Effect of PV module frame boundaries on cell stresses in solar cells

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelBegutachtung

Abstract

Usually, stresses in module integrated solar cells are
obtained by Finite Element (FE) calculations because these
stresses can hardly be determined by measurements. Apart from
the knowledge of the material properties, the FE boundary
conditions have a distinct effect on the results of a FE solution for
a standard mechanical pressure test. We used different simplified
approximations to the complex real clamping of pv modules for
simulating the deformation of the module and hence the stress-
strain situation in the cells. Some deformation results could be
compared to experimental findings from a standard mechanical
load test. In this paper we show the bandwidth of results from
variations of the assumptions which were made for the
simulations. We found that particularly weak modules, i.e. thin
frame and thin glass plate, show a strong dependency of cell
stresses on the boundary conditions of the FE model. Hereby, the
calculated stresses resulting from one assumption can easily
deviate for more than 50% from the stresses using another
assumption, even when the displacements are nearly equal and
both lie closely to the measured values. Finally, we outline one
possibility to directly in situ measure the cell strains what could
help to resolve this uncertainty.
OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)1--8
FachzeitschriftJournal of Energy Challenges and Mechanics
Jahrgang2014
Ausgabenummer3
DOIs
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 2014

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