICs which include solar cells with interconnects and cover glass
- the substrate may be bonded to the substrate. More particularly, the CICs may be bonded to the electrical insulation layer. Wiring may also be bonded to the electrical insulation layer, the back face sheet layer, or both.
- the substrate, CICs, and wiring produce a solar panel.
- a method for producing a solar panel includes producing a tile.
- Producing the tile includes bonding an electrical insulation layer and a front face sheet layer together to produce a front portion of a substrate.
- Producing the tile also includes bonding the front portion of the substrate and a cell together.
- Producing the tile also includes bonding the front portion of the substrate and a wire together.
- the method also includes bonding a honeycomb core layer and a back face sheet layer to produce a back portion of the substrate.
- the method also includes bonding the tile and the back portion of the substrate together to produce the solar panel.
- the method includes producing a tile.
- Producing the tile includes bonding an electrical insulation layer and a front face sheet layer together to produce a front portion of a substrate.
- Producing the tile also includes bonding the electrical insulation layer and a cell together.
- Producing the tile also includes bonding the electrical insulation layer and a wire together.
- Producing the tile also includes connecting a first end of the wire to the cell.
- Producing the tile also includes connecting a second end of the wire to an object.
- the object includes another cell, another tile, or an aircraft.
- the method also includes bonding a honeycomb core layer and a back face sheet layer to produce a back portion of the substrate.
- the wire is not bonded to the back face sheet layer.
- the method also includes bonding the tile and the back portion of the substrate together to produce the solar panel.
- the method also includes connecting the solar panel to the aircraft.
- the method includes producing two or more tiles. Producing each of the two or more tiles includes bonding an electrical insulation layer and a front face sheet layer together to produce a front portion of a substrate. Producing each of the two or more tiles also includes bonding the electrical insulation layer and a cell together. Producing each of the two or more tiles also includes bonding the electrical insulation layer and a wire together. The method also includes bonding a honeycomb core layer and a back face sheet layer to produce a back portion of the substrate. The wire is not bonded to the back face sheet layer. The method also includes bonding the two or more tiles and the back portion of the substrate together to produce the solar panel. The method also includes connecting the solar panel to a spacecraft.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a plurality of layers that are used to produce a substrate for a solar panel, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart of a method for producing the solar panel, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of an electrical insulation layer bonded to a front face sheet layer to produce a front portion of the substrate, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic view of a cell and a wire bonded to the front portion of the substrate to produce a tile, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic view of a honeycomb core layer bonded to a back face sheet layer to produce a back portion of the substrate, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a solar panel including the tile bonded to the back portion of the substrate, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 7 illustrates another example of a solar panel including two tiles bonded to a single back portion of the substrate, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart of another method for producing the solar panel, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic view of a channel formed in the honeycomb core layer of the back portion of the substrate, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 10 illustrates a first wire positioned at least partially in the channel, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic view of the front and back portions of the substrate bonded together with the first wire positioned at least partially in the channel, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 12 illustrates a schematic view of a cell and a second wire bonded to the substrate of FIG. 11 to form a solar panel, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 13 illustrates a flowchart of yet another method for producing the solar panel, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 14 illustrates a schematic view of a tile with a wire bonded to the front face sheet layer, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 15 illustrates a schematic view of the tile of FIG. 14 bonded to the back portion of the substrate to form a solar panel, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 16 another example of the solar panel of FIG. 15 including two tiles bonded to a single back portion of the substrate, according to an implementation.
- FIG. 17 illustrates an example of a vehicle to which the solar panel may be coupled, according to an implementation.
- the present disclosure is directed to a solar panel and a method for producing the solar panel.
- the solar panel can include a substrate, a cell (e.g., a CIC), a wire, or a combination thereof.
- the substrate can include a front portion and a back portion.
- the front portion can include an electrical insulation layer and a first (e.g., front) face sheet layer.
- the back portion can include a honeycomb core layer and a second (e.g., back) face sheet layer.
- the front portion of the substrate can have the cell, the wire, or both bonded thereto to produce a tile. After the tile is produced, the tile can be bonded to the back portion of the substrate to produce the solar panel.
- the tiles and/or solar panels produced as described herein can be standardized and more easily mass-produced than conventional solar panel components and conventional solar panels. This allows improved modularity and the ability to make differently-sized solar panels with a variety of different configurations more easily than using conventional components and methods.
- the cells can be more easily repaired on the tiles when compared to cells bonded to current larger panels.
- the front face sheet layer described herein can be broken into multiple pieces, unlike in current solar panels.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a plurality of layers (four are shown: 110 , 120 , 130 , 140 ) that can be used to produce a substrate 150 for a solar panel 100 , according to an implementation.
- the substrate 150 can include an electrical insulation layer 110 .
- the electrical insulation layer 110 can be or include a polyimide. More particularly, the electrical insulation layer 110 can be or include poly (4,4′-oxydiphenylene-pyromellitimide). For example, the electrical insulation layer 110 can be or include Kapton® tape.
- the electrical insulation layer 110 can have a thickness from about 0.001 inches to about 0.005 inches.
- the substrate 150 also includes a first (e.g., front) face sheet layer 120 .
- the front face sheet layer 120 can be or include a polymer, carbon fibers, glass fibers, metal, or a combination thereof. More particularly, the front face sheet layer 120 can be or include a multiply carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) or a glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP).
- CFRP multiply carbon fiber reinforced polymer
- GFRP glass fiber reinforced polymer
- the front face sheet layer 120 can have a thickness from about 0.01 inches to about 0.06 inches.
- the electrical insulation layer 110 and the front face sheet layer 120 are bonded together to form a first (e.g., front) portion 152 of the substrate 150 .
- the substrate 150 also includes a honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the honeycomb core layer 130 can be or include a vented metal. More particularly, the honeycomb core layer 130 can be or include a vented aluminum.
- the honeycomb core layer 130 can have a thickness from about 0.125 inches to about 5 inches.
- an isogrid can be used instead of or in addition to the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the isogrid can be or include a partially hollowed-out structure that is formed from a single metal plate.
- the isogrid can have triangular integral stiffening ribs (often called stringers).
- the substrate 150 also includes a second (e.g., back) face sheet layer 140 .
- the back face sheet layer 140 can be or include a polymer, carbon fibers, glass fibers, metal, or a combination thereof. More particularly, the back face sheet layer 140 can be or include a CFRP or a GFRP.
- the back face sheet layer 140 can have a thickness from about 0.01 inches to about 0.06 inches.
- the honeycomb core layer 130 and the back face sheet layer 140 can be bonded together to form a second (e.g., back) portion 154 of the substrate 150 .
- FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart of a method 200 for producing the solar panel 100 , according to an implementation.
- An illustrative order of the method 200 is provided below; however, one or more steps of the method 200 can be repeated, performed in a different order, or omitted altogether.
- the method 200 also includes producing a tile 156 , as at 202 .
- Producing the tile 156 can include bonding the electrical insulation layer 110 and the front face sheet layer 120 together to produce the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 , as at 204 . This is shown in FIG. 3 .
- the electrical insulation layer 110 and the front face sheet layer 120 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U.
- Producing the tile 156 also includes bonding the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 and a cell 160 together, as at 206 . More particularly, this can include bonding the cell 160 to the electrical insulation layer 110 using an adhesive such as a room-temperature-vulcanizing (RTV) silicone.
- RTV silicone is a rubber polymer that dries at room temperature. This is shown in FIG. 4 .
- the cell 160 can be or include a photovoltaic (PV) cell, which is also referred to as a solar cell.
- the cell 160 can be or include one or more cover glass interconnected cells (CICs) that include one or more PV/solar cells with interconnects and cover glass.
- Producing the tile 156 also includes bonding the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 and a wire 170 together, as at 208 . More particularly, this can include bonding the wire 170 to the electrical insulation layer 110 using an adhesive such as the RFV silicone. This is also shown in FIG. 4 . Although a single wire 170 is shown, in other implementations, two or more wires can be bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110 ). As can be seen, the wire 170 may only be in contact with and/or bonded to the electrical insulation layer 110 . In other implementations, the wire 170 can also or instead pass through the substrate 150 and be in contact with and/or bonded to the back face sheet layer 140 .
- the tile 156 which is shown in FIG. 4 , includes the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 , the cell 160 , the wire 170 , or a combination thereof.
- the method 200 also includes connecting a first end of the wire 170 to the cell 160 , as at 210 .
- This can be a sub-step of step 202 (e.g., similar to steps 204 - 208 ), or it can be a separate step in the method 200 .
- the wire 170 can be connected to the cell 160 before or after the cell 160 is bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110 ).
- the wire 170 can also or instead be connected to the cell 160 before or after the wire 170 is bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110 ).
- the method 200 also includes connecting a second end of the wire 170 to an object, as at 212 .
- This can be a sub-step of step 202 (e.g., similar to steps 204 - 208 ), or it can be a separate step in the method 200 .
- the wire 170 can be connected to the object before or after the wire 170 is bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110 ).
- the object can be or include another cell, a string, another tile, a solar panel, a vehicle (e.g., an aircraft), or the like.
- the method 200 can also include testing the cell 160 , as at 214 .
- the cell 160 can be tested before or after the cell 160 is bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 .
- the cell 160 can also or instead be tested before or after the tile 156 has been produced.
- the cell 160 can also or instead be tested before the tile 156 is bonded to the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 , as described below.
- the cell 160 can be tested using a solar simulator.
- the cell 160 can also or instead be tested by forward biasing the cell 160 .
- the cell 160 can be tested to determine if physical damage to the cell 160 , if the connections to the cell 160 are robust or damaged, if the cell 160 meets a predetermined performance metric (e.g., generates a predetermined voltage and/or current), or a combination thereof.
- a predetermined performance metric e.g., generates a predetermined voltage and/or current
- the method 200 can also include repairing the cell 160 in response to the testing indicating that the cell 160 is malfunctioning, as at 216 .
- the method 200 can also or instead include replacing the cell 160 with a second (e.g., replacement) cell in response to the testing indicating that the cell 160 is malfunctioning, as at 218 .
- Replacing the cell 160 with the replacement cell can include removing the cell 160 from the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110 ), and subsequently bonding the replacement cell to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110 ).
- the cell 160 can be repaired or replaced before or after the tile 156 has been produced.
- the cell 160 can also or instead be repaired or replaced with the replacement cell before the tile 156 is bonded to the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 , as described below.
- the tile 156 is smaller and easier to handle than larger conventional components. Furthermore, because the tile 156 is smaller, the tile 156 can be discarded if malfunctioning, which would be much more wasteful with a larger conventional solar panel.
- the method 200 also includes bonding the honeycomb core layer 130 and the back face sheet layer 140 together to produce the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 , as at 220 . This is shown in FIG. 5 .
- the honeycomb core layer 130 and the back face sheet layer 140 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U.
- the honeycomb core layer 130 and the back face sheet layer 140 can be bonded together before or after the tile 156 is produced.
- the method 200 also includes bonding the tile 156 and the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 together to produce the solar panel 100 , as at 222 .
- This can include bonding the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 and the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 together. More particularly, the front face sheet layer 120 and the honeycomb core layer 130 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U. This is shown in FIG. 6 .
- Step 222 can take place after one or more (e.g., all) of the steps 202 - 220 . For example, step 222 can take place after the cell 160 is bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (as at 206 ), after the wire 170 is bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (as at 208 ), or both.
- performing the method 200 in this manner can allow the tiles 156 A and solar panels 100 to be standardized and more easily mass-produced than conventional solar panel components and conventional solar panels. This allows improved modularity and the ability to make differently-sized solar panels with a variety of different configurations more easily than using conventional components and methods.
- the cells can be more easily repaired on the tiles when compared to cells bonded to conventional larger panels.
- the front face sheet layer described herein may not be broken into multiple pieces, as in conventional solar panels.
- the solar panel 100 can include a single tile 156 bonded to a single back portion 154 of the substrate 150 (e.g., a 1:1 ratio).
- the solar panel 100 can include a plurality of tiles bonded to a single back portion 154 of the substrate 150 (e.g., a 2:1 ratio, a 4:1 ratio, an 8:1 ratio, etc.).
- the method 200 can loop back around to step 202 to produce additional tiles 156 that are to be bonded to the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 .
- the method 200 also includes bonding a second tile and the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 together to produce the solar panel 100 , as at 224 .
- FIG. 7 illustrates two tiles 156 A, 156 B bonded to a single back portion 154 of the substrate 150 to produce the solar panel 100 , according to an implementation.
- Each tile 156 A, 156 B can include a front portion 152 A, 152 B, a cell 160 A, 160 B, a wire 170 A, 170 B, or a combination thereof.
- the tiles 156 A, 156 B can be positioned adjacent to one another (e.g., side-to-side or end-to-end) on the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 .
- the first tile 156 A can be connected to the second tile 156 B.
- the cell 160 A and/or the wire 170 A can be connected to the second tile 156 B (e.g., the cell 160 B and/or the wire 170 B).
- Bonding the two or more tiles 156 A, 156 B to a single back portion 154 makes producing and repairing the solar panel 100 easier because it can facilitate automation and standardization. For example, if one tile is faulty, it can be automatically be replaced with another working tile. In addition, the handling of the components used to make the solar panel 100 can be easier because the tiles 156 A, 156 B can be smaller than those used to produce conventional solar panels.
- the implementation with two or more tiles 156 A, 156 B can also include one or more (e.g., all) of the advantages described above.
- the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 can have a greater surface area than each of the tiles 156 A, 156 B.
- surface area of the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 is about the same as the surface area of the two tiles 156 A, 156 B combined; however, in other examples, the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 can be sized to receive four tiles, six tiles, eight tiles, or more.
- the method 200 can also include connecting the solar panel 100 to a vehicle, as at 226 . More particularly, the solar panel 100 can be connected to an exterior of the vehicle.
- the vehicle can be or include a car, a bus, a train, a boat, an airplane, a helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a spacecraft, or the like.
- UAV unmanned aerial vehicle
- FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart of another method 800 for producing the solar panel 100 , according to an implementation.
- An illustrative order of the method 800 is provided below; however, one or more steps of the method 800 can be performed in a different order, repeated, or omitted altogether.
- the method 800 includes bonding the electrical insulation layer 110 and the front face sheet layer 120 together to produce the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 , as at 802 . This is shown in FIG. 3 .
- the electrical insulation layer 110 and the front face sheet layer 120 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U.
- the method 800 also includes bonding the honeycomb core layer 130 and the back face sheet layer 140 together to produce the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 , as at 804 . This is shown in FIG. 5 .
- the honeycomb core layer 130 and the back face sheet layer 140 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U.
- the method 800 also includes forming one or more channels (one is shown: 132 ) in the honeycomb core layer 130 , as at 806 . This is shown in FIG. 9 .
- the channel 132 can be formed in the honeycomb core layer 130 before or after the honeycomb core layer 130 is bonded to the back face sheet layer 140 .
- the channel 132 can be formed by removing a portion of the honeycomb core layer 130 (e.g., by machining).
- the channel 132 can be formed during the formation of the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the mold that produces the honeycomb core layer 130 can form the channel 132 in the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the channel 132 can be or include a recess formed at least partially in an inner surface 133 of the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the channel 132 can be at least partially defined by one or more channel boundary portions (two are shown: 136 A, 136 B) and a reduced inner surface 134 of the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the channel boundary portions 136 A, 136 B can be or include portions of the honeycomb core layer 130 that are not removed when the channel 132 is formed.
- the channel 132 can be or include a recess formed at least partially in an outer surface 135 of the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the channel 132 can be or include a bore formed at least partially through the honeycomb core layer 130 (e.g., between the inner surface 133 and the outer surface 135 .
- the inner surface 133 is the surface that is/will be bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the front face sheet layer 120 )
- the outer surface 135 is the surface that is/will be bonded to the back face sheet layer 140 .
- the method 800 also includes positioning a first wire 170 in the channel 132 , as at 808 . This is shown in FIG. 10 . As mentioned above, although a single first wire 170 is shown, the first wire 170 can also or instead include two or more wires. A thickness of the first wire 170 can be less than or equal to a depth of the channel 132 .
- the method 800 also includes bonding the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 and the first wire 170 together, as at 810 . More particularly, once the first wire 170 is positioned within the channel 132 , the first wire 170 can be bonded to the honeycomb core layer 130 . For example, the first wire 170 can be bonded to the reduced inner surface 134 and/or the channel boundary portions 136 A, 136 B of the honeycomb core layer 130 using an adhesive such as the RFV silicone. In another implementation, step 810 can be omitted.
- the method 800 also includes bonding the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 and the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 together, as at 812 . This is shown in FIG. 11 .
- the front portion 152 and the back portion 154 together produce the substrate 150 .
- the front portion 152 and the back portion 154 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U. Bonding the front portion 152 and the back portion 154 together can include bonding the front face sheet layer 120 to the channel boundary portions 136 A, 136 B of the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- a gap can exist between the front face sheet layer 120 and the first wire 170 .
- the first wire 170 can be compressed between the front face sheet layer 120 and the reduced inner surface 134 of the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- Step 812 can take place after the channel 132 is formed and/or after the first wire 170 is positioned in the channel 132 .
- the first wire 170 can be positioned at least partially between the front face sheet layer 120 and the reduced inner surface 134 of the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- At least a portion of the first wire 170 can also be positioned at least partially between the channel boundary portions 136 A, 136 B.
- the wire 170 can enter the channel 132 on one side of the substrate 150 and exit the channel 132 on the other side of the substrate 150 .
- at least a portion of the first wire 170 can extend through or beyond openings in the channel boundary portions 136 A, 136 B.
- the method 800 also includes bonding the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 and the first wire 170 together, as at 814 . More particularly, the front face sheet layer 120 and the first wire 170 can be bonded together before, simultaneously with, or after the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 and the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 are bonded together.
- the first wire 170 can be bonded to the front face sheet layer 120 using an adhesive such as the RFV silicone.
- step 814 can be omitted, and the first wire 170 can instead be secured in place by its positioning in the channel 132 between the front face sheet layer 120 and the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the method 800 also includes connecting the first wire 170 to a first object and a second object, as at 816 .
- the first object can be or include the cell 160 , another cell, a string of cells, a tile, the solar panel 100 , or a combination thereof.
- the second object can be or include another cell (e.g., not cell 160 ), a string of cells (e.g., including the cell 160 ), the solar panel 100 , the vehicle, or a combination thereof.
- the first wire 170 can be connected to the first and second objects before or after the first wire 170 is placed in the channel 132 .
- the first wire 170 can be connected to the first and second objects before or after the first wire 170 is bonded to the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 .
- the method 800 also includes bonding the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 and a cell 160 together, as at 818 .
- the cell 160 can be bonded to the electrical insulation layer 110 using an adhesive such as a room-temperature-vulcanizing (RTV) silicone.
- RTV room-temperature-vulcanizing
- a single cell 160 is shown, in other implementations, two or more cells can be bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110 ).
- the cell 160 can be or include a photovoltaic (PV) cell, which is also referred to as a solar cell.
- the cell 160 can be or include one or more cover glass interconnected cells (CICs) that include one or more PV/solar cells with interconnects and cover glass.
- CICs cover glass interconnected cells
- Step 818 can take place before or after the electrical insulation layer 110 is bonded to the front face sheet layer 120 to produce the front portion 152 of the substrate. Step 818 can instead take place before or after the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 is bonded to the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 to produce the substrate 150 .
- the method 800 also includes bonding a second wire 172 and the substrate 150 together, as at 820 . This is also shown in FIG. 12 . As mentioned above, although a single second wire 172 is shown, the second wire 172 can also or instead include two or more wires. The first wire 170 and the second wire 172 can be different wires or different portions (e.g., a first portion and a second portion) of the same wire.
- the second wire 172 can be bonded to the substrate 150 using an adhesive such as the RFV silicone.
- the second wire 172 can be bonded to the electrical insulation layer 110 , the back face sheet layer 140 , or both.
- at least a portion of the first wire 170 can extend in a first direction that is substantially parallel with the layers 110 , 120 , 130 , 140
- at least a portion of the second wire 172 can extend in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular with the layers 110 , 120 , 130 , 140 .
- the second wire 172 can be wrapped at least partially around the substrate 150 .
- at least a portion of the second wire 172 can extend through a hole formed (e.g., drilled) in the substrate 150 .
- the method 800 also includes connecting the second wire 172 to a third object and a fourth object, as at 822 .
- the third object can be the same as the first object and/or the second object.
- the third object can be different than the first object and the second object.
- the fourth object can be the same as the first object, the second object, the third object, or a combination thereof.
- the fourth object can be different than the first object, the second object, and the third object.
- the third object can be or include the cell 160 , another cell, a string of cells, a tile, the solar panel 100 , or a combination thereof.
- the fourth object can be or include another cell (e.g., not cell 160 ), a string of cells (e.g., including the cell 160 ), the solar panel 100 , the vehicle, or a combination thereof.
- the second wire 172 can be connected to the third and fourth objects before or after the second wire 172 is bonded to the substrate 150 .
- the substrate 150 , the cell 160 , the first wire 170 , the second wire 172 , or a combination thereof can produce the solar panel 100 , which is shown in FIG. 12 .
- the method 800 also includes connecting the solar panel 100 to a vehicle, as at 824 . More particularly, the solar panel 100 can be connected to an exterior of the vehicle.
- the vehicle can be or include a car, a bus, a train, a boat, an airplane, a helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a spacecraft, or the like.
- Positioning the first wire 170 in the channel 132 can reduce the thickness of the solar panel 100 . More particularly, this can reduce the profile on the back side of the substrate 150 . Positioning the first wire 170 in the channel 132 can also or instead increase the flexibility in the routing of the first wire 170 because the channel 132 and the first wire 170 can be routed in any manner and/or direction. In contrast, in a conventional solar panel, there are obstructions on the front side and back side (e.g., solar cells, other wires, snubbers, stay-out zones) around which the wire is routed.
- Positioning the first wire 170 in the channel 132 can also or instead reduce the amount of labor required to route the first wire 170 and/or secure the first wire 170 in place because there would be no need to spot bond the first wire 170 as frequently (e.g., every 5 inches or so) to hold the first wire 170 in place.
- the channel already exists so it routs the first wire 170 .
- the amount of bonding between the first wire 170 and the substrate 150 can be reduced (e.g., less than conventional counterparts), or the bonding can be omitted.
- Another advantage is that, when used in conjunction of the tile method, there wouldn't need to be any wiring on the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 , which allows a higher density of cells (e.g., cells 160 ).
- the use of the channel 132 reduces or eliminates the need to drill any feedthrough holes through the substrate 150 , resulting in less labor.
- the first wire 170 is better protected and thus less likely to get damaged. This protection is relevant for mission assurance in spacecrafts, making it less likely that a small micro meteorite might damage the first wire 170 and cause reduced performance.
- FIG. 13 illustrates a flowchart of another method 1300 for producing the solar panel 100 , according to an implementation.
- An illustrative order of the method 1300 is provided below; however, one or more steps of the method 1300 can be performed in a different order, repeated, or omitted altogether.
- the method 1300 includes producing a tile 156 , as at 1302 .
- Producing the tile 156 can include bonding the electrical insulation layer 110 and the front face sheet layer 120 together to produce the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 , as at 1304 . This is shown in FIG. 3 .
- the electrical insulation layer 110 and the front face sheet layer 120 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U.
- Producing the tile 156 also includes bonding the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 and a cell 160 together, as at 1306 . More particularly, this can include bonding the cell 160 to the electrical insulation layer 110 using an adhesive such as a room-temperature-vulcanizing (RTV) silicone. This is shown in FIG. 14 . Although a single cell 160 is shown, in other implementations, two or more cells can be bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110 ). As mentioned above, the cell 160 can be or include a photovoltaic (PV) cell, which is also referred to as a solar cell. The cell 160 can be or include one or more cover glass interconnected cells (CICs) that include one or more PV/solar cells with interconnects and cover glass.
- PV photovoltaic
- Producing the tile 156 also includes bonding the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 and one or more wires together (two wires shown: first wire 170 and second wire 172 ), as at 1308 . This is also shown in FIG. 14 . More particularly, this can include bonding the first wire 170 to the electrical insulation layer 110 and/or the front face sheet layer 120 . This can also or instead include bonding the second wire 172 to the electrical insulation layer 110 and/or the front face sheet layer 120 .
- the tile 156 which is shown in FIG. 14 , includes the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 , the cell 160 , the first wire 170 , the second wire 172 , or a combination thereof.
- the method 1300 also includes connecting the first wire 170 to a first object and a second object, as at 1310 .
- This can be a sub-step of step 1302 (e.g., similar to steps 1304 - 1308 ), or it can be a separate step in the method 1300 .
- the first object can be or include the cell 160 , another cell, a string of cells, the tile 156 , the solar panel 100 , or a combination thereof.
- the first wire 170 can be connected to the cell 160 (or a string of cells including the cell 160 ) before or after the cell 160 is bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 .
- the first wire 170 can also or instead be connected to the cell 160 (or a string of cells including the cell 160 ) before or after the wire 170 is bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 .
- the second object can be or include the cell 160 , another cell (e.g., not cell 160 ), a string of cells (e.g., including the cell 160 ), the tile 156 , the solar panel 100 , the vehicle, or a combination thereof.
- the method 1300 also includes connecting the second wire 172 to a third object and a fourth object, as at 1312 .
- This can be a sub-step of step 1302 (e.g., similar to steps 1304 - 1308 ), or it can be a separate step in the method 1300 .
- the third object can be the same as the first object and/or the second object.
- the third object can be different than the first object and the second object.
- the fourth object can be the same as the first object, the second object, the third object, or a combination thereof.
- the fourth object can be different than the first object, the second object, and the third object.
- the third object can be or include the cell 160 , another cell, a string of cells (including the cell 160 ), the tile 156 , the solar panel 100 , or a combination thereof.
- the fourth object can be or include the cell 160 , another cell (e.g., not cell 160 ), a string of cells (e.g., including the cell 160 ), the tile 156 , the solar panel 100 , the vehicle, or a combination thereof.
- the second wire 172 can be connected to the third object and/or the fourth object before or after the second wire 172 is bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 .
- the method 1300 also includes testing the cell 160 , as at 1314 .
- the cell 160 can be tested before or after the cell 160 is bonded to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 .
- the cell 160 can also or instead be tested before or after the tile 156 has been produced.
- the cell 160 can also or instead be tested before or after the first wire 170 is positioned in the channel 132 , as described below.
- the cell 160 can also or instead be tested before the tile 156 is bonded to the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 , as described below.
- the cell 160 can be tested using a solar simulator.
- the cell 160 can also or instead be tested by forward biasing the cell 160 .
- the cell 160 can be tested to determine if physical damage to the cell 160 , if the connections to the cell 160 are robust or damaged, if the cell 160 meets a predetermined performance metric (e.g., generates a predetermined voltage and/or current), or a combination thereof.
- a predetermined performance metric e.g., generates a predetermined voltage and/or current
- the method 1300 also includes repairing the cell 160 in response to the testing indicating that the cell 160 is malfunctioning, as at 1316 .
- the method 200 can also or instead include replacing the cell 160 with a second (e.g., replacement) cell in response to the testing indicating that the cell 160 is malfunctioning, as at 1318 .
- Replacing the cell 160 with the replacement cell can include removing the cell 160 from the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110 ), and subsequently bonding the replacement cell to the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110 ).
- the cell 160 can be repaired or replaced before or after the tile 156 has been produced.
- the cell 160 can also or instead be repaired or replaced before the tile 156 is bonded to the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 , as described below.
- the tile 156 is smaller and easier to handle than larger conventional components. Furthermore, because the tile 156 is smaller, the tile 156 can be discarded if malfunctioning, which would be much more wasteful with a larger conventional solar panel.
- the method 1300 also includes bonding the honeycomb core layer 130 and the back face sheet layer 140 together to produce the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 , as at 1320 . This is shown in FIG. 5 .
- the honeycomb core layer 130 and the back face sheet layer 140 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U.
- the honeycomb core layer 130 and the back face sheet layer 140 can be bonded together before or after the tile 156 is produced.
- the method 1300 also includes forming one or more channels (one is shown: 132 ) in the honeycomb core layer 130 , as at 1322 . This is shown in FIG. 9 .
- the channel 132 can be formed in the honeycomb core layer 130 before or after the honeycomb core layer 130 is bonded to the back face sheet layer 140 .
- the channel 132 can be formed by removing a portion of the honeycomb core layer 130 (e.g., by machining).
- the channel 132 can be formed during the formation of the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the mold that produces the honeycomb core layer 130 can form the channel 132 in the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the channel 132 can be or include a recess formed at least partially in an inner surface 133 of the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the channel 132 can be at least partially defined by one or more channel boundary portions (two are shown: 136 A, 136 B) and a reduced inner surface 134 of the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the channel boundary portions 136 A, 136 B can be or include portions of the honeycomb core layer 130 that are not removed when the channel 132 is formed.
- the channel 132 can be or include a recess formed at least partially in an outer surface 135 of the honeycomb core layer 130 .
- the channel 132 can be or include a bore formed at least partially through the honeycomb core layer 130 (e.g., between the inner surface 133 and the outer surface 135 .
- the inner surface 133 is the surface that is/will be bonded to the front portion 152 (e.g., the front face sheet layer 120 )
- the outer surface 135 is the surface that is/will be bonded to the back face sheet layer 140 .
- the method 1300 also includes positioning the tile 156 such that at least a portion of the first wire 170 is positioned at least partially within the channel 132 , as at 1324 .
- the tile 156 can be positioned such that the front face sheet layer 120 faces toward the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 and the electrical insulation layer 110 faces away from the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 .
- the tile 156 and the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 can then be moved together until the front face sheet layer 120 contacts the honeycomb core layer 130 (e.g., one or more of the channel boundary portions 136 A, 136 B). At this point, at least a portion of the first wire 170 can be positioned at least partially within the channel 132 .
- the method 200 also includes bonding the tile 156 and the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 together to produce the solar panel 100 , as at 1326 . This is also shown in FIG. 15 . This can include bonding the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 and the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U. More particularly, this can include bonding the front face sheet layer 120 and the channel boundary portions 136 A, 136 B of the honeycomb core layer 130 together.
- Performing the method 1300 in this manner can reduce the thickness of the solar panel 100 . More particularly, this can reduce the profile on the back side of the substrate 150 .
- Performing the method 1300 in this manner can also or instead increase the flexibility in the routing of the first wire 170 because the channel 132 and the first wire 170 can be routed in any manner and/or direction.
- there are obstructions on the front side and back side e.g., solar cells, other wires, snubbers, stay-out zones) around which the wire is routed.
- Performing the method 1300 in this manner can also or instead reduce the amount of labor required to route the first wire 170 and/or secure the first wire 170 in place because there would be no need to spot bond the first wire 170 as frequently (e.g., every 5 inches or so) to hold the first wire 170 in place.
- the channel already exists so it routs the first wire 170 .
- the amount of bonding between the first wire 170 and the substrate 150 can be reduced (e.g., less than conventional counterparts), or the bonding can be omitted.
- Another advantage is that there can be a reduced amount of wiring on the front portion 152 of the substrate 150 , which allows a higher density of cells (e.g., cells 160 ). This increases efficiency and makes the whole tile concept easier to use.
- the use of the channel 132 reduces or eliminates the need to drill any feedthrough holes through the substrate 150 , resulting in less labor.
- the first wire 170 is better protected and thus less likely to get damaged. This protection is relevant for mission assurance in spacecrafts, making it less likely that a small micro meteorite might damage the first wire 170 and cause reduced performance.
- the solar panel 100 can include a single tile 156 bonded to a single back portion 154 of the substrate 150 (e.g., a 1:1 ratio).
- the solar panel 100 can include a plurality of tiles bonded to a single back portion 154 of the substrate 150 (e.g., a 2:1 ratio, a 4:1 ratio, an 8:1 ratio, etc.).
- the method 1300 can loop back around to step 1302 to produce additional tiles 156 .
- the method 1300 also includes bonding a second tile and the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 together to produce the solar panel 100 , as at 1328 .
- FIG. 16 illustrates two tiles 156 A, 156 B bonded to a single back portion 154 of the substrate 150 to produce the solar panel 100 , according to an implementation.
- Each tile 156 A, 156 B can include a front portion 152 A, 152 B, a cell 160 A, 160 B, a first wire 170 A, 170 B, a second wire 172 A, 172 B, or a combination thereof.
- the tiles 156 A, 156 B can be positioned adjacent to one another (e.g., side-to-side or end-to-end) on the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 .
- the tiles 156 A, 156 B can be connected together using the first wire(s) 170 A, 170 B, the second wire(s) 172 A, 172 B, or a combination thereof to form a string of tiles.
- the tiles 156 A, 156 B can instead be connected together using metal strips instead of wiring to form a string of tiles.
- the tiles 156 A, 156 B can be connected to form the string before the first wire(s) 170 A, 170 B is/are positioned within the channel(s) (e.g., as at step 324 ).
- the strings can be connected to the vehicle.
- Bonding the two or more tiles 156 A, 156 B to a single back portion 154 can make producing and repairing the solar panel 100 easier because it can facilitate automation and standardization.
- the handling of the components used to make the solar panel 100 can be easier because the tiles 156 A, 156 B can be smaller than those used to produce conventional solar panels.
- the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 can have a greater surface area than each of the tiles 156 A, 156 B.
- surface area of the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 is about the same as the surface area of the two tiles 156 A, 156 B combined; however, in other examples, the back portion 154 of the substrate 150 can be sized to receive four tiles, six tiles, eight tiles, or more.
- the method 1300 also includes connecting the solar panel 100 to a vehicle, as at 1330 .
- the solar panel 100 can be connected to an exterior of the vehicle.
- the vehicle can be or include a car, a bus, a train, a boat, an airplane, a helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a spacecraft, or the like.
- UAV unmanned aerial vehicle
- FIG. 17 illustrates an example of a vehicle 1700 to which the solar panel 100 can be coupled, according to an implementation.
- the vehicle 1700 can be or include a car, a bus, a train, a boat, an airplane, a helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a spacecraft, or the like.
- the vehicle 1700 is an aircraft (e.g., an airplane).
- the solar panel 100 can be coupled to an outer surface of the vehicle 1700 .
- the solar panel 100 is coupled to the wing 1710 ; however, the solar panel 100 can also or instead be coupled to other portions of the vehicle 1700 .
- the solar panel 100 can convert sunlight into energy, which can be supplied to the vehicle 1700 and/or the components therein (e.g., communication systems, lighting, etc.).
- the terms “inner” and “outer”; “up” and “down”; “upper” and “lower”; “upward” and “downward”; “upstream” and “downstream”; “above” and “below”; “inward” and “outward”; and other like terms as used herein refer to relative positions to one another and are not intended to denote a particular direction or spatial orientation.
- Couple refers to “in direct connection with” or “in connection with via one or more intermediate elements or members.”
- bonded refers to “directly bonded to” or “bonded to via one or more intermediate elements, members, or layers.”
- the term “at least one of A and B” with respect to a listing of items such as, for example, A and B, means A alone, B alone, or A and B.
- Those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible.
- the terms “including,” “includes,” “having,” “has,” “with,” or variants thereof are used in either the detailed description and the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”
- the term “about” indicates that the value listed may be somewhat altered, as long as the alteration does not result in nonconformance of the process or structure to the intended purpose described herein.
- “exemplary” indicates the description is used as an example, rather than implying that it is an ideal.
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Abstract
A method for producing a solar panel includes producing a tile. Producing the tile includes bonding an electrical insulation layer and a front face sheet layer together to produce a front portion of a substrate. Producing the tile also includes bonding the front portion of the substrate and a cell together. Producing the tile also includes bonding the front portion of the substrate and a wire together. The method also includes bonding a honeycomb core layer and a back face sheet layer to produce a back portion of the substrate. The method also includes bonding the tile and the back portion of the substrate together to produce the solar panel.
Description
- The present disclosure is directed to a solar panel and a method for producing the solar panel. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to populating a front portion of a substrate with cover glass interconnected cells (CICs) and/or wiring before bonding the front portion to a back portion of the substrate to produce the solar panel.
- A solar panel includes a substrate. The substrate includes an electrical insulation layer, a first (e.g., front) face sheet layer, a honeycomb core layer, and a second (e.g., back) face sheet layer. In one example, the electrical insulation layer is bonded to the front face sheet layer to create a front portion of the substrate, and the honeycomb core layer is bonded to the back face sheet layer to create a back portion of the substrate. The front and back portions are then bonded together to complete the substrate. More particularly, the front face sheet is bonded to the honeycomb core to complete the substrate.
- After the substrate is complete, CICs, which include solar cells with interconnects and cover glass, may be bonded to the substrate. More particularly, the CICs may be bonded to the electrical insulation layer. Wiring may also be bonded to the electrical insulation layer, the back face sheet layer, or both. The substrate, CICs, and wiring produce a solar panel.
- However, when produced in this manner, it may be difficult to automate the process of bonding the CICs to the front face sheet layer with any sort of modularity/standardization. It may also be difficult to repair any faulty CICs.
- A method for producing a solar panel is disclosed. The method includes producing a tile. Producing the tile includes bonding an electrical insulation layer and a front face sheet layer together to produce a front portion of a substrate. Producing the tile also includes bonding the front portion of the substrate and a cell together. Producing the tile also includes bonding the front portion of the substrate and a wire together. The method also includes bonding a honeycomb core layer and a back face sheet layer to produce a back portion of the substrate. The method also includes bonding the tile and the back portion of the substrate together to produce the solar panel.
- In another implementation, the method includes producing a tile. Producing the tile includes bonding an electrical insulation layer and a front face sheet layer together to produce a front portion of a substrate. Producing the tile also includes bonding the electrical insulation layer and a cell together. Producing the tile also includes bonding the electrical insulation layer and a wire together. Producing the tile also includes connecting a first end of the wire to the cell. Producing the tile also includes connecting a second end of the wire to an object. The object includes another cell, another tile, or an aircraft. The method also includes bonding a honeycomb core layer and a back face sheet layer to produce a back portion of the substrate. The wire is not bonded to the back face sheet layer. The method also includes bonding the tile and the back portion of the substrate together to produce the solar panel. The method also includes connecting the solar panel to the aircraft.
- In another implementation, the method includes producing two or more tiles. Producing each of the two or more tiles includes bonding an electrical insulation layer and a front face sheet layer together to produce a front portion of a substrate. Producing each of the two or more tiles also includes bonding the electrical insulation layer and a cell together. Producing each of the two or more tiles also includes bonding the electrical insulation layer and a wire together. The method also includes bonding a honeycomb core layer and a back face sheet layer to produce a back portion of the substrate. The wire is not bonded to the back face sheet layer. The method also includes bonding the two or more tiles and the back portion of the substrate together to produce the solar panel. The method also includes connecting the solar panel to a spacecraft.
- The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate aspects of the present teachings and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present teachings.
-
FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a plurality of layers that are used to produce a substrate for a solar panel, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart of a method for producing the solar panel, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of an electrical insulation layer bonded to a front face sheet layer to produce a front portion of the substrate, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic view of a cell and a wire bonded to the front portion of the substrate to produce a tile, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic view of a honeycomb core layer bonded to a back face sheet layer to produce a back portion of the substrate, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a solar panel including the tile bonded to the back portion of the substrate, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 7 illustrates another example of a solar panel including two tiles bonded to a single back portion of the substrate, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart of another method for producing the solar panel, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic view of a channel formed in the honeycomb core layer of the back portion of the substrate, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 10 illustrates a first wire positioned at least partially in the channel, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic view of the front and back portions of the substrate bonded together with the first wire positioned at least partially in the channel, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 12 illustrates a schematic view of a cell and a second wire bonded to the substrate ofFIG. 11 to form a solar panel, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 13 illustrates a flowchart of yet another method for producing the solar panel, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 14 illustrates a schematic view of a tile with a wire bonded to the front face sheet layer, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 15 illustrates a schematic view of the tile ofFIG. 14 bonded to the back portion of the substrate to form a solar panel, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 16 another example of the solar panel ofFIG. 15 including two tiles bonded to a single back portion of the substrate, according to an implementation. -
FIG. 17 illustrates an example of a vehicle to which the solar panel may be coupled, according to an implementation. - It should be noted that some details of the figures have been simplified and are drawn to facilitate understanding rather than to maintain strict structural accuracy, detail, and scale.
- Reference will now be made in detail to the present teachings, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals have been used throughout to designate identical elements. In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part thereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific examples of practicing the present teachings. The following description is, therefore, merely exemplary.
- Bonding a Cell and a Wire to a Front Portion of a Substrate to Produce a Tile Prior to Bonding the Tile to a Back Portion of the Substrate
- The present disclosure is directed to a solar panel and a method for producing the solar panel. The solar panel can include a substrate, a cell (e.g., a CIC), a wire, or a combination thereof. The substrate can include a front portion and a back portion. The front portion can include an electrical insulation layer and a first (e.g., front) face sheet layer. The back portion can include a honeycomb core layer and a second (e.g., back) face sheet layer. The front portion of the substrate can have the cell, the wire, or both bonded thereto to produce a tile. After the tile is produced, the tile can be bonded to the back portion of the substrate to produce the solar panel.
- The tiles and/or solar panels produced as described herein can be standardized and more easily mass-produced than conventional solar panel components and conventional solar panels. This allows improved modularity and the ability to make differently-sized solar panels with a variety of different configurations more easily than using conventional components and methods. In addition, the cells can be more easily repaired on the tiles when compared to cells bonded to current larger panels. Furthermore, the front face sheet layer described herein can be broken into multiple pieces, unlike in current solar panels.
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FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a plurality of layers (four are shown: 110, 120, 130, 140) that can be used to produce asubstrate 150 for asolar panel 100, according to an implementation. Thesubstrate 150 can include anelectrical insulation layer 110. Theelectrical insulation layer 110 can be or include a polyimide. More particularly, theelectrical insulation layer 110 can be or include poly (4,4′-oxydiphenylene-pyromellitimide). For example, theelectrical insulation layer 110 can be or include Kapton® tape. Theelectrical insulation layer 110 can have a thickness from about 0.001 inches to about 0.005 inches. - The
substrate 150 also includes a first (e.g., front) facesheet layer 120. The frontface sheet layer 120 can be or include a polymer, carbon fibers, glass fibers, metal, or a combination thereof. More particularly, the frontface sheet layer 120 can be or include a multiply carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) or a glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP). The frontface sheet layer 120 can have a thickness from about 0.01 inches to about 0.06 inches. As discussed below, theelectrical insulation layer 110 and the frontface sheet layer 120 are bonded together to form a first (e.g., front)portion 152 of thesubstrate 150. - The
substrate 150 also includes ahoneycomb core layer 130. Thehoneycomb core layer 130 can be or include a vented metal. More particularly, thehoneycomb core layer 130 can be or include a vented aluminum. Thehoneycomb core layer 130 can have a thickness from about 0.125 inches to about 5 inches. In one implementation, an isogrid can be used instead of or in addition to thehoneycomb core layer 130. The isogrid can be or include a partially hollowed-out structure that is formed from a single metal plate. The isogrid can have triangular integral stiffening ribs (often called stringers). - The
substrate 150 also includes a second (e.g., back)face sheet layer 140. The backface sheet layer 140 can be or include a polymer, carbon fibers, glass fibers, metal, or a combination thereof. More particularly, the backface sheet layer 140 can be or include a CFRP or a GFRP. The backface sheet layer 140 can have a thickness from about 0.01 inches to about 0.06 inches. As discussed below, thehoneycomb core layer 130 and the backface sheet layer 140 can be bonded together to form a second (e.g., back)portion 154 of thesubstrate 150. -
FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart of amethod 200 for producing thesolar panel 100, according to an implementation. An illustrative order of themethod 200 is provided below; however, one or more steps of themethod 200 can be repeated, performed in a different order, or omitted altogether. - The
method 200 also includes producing atile 156, as at 202. Producing thetile 156 can include bonding theelectrical insulation layer 110 and the frontface sheet layer 120 together to produce thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150, as at 204. This is shown inFIG. 3 . In an example, theelectrical insulation layer 110 and the frontface sheet layer 120 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U. - Producing the
tile 156 also includes bonding thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150 and acell 160 together, as at 206. More particularly, this can include bonding thecell 160 to theelectrical insulation layer 110 using an adhesive such as a room-temperature-vulcanizing (RTV) silicone. RTV silicone is a rubber polymer that dries at room temperature. This is shown inFIG. 4 . Although asingle cell 160 is shown, in other implementations, two or more cells can be bonded to thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110). Thecell 160 can be or include a photovoltaic (PV) cell, which is also referred to as a solar cell. Thecell 160 can be or include one or more cover glass interconnected cells (CICs) that include one or more PV/solar cells with interconnects and cover glass. - Producing the
tile 156 also includes bonding thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150 and awire 170 together, as at 208. More particularly, this can include bonding thewire 170 to theelectrical insulation layer 110 using an adhesive such as the RFV silicone. This is also shown inFIG. 4 . Although asingle wire 170 is shown, in other implementations, two or more wires can be bonded to thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110). As can be seen, thewire 170 may only be in contact with and/or bonded to theelectrical insulation layer 110. In other implementations, thewire 170 can also or instead pass through thesubstrate 150 and be in contact with and/or bonded to the backface sheet layer 140. Thetile 156, which is shown inFIG. 4 , includes thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150, thecell 160, thewire 170, or a combination thereof. - The
method 200 also includes connecting a first end of thewire 170 to thecell 160, as at 210. This can be a sub-step of step 202 (e.g., similar to steps 204-208), or it can be a separate step in themethod 200. For example, thewire 170 can be connected to thecell 160 before or after thecell 160 is bonded to thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110). Thewire 170 can also or instead be connected to thecell 160 before or after thewire 170 is bonded to thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110). - The
method 200 also includes connecting a second end of thewire 170 to an object, as at 212. This can be a sub-step of step 202 (e.g., similar to steps 204-208), or it can be a separate step in themethod 200. For example, thewire 170 can be connected to the object before or after thewire 170 is bonded to thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110). The object can be or include another cell, a string, another tile, a solar panel, a vehicle (e.g., an aircraft), or the like. - The
method 200 can also include testing thecell 160, as at 214. Thecell 160 can be tested before or after thecell 160 is bonded to thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150. Thecell 160 can also or instead be tested before or after thetile 156 has been produced. Thecell 160 can also or instead be tested before thetile 156 is bonded to theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150, as described below. Thecell 160 can be tested using a solar simulator. Thecell 160 can also or instead be tested by forward biasing thecell 160. Thecell 160 can be tested to determine if physical damage to thecell 160, if the connections to thecell 160 are robust or damaged, if thecell 160 meets a predetermined performance metric (e.g., generates a predetermined voltage and/or current), or a combination thereof. - The
method 200 can also include repairing thecell 160 in response to the testing indicating that thecell 160 is malfunctioning, as at 216. Themethod 200 can also or instead include replacing thecell 160 with a second (e.g., replacement) cell in response to the testing indicating that thecell 160 is malfunctioning, as at 218. Replacing thecell 160 with the replacement cell can include removing thecell 160 from thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110), and subsequently bonding the replacement cell to thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110). Thecell 160 can be repaired or replaced before or after thetile 156 has been produced. Thecell 160 can also or instead be repaired or replaced with the replacement cell before thetile 156 is bonded to theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150, as described below. - It is easier to repair and/or replace the
cell 160 at the tile level before the solar panel is completed because thetile 156 is smaller and easier to handle than larger conventional components. Furthermore, because thetile 156 is smaller, thetile 156 can be discarded if malfunctioning, which would be much more wasteful with a larger conventional solar panel. - The
method 200 also includes bonding thehoneycomb core layer 130 and the backface sheet layer 140 together to produce theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150, as at 220. This is shown inFIG. 5 . Thehoneycomb core layer 130 and the backface sheet layer 140 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U. Thehoneycomb core layer 130 and the backface sheet layer 140 can be bonded together before or after thetile 156 is produced. - The
method 200 also includes bonding thetile 156 and theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 together to produce thesolar panel 100, as at 222. This can include bonding thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150 and theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 together. More particularly, the frontface sheet layer 120 and thehoneycomb core layer 130 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U. This is shown inFIG. 6 . Step 222 can take place after one or more (e.g., all) of the steps 202-220. For example, step 222 can take place after thecell 160 is bonded to thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (as at 206), after thewire 170 is bonded to thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (as at 208), or both. - As mentioned above, performing the
method 200 in this manner (e.g., bonding thecell 160 and/or thewire 170 to thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150 to produce thetile 156 prior to bonding thetile 156 to theback portion 154 of the substrate 150) can allow thetiles 156A andsolar panels 100 to be standardized and more easily mass-produced than conventional solar panel components and conventional solar panels. This allows improved modularity and the ability to make differently-sized solar panels with a variety of different configurations more easily than using conventional components and methods. In addition, the cells can be more easily repaired on the tiles when compared to cells bonded to conventional larger panels. Furthermore, the front face sheet layer described herein may not be broken into multiple pieces, as in conventional solar panels. - In the implementation described above, the
solar panel 100 can include asingle tile 156 bonded to asingle back portion 154 of the substrate 150 (e.g., a 1:1 ratio). In another implementation, thesolar panel 100 can include a plurality of tiles bonded to asingle back portion 154 of the substrate 150 (e.g., a 2:1 ratio, a 4:1 ratio, an 8:1 ratio, etc.). In this implementation, themethod 200 can loop back around to step 202 to produceadditional tiles 156 that are to be bonded to theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150. - The
method 200 also includes bonding a second tile and theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 together to produce thesolar panel 100, as at 224.FIG. 7 illustrates twotiles single back portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 to produce thesolar panel 100, according to an implementation. Eachtile front portion cell wire tiles back portion 154 of thesubstrate 150. Thefirst tile 156A can be connected to thesecond tile 156B. For example, thecell 160A and/or thewire 170A can be connected to thesecond tile 156B (e.g., thecell 160B and/or thewire 170B). - Bonding the two or
more tiles single back portion 154 makes producing and repairing thesolar panel 100 easier because it can facilitate automation and standardization. For example, if one tile is faulty, it can be automatically be replaced with another working tile. In addition, the handling of the components used to make thesolar panel 100 can be easier because thetiles more tiles - In this implementation, the
back portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 can have a greater surface area than each of thetiles back portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 is about the same as the surface area of the twotiles back portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 can be sized to receive four tiles, six tiles, eight tiles, or more. - The
method 200 can also include connecting thesolar panel 100 to a vehicle, as at 226. More particularly, thesolar panel 100 can be connected to an exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle can be or include a car, a bus, a train, a boat, an airplane, a helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a spacecraft, or the like. - Positioning the Wire in a Channel in the Honeycomb Core Layer Before the Front Portion of the Substrate is Bonded to the Back Portion of the Substrate
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FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart of anothermethod 800 for producing thesolar panel 100, according to an implementation. An illustrative order of themethod 800 is provided below; however, one or more steps of themethod 800 can be performed in a different order, repeated, or omitted altogether. - The
method 800 includes bonding theelectrical insulation layer 110 and the frontface sheet layer 120 together to produce thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150, as at 802. This is shown inFIG. 3 . Theelectrical insulation layer 110 and the frontface sheet layer 120 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U. - The
method 800 also includes bonding thehoneycomb core layer 130 and the backface sheet layer 140 together to produce theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150, as at 804. This is shown inFIG. 5 . Thehoneycomb core layer 130 and the backface sheet layer 140 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U. - The
method 800 also includes forming one or more channels (one is shown: 132) in thehoneycomb core layer 130, as at 806. This is shown inFIG. 9 . Thechannel 132 can be formed in thehoneycomb core layer 130 before or after thehoneycomb core layer 130 is bonded to the backface sheet layer 140. In one implementation, thechannel 132 can be formed by removing a portion of the honeycomb core layer 130 (e.g., by machining). In another implementation, thechannel 132 can be formed during the formation of thehoneycomb core layer 130. For example, the mold that produces thehoneycomb core layer 130 can form thechannel 132 in thehoneycomb core layer 130. - As shown, the
channel 132 can be or include a recess formed at least partially in aninner surface 133 of thehoneycomb core layer 130. Thechannel 132 can be at least partially defined by one or more channel boundary portions (two are shown: 136A, 136B) and a reducedinner surface 134 of thehoneycomb core layer 130. In an example, thechannel boundary portions honeycomb core layer 130 that are not removed when thechannel 132 is formed. - In another implementation, the
channel 132 can be or include a recess formed at least partially in anouter surface 135 of thehoneycomb core layer 130. In yet another implementation, thechannel 132 can be or include a bore formed at least partially through the honeycomb core layer 130 (e.g., between theinner surface 133 and theouter surface 135. As used herein, theinner surface 133 is the surface that is/will be bonded to thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the front face sheet layer 120), and theouter surface 135 is the surface that is/will be bonded to the backface sheet layer 140. - The
method 800 also includes positioning afirst wire 170 in thechannel 132, as at 808. This is shown inFIG. 10 . As mentioned above, although a singlefirst wire 170 is shown, thefirst wire 170 can also or instead include two or more wires. A thickness of thefirst wire 170 can be less than or equal to a depth of thechannel 132. - In one implementation, the
method 800 also includes bonding theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 and thefirst wire 170 together, as at 810. More particularly, once thefirst wire 170 is positioned within thechannel 132, thefirst wire 170 can be bonded to thehoneycomb core layer 130. For example, thefirst wire 170 can be bonded to the reducedinner surface 134 and/or thechannel boundary portions honeycomb core layer 130 using an adhesive such as the RFV silicone. In another implementation,step 810 can be omitted. - The
method 800 also includes bonding thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150 and theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 together, as at 812. This is shown inFIG. 11 . As mentioned above, thefront portion 152 and theback portion 154 together produce thesubstrate 150. Thefront portion 152 and theback portion 154 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U. Bonding thefront portion 152 and theback portion 154 together can include bonding the frontface sheet layer 120 to thechannel boundary portions honeycomb core layer 130. In one implementation, a gap can exist between the frontface sheet layer 120 and thefirst wire 170. In another implementation, thefirst wire 170 can be compressed between the frontface sheet layer 120 and the reducedinner surface 134 of thehoneycomb core layer 130. - Step 812 can take place after the
channel 132 is formed and/or after thefirst wire 170 is positioned in thechannel 132. As shown, thefirst wire 170 can be positioned at least partially between the frontface sheet layer 120 and the reducedinner surface 134 of thehoneycomb core layer 130. At least a portion of thefirst wire 170 can also be positioned at least partially between thechannel boundary portions wire 170 can enter thechannel 132 on one side of thesubstrate 150 and exit thechannel 132 on the other side of thesubstrate 150. In another implementation, at least a portion of thefirst wire 170 can extend through or beyond openings in thechannel boundary portions - The
method 800 also includes bonding thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150 and thefirst wire 170 together, as at 814. More particularly, the frontface sheet layer 120 and thefirst wire 170 can be bonded together before, simultaneously with, or after thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150 and theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 are bonded together. Thefirst wire 170 can be bonded to the frontface sheet layer 120 using an adhesive such as the RFV silicone. In another implementation,step 814 can be omitted, and thefirst wire 170 can instead be secured in place by its positioning in thechannel 132 between the frontface sheet layer 120 and thehoneycomb core layer 130. - The
method 800 also includes connecting thefirst wire 170 to a first object and a second object, as at 816. The first object can be or include thecell 160, another cell, a string of cells, a tile, thesolar panel 100, or a combination thereof. The second object can be or include another cell (e.g., not cell 160), a string of cells (e.g., including the cell 160), thesolar panel 100, the vehicle, or a combination thereof. Thefirst wire 170 can be connected to the first and second objects before or after thefirst wire 170 is placed in thechannel 132. Thefirst wire 170 can be connected to the first and second objects before or after thefirst wire 170 is bonded to theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150. - The
method 800 also includes bonding thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150 and acell 160 together, as at 818. This is shown inFIG. 12 . More particularly, thecell 160 can be bonded to theelectrical insulation layer 110 using an adhesive such as a room-temperature-vulcanizing (RTV) silicone. Although asingle cell 160 is shown, in other implementations, two or more cells can be bonded to thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110). As mentioned above, thecell 160 can be or include a photovoltaic (PV) cell, which is also referred to as a solar cell. Thecell 160 can be or include one or more cover glass interconnected cells (CICs) that include one or more PV/solar cells with interconnects and cover glass. - Step 818 can take place before or after the
electrical insulation layer 110 is bonded to the frontface sheet layer 120 to produce thefront portion 152 of the substrate. Step 818 can instead take place before or after thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150 is bonded to theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 to produce thesubstrate 150. - The
method 800 also includes bonding asecond wire 172 and thesubstrate 150 together, as at 820. This is also shown inFIG. 12 . As mentioned above, although a singlesecond wire 172 is shown, thesecond wire 172 can also or instead include two or more wires. Thefirst wire 170 and thesecond wire 172 can be different wires or different portions (e.g., a first portion and a second portion) of the same wire. - The
second wire 172 can be bonded to thesubstrate 150 using an adhesive such as the RFV silicone. Thesecond wire 172 can be bonded to theelectrical insulation layer 110, the backface sheet layer 140, or both. As shown, at least a portion of thefirst wire 170 can extend in a first direction that is substantially parallel with thelayers second wire 172 can extend in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular with thelayers second wire 172 can be wrapped at least partially around thesubstrate 150. In another example, at least a portion of thesecond wire 172 can extend through a hole formed (e.g., drilled) in thesubstrate 150. - The
method 800 also includes connecting thesecond wire 172 to a third object and a fourth object, as at 822. In an implementation, the third object can be the same as the first object and/or the second object. In another implementation, the third object can be different than the first object and the second object. In an implementation, the fourth object can be the same as the first object, the second object, the third object, or a combination thereof. In another implementation, the fourth object can be different than the first object, the second object, and the third object. The third object can be or include thecell 160, another cell, a string of cells, a tile, thesolar panel 100, or a combination thereof. The fourth object can be or include another cell (e.g., not cell 160), a string of cells (e.g., including the cell 160), thesolar panel 100, the vehicle, or a combination thereof. Thesecond wire 172 can be connected to the third and fourth objects before or after thesecond wire 172 is bonded to thesubstrate 150. - The
substrate 150, thecell 160, thefirst wire 170, thesecond wire 172, or a combination thereof can produce thesolar panel 100, which is shown inFIG. 12 . Themethod 800 also includes connecting thesolar panel 100 to a vehicle, as at 824. More particularly, thesolar panel 100 can be connected to an exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle can be or include a car, a bus, a train, a boat, an airplane, a helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a spacecraft, or the like. - Positioning the
first wire 170 in thechannel 132 can reduce the thickness of thesolar panel 100. More particularly, this can reduce the profile on the back side of thesubstrate 150. Positioning thefirst wire 170 in thechannel 132 can also or instead increase the flexibility in the routing of thefirst wire 170 because thechannel 132 and thefirst wire 170 can be routed in any manner and/or direction. In contrast, in a conventional solar panel, there are obstructions on the front side and back side (e.g., solar cells, other wires, snubbers, stay-out zones) around which the wire is routed. Positioning thefirst wire 170 in thechannel 132 can also or instead reduce the amount of labor required to route thefirst wire 170 and/or secure thefirst wire 170 in place because there would be no need to spot bond thefirst wire 170 as frequently (e.g., every 5 inches or so) to hold thefirst wire 170 in place. The channel already exists so it routs thefirst wire 170. Thus, the amount of bonding between thefirst wire 170 and thesubstrate 150 can be reduced (e.g., less than conventional counterparts), or the bonding can be omitted. Another advantage is that, when used in conjunction of the tile method, there wouldn't need to be any wiring on thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150, which allows a higher density of cells (e.g., cells 160). This increases efficiency and makes the whole tile concept easier to use. Another benefit is that the use of thechannel 132 reduces or eliminates the need to drill any feedthrough holes through thesubstrate 150, resulting in less labor. In addition, when thefirst wire 170 is inside thechannel 132 in thesubstrate 150, thefirst wire 170 is better protected and thus less likely to get damaged. This protection is relevant for mission assurance in spacecrafts, making it less likely that a small micro meteorite might damage thefirst wire 170 and cause reduced performance. - Bonding the Wire to the Front Portion of the Substrate Before Positioning the Wire in a Channel in the Honeycomb Core Layer
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FIG. 13 illustrates a flowchart of anothermethod 1300 for producing thesolar panel 100, according to an implementation. An illustrative order of themethod 1300 is provided below; however, one or more steps of themethod 1300 can be performed in a different order, repeated, or omitted altogether. - The
method 1300 includes producing atile 156, as at 1302. Producing thetile 156 can include bonding theelectrical insulation layer 110 and the frontface sheet layer 120 together to produce thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150, as at 1304. This is shown inFIG. 3 . Theelectrical insulation layer 110 and the frontface sheet layer 120 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U. - Producing the
tile 156 also includes bonding thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150 and acell 160 together, as at 1306. More particularly, this can include bonding thecell 160 to theelectrical insulation layer 110 using an adhesive such as a room-temperature-vulcanizing (RTV) silicone. This is shown inFIG. 14 . Although asingle cell 160 is shown, in other implementations, two or more cells can be bonded to thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110). As mentioned above, thecell 160 can be or include a photovoltaic (PV) cell, which is also referred to as a solar cell. Thecell 160 can be or include one or more cover glass interconnected cells (CICs) that include one or more PV/solar cells with interconnects and cover glass. - Producing the
tile 156 also includes bonding thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150 and one or more wires together (two wires shown:first wire 170 and second wire 172), as at 1308. This is also shown inFIG. 14 . More particularly, this can include bonding thefirst wire 170 to theelectrical insulation layer 110 and/or the frontface sheet layer 120. This can also or instead include bonding thesecond wire 172 to theelectrical insulation layer 110 and/or the frontface sheet layer 120. Thetile 156, which is shown inFIG. 14 , includes thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150, thecell 160, thefirst wire 170, thesecond wire 172, or a combination thereof. - The
method 1300 also includes connecting thefirst wire 170 to a first object and a second object, as at 1310. This can be a sub-step of step 1302 (e.g., similar to steps 1304-1308), or it can be a separate step in themethod 1300. The first object can be or include thecell 160, another cell, a string of cells, thetile 156, thesolar panel 100, or a combination thereof. For example, thefirst wire 170 can be connected to the cell 160 (or a string of cells including the cell 160) before or after thecell 160 is bonded to thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150. Thefirst wire 170 can also or instead be connected to the cell 160 (or a string of cells including the cell 160) before or after thewire 170 is bonded to thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150. The second object can be or include thecell 160, another cell (e.g., not cell 160), a string of cells (e.g., including the cell 160), thetile 156, thesolar panel 100, the vehicle, or a combination thereof. - The
method 1300 also includes connecting thesecond wire 172 to a third object and a fourth object, as at 1312. This can be a sub-step of step 1302 (e.g., similar to steps 1304-1308), or it can be a separate step in themethod 1300. In an implementation, the third object can be the same as the first object and/or the second object. In another implementation, the third object can be different than the first object and the second object. In an implementation, the fourth object can be the same as the first object, the second object, the third object, or a combination thereof. In another implementation, the fourth object can be different than the first object, the second object, and the third object. The third object can be or include thecell 160, another cell, a string of cells (including the cell 160), thetile 156, thesolar panel 100, or a combination thereof. The fourth object can be or include thecell 160, another cell (e.g., not cell 160), a string of cells (e.g., including the cell 160), thetile 156, thesolar panel 100, the vehicle, or a combination thereof. For example, thesecond wire 172 can be connected to the third object and/or the fourth object before or after thesecond wire 172 is bonded to thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150. - The
method 1300 also includes testing thecell 160, as at 1314. Thecell 160 can be tested before or after thecell 160 is bonded to thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150. Thecell 160 can also or instead be tested before or after thetile 156 has been produced. Thecell 160 can also or instead be tested before or after thefirst wire 170 is positioned in thechannel 132, as described below. Thecell 160 can also or instead be tested before thetile 156 is bonded to theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150, as described below. Thecell 160 can be tested using a solar simulator. Thecell 160 can also or instead be tested by forward biasing thecell 160. Thecell 160 can be tested to determine if physical damage to thecell 160, if the connections to thecell 160 are robust or damaged, if thecell 160 meets a predetermined performance metric (e.g., generates a predetermined voltage and/or current), or a combination thereof. - The
method 1300 also includes repairing thecell 160 in response to the testing indicating that thecell 160 is malfunctioning, as at 1316. Themethod 200 can also or instead include replacing thecell 160 with a second (e.g., replacement) cell in response to the testing indicating that thecell 160 is malfunctioning, as at 1318. Replacing thecell 160 with the replacement cell can include removing thecell 160 from thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110), and subsequently bonding the replacement cell to thefront portion 152 of the substrate 150 (e.g., the electrical insulation layer 110). Thecell 160 can be repaired or replaced before or after thetile 156 has been produced. Thecell 160 can also or instead be repaired or replaced before thetile 156 is bonded to theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150, as described below. - It is easier to repair and/or replace the
cell 160 at the tile level before the solar panel is completed because thetile 156 is smaller and easier to handle than larger conventional components. Furthermore, because thetile 156 is smaller, thetile 156 can be discarded if malfunctioning, which would be much more wasteful with a larger conventional solar panel. - The
method 1300 also includes bonding thehoneycomb core layer 130 and the backface sheet layer 140 together to produce theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150, as at 1320. This is shown inFIG. 5 . Thehoneycomb core layer 130 and the backface sheet layer 140 can be bonded together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U. Thehoneycomb core layer 130 and the backface sheet layer 140 can be bonded together before or after thetile 156 is produced. - The
method 1300 also includes forming one or more channels (one is shown: 132) in thehoneycomb core layer 130, as at 1322. This is shown inFIG. 9 . Thechannel 132 can be formed in thehoneycomb core layer 130 before or after thehoneycomb core layer 130 is bonded to the backface sheet layer 140. In one implementation, thechannel 132 can be formed by removing a portion of the honeycomb core layer 130 (e.g., by machining). In another implementation, thechannel 132 can be formed during the formation of thehoneycomb core layer 130. For example, the mold that produces thehoneycomb core layer 130 can form thechannel 132 in thehoneycomb core layer 130. - As shown, the
channel 132 can be or include a recess formed at least partially in aninner surface 133 of thehoneycomb core layer 130. Thechannel 132 can be at least partially defined by one or more channel boundary portions (two are shown: 136A, 136B) and a reducedinner surface 134 of thehoneycomb core layer 130. In an example, thechannel boundary portions honeycomb core layer 130 that are not removed when thechannel 132 is formed. - In another implementation, the
channel 132 can be or include a recess formed at least partially in anouter surface 135 of thehoneycomb core layer 130. In yet another implementation, thechannel 132 can be or include a bore formed at least partially through the honeycomb core layer 130 (e.g., between theinner surface 133 and theouter surface 135. As used herein, theinner surface 133 is the surface that is/will be bonded to the front portion 152 (e.g., the front face sheet layer 120), and theouter surface 135 is the surface that is/will be bonded to the backface sheet layer 140. - The
method 1300 also includes positioning thetile 156 such that at least a portion of thefirst wire 170 is positioned at least partially within thechannel 132, as at 1324. This is shown inFIG. 15 . More particularly, thetile 156 can be positioned such that the frontface sheet layer 120 faces toward theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 and theelectrical insulation layer 110 faces away from theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150. Thetile 156 and theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 can then be moved together until the frontface sheet layer 120 contacts the honeycomb core layer 130 (e.g., one or more of thechannel boundary portions first wire 170 can be positioned at least partially within thechannel 132. - The
method 200 also includes bonding thetile 156 and theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 together to produce thesolar panel 100, as at 1326. This is also shown inFIG. 15 . This can include bonding thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150 and theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 together using a film adhesive such as FM300-2U. More particularly, this can include bonding the frontface sheet layer 120 and thechannel boundary portions honeycomb core layer 130 together. - Performing the
method 1300 in this manner (e.g., producing thetile 156 and positioning thetile 156 such that thefirst wire 170 is positioned in the channel 132) can reduce the thickness of thesolar panel 100. More particularly, this can reduce the profile on the back side of thesubstrate 150. Performing themethod 1300 in this manner can also or instead increase the flexibility in the routing of thefirst wire 170 because thechannel 132 and thefirst wire 170 can be routed in any manner and/or direction. In contrast, in a conventional solar panel, there are obstructions on the front side and back side (e.g., solar cells, other wires, snubbers, stay-out zones) around which the wire is routed. Performing themethod 1300 in this manner can also or instead reduce the amount of labor required to route thefirst wire 170 and/or secure thefirst wire 170 in place because there would be no need to spot bond thefirst wire 170 as frequently (e.g., every 5 inches or so) to hold thefirst wire 170 in place. The channel already exists so it routs thefirst wire 170. Thus, the amount of bonding between thefirst wire 170 and thesubstrate 150 can be reduced (e.g., less than conventional counterparts), or the bonding can be omitted. Another advantage is that there can be a reduced amount of wiring on thefront portion 152 of thesubstrate 150, which allows a higher density of cells (e.g., cells 160). This increases efficiency and makes the whole tile concept easier to use. Another benefit is that the use of thechannel 132 reduces or eliminates the need to drill any feedthrough holes through thesubstrate 150, resulting in less labor. In addition, when thefirst wire 170 is inside thechannel 132 in thesubstrate 150, thefirst wire 170 is better protected and thus less likely to get damaged. This protection is relevant for mission assurance in spacecrafts, making it less likely that a small micro meteorite might damage thefirst wire 170 and cause reduced performance. - In the implementation of the
method 1300 described above, thesolar panel 100 can include asingle tile 156 bonded to asingle back portion 154 of the substrate 150 (e.g., a 1:1 ratio). In another implementation, thesolar panel 100 can include a plurality of tiles bonded to asingle back portion 154 of the substrate 150 (e.g., a 2:1 ratio, a 4:1 ratio, an 8:1 ratio, etc.). In this implementation, themethod 1300 can loop back around to step 1302 to produceadditional tiles 156. - The
method 1300 also includes bonding a second tile and theback portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 together to produce thesolar panel 100, as at 1328.FIG. 16 illustrates twotiles single back portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 to produce thesolar panel 100, according to an implementation. Eachtile front portion cell first wire second wire tiles back portion 154 of thesubstrate 150. In one implementation, thetiles tiles tiles - Bonding the two or
more tiles single back portion 154 can make producing and repairing thesolar panel 100 easier because it can facilitate automation and standardization. In addition, the handling of the components used to make thesolar panel 100 can be easier because thetiles - In this implementation, the
back portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 can have a greater surface area than each of thetiles back portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 is about the same as the surface area of the twotiles back portion 154 of thesubstrate 150 can be sized to receive four tiles, six tiles, eight tiles, or more. - The
method 1300 also includes connecting thesolar panel 100 to a vehicle, as at 1330. More particularly, thesolar panel 100 can be connected to an exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle can be or include a car, a bus, a train, a boat, an airplane, a helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a spacecraft, or the like. -
FIG. 17 illustrates an example of avehicle 1700 to which thesolar panel 100 can be coupled, according to an implementation. As mentioned above, thevehicle 1700 can be or include a car, a bus, a train, a boat, an airplane, a helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a spacecraft, or the like. In this particular example, thevehicle 1700 is an aircraft (e.g., an airplane). Thesolar panel 100 can be coupled to an outer surface of thevehicle 1700. In this example, thesolar panel 100 is coupled to thewing 1710; however, thesolar panel 100 can also or instead be coupled to other portions of thevehicle 1700. Thesolar panel 100 can convert sunlight into energy, which can be supplied to thevehicle 1700 and/or the components therein (e.g., communication systems, lighting, etc.). - As used herein, the terms “inner” and “outer”; “up” and “down”; “upper” and “lower”; “upward” and “downward”; “upstream” and “downstream”; “above” and “below”; “inward” and “outward”; and other like terms as used herein refer to relative positions to one another and are not intended to denote a particular direction or spatial orientation. The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “connect,” “connection,” “connected,” “in connection with,” and “connecting” refer to “in direct connection with” or “in connection with via one or more intermediate elements or members.” Similarly, the terms “bonded” and “bonding” refer to “directly bonded to” or “bonded to via one or more intermediate elements, members, or layers.”
- Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the disclosure are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Moreover, all ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass any and all sub-ranges subsumed therein.
- While the present teachings have been illustrated with respect to one or more implementations, alterations and/or modifications can be made to the illustrated examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. In addition, while a particular feature of the present teachings may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular function. As used herein, the terms “a”, “an”, and “the” may refer to one or more elements or parts of elements. As used herein, the terms “first” and “second” may refer to two different elements or parts of elements. As used herein, the term “at least one of A and B” with respect to a listing of items such as, for example, A and B, means A alone, B alone, or A and B. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “including,” “includes,” “having,” “has,” “with,” or variants thereof are used in either the detailed description and the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Further, in the discussion and claims herein, the term “about” indicates that the value listed may be somewhat altered, as long as the alteration does not result in nonconformance of the process or structure to the intended purpose described herein. Finally, “exemplary” indicates the description is used as an example, rather than implying that it is an ideal.
- It will be appreciated that variants of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompasses by the following claims.
Claims (20)
1. A method for producing a solar panel, the method comprising:
producing a tile, wherein producing the tile comprises:
bonding an electrical insulation layer and a front face sheet layer together to produce a front portion of a substrate;
bonding the front portion of the substrate and a cell together; and
bonding the front portion of the substrate and a wire together;
bonding a honeycomb core layer and a back face sheet layer to produce a back portion of the substrate; and
bonding the tile and the back portion of the substrate together to produce the solar panel.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein producing the tile further comprises connecting a first end of the wire to the cell.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first end of the wire is connected to the cell before the cell and the wire are bonded to the front portion of the substrate.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first end of the wire is connected to the cell after the cell and the wire are bonded to the front portion of the substrate.
5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising connecting a second end of the wire to an object, wherein the object comprises another tile, another cell, or a vehicle.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising testing the cell after the cell is bonded to the front portion of the substrate.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the cell is tested before the tile and the back portion of the substrate are bonded together.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising repairing the cell in response to the testing indicating that the cell is malfunctioning, wherein the cell is repaired before the tile and the back portion of the substrate are bonded together.
9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising replacing the cell with a replacement cell in response to the testing indicating that the cell is malfunctioning, wherein the cell is replaced with the replacement cell before the tile and the back portion of the substrate are bonded together.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising connecting the solar panel to a vehicle.
11. A method for producing a solar panel, the method comprising:
producing a tile, wherein producing the tile comprises:
bonding an electrical insulation layer and a front face sheet layer together to produce a front portion of a substrate;
bonding the electrical insulation layer and a cell together;
bonding the electrical insulation layer and a wire together;
connecting a first end of the wire to the cell; and
connecting a second end of the wire to an object, wherein the object comprises another cell, another tile, or an aircraft;
bonding a honeycomb core layer and a back face sheet layer to produce a back portion of the substrate, wherein the wire is not bonded to the back face sheet layer;
bonding the tile and the back portion of the substrate together to produce the solar panel; and
connecting the solar panel to the aircraft.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising testing the cell after the cell is bonded to the front portion of the substrate.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cell is tested before the tile and the back portion of the substrate are bonded together.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising repairing the cell in response to the testing indicating that the cell is malfunctioning, wherein the cell is repaired before the tile and the back portion of the substrate are bonded together.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising replacing the cell with a replacement cell in response to the testing indicating that the cell is malfunctioning, wherein the cell is replaced with the replacement cell before the tile and the back portion of the substrate are bonded together.
16. A method for producing a solar panel, the method comprising:
producing two or more tiles, wherein producing each of the two or more tiles comprises:
bonding an electrical insulation layer and a front face sheet layer together to produce a front portion of a substrate;
bonding the electrical insulation layer and a cell together; and
bonding the electrical insulation layer and a wire together;
bonding a honeycomb core layer and a back face sheet layer to produce a back portion of the substrate, wherein the wire is not bonded to the back face sheet layer;
bonding the two or more tiles and the back portion of the substrate together to produce the solar panel; and
connecting the solar panel to a spacecraft.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the two or more tiles are bonded side-by-side to the honeycomb core layer.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising connecting the two or more tiles together.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein connecting the two or more tiles together comprises connecting the wire of a first of the two or more tiles to a second of the two or more tiles.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
testing the cell of the first tile; and
replacing the cell of the first tile with a replacement cell in response to the testing indicating that the cell of the first tile is malfunctioning, wherein the cell of the first tile is replaced with the replacement cell before the first tile and the back portion of the substrate are bonded together.
Priority Applications (4)
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US16/878,449 US11189747B1 (en) | 2020-05-19 | 2020-05-19 | Solar panel and method for producing the solar panel |
JP2021083794A JP2022000884A (en) | 2020-05-19 | 2021-05-18 | Solar panel and method for producing the solar panel |
EP21174640.9A EP3913689A1 (en) | 2020-05-19 | 2021-05-19 | Solar panel and method for producing the solar panel |
US17/450,972 US20220037551A1 (en) | 2020-05-19 | 2021-10-14 | Solar panel and method for producing the solar panel |
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US16/878,449 US11189747B1 (en) | 2020-05-19 | 2020-05-19 | Solar panel and method for producing the solar panel |
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US17/450,972 Continuation US20220037551A1 (en) | 2020-05-19 | 2021-10-14 | Solar panel and method for producing the solar panel |
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US17/450,972 Pending US20220037551A1 (en) | 2020-05-19 | 2021-10-14 | Solar panel and method for producing the solar panel |
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US7592536B2 (en) | 2003-10-02 | 2009-09-22 | The Boeing Company | Solar cell structure with integrated discrete by-pass diode |
US20070074755A1 (en) | 2005-10-03 | 2007-04-05 | Nanosolar, Inc. | Photovoltaic module with rigidizing backplane |
US8014121B2 (en) * | 2006-06-06 | 2011-09-06 | Kyushu Institute Of Technology | Electrical discharge countermeasure device |
JP2010521822A (en) | 2007-03-14 | 2010-06-24 | エバーグリーン ソーラー, インコーポレイテッド | Solar cell module having stiffening layer |
JP2009032954A (en) | 2007-07-27 | 2009-02-12 | Fuji Electric Holdings Co Ltd | Solar battery panel and method of manufacturing the same |
FR2946459B1 (en) | 2009-06-05 | 2011-08-05 | Centre Nat Etd Spatiales | STRUCTURAL ELEMENT FOR SOLAR PANEL, AND STRUCTURE COMPRISING SUCH A ELEMENT |
WO2011073303A2 (en) * | 2009-12-17 | 2011-06-23 | Daniel Lepori | Substantially two-dimensional construction element |
-
2020
- 2020-05-19 US US16/878,449 patent/US11189747B1/en active Active
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- 2021-05-18 JP JP2021083794A patent/JP2022000884A/en active Pending
- 2021-05-19 EP EP21174640.9A patent/EP3913689A1/en active Pending
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US20150007889A1 (en) * | 2012-02-06 | 2015-01-08 | Nitto Denko Corporation | Pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet, protection unit, and solar cell module |
US20170012163A1 (en) * | 2015-07-09 | 2017-01-12 | Solaero Technologies Corp. | Assembly and mounting of solar cells on space vehicles or satellites |
FR3043840A1 (en) * | 2015-11-16 | 2017-05-19 | Commissariat Energie Atomique | LIGHT PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE COMPRISING A FRONT GLASS OR POLYMER LAYER AND AN ALVEOLAR REAR LAYER |
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US20220037551A1 (en) | 2022-02-03 |
US11189747B1 (en) | 2021-11-30 |
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EP3913689A1 (en) | 2021-11-24 |
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