Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10F—INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
  • H10F71/00—Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass
  • H10F71/137—Batch treatment of the devices
  • H10F71/1375—Apparatus for automatic interconnection of photovoltaic cells in a module
• • 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 method for electrically- connecting photovoltaic cells together.
• a photovoltaic panel comprises a gas-tight external casing, which is permeable to light, in which a plurality of photovoltaic cells is housed.
• the photovoltaic cells are normally in the form of plate- like elements, the opposite extensive lateral surfaces of which have different polarities and are connected electrically to one another to form rows of photovoltaic cells.
• the polarity of a photovoltaic cell is connected to the opposite polarity of the adjacent photovoltaic cell of the row itself.
• the electrical connection described above is today obtained by setting a first stretch of electrical wiring on a first extensive surface of one of the photovoltaic cells, electrically connecting the first terminal stretch to the first extensive surface, and electrically connecting a second stretch of the electrical wiring to an extensive surface of an adjacent photovoltaic cell having a different polarity from that of the first surface, after the first photovoltaic cell has been turned over and the electrical wiring has been connected to the first photovoltaic cell itself.
• the aim of the present invention is to provide a method for electrically connecting photovoltaic cells together, which will enable solution in a simple and inexpensive way to the problems set forth above .
• a method for electrically connecting photovoltaic cells together comprising the steps of using an elongated electrical- connection element, of connecting a first stretch of said elongated element to a first extensive surface of a first photovoltaic cell, and of connecting a second stretch of said elongated element to a second extensive surface of a second photovoltaic cell having a different polarity from that of said first extensive surface, said method being characterized in that the connections of said elongated element to said first and second extensive surfaces is obtained by feeding in succession said photovoltaic cells with equi-oriented polarities along a path of electrical connection, connecting said first stretch to the first of said photovoltaic cells by allowing said second stretch to project beyond said first photovoltaic cell in a direction opposite to the direction of advance of the photovoltaic cells, setting the second photovoltaic cell on top of said second stretch, and electrically connecting the second stretch to said second extensive surface.
• the present invention moreover relates to a system for electrically connecting photovoltaic cells together. According to the present invention a system is obtained for providing photovoltaic " cells as claimed in Claim 13.
• Figure 1 illustrates in perspective view a row of photovoltaic cells electrically joined together
• Figure 2 is a schematic illustration substantially in the form of a block diagram of a system for providing the row of photovoltaic cells of Figure 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the method according to teachings of the present invention.
• FIGS 3a to 3d illustrate parts of the system of Figure 2 set in different functional conditions of execution of different steps of the method according to the invention.
• each photovoltaic cell 2 in itself known, is provided in the form of a plate and is delimited laterally by two opposite extensive lateral surfaces 4 and 5, the surface 4 being positively charged and the surface 5 being negatively charged.
• the photovoltaic cells 2 are aligned with respect to one another with polarities equi-oriented, i.e., with the positive and negative poles facing all one and the same side, as illustrated in Figure 1, and are each connected to the adjacent photovoltaic cell 2 via a conductive element in the form of tape or electrical wiring 8, conveniently made with an alloy of copper and tin and/or silver.
• Each electrical wiring 8 has a length greater than the longitudinal dimension of the photovoltaic cells 2, in the particular case described approximately twice the length, and comprises a terminal stretch 9 set on top of and electrically connected by means of soldering to the extensive surface 4 of the corresponding photovoltaic cell 2 and an opposite terminal stretch 10, set on top of and electrically connected by means of soldering to the extensive surface 5 of the photovoltaic cell 2 adjacent to the one to which the stretch 8 is connected.
• the row 1 of photovoltaic cells is provided in the system 12 schematically illustrated in Figure 2 and partially illustrated in Figure 3.
• the system 12 which is conveniently housed in a controlled-atmosphere chamber, preferably in the absence of oxygen, comprises two linear conveyors 13 and 14 , in themselves known and not described in detail, which are aligned to one another along a path of feed and soldering of the photovoltaic cells 2, designated by 15.
• the conveyor 13 defines a plane contrast or resting surface 18, which is set underneath the path 15, and on which a succession of photovoltaic cells 2 set with equi-oriented polarities is rested and made to advance, in the specific case with their negative poles set in contact with the surface 18 and at a given pitch P from one another ( Figure 2) .
• the conveyor 13 extends through a station 19 for supply of the electrical wiring 8 and for connection of the electrical wiring 8 itself to the surface 4 of the photovoltaic cell 2 passing through the station 19 itself.
• a feeding and cutting unit 20 for forming the electrical wiring 8 and feeding the wiring 8 itself to the station 19 at the same rate of advance of the photovoltaic cells 2.
• the unit 20 comprises an unwinder device 21 for unwinding a reel 22 of conductive tape 23 and feeding the tape 23 itself to a cutting and feeding unit 24 designed to cut the tape 23 transversely to provide, for each photovoltaic cell 2, a respective electrical wiring 8 and feed the electrical cables 8 obtained into the station 19.
• a motor-driven soldering head 25 designed to displace between a retracted resting position, illustrated in Figures 2 and 3a, in which it enables feed of the photovoltaic cells 2 and of the corresponding wiring 8 along the path 15, and a lowered soldering position, illustrated in Figure 3b, in which it electrically connects the stretch 9 of each wiring 8 in a stable way to the corresponding surface 4.
• the conveyor 13 terminates upstream, in the direction of advance of the photovoltaic cells 2, of a superposition station 27 ( Figures 2 and 3c) , from which the conveyor 14 extends.
• the conveyor 14 has a contrast or resting surface 28 of its own, which extends parallel to the surface 18 but on the opposite side of the path 15 with respect to the surface 18 in a raised position with respect to the surface 18 itself by an amount approximating by excess the sum of the thickness of the photovoltaic cells and that of the electrical wiring 8 , as illustrated in Figure 3C.
• the conveyor 14 extends through a further soldering station 29, which is substantially the same as the station 19, in which a motor- driven soldering head 30 is set, which is substantially the same as the soldering head 25 and is able to move between a lowered resting position, illustrated in Figures 2 and 3c, in which it enables feeding of the photovoltaic cells 2 and of corresponding electrical wiring 8, and a raised position, illustrated in Figure 3d, in which the stretches 10 of the electrical wiring 8 are electrically soldered to the extensive surfaces 5 of the corresponding photovoltaic cells 2.
• the tape 23 is fed in such a way that the end of the tape
• the cutting unit 24 Before, during, or at the end of soldering the cutting unit 24 is activated, which cuts the tape 23 transversely to provide the electrical wiring 8, the trailing stretch 10 of which during feeding of the photovoltaic cell 2a comes to rest progressively on the surface 18, as may be seen in Figure 3b.
• the photovoltaic cell 2a advances along the path 15, it traverses the superposition station 27, in which the stretch 4 slides in contact with the surface 28, whilst the stretch 5 drops downwards as a result of its own weight moving away from the surface 28 itself, as may be seen in Figure 3c.
• the photovoltaic cell 2a is stopped or slowed down so as to enable the photovoltaic cell 2b to reach it and to set itself partially on top of at least the underlying stretch 10.
• both of the photovoltaic cells 2a and 2b are fed simultaneously to the soldering station 29, causing progressive raising of the stretch 10 and setting thereof against the surface 5.
• the head 30 is raised, and the stretch 10 is soldered onto the surface 5, as illustrated in Figure 3d, after which the photovoltaic cells 2a and 2b electrically connected together are fed once again simultaneously to an output of 'the system 12.
• connection method described enables electrical connection in a totally automatic way of any orderly succession of photovoltaic cells without ever having to turn round or turn over the photovoltaic cells, which slide remaining in contact with a reference or resting surface that protects the photovoltaic cells themselves preventing any bending thereof, localized or distributed deformations, and/or failures.
• the system 12 and the modalities of implementation described hence enable electrical connection together in an automatic way and without requiring any intervention on the part of the operator of photovoltaic cells of any shape, size, or material.
• the system 12 and the modalities of embodiment described finally enable drastic reductions in the times for connection and, from what has been said previously, improvement in the quality, reliability, and efficiency of the product of the row of photovoltaic cells.
• the device 12 for forming the wiring 8 could be set in a remote position with respect to the soldering station 19, and the electrical wiring 8 formed be first grouped together and only subsequently fed into the station 19 individually.
• the modes of superposition of the photovoltaic cell that follows the stretch 10 projecting at the rear in cantilever fashion from the preceding photovoltaic cell could be different from the one described.
• the stretch 10 might not be allowed to drop as a result of its own weight then be re-raised but be kept resting on the surface 18 that would proceed to the soldering station 29 or on equivalent supporting devices, and the next photovoltaic cell could be at least partially raised above the stretch 10.
• the aforesaid supporting devices could be of a motor-driven type so as to lower in a controlled way the stretch 10 carried by the previous photovoltaic cell underneath the next photovoltaic cell and subsequently displace the stretch 10 in contact with the next photovoltaic cell itself.

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• Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (5)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2008
  • 2008-05-05 IT IT000332A patent/ITTO20080332A1/it unknown
• 2009
  • 2009-05-04 WO PCT/IB2009/005476 patent/WO2009136251A2/en not_active Ceased

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