Lamination process improvement
AssigneeFirst Solar, Inc.
InventorsWenlai Feng, Brian E. Cohen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of laminating a photovoltaic module may include placing an interlayer in contact with a substrate, heating the interlayer with a source of infrared radiation and pressing the interlayer and the substrate together in a vacuum laminator.
Claims36
A method for laminating a photovoltaic module, the method comprising:
- placing an interlayer in contact with a substrate;
- heating the interlayer and the substrate with a source of infrared radiation;
- and
- pressing the interlayer and the substrate together.
The method of claim 8, wherein the thermoplastic interlayer includes an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, an acrylic, celluloid, a cellulose acetate, a cycloolefin copolymer, a polyvinyl butyral, a silicone, an epoxy, an ethylene vinyl acetate, an ethylene vinyl alcohol, a fluoroplastic, an ionomer, KYDEX®, a liquid crystal polymer, a polyacetal, a polyacrylate, a polyacrylonitrile, a polyamide, a polyamide-imide, a polyaryletherketone, a polybutadiene, a polybutylene, a polybutylene terephthalate, a polycaprolactone, a polychlorotrifluoroethylene, a polyethylene terephthalate, a polycyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate, a polycarbonate, a polyhydroxyalkanoate, a polyketone, a polyester, a polyethylene, polyetheretherketone, a polyetherketoneketone, a polyetherimide, a polyethersulfone, a polyethylenechlorinate, a polyimide, a polylactic acid, a polymethylpentene, a polyphenylene oxide, a polyphenylene sulfide, a polyphthalamide, a polypropylene, a polystyrene, a polysulfone, a polytrimethylene terephthalate, a polyurethane, a polyvinyl acetate, a polyvinyl chloride, a polyvinylidene chloride, or a styrene-acrylonitrile, or any combination thereof.
The method of claim 9, wherein the thermoplastic interlayer includes an ethylene vinyl acetate, a polyvinyl butyral, a silicone, or an epoxy.
The method of claim 14, wherein subjecting the interlayer and a substrate to at least one nip roll takes place before pressing the interlayer and the substrate together.
A system of laminating a photovoltaic module comprising:
- an interlayer in contact with a substrate;
- an IR heater configured to heat an interlayer in contact with a substrate;
- and
- a press configured to force the interlayer and the substrate together.
The system of claim 22, wherein the press includes a vacuum laminator.
The system of claim 35, wherein at least one nip roll to treat the interlayer and the substrate is configured to force the interlayer and the substrate together before the press.
The system of claim 35, wherein at least one nip roll to treat the interlayer and the substrate is configured to force the interlayer and the substrate together after the press.
The system of claim 35, wherein at least one nip roll to treat the interlayer and the substrate is configured to force the interlayer and the substrate together before and after the press.
The system of claim 35, wherein at least one nip roll to treat the interlayer and the substrate is configured to force the interlayer and the substrate together before the IR heater.
The system of claim 35, wherein at least one nip roll to treat the interlayer and the substrate is configured to force the interlayer and the substrate together after the IR heater.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.