Method of manufacturing flexible, lightweight photovoltaic array
AssigneeOrbital Sciences Corporation
InventorRobert Minelli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexible, lightweight photovoltaic cell array includes one or more individual photovoltaic cell strings attached to a polyimide film substrate and covered with a polyvinyl fluoride film. Each photovoltaic cell string includes one or more photovoltaic cells attached to a flexible printed circuit board. The photovoltaic cell array may be manufactured by a method that includes bonding at least one photovoltaic cell to a flexible printed circuit board, mounting the flexible printed circuit board on a polyimide film substrate, and covering the flexible printed circuit board with a substantially transparent polyvinyl fluoride film.
Claims18
A method of manufacturing a flexible photovoltaic array, the method comprising:
- obtaining a plurality of photovoltaic cells and a flexible printed circuit;
- applying a solder mask to areas of the photovoltaic cells and the flexible printed circuit on which solder is not desired;
- bonding the photovoltaic cells to the flexible printed circuit using a pick-and-place machine so that each photovoltaic cell is glued to the flexible printed circuit;
- running the flexible printed circuit and the photovoltaic cells through a wave of molten solder so that the solder wets metal surfaces not covered by the solder mask to form electrical connections between the photovoltaic cells and the flexible printed circuit;
- coating a first side of a polyimide film substrate with an adhesive;
- mounting the flexible printed circuit to the first side of a polyimide film substrate with the adhesive;
- and
- covering the flexible printed circuit with a substantially transparent film.
A method of manufacturing a flexible photovoltaic array, the method comprising:
- applying a solder mask to areas of a flexible printed circuit and at least one photovoltaic cell on which solder is not desired;
- bonding the at least one photovoltaic cell to the flexible printed circuit using a pick-and-place machine so that the at least one photovoltaic cell is glued to the flexible printed circuit;
- running the flexible printed circuit with the at least one bonded photovoltaic cell through a wave of molten solder so that the solder wets metal surfaces not covered by the solder mask to form electrical connections between the at least one photovoltaic cell and the flexible printed circuit;
- mounting the flexible printed circuit on a first side of a polyimide film substrate;
- and
- covering the flexible printed circuit with a substantially transparent film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.