Concentrator-type photovoltaic (CPV) modules, receiver and sub-receivers and methods of forming same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10416425-B2
Application number	US-70284110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2010
Priority date	Feb 9, 2009
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

CPV modules include a back plate having an array of 1 mm2 or smaller solar cells thereon. A backplane interconnect network is also provided on the back plate. This backplane interconnect network operates to electrically connect the array of solar cells together. A front plate, which is spaced-apart from the back plate, is provided. This front plate includes an array of primary lenses thereon that face the array of solar cells. The front plate can be configured to provide a greater than 1000× lens-to-cell light concentration to the array of solar cells. To achieve this 1000× lens-to-cell light concentration, the primary lenses can be configured as plano-convex lenses having a lens sag of less than about 4 mm. An array of secondary optical elements may also be provided, which extend between the array of primary lenses and the array of solar cells.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A concentrator-type photovoltaic (CPV) module, comprising:
a back plate having an array of sub receivers comprising a non-conductive material assembled thereon, the sub receivers including respective transfer printed semiconductor solar cells on respective first surfaces thereof and electrically conductive film interconnects forming a patterned layer exclusively extending along, directly on, and in direct contact with the respective first surface and the respective solar cells to contact respective terminals of the respective solar cells on the respective first surfaces, the electrically conductive film interconnects extending directly on and over a periphery of the respective solar cells and onto the respective first surfaces, the sub receivers further including electrically conductive planar output pads separate from the film interconnects that are spaced apart and only on respective second surfaces thereof opposite the respective first surfaces and adjacent the back plate, wherein respective ones of the output pads are electrically coupled to respective ones of the terminals of the respective solar cells by the film interconnects through respective electrically conductive vias in the sub receivers, wherein the electrically conductive film interconnects extend along and are directly on and in direct contact with the respective electrically conductive vias in the sub receivers, and wherein a light receiving surface of a respective one of the solar cells is less than 1 mm 2 and the respective one of the solar cells has a thickness of less than about 20 microns;
a backplane interconnect network electrically connecting the solar cells together, on said back plate; and
a front plate spaced-apart from said back plate, said front plate having an array of primary lenses thereon that face the solar cells and provide a greater than 1000+ lens-to-cell light concentration to the solar cells.

2. The CPV module of claim 1 , wherein the primary lenses are piano-convex lenses having a lens sag of less than about 4 mm.

3. The CPV module of claim 2 , wherein the lens sag of the plano-convex lenses is defined by the following relationship:
sag= f ( n− 1)−(( f ( n− 1)) 2 −(1/2 d ) 2 ) 1/2

where f is the focal length of the lenses, n is refractive index of the lenses and d is the diameter of the lenses.

4. The CPV module of claim 1 , further comprising an array of secondary optical elements extending between the array of primary lenses and the array of solar cells, wherein the secondary optical elements have a diameter less than 5 mm.

5. The CPV module of claim 4 , wherein each of the secondary optical elements is mounted proximate the light receiving surface of a corresponding solar cell.

6. The CPV module of claim 5 , wherein each of the secondary optical elements has a center-of-mass in substantial alignment with a center of the receiving surfaces of a corresponding solar cell.

7. The CPV module of claim 6 , wherein the sub receivers respectively include:
a self-centering lens support structure mounted on the first surface of a respective one of the sub receivers and configured to suspend a respective one of the secondary optical elements over a respective one of the solar cells, wherein the secondary optical elements are spherical lenses having a diameter of less than about 5 mm.

8. The CPV module of claim 7 , wherein a size, shape, composition and location of the secondary optical elements relative to the array of solar cells are sufficient, in combination, to increase an acceptance angle of the CPV module relative to an otherwise equivalent module that lacks the array of secondary optical elements.

9. A concentrator-type photovoltaic (CPV) module, comprising:
a front plate having an array of primary lenses thereon;
a back plate having an array of sub receivers comprising a non-conductive material assembled thereon, the sub receivers including respective transfer printed semiconductor solar cells thereon that face the array of primary lenses, the sub receivers including non-planar electrically conductive film interconnects forming a patterned layer exclusively extending along, directly on, and in direct contact with respective first surfaces and the respective solar cells to contact terminals of the respective solar cells on the respective first surfaces thereon, the electrically conductive film interconnects extending directly on and over a periphery of the respective solar cells and onto the respective first surfaces, the sub receivers further including electrically conductive planar output pads separate from the film interconnects that are spaced apart and only on respective second surfaces thereof opposite the respective first surfaces and adjacent the back plate, wherein respective ones of the output pads are electrically coupled to respective ones of the terminals of the respective solar cells by the film interconnects through respective electrically conductive vias in the sub receivers, wherein the electrically conductive film interconnects extend along and are directly on and in direct contact with the respective electrically conductive vias in the sub receivers, each of the solar cells having a light receiving area of less than 1 mm 2 and the respective one of the solar cells has a thickness of less than 20 microns;
an array of secondary optical elements extending between the array of primary lenses and the array of solar cells, wherein the secondary optical elements have a diameter less than 5 mm; and
a backplane electrically connecting the array of solar cells together, extending between said back plate and the array of solar cells.

10. The CPV module of claim 9 , wherein said backplane comprises first and second interconnect networks electrically connected to first and second terminals of the array of solar cells, respectively.

11. The CPV module of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of over-voltage protection diodes having cathode terminals electrically connected to the first interconnect network and anode terminals electrically connected to the second interconnect network.

12. The CPV module of claim 9 , wherein said front plate has a first light receiving surface thereon; and wherein each of a plurality of the primary lenses is configured to concentrate light received at the first surface of said front plate to a corresponding optical element in said array of secondary optical elements.

13. The CPV module of claim 12 , wherein each of a plurality of the secondary optical elements is further configured to concentrate light received from the array of primary lenses to a light receiving surface of a corresponding solar cell in the array of solar cells.

14. The CPV module of claim 9 , further comprising a frame mounted to said back plate, said frame configured to support said front plate opposite the array of solar cells.

15. The CPV module of claim 9 , wherein said front plate and the array of primary lenses are configured as a contiguous piece of optically transparent material.

16. The CPV module of claim 9 , wherein said front plate and the array of primary lenses are configured as a composite of optically transparent materials.

17. The CPV module of claim 9 , wherein the array of primary lenses is laminated or molded onto an interior surface of said front plate.

18. The CPV module of claim 12 , wherein said front plate and the array of primary lenses are configured as a composite of optically transparent materials; and
wherein the array of primary lenses is laminated or molded onto an interior surface of said front pla

Assignees

• Menard Etienne
• Bower Christopher
• Burroughs Scott
• Carr Joe
• Conner Bob
• Dets Sergiy
• Furman Bruce
• Meitl Matthew
• Sullivan Michael
• X Celeprint Ltd

Inventors

• Menard Etienne
• Bower Christopher
• Burroughs Scott
• Carr Joe
• Conner Bob
• Dets Sergiy
• Furman Bruce
• Meitl Matthew
• Sullivan Michael

Classifications

• G02B19/0042

  for use with direct solar radiation · CPC title

• G02B3/0056

  arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085) · CPC title

• G02B19/0076 Primary

  for use with a detector (G02B19/009, G02B19/0095 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B19/0014

  at least one surface having optical power · CPC title

• Y02E10/52

  PV systems with concentrators · CPC title