Method for producing concentrator photovoltaic unit, production apparatus used in the method, method for producing concentrator photovoltaic module, and production apparatus used in the method

A method for producing a concentrator photovoltaic module, the concentrator photovoltaic module including:

• a plurality of power generating element parts provided in a form of an array;
• and a concentrating member in which a plurality of condenser lenses each concentrating sunlight incident from an incident surface thereof are formed at positions on optical axes thereof and corresponding to the power generating element parts, the method comprising:
• a first step of fixing a plurality of laser beam sources to at least two condenser lenses among the plurality of condenser lenses at a predetermined distance from the incident surface of each of the at least two condenser lenses;
• a second step of emitting linear laser beams in parallel to the optical axis of each of at least two of the condenser lenses, respectively toward a plurality of specific positions previously set on the incident surface, the linear laser beams being emitted by the plurality of laser beam sources and forming irradiation spots on the plurality of specific positions, the plurality of specific positions being positions except for an optical axis point on the incident surface;
• a third step of capturing images of beams and the power generating element part corresponding thereto, the image being captured through the condenser lens along the optical axis from the incident surface side of at least two of the condenser lenses, the beams respectively formed by the linear laser beams having passed at least two of the condenser lenses to be concentrated toward a focal point of the condenser lenses;
• a fourth step of performing positional adjustment between the concentrating member and the power generating element parts based on positional relationship, grasped through the captured images, between linear beam images in the captured images, and the power generating element part corresponding thereto;
• and
• a fifth step of removing the plurality of laser beam sources, wherein
• the plurality of specific positions in each of the at least two of the condenser lenses in the first step are set to positions that allow at least one pair of linear beam images, among the linear beam images specified in the captured image, to be beam images of linear laser beams that cross each other at an optical axis point of the condenser lens, and
• the positional adjustment in the third step is performed based on a positional relationship between the power generating element part and a cross point where the one pair of linear beam images cross in the captured image.

A production apparatus for a concentrator photovoltaic unit, the concentrator photovoltaic unit including a condenser lens configured to concentrate sunlight incident from an incident surface thereof, onto a power generating element part, the production apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of laser beam sources configured to emit linear laser beams in parallel to an optical axis of the condenser lens, respectively toward a plurality of specific positions previously set on the incident surface, the linear laser beams forming irradiation spots on the plurality of specific positions, the plurality of specific positions being positions except for an optical axis point on the incident surface, the linear laser beams being configured to perform positional adjustment between the condenser lens and the power generating element part;
• an image capturing section configured to capture an image of beams and the power generating element part, and configured to output the captured image, the image being captured through the condenser lens along the optical axis from the incident surface side of the condenser lens, the beams respectively formed by the linear laser beams having passed the condenser lens to be concentrated toward a focal point of the condenser lens;
• and
• a positional adjustment section configured to perform positional adjustment between the condenser lens and the power generating element part based on positional relationship, grasped through the captured image, between the power generating element part and linear beam images in the captured image, wherein
• the plurality of specific positions are set to positions that allow at least one pair of linear beam images, among the linear beam images specified in the captured image, to be beam images of linear laser beams that cross each other at an optical axis point of the condenser lens in the captured image, and
• the positional adjustment section is configured to perform positional adjustment based on a positional relationship between the power generating element part and a cross point where the one pair of linear beam images cross in the captured image.

A production apparatus for a concentrator photovoltaic module, the concentrator photovoltaic module including:

• a plurality of power generating element parts provided in a form of an array;
• and a concentrating member in which a plurality of condenser lenses each concentrating sunlight incident from an incident surface thereof are formed at positions on optical axes thereof and corresponding to the power generating element parts, the production apparatus comprising:
• a plurality of laser beam sources configured to emit linear laser beams in parallel to the optical axis of each of at least two of the condenser lenses, respectively toward a plurality of specific positions previously set on the incident surface of the condenser lens, the linear laser beams forming irradiation spots on the plurality of specific positions, the plurality of specific positions being positions except for an optical axis point on the incident surface, the linear laser beams being configured to perform positional adjustment between the condenser lenses and the power generating element parts;
• image capturing sections respectively provided at the at least two of the condenser lenses, each image capturing section configured to capture, through the condenser lens along the optical axis from the incident surface side of the condenser lens, an image of beams and the power generating element part corresponding thereto, and configured to output the captured image, the beams respectively formed by the linear laser beams having passed the condenser lens to be concentrated toward a focal point of the condenser lens;
• and
• a positional adjustment section configured to perform positional adjustment between the concentrating member and the power generating element parts based on positional relationship, grasped through the captured image from each image capturing section, between linear beam images in the captured image, and the power generating element part corresponding thereto, wherein
• the plurality of specific positions are set to positions that allow at least one pair of linear beam images, among the linear beam images specified in the captured image, to be beam images of linear laser beams that cross each other at an optical axis point of the condenser lens in the captured image, and
• the positional adjustment section is configured to perform positional adjustment based on a positional relationship between the power generating element part and a cross point where the one pair of linear beam images cross in the captured image.