US 2019/0245104 A1 · Photovoltaic Module Back Sheets Comprising Thermoplastic Vulcanizate Compositions

Abstract

Provided herein are back sheets comprising and/or otherwise made from thermoplastic vulcanizates, PV modules comprising such TPV-based back sheets, and methods for forming the TPV back sheets and PV modules. TPV-based back sheets provide particular advantages over incumbent back sheets, including increased flexibility, greater electrical insulation properties, and more desirable barrier properties. The TPV-based back sheets of some embodiments provide PV modules improved endurance, particularly under the changing and often harsh environmental conditions in which PV modules are often deployed. The TPV-based back sheets of some embodiments also enable efficient construction of unusual PV module geometries, such as non-planar (e.g., curved and/or hinged) geometries.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A hinged photovoltaic module comprising:

a single back sheet comprising a thermoplastic vulcanizate and having one or more hinged locations thereon;
wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate comprises an at least partially vulcanized rubber dispersed in a continuous thermoplastic matrix;
and
a plurality of photovoltaic module assemblies disposed on one side of said back sheet and spaced apart along the back sheet such that a hinge space is between each photovoltaic module assembly, each one of said hinge spaces corresponding to a hinged location of the back sheet;
wherein each photovoltaic module assembly comprises one or more photovoltaic cells at least partially encapsulated in an encapsulant material, and the encapsulant material of each respective photovoltaic module assembly is in contact with a portion of the back sheet.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/079,905Filed 9 Feb 2017

Priority

EP 16170981.124 May 2016

Published

8 Aug 2019

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H10F 19/85
Encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells: protective back sheets
C08L 23/10
Not modified by chemical after-treatment: homopolymers or copolymers of propene
H02S 30/20
Structural details of PV modules other than those related to light conversion: collapsible or foldable PV modules
H10F 19/804
Encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells: materials of encapsulations

Photovoltaic Module Back Sheets Comprising Thermoplastic Vulcanizate Compositions

Life of this patent

Photovoltaic Module Back Sheets Comprising Thermoplastic Vulcanizate Compositions

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17