Photovoltaic modules comprising light directing mediums and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9972734-B2
Application number	US-201314387613-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2013
Priority date	Mar 27, 2012
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to photovoltaic modules and methods of making photovoltaic modules. One exemplary photovoltaic module includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells including a first photovoltaic cell and a second photovoltaic cell spaced apart from one another to form an area that is free of photovoltaic cells; an electrical connector connecting at least the first and second photovoltaic cells; and a light directing medium positioned on at least a portion of the first photovoltaic cell.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic module, comprising:
a plurality of photovoltaic cells including a first photovoltaic cell and a second photovoltaic cell spaced apart from one another to form an area that is free of photovoltaic cells;
an electrical connector connecting at least the first and second photovoltaic cells;
a light directing medium positioned on at least a portion of the first photovoltaic cell;
an encapsulant layer adjacent the photovoltaic cells and the light directing medium; wherein the light directing medium is a multilayer construction comprising, in the recited order:
an adhesive layer adjacent the electrical connector,
a generally planar flexible polymeric layer, adjacent the adhesive layer,
a structured layer, and
a reflective coating,
wherein the adhesive layer bonds the light directing medium to the electrical connector,

wherein the light directing medium and the electrical connector have a length and width in the plane of the multilayer construction, and wherein the width of the light directing medium is greater than the width of the electrical connector.

2. The photovoltaic module of claim 1 , wherein the light directing medium is positioned on the at least a portion of the first photovoltaic cell and on at least a portion of the second photovoltaic cell and extends across at least a portion of the area that is free of photovoltaic cells.

3. The photovoltaic module of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector is a coated copper wire.

4. The photovoltaic module of claim 1 , wherein the flexible polymeric layer is provided in the form of a continuous strip.

5. The photovoltaic module of claim 1 , wherein the structured layer of the light directing medium comprises a cross-linked non-halogenated resin, the reflective coating is metalized, and the structured layer and reflective coating are adjacent to each other.

6. The photovoltaic module of claim 1 , wherein the reflective coating thickness ranges from 35 nm to 60 nm.

7. A method of making a photovoltaic module including a plurality of photovoltaic cells including a first photovoltaic cell and a second photovoltaic cell that are spaced apart from one another to form an area free of photovoltaic cells, comprising: positioning a light directing medium adjacent to at least a portion of the first photovoltaic cell; and
positioning an adhesive layer between an electrical connector and the light directing medium,
positioning an encapsulant on the photovoltaic cells and the light directing medium, wherein the light directing medium is a multilayer construction comprising, in the recited order:
a generally planar flexible polymeric layer, adjacent the adhesive layer,
a structured layer, and
a reflective coating,
wherein the adhesive layer bonds the light directing medium to the electrical connector,

wherein the light directing medium and the electrical connector have a length and width in the plane of the multilayer construction, and wherein the width of the light directing medium is greater than the width of the electrical connector.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
positioning the light directing medium adjacent to the second photovoltaic cell and extending through at least a portion of the area free of photovoltaic cells.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising electrically connecting the first photovoltaic cell and the second photovoltaic cell with the electrical connector.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of: heating the photovoltaic module to melt the adhesive and effectively adhere the light directing medium to the electrical connector.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Chen Daniel T
• Ma Jiaying

Classifications

• Y02E10/52

  PV systems with concentrators · CPC title

• H01L31/054 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/0508

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/048

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/0547

  Electricity · mapped topic