Modular solar panel design for improved durability and repairability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11817821-B2
Application number	US-202117230291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2021
Priority date	Apr 14, 2021
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A modular solar panel including multiple solar panel modules. Each solar panel module includes a solar cell assembly. The solar cell assembly includes a protective glass, a base plate, a solar cell array located therebetween, and an electrical connection ribbons extending from the ends of the solar cell array. The solar panel module further includes one or more coupling modules. Each coupling module includes an interior cavity to receive one end of the solar cell assembly, two or more magnets removably embedded in the coupling module, a pin joint located on exterior of a first coupling module to interlock with a pin joint located on exterior of a second coupling module, and an electrical connection plug to receive one of the first and the second electrical connection ribbons. The electrical connection plug of the first coupling module electrically connects with an electrical connection plug of the second coupling module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modular solar panel, comprising:
a plurality of solar panel modules, each solar panel module including:
a solar cell assembly including:
a protective glass;
a base plate;
a solar cell array located between the protective glass and the base plate; and
a first electrical connection ribbon extending from a first end of the solar cell array and a second electrical connection ribbon extending from a second end of the solar cell array;

one or more coupling modules, each coupling module including:
an interior cavity configured to receive an end of the solar cell assembly;
a first magnet and a second magnet removably embedded in the coupling module;
a pin joint located on an exterior of the coupling module, wherein the pin joint of a first coupling module of the one or more coupling modules is configured to interlock with the pin joint of a second coupling module of the one or more coupling modules; and
an electrical connection port configured to receive one of the first and the second electrical connection ribbons,
wherein the electrical connection port of the first coupling module is configured to electrically connect to the electrical connection port of the second coupling module.

2. The modular solar panel of claim 1 , wherein each coupling module further comprises:
a rectangular upper component having a first perimeter and a first planar surface, a first upper sidewall, a second upper sidewall and an upper front wall, wherein the first upper sidewall, the second upper sidewall and the upper front wall extend perpendicularly from the first planar surface at the first perimeter;
a rectangular lower component having a second perimeter and a second planar surface, a first lower sidewall, a second lower sidewall and a lower front wall, wherein the first lower sidewall, the second lower sidewall and the lower front wall extend perpendicularly from the second planar surface at the second perimeter; and
the interior cavity formed when the rectangular upper component is joined to the rectangular lower component so that the upper front wall aligns with the lower front wall, the first upper sidewall aligns with the first lower sidewall, and the second upper sidewall aligns with the second lower sidewall;
wherein the first upper sidewall and the second upper sidewall have a same first thickness;
wherein the first lower sidewall and the second lower sidewall have a same second thickness; and
wherein the first thickness is equal to the second thickness.

3. The modular solar panel of claim 2 , wherein the rectangular upper and the rectangular lower components are 3D printed from a plastic selected from the group comprising polyaryletherketone, polyetherimide, polyether ether ketone ketone and polyether ether ketone.

4. The modular solar panel of claim 2 , wherein the upper front wall of the rectangular upper component of the respective coupling module further comprises at least one upper protrusion and at least one upper cut out that are centrally located relative to a distance between the first upper sidewall and the second upper sidewall of the respective rectangular upper component and extending in a direction of the first thickness;
wherein the lower front wall of the rectangular lower component of the respective coupling module further comprises at least one lower protrusion and at least one lower cut out that are centrally located relative to a distance between the first lower sidewall and the second lower sidewall of the respective rectangular lower component and extending in a direction of the second thickness;
wherein each upper protrusion of the upper front wall of the rectangular upper component of the respective coupling module defines a pin when aligned with a respective lower protrusion;
wherein each uppercut out of the upper front wall of the rectangular upper component of the respective coupling module defines a notch when aligned with a respective lower cut out; and
wherein the pin joint comprises at least one pin of the respective coupling module and at least one notch of the respective coupling module.

5. The modular solar panel of claim 4 , wherein each coupling module further comprises:
a first upper pocket and a second upper pocket each located beneath the first planar surface between the at least one upper protrusion and a respective upper sidewall;
a first lower pocket and a second lower pocket each located beneath the second planar surface between the at least one lower protrusion and a respective lower sidewall;
wherein each first upper pocket, second upper pocket, first lower pocket and second lower pocket has equal width, equal depth and equal height;
the first and second magnets each having the equal width, the equal depth and twice the equal height;
wherein insertion of the first magnet into the first upper pocket and into a corresponding first lower pocket and insertion of the second magnet into the second upper pocket and into a corresponding second lower pocket holds the rectangular upper component and the rectangular lower component together.

6. The modular solar panel of claim 5 , wherein:
each magnet is a neodymium magnet.

7. The modular solar panel of claim 5 , wherein each of the first upper pocket and the second upper pocket is located within 0.1 cm to 0.5 cm of a surface of the upper front wall of the rectangular upper component of the respective coupling module; and
wherein each of the first lower pocket and the second lower pocket is located within 0.1 cm to 0.5 cm of a surface of the lower front wall of the rectangular lower component of the respective coupling module.

8. The modular solar panel of claim 5 , wherein each rectangular lower component further comprises:
a lower plug casing located between the first lower pocket and a first edge of the rectangular lower component, the first edge of the rectangular lower component lying in the direction of the second thickness, wherein the lower plug casing extends for first length from the lower front wall in the second thickness direction;
a lower socket casing located between the second lower pocket and a second edge of the rectangular lower component parallel to the first edge of the rectangular lower component, wherein the lower socket casing is defined by an indentation in the lower front wall, wherein the indentation has a depth equal to the first length.

9. The modular solar panel of claim 4 , wherein the pin joint has at least one configuration selected from the group consisting of a first pin joint configuration, and a second pin joint configuration;
the first pin joint configuration includes two notches and one pin;
the second pin joint configuration includes one notch and two pins; and
wherein the first coupling module of the one or more coupling modules that has the first pin joint configuration is configured to interlock with the second coupling module of the one or more coupling modules that has the second pin joint configuration.

10. The modular solar panel of claim 9 , further comprising:
a first solar panel module having the first pin joint configuration installed on a first end and the second pin joint configuration installed on a second end;
a second solar panel module having the first pin configuration installed on a third end and the second pin joint configuration installed on a fourth end; and
wherein the first pin joint configuration of the first solar panel module is configured to interlock with the second pin joint of the second solar panel module.

11. The modular solar panel of claim 1 , the solar cell array further comprising:
a plurality of rows of solar cells;
a metal interconnect layer configured to electricall

Assignees

• Univ Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal

Inventors

• Saleem Muhammad
• Marzouk Abdulrahman Magdi
• Alqhtani Mohammed
• Almakytah Abdulmalik

Classifications

• H10F19/902

  for series or parallel connection of photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F19/85

  Protective back sheets · CPC title

• H02S40/36 Primary

  characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection · CPC title

• H01L31/049

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/0504

  Electricity · mapped topic