Stretchable photovoltaic devices and carriers

• US 20100229923A1
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunlight Aerospace Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sunlight Photonics Incorporated
• Inventors: Cyrus, Michael, Frolov, Sergey V., Bruce, Allan J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,012,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/251
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/043 Stacked arrangements of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03529 Shape of the potential jump barrier or surface barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0392 including thin films deposited on metallic or insulating substrates ; characterised by specific substrate materials or substrate features or by the presence of intermediate layers, e.g. barrier layers, on the substrate textured substrates H01L31/02366
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03925 including AIIBVI compound materials, e.g. CdTe, CdS
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03926 comprising a flexible substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03928 including AIBIIICVI compound, e.g. CIS, CIGS deposited on metal or polymer foils
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/042 PV modules or arrays of single PV cells supporting structures for PV modules H02S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/043 Mechanically stacked PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0508 the interconnection means having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/541 CuInSe2 material PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A stretchable photovoltaic device, a stretchable photovoltaic module and a carrier for facilitating formation of a stretchable photovoltaic device and/or module are provided. The stretchable photovoltaic device includes a stretchable part, at least one photovoltaic cell and a surface over which that at least one photovoltaic cell is disposed. The stretchable part has a given length that is operable to change in response to a force being applied to the device. The given length may, for example, elongate when the force causes the device to elongate. Alternative and/or additionally, the given length may compress when the force causes the device to compress.

Claims

1. A carrier comprising:

a stretchable part having a given length, wherein the given length is operable to change in response to a force being applied the carrier; and

a surface to which to affix at least one photovoltaic cell.

2. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the given length is operable to elongate when the force causes the carrier to elongate, and wherein the given length is operable to compress when the force causes the carrier to compress.

3. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the stretchable part comprises first and second stretchable parts, and wherein the first stretchable part is oriented orthogonally to the second stretchable part.

4. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the stretchable part comprises at least one corrugation.

5. The carrier of claim 4, wherein the at least one corrugation is formed from a flexible film.

6. The carrier of claim 5, wherein the flexible film comprises any of a metal film and a plastic film.

7. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the stretchable part comprises one of an elastic band, a hinge, a rail, or a spring.

8. The carrier of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the stretchable part is formed from an elastic film.

9. The carrier of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the stretchable part is electrically conducting.

10. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the stretchable part comprises a first surface, and wherein the surface comprises the first surface.

11. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising:

a mounting site coupled to the stretchable part, wherein the mounting site defines the surface to which to affix at least one photovoltaic cell.

12. The carrier of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the mounting site is electrically insulating.

13. The carrier of claim 11, further comprising an aperture disposed adjacent to the mounting site and the stretchable part.

14. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising:

a mounting site and a pedestal affixed to the mounting site, wherein the pedestal defines the surface to which to affix at least one photovoltaic cell.

15. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising:

a busbar adapted to couple to at least one electrical contact of the at least one photovoltaic cell.

16. A stretchable photovoltaic device comprising:

a stretchable part having a given length, wherein the given length is operable to change in response to a force being applied the device;

at least one photovoltaic cell; and

a surface over which the at least one photovoltaic cell is disposed.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the stretchable part comprises a first surface, and wherein the surface comprises the first surface.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the given length is operable to elongate when the force causes the device to elongate, and wherein the given length is operable to compress when the force causes the device to compress.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the stretchable part comprises at least one corrugation.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the stretchable part is formed from any of a metal film and a plastic film.

21. The device of claim 16, wherein the at least one photovoltaic cell comprises a thin-film photovoltaic cell.

22. The device of claim 16, wherein the at least one photovoltaic cell comprises a photovoltaic cell selected from any of a copper-indium-gallium-diselenide cell, amorphous-silicon cell and cadmium-telluride cell.

23. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a mounting site coupled to the stretchable part, wherein the mounting site defines the surface over which the at least one photovoltaic cell is disposed.

24. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a mounting site and a pedestal affixed to the mounting site, wherein the pedestal defines the surface over which the at least one photovoltaic cell is disposed.

25. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

an encapsulation part that at least partially encapsulates the combination of the stretchable part, the at least one photovoltaic cell and the surface over which the at least one photovoltaic cell is disposed.

26. The device of claim 16, wherein the at least one photovoltaic cell comprises a plurality of electrically coupled photovoltaic cells.

27. A stretchable photovoltaic module comprising:

first and second stretchable photovoltaic devices, wherein;

the first stretchable photovoltaic device comprises;

a first stretchable part having a first length, wherein the first length is operable to change in response to a force being applied the device;

at least one first photovoltaic cell; and

a first surface over which the at least one first photovoltaic cell is disposed; and

the second stretchable photovoltaic device comprises;

a second stretchable part having a second length, wherein the second length is operable to change in response to the force being applied the device;

at least one second photovoltaic cell; and

a second surface over which the at least one second photovoltaic cell is disposed.

28. The module of claim 27, wherein second stretchable photovoltaic device is positioned below the first stretchable photovoltaic device.

29. The module of claim 27, wherein the second stretchable photovoltaic device is positioned below the first stretchable photovoltaic device so as to align the at least one second photovoltaic cell and the at least one first photovoltaic cell to allow electromagnetic radiation to impinge both of the at least one first and the at least one second photovoltaic cells.

30. The module of claim 29, wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises first and second parts, wherein the first part defines a first range of frequencies, wherein the second part defines a second range of frequencies, wherein the second stretchable photovoltaic device is positioned below the first stretchable photovoltaic device so as to align the at least one second photovoltaic cell and the at least one first photovoltaic cell to allow (i) the first part to impinge the at least one first photovoltaic cell, and (ii) the second part to impinge the at least one second photovoltaic cell.

31. The module of claim 27, further comprising:

an encapsulation part that at least partially encapsulates the combination of the first and second stretchable photovoltaic devices.