Reliability Research and Cell Assembly Design for Photovoltaic Concentrator Modules

摘要

Sandia National Laboratories is pursuing research on the reliability of photovoltaic concentrator cell assemblies. Active research topics include selection of solders and soldering processes, modeling of solder fatigue, investigation of metallization adhesion, evaluation of adhesives and coatings, and analysis of hot-spot heating and the effects of module shading. Hardware and material samples are subjected to test environments including temperature and humidity cycling, and ultraviolet and outdoor exposure. Evaluation techniques used to detect flaws or degradation are electrical performance measurements, ultrasonic imaging, radiography, optical transmission and reflection measurements, pull tests, and current leakage measurements. Analysis tools are failure modeling, holographic deformation visualization, and finite element stress calculation. The procedures and results of our reliability research concerning cell assemblies are described. We present our ideas for the design of cell assemblies for high efficiency, low cost, and enhanced reliability. (ERA citation 12:030315)