US 4,692,557 AGranted

Encapsulated solar cell assemblage and method of making

AssigneeShell Oil Company

InventorsGay M. Samuelson, David J. St. Clair

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Abstract

A solar cell assemblage and method of making, comprising: (a) a pre-treated silanized transparent substrate; (b) a layer of semiconductor material; (c) an electrical contact on the surface of said layer of semiconductor material; (d) an extruded transparent film encapsulating the assemblage which comprises 75 to 91 parts by weight of a blend of: 65 to 75 parts by weight of a selectively hydrogenated two-block polymer wherein (1) each A is a polymer block of a monovinyl or alpha alkyl monovinyl arene and the A blocks are from 10 to 40% by weight of the total block copolymer, and (2) each B is a polymer block formed by polymerizing a conjugated diene, and the B blocks are 90 to 60% weight of the total block copolymer, and 25 to 35 parts by weight of a selectively hydrogenated multiblock copolymer wherein: (1) each A is a polymer endblock of a monovinyl or alpha alkyl monovinyl arene and the A blocks are 10 to 40% by weight of the total block copolymer, and (2) each B is a polymer midblock is formed by polymerizing a conjugated diene and the B blocks are 90 to 10% weight of the total block copolymer, about 8.5 to about 23.5 parts by weight of an (alpha) methyl styrene polymer tackifying resin; and about 0.5 to about 1.5 parts by weight of a mixture of a phenolic antioxidant, a UV absorber with benzotriazole functionality and a UV absorber with hindered amine functionality; (e) a carbon filled polymer frame; and (f) sealant.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A solar cell assemblage comprising:

(a) a pre-treated silanized transparent substrate;
(b) a layer of semiconductor material comprising at least one solar cell;
(c) an electrical contact on the surface of said layer of semiconductor material;
(e) an extruded transparent film for encapsulating the assemblage comprising (a), (b) and (c), said film comprising about 75 to about 91 parts by weight of a blend of:
about 65 to about 75 parts by weight of a selectively hydrogenated two-block polymer wherein one polymer block is designated by A and a second polymer block is designated by B such that prior to hydrogenation,
(1) each A is a polymer block of a monovinyl or alpha alkyl monovinyl arene having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 5,000 to about 75,000, said A blocks comprising from about 10 to about 40% by weight of the total block copolymer, and
(2) each B is a polymer block having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 10,000 to about 150,000 and is formed by polymerizing a conjugated diene having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms per molecule, and said B blocks comprising from about 90 to about 60% weight of the total block copolymer, and
about 25 to about 35 parts by weight of a selectively hydrogenated multiblock copolymer which contains at least two kinds of polymer blocks wherein one polymer block is designated by A and a second polymer block is designated by B such that:
(1) each A is a polymer endblock of a monovinyl or alpha alkyl monovinyl arene having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 5,000 to about 75,000, said A blocks comprising from about 10 to about 40% by weight of the total block copolymer, and
(2) each B is a polymer midblock having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 10,000 to about 150,000 and is formed by polymerizing a conjugated diene having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms per molecule, and said B blocks comprising from about 90 to about 10% weight of the total block copolymer,
about 8.5 to about 23.5 parts by weight of an (alpha) methyl styrene polymer tackifying resin;
and
about 0.5 to about 1.5 parts by weight of a mixture of a phenolic antioxidant, a UV absorber with benzotriazole functionality and a UV absorber with hindered amine functionality;
(f) a frame to contain said encapsulated solar cell laminate;
and
(g) sealant to seal the frame to the solar cell laminate.

13 more elements

A method for making a solar cell assemblage comprising:

(a) silanizing a transparent substrate thereby forming a silanized substrate;
(b) extrusion coating one side of said silanized substrate with a first thin extruded transparent film, thereby forming a coated substrate, said first film consisting essentially of:
(1) about 78.5 to about 89.5 parts by weight of a blend of:
(a) about 65 to about 75 parts by weight of a selectively hydrogenated two-block polymer wherein one polymer block is designated by A and a second polymer block is designated by B such that prior to hydrogenation,
(1) each A is a polymer block of a monovinyl or alpha alkyl monovinyl arene having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 5,000 to about 75,000, said A blocks comprising from about 10 to about 40% by weight of the total block copolymer, and
(2) each B is a polymer block having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 10,000 to about 150,000 and is formed by polymerizing a conjugated diene having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms per molecule, and said B blocks comprising from about 90 to about 60% weight of the total block copolymer, and
(b) about 25 to about 35 parts by weight of a selectively hydrogenated multiblock copolymer which contains at least two kinds of polymer blocks wherein one polymer block is designated by A and a second polymer block is designated by B such that:
(1) each A is a polymer endblock of a monovinyl or alpha alkyl monovinyl arene having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 5,000 to about 75,000, said A blocks comprising from about 10 to about 40% by weight of the total block copolymer, and
(2) each B is a polymer midblock having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 10,000 to about 150,000 and is formed by polymerizing a conjugated diene having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms per molecule, and said B blocks comprising from about 90 to about 10% weight of the total block copolymer, and
(2) about 10 to about 20 parts by weight of a hydrogenated (alpha)-methyl styrene polymer resin;
(3) about 0.5 to about 1.5 parts by weight of a phenolic antioxidant, a UV absorber with benzotriazole functionality, and a UV absorber with hindered amine functionality;
(c) extrusion coating a backskin on the other side of said silanized substrate;
(d) disposing on said coated substrate a layer of semiconductor material comprising at least one solar cell;
(e) disposing an electrical contact on the surface of said semiconductor material;
(f) coating said electrical contact with a second thin extruded coherent film consisting essentially of the same blend composition as the first film and forming an assemblage;
(g) disposing a cover on said assemblage;
(h) applying a vacuum to the assemblage thereby forming a pressure gradient between said substrate and said film and therby vacuum laminating the assemblage;
(i) heating said vacuum laminated assemblage to a temperature greater than the softening point of said first and second films and less than the melting point of solder and thereby heat sealing said assemblage;
(j) disposing said heat sealed assemblage in a frame;
and
(k) sealing said frame with an essentially rubber-type sealant and thereby forming a durable solar cell array.

18 more elements

A method for making a solar cell assemblage comprising:

(a) silanizing a transparent substrate thereby forming a silanized substrate;
(b) extrusion coating one side of said silanized substrate with a thin extruded transparent film, thereby forming a coated substrate, said film consisting essentially of:
(1) about 78.5 to about 89.5 parts by weight of a blend of:
(a) about 65 to about 75 parts by weight of a selectively hydrogenated two-block polymer wherein one polymer block is designated by A and a second polymer block is designated by B such that prior to hydrogenation,
(1) each A is a polymer block of a monovinyl or alpha alkyl monovinyl arene having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 5,000 to about 75,000, said A blocks comprising from about 10 to about 40% by weight of the total block copolymer, and
(2) each B is a polymer block having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 10,000 to about 150,000 and is formed by polymerizing a conjugated diene having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms per molecule, and said B blocks comprising from about 90 to about 60% weight of the total block copolymer, and
(b) about 25 to about 35 parts by weight of a selectively hydrogenated multiblock copolymer which contains at least two kinds of polymer blocks wherein one polymer block is designated by A and a second polymer block is designated by B such that:
(1) each A is a polymer endblock of a monovinyl or alpha alkyl monovinyl arene having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 5,000 to about 75,000, said A blocks comprising from about 10 to about 40% by weight of the total block copolymer, and
(2) each B is a polymer midblock having a number average molecular weight in the range of from about 10,000 to about 150,000 and is formed by polymerizing a conjugated diene having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms per molecule, and said B blocks comprising from about 90 to about 10% weight of the total block copolymer, and
(2) about 10 to about 20 parts by weight of a hydrogenated (alpha)-methyl styrene polymer resin;
(3) about 0.5 to about 1.5 parts by weight of a phenolic antioxidant, a UV absorber with benzotriazole functionality, and a UV absorber with hindered amine functionality;
(c) extrusion coating a backskin on the other side of said silanized substrate;
(d) disposing on said coated substrate a layer of semiconductor material comprising at least one solar cell;
(e) disposing an electrical contact on the surface of said semiconductor material;
(f) applying a vacuum to the assemblage thereby forming a pressure gradient between said substrate and said film, and thereby vacuum laminating the assemblage;
(g) heating said vacuum laminated assemblage to a temperature greater than the softening point of said film and less than the melting point of solder and thereby heat sealing said assemblage;
(h) disposing said heat sealed assemblage in a frame;
and
(i) sealing said frame with an essentially rubber-type sealant and thereby forming a durable solar cell array.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/919,918Filed 16 Oct 1986
Granted: 8 Sep 1987
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B32B 17/10761
Characterized by the resin layer, i.e. interlayer: containing vinyl acetal
B32B 17/10678
Characterized by the resin layer, i.e. interlayer: comprising UV absorbers or stabilizers, e.g. antioxidants
B32B 17/10788
Characterized by the resin layer, i.e. interlayer: containing ethylene vinylacetate
H10F 19/80
Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one photovoltaic cell covered by group H10F10/00, e.g. photovoltaic…