Photovoltaic module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10972048-B2
Application number	US-201715800146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2017
Priority date	Feb 27, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

The present invention is notably directed to a photovoltaic module, or PV module, comprising an array of photovoltaic cells, or PV cells, and electrical interconnects. The array of PV cells comprises N portions, N≥2, where the portions comprise, each, disjoint sets of PV cells of the array. The electrical interconnects connect the PV cells and the N portions of the array so as for PV cells within each of said portions to be electrically connected in parallel and the N portions to be connected in series. The PV cells and the portions are connected, via said interconnects, so to output an electrical current, in operation. The electrical interconnects are otherwise configured to provide electrical signals from each of the N portions. The invention is further directed to related systems and methods of fabrication and operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a photovoltaic module, the method comprising:
directing light onto an array of photovoltaic cells, or PV cells, wherein the array consisting of N portions, N>=2;
collecting an output electrical current from N portions connected in series via electrical interconnects, N being even, the electrical interconnects consisting of N−1 number of peripheral conductors, N number of top electrode elements, and N number of bottom electrode elements positioned below the top electrode elements; and collecting electrical signals from each of the N portions, wherein:
all of the PV cells in the array are arranged to be circumscribed within a boundary;
the peripheral conductors are positioned along predefined edges of the boundary so as to circumscribe all of the PV cells therein and such that there is no overlap between the PV cells being circumscribed within the boundary and the peripheral conductors along predefined edges of the boundary;
each of the top electrode elements has an end part and an opposite end part, the end part being positioned within the predefined edges of the boundary and the opposite end part extending over the peripheral conductors along the predefined edges of the boundary for only N−1 number of the top electrode elements;
each of the peripheral conductors crosses two adjacent portions of the N portions, each of the peripheral conductors comprising a piece that extends under the opposite end part of only one of the top electrode elements, the peripheral conductors on different edges of the predefined edges being physically separated from one another such that one peripheral conductor on one side of one of the PV cells is physically separated from another peripheral conductor on an adjoining side of the one of the PV cells.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising
adjusting an illumination pattern of light directed onto said array of PV cells to increase electrical power outputted from the N portions, based on electrical signals collected from each of the N portions.

3. The method according to claim 2 , where:
adjusting the illumination pattern is performed by adjusting a position and/or an orientation of an optical concentrator and/or the array of PV cells.

4. The method according to claim 2 , where:
the method further comprises, while collecting electrical signals from each of the N portions, measuring, via said electrical interconnects, a voltage from said each of the N portions; and
adjusting the illumination pattern is performed based on voltages measured for the N portions.

5. The method according to claim 4 , where:
adjusting the illumination pattern is performed so as to minimize one or more differences between measured voltages.

6. The method according to claim 3 , where:
directing light onto said array of photovoltaic cells comprises concentrating light onto said array of PV cells.

7. The method according to claim 3 , where:
said illumination pattern is repeatedly adjusted so as to track a moving source of the light.

8. The method according to claim 3 , for aligning a photovoltaic system, or PV system, where:
the method further comprising, while collecting electrical signals from each of the N portions:
aligning the array of PV cells and/or the optical concentrator towards a source of the light, to increase electrical power outputted from the N portions.

9. A method of fabrication of a photovoltaic module according to claim 1 , the method comprising
fabricating said array of PV cells and said electrical interconnects.

10. The method according to claim 9 , where:
fabricating the array of PV cells comprises, for each of the portions, sorting cells within said each of the portions to minimize differences between photovoltaic voltages of the sorted cells.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the top electrode elements are formed in a rotational arrangement in a geometric shape to circumscribe all of the PV cells within the boundary and the peripheral conductors along predefined edges of the boundary, the rotational arrangement having the opposite end parts each extend out in different directions toward the predefined edges of the boundary.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the top electrode elements comprise elongated contact elements perpendicular to a base.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the N portions each comprise an equal number of the PV cells such that the equal number of the PV cells are electrically connected by the peripheral conductors along the predefined edges.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Loertscher Emanuel
• Michel Bruno
• Oggioni Stefano S
• Paredes Stephan
• Ruch Patrick
• Spreafico Mauro
• Viero Giorgio

Classifications

• H10F77/937 Primary

  Busbar structures for modules · CPC title

• H10F19/902

  for series or parallel connection of photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H02S40/22

  Light-reflecting or light-concentrating means (directly associated with the PV cell or integrated with the PV cell H10F77/42) · CPC title

• H02S20/24

  specially adapted for flat roofs · CPC title

• Y02E10/52

  PV systems with concentrators · CPC title