JPH0360186B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a solar cell array mounted on a space satellite or the like.

<Summary of the invention> The present invention provides solar cell arrays for use in space, etc.
The interconnector and the solar cell are coated with an insulating material so that the conductive parts of the interconnector and the solar cell are not exposed at all when assembled into the array so that there is no problem even when handling with high voltage.

<Background of the Invention> As spacecraft such as artificial satellites become larger, the amount of electric power required also increases. Solar arrays are commonly used as a power source to power spacecraft, but when distributing the necessary power, it is better to increase the voltage and use a smaller current than to thicken the wiring harness and use a large current. ,
This can be said to be an advantageous solution without increasing the weight of the array. By the way, solar arrays for satellites are equipped with solar arrays based on the sunlight and energy generated by satellites as they orbit around the Earth.
Considering the temperature cycle caused by shade, stress is applied to the interconnectors that connect cells due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the substrate that makes up the array and each solar cell, so the middle part of the interconnector is usually left free. Ru. Therefore, a cover glass covering the cell array is placed for each solar cell. However, in such a configuration, if the voltage of the array becomes high enough to exceed 100V, the power generated by the array may be lost due to leakage current due to interaction with plasma in space, or the interconnector may be exposed. There is a risk of electrical discharge occurring on the metal parts.

<Prior Art> A solar cell is generally an N/P type solar cell, and a cover glass is placed on the solar receiving surface of the solar cell. A plurality of solar cells having such a structure are connected via interconnectors and arranged and mounted on an array substrate to form a solar cell array.

However, in conventional solar cell arrays, interconnectors without an insulating film are used to connect the solar cells, and the cover glass and the photovoltaic cells are positioned in a rectangular shape between the cells and the cover glass. This is determined by aligning the two sides, and the size of the cover glass is designed so that it does not protrude from the cell as much as possible. Therefore, there is no overhang part (a part protruding from the cell) of the cover glass at least on two sides of the rectangle.
There are only a few extremes on the other two sides as well.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> In such a structure, it is difficult and labor-intensive to apply resin to cover the sides of the solar cell, so the conductive parts on the sides of the cell are exposed. Was. Therefore, when assembled into a solar cell array, the interconnector and the conductive portion of the solar cell are exposed. Therefore, increasing the voltage of the solar cell array may cause power loss due to interaction with plasma in space, or electrical discharge may occur in exposed metal parts of interconnectors. Application to voltage was extremely difficult.

<Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has an interconnector covered with an insulating film, and uses an overhang part of a cover glass to connect the side surface of the interconnector. By arranging and attaching solar cells whose parts are covered with resin to an array substrate, the entire solar cell array is not exposed to the outside at all.

<Function> According to the present invention, with the above configuration, even if the array is subjected to a high voltage, the entire array is insulated from the outside, so power loss due to interaction with plasma can be prevented. Further, discharge can also be suppressed compared to conventional ones.

<Example> Hereinafter, one example of the high voltage solar cell array according to the present invention will be described in detail.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of an embodiment of a solar cell according to the present invention. 1 is a solar cell, 2 is a P electrode, and 3 is an N electrode. The interconnector 4 is
Both ends are partially exposed so that they can be connected to the solar cell 1 by welding or the like, and the other parts are covered with an insulating film such as polyimide film. First, the N electrode 3 and the interconnector 4 are connected, and the end connected to the N electrode 3 is bonded with a resin 6 for bonding the cover glass 5, which will be described later.
covered by. The solar cell 1 includes the cell 1
A cover glass 5 of a larger size is adhered and positioned so that the centers of the cell 1 and the cover glass 5 approximately coincide with each other. Then, by using the overhang portion of the cover glass 5, a thick resin layer is formed on the side surface of the solar cell 1 due to the surface tension of the resin 6 that adheres the cover glass 5.
As a result, the conductive portion on the side surface of the cell 1 is covered.

Solar cell 1 configured in this way,
1,..., the other end of the interconnector 4 is connected by welding or the like to the adjacent solar cells 1, 1,..., respectively.
are connected to the P electrodes 2, 2, . . . to form a module. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the solar cell modules are aligned and mounted on an array substrate 8 coated with a thick adhesive 7 such as silicone resin. At this time, since the bottoms of the solar cells 1 are embedded in the adhesive 7, the array can be constructed so that the conductive parts of the cells 1 are not exposed at all.

In addition, the interconnector 4 is connected to the solar cell 1
By placing a cover glass 5 in each case, the middle part of the interconnector 4 is free.
Stress due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient can be released. Furthermore, this interconnector 4 has a portion directly exposed to outer space, and its surface is covered with an insulating film such as a polyimide film. For example, a polyimide film with a thickness of about 20 μm without pinholes can sufficiently prevent power leakage.

<Effects of the Invention> According to the present invention, with an extremely simple configuration, it is possible to insulate the solar cell array from the outside, and by preventing power loss and discharge due to high voltage of the array, it is possible to achieve higher output. It has the advantage of being able to obtain electricity.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a high-voltage solar cell array according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a solar cell according to the present invention. In the figure, 1: solar cell, 4: interconnector, 5: cover glass, 6: resin, 7: adhesive,
8: Array substrate.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a solar cell array in which a plurality of solar cells are adhered and arranged on an array substrate using an insulating adhesive resin, a cover glass larger than the cell is adhered to each of the plurality of solar cells, and The side surfaces of the cells are covered with the insulating adhesive resin from the overhang part of the cover glass, and the bottom surface of each cell is embedded in the insulating adhesive that bonds the cells so that no conductive portion is exposed. . A high-voltage solar cell array, characterized in that the plurality of solar cells are connected to each other by interconnectors covered with an insulating film.