Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
  • H02S20/00—Supporting structures for PV modules
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
  • F24S25/60—Fixation means, e.g. fasteners, specially adapted for supporting solar heat collector modules
  • F24S25/61—Fixation means, e.g. fasteners, specially adapted for supporting solar heat collector modules for fixing to the ground or to building structures
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
  • F24S2025/01—Special support components; Methods of use
  • F24S2025/016—Filling or spacing means; Elastic means
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
  • F24S25/60—Fixation means, e.g. fasteners, specially adapted for supporting solar heat collector modules
  • F24S2025/6001—Fixation means, e.g. fasteners, specially adapted for supporting solar heat collector modules by using hook and loop-type fasteners
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/40—Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
  • Y02E10/47—Mountings or tracking
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a support substrate photovoltaic cell array with mechanical decoupling of the network cells from their rigid support substrate, such networks generally serving to produce solar generator panels to provide electrical power supply. spacecraft, and in particular satellites.
• FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a photovoltaic element 1 (also referred to as “Covered Interconnected CeIl” or “Solar CeIl Assembly”) of the prior art, this element being part of a network comprising from a few hundred to tens of thousands of such elements depending on the required powers in orbit.
• This element 1 comprises a photovoltaic cell 2 fixed by means of a layer 3 of adhesive on a rigid substrate 4 common to several cells.
• photovoltaic cells are very fragile because of their small thickness and very sensitive to the deformations that are currently imposed on them by their bonding on a rigid substrate.
• the substrate is generally a sandwich with carbon skins whose thermo-elastic stability is limited: the unidirectionally reinforced zones can wrinkle (phenomenon known as “Wrinkles”) or the skins can deform into cuvettes above the mesh honeycomb (phenomenon called “Telegraphing").
• a bonding pose raises the problem of the possible repair of cells, which is then laborious, because it is necessary to scratch with great delicacy the insulation, which is for example Kapton TM, and which is applied to the substrate .
• the removal of a cell from its substrate can be estimated at about one working day.
• the bonding of the cells on the substrate tends to deform the cells.
• One way of mechanically decoupling the cell from the substrate is to thicken the glue layer, but this significantly increases the total mass and introduces a risk of uncontrolled degassing of the glue can even lead to the explosion of the cell (phenomenon known as "Pop-off").
• AOCS titude on Orbit Control System
• the subject of the present invention is an array of photovoltaic cell elements with a rigid support substrate, having a mechanical decoupling between each cell of this network and the support substrate, while ensuring a good thermal conduction between them, this network being used in particular as a solar generator for supplying electric energy to satellites.
• the photovoltaic array according to the invention is characterized in that each photovoltaic element of the grating is fixed to the substrate by means of a self-adhesive and easily solvable flexible fixing device, the rear face of each cell and the face substrate having a layer improving their thermal radiation qualities.
• FIG. 1 already mentioned above, is a diagrammatic sectional view of a photovoltaic solar panel network element of the prior art;
• FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a photovoltaic array element of FIG. solar panel according to the invention,
• FIG. 3 is a plan view of four adjacent cells of a solar panel photovoltaic array according to the invention, and
• FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a photovoltaic panel solar panel element according to the invention. invention more detailed than that of Figure 2.
• the invention proposes a solution for reducing the mechanical coupling of the photovoltaic array of the solar generator with respect to the support substrate thereof.
• the photovoltaic cell is of great finesse (a few tens of microns thick) and a great fragility. When it is bonded to the substrate, it undergoes all the geometrical deformations due to the vibrations, but especially to the thermoelastic effects which can go as far as the breakage of the cells.
• the idea is to fix the cell via a flexible system for decoupling the cell relative to the deformed portions of the substrate while ensuring sufficient radiative coupling of the cell to the substrate to prevent heating in flight and its loss of efficiency.
• the solution consists in using high-emissivity rear-face photovoltaic cells (rear use of a grid or kaptoning of the Ge or Ag substrate) which is laid with velcro on the substrate.
• the photovoltaic element 5 shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2 comprises a photovoltaic cell 6 fixed on a corresponding zone of a substrate 7 (common to several cells) by means of Velcro TM connection pads 8, or flexible self-fastening devices. adhesives and easily solvable similar. The details of embodiment of these different elements are described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
• the rear face 7A of the substrate 7 is treated in a manner known per se, and its front face remains covered with a Kapton-type insulating film. of a shade with a high emissivity, in order to ensure good thermal radiative conduction towards the support (not shown) on which this substrate is fixed.
• the coefficient ⁇ of thermal emissivity obtained with this film is, for example, about 0.6 to 0.9.
• FIG. 3 there are shown four adjacent rectangular cells 9 to 12 forming part of a photovoltaic solar panel (the other cells of which are not shown). Each of the cells 9 to 12 is fixed on the support substrate, as detailed below, using four pads 8 Velcro each arranged under a corner of the cell. The cells of the same column are interconnected by electrical interconnections 13.
• the various constituents of the photovoltaic element 5 of FIG. 2 are detailed in FIG. 4.
• the photovoltaic cell 6 itself is for example of the conventional Si or AsGa type. It is coated on its back side (that vis-à-vis its support) of a film 14 of Kapton TM self-adhesive, having for example a thickness of about 50 .mu.m. Alternatively, this coating may be a metallization layer, for example a silver layer.
• the thermal emissivity coefficient ⁇ of Kapton is about 0.61 while that of silver is about 0.05. Kapton is advantageously used because it is cheaper than a metallization, although it is not as good thermally, which also makes it possible not to change the manufacturing process of the existing cells of the market.
• the substrate face 7 opposite the cell 6 is a carbon skin 15, itself covered with a layer of Kapton 16, the substrate 7 being generally of the "honeycomb” type with a objective of high thermal conductivity between its front face and its rear face.
• the portions 8A of integral Velcro pads of the cell 6 are fixed to the layer 14 thereof by gluing, and the corresponding portions 8B of Velcro pads integral with the substrate 7 are fixed by bonding to the layer 16 of the substrate, the Velcro being advantageously of the self-adhesive type.
• the radiative thermal coupling between the photo voltaic cells and the substrate is ensured by using current photovoltaic cells and by depositing a self-adhesive Kapton film on the backside.
• the use of cells with a bonding area located at the back instead of a bonding over the entire surface makes it possible to have on the rear face of the cell the same (good) emissivity as for the front face of the cell. the cell.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Sustainable Energy (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)

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Citations (2)

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• 2008
  • 2008-09-26 FR FR0805308A patent/FR2936649B1/fr active Active
• 2009
  • 2009-09-23 EP EP09783307A patent/EP2327105A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2009-09-23 RU RU2011116419/28A patent/RU2518021C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2009-09-23 US US13/120,856 patent/US20110168231A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2009-09-23 WO PCT/EP2009/062296 patent/WO2010034730A2/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2009-09-23 CN CN2009801340050A patent/CN102138223A/zh active Pending
  • 2009-09-23 JP JP2011528310A patent/JP2012503871A/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (2)

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