Modular solar panel design for improved durability & repairability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022337188-A1
Application number	US-202117230291-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 14, 2021
Priority date	Apr 14, 2021
Publication date	Oct 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A modular solar panel including multiple solar panel modules. Each solar panel module includes multiple solar cell assemblies. Each 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 multiple coupling modules. Each coupling module includes an interior cavity to receive one end of the solar cell assembly, 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

1 . A modular solar panel, comprising:
a plurality of solar panel modules, each solar panel module including:
a plurality of solar cell assemblies, each 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;

a plurality of coupling modules, each coupling module including
an interior cavity configured to receive an end of a solar cell assembly;
a pin joint located on an exterior of the coupling module, wherein the pin joint of a first coupling module is configured to interlock with the pin joint of a second coupling module; 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 having a first thickness, 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 having the first thickness, 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 a first 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 lower sidewall aligns with the first lower sidewall, and the second upper sidewall aligns with the second lower sidewall.

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

4 . The modular solar panel of claim 2 , wherein each coupling module further comprises:
at least one upper protrusion and at least one upper cut out centrally located on an exterior of the upper front wall and extending in a direction of the first thickness; at least one lower protrusion and at least one lower cut out centrally located on an exterior of the lower front wall and extending in a direction of the second thickness; wherein each upper protrusion defines a pin when aligned with a lower protrusion; wherein each upper cut out defines a notch when aligned with a lower cut out; and wherein the pin joint comprises at least one pin and at least one notch.

5 . The modular solar panel of claim 4 , wherein each coupling module further comprises:
a first upper pocket and a second upper pocket located in the first thickness to either side of the at least one upper protrusion and at least one upper cut out; a first lower pocket and a second lower pocket located in the second thickness to either side of the at least one lower protrusion and at least one lower cut out; wherein each first upper pocket, second upper pocket, first lower pocket and second lower pocket has equal width, equal depth and equal height; a first magnet and a second magnet, 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 first rectangular upper component and the second rectangular lower component together.

6 . The modular solar panel of claim 5 , wherein:
each magnet is a neodymium magnet; the first magnet has a positive polarity, and the second magnet has a negative polarity with respect to the upper front wall of the first coupling module.

7 . The modular solar panel of claim 5 , wherein each pocket is located within 0.1 cm to 0.5 cm of an exterior surface of the upper front wall of a respective coupling module.

8 . The modular solar panel of claim 5 , wherein each upper component further comprises:
an upper plug casing located between the first upper pocket and a first edge of the upper component, the first edge lying in the direction of the first thickness, wherein the upper plug casing extends for a first length from the upper front wall in the thickness direction; and a ribbon channel which extends from the first interior cavity through the upper plug casing.

9 . The modular solar panel of claim 8 , wherein each lower component further comprises:
a lower plug casing located between the first lower pocket and a first edge of the lower component, the first edge of the lower component lying in the direction of the second thickness, wherein the lower plug casing extends for the 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 lower component parallel to the first edge of the 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.

10 . The modular solar panel of claim 4 , further comprising:
a first pin joint configuration which includes two notches and one pin; a second pin joint configuration which includes one notch and two pins; and wherein a first coupling module having the first pin joint configuration is configured to interlock with a second coupling module having the second pin joint configuration.

11 . The modular solar panel of claim 10 , 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.

12 . 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 electrically connect the plurality of rows of solar cells in a series and in a parallel circuit having an input at the first electrical connection ribbon and an output at the second electrical connection ribbon.

13 . The modular solar panel of claim 1 , wherein:
the protective glass is transparent; and the base plate is one of plastic and synthetic polymer.

14 . A method for assembling a modular solar panel, comprising:
forming a first solar panel module by:
forming a first solar cell assembly by sandwiching a first solar cell array between a first protective glass and a first base plate, so that a first electrical connection ribbon extends from a first end of the first solar cell array and a second electrical connection ribbon extends from a second, opposite end of the first solar cell array;
joining a first rectangular upper

Assignees

• Univ Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H02S40/36 Primary

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

• H02S30/10

  Frame structures · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• Y02B10/10

  Photovoltaic [PV] · CPC title

• H01R12/79

  connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title