Electronic devices comprising two encapsulant films
AssigneeDow Global Technologies LLC
InventorsKumar Nanjundiah, John A. Naumovitz, Michael D. White
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic device comprises a first encapsulating film in direct contact with a light-receiving and transmitting film and a second encapsulating film in direct contact with a back sheet. The first encapsulating film has a zero shear viscosity greater than that of the second encapsulating film. The back sheet of the electronic device contains fewer bumps than the back sheet of a comparable electronic device having a first encapsulating film with a zero shear viscosity less than or equal to that of the second encapsulating film.
Claims15
An electronic device comprising:
- a top sheet;
- a front encapsulant film in direct contact with the top sheet, the front encapsulant film composed of a first ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer composition having a first zero shear viscosity (ZSV) value;
- a photovoltaic module having a top surface in direct contact with the front encapsulant film, the photovoltaic cell having ribbons extending therefrom;
- a rear encapsulant film in direct contact with a bottom surface of the photovoltaic module, the rear encapsulant film composed of a second ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer composition having a second ZSV value, the second ZSV value is from 700 Pa·s to 860 Pa·s and the first ZSV value is 4065 Pa·s;
- a backsheet in direct contact with the rear encapsulant film, the backsheet having an unshrunken pre-lamination state and a shrunken post-laminated state, the backsheet imparting a shear stress upon the rear encapsulant film when the backsheet is subject to lamination conditions and moves from the pre-lamination state to the post-lamination state;
- and
- the second ethylene/alpha olefin composition disperses the shear stress such that the shear stress does not reach the photovoltaic module.
A process comprising:
- providing an assembly in the following order (i) a top sheet, (ii) a front encapsulant film, (iii) a photovoltaic module, the photovoltaic module having ribbons extending therefrom, (iv) a rear encapsulant film, and (v) a backsheet;
- providing a first ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer composition having a first zero shear viscosity (ZSV) value for the front encapsulant film and providing a second ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer composition having a second ZSV value for the rear encapsulant film such that the second ZSV value is from 700 Pa·s to 860 Pa·s and the first ZSV value is 4065 Pa·s;
- subjecting the assembly to lamination conditions;
- shrinking, under the lamination conditions, the backsheet;
- imparting, with the shrinking, a shear stress onto the rear encapsulant film;
- dispersing the shear stress with second ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer such that the shear stress does not reach the photovoltaic module;
- and
- forming an electronic device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.