NON-PLANAR/CURVED DYE-SENSITIZED SOLAR CELL AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20120118367A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Song, Mi Yeon, Kim, Sang Hak, Jang, Yong Jun, Kim, Won Jung, Kim, Yong Gu, Song, In Woo, Lee, Ki Chun
• Application Number:
  US13/016,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20120118367A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/256
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2031 comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2 H01G9/2036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2059 comprising an organic dye as the active light absorbing material, e.g. adsorbed on an electrode or dissolved in solution
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2068 Panels or arrays of photoelectrochemical cells, e.g. photovoltaic modules based on photoelectrochemical cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/542 Dye sensitized solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Featured are a non-planar curved dye-sensitized solar cell and a method of manufacturing such a solar cell. In particular aspects, such methods include preparing two curved substrates, forming a first curved conductive substrate for a working electrode and a second curved conductive substrate for a counter electrode, coating a metal electrode and a protection film on each of the first and second curved conductive substrates, forming the working electrode by coating a semiconductor oxide electrode film on a concave surface of the first curved conductive substrate and by adsorbing a dye in the semiconductor oxide electrode film, forming the counter electrode by coating a catalytic electrode on a convex surface of the second curved conductive substrate, and joining the working electrode with the counter electrode and injecting an electrolyte in between the working electrode and the counter electrode.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a curved dye-sensitized solar cell comprising:

preparing two curved substrates, each having a curvature;

forming a first curved conductive substrate for a working electrode by coating a conductive film on a concave surface of one of the curved substrates and a second curved conductive substrate for a counter electrode by coating a conductive film on a convex surface of the other curved substrate;

coating a metal electrode and a protection film on each of the first and second curved conductive substrates;

forming the working electrode by coating a semiconductor oxide electrode film on a concave surface of the first curved conductive substrate and by adsorbing a dye in the semiconductor oxide electrode film;

forming the counter electrode by coating a catalytic electrode on a convex surface of the second curved conductive substrate; and

joining the working electrode with the counter electrode and injecting an electrolyte in between the working electrode and the counter electrode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the curved substrates is prepared by means of injection molding to have a predetermined rate of curvature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the curved substrates has a first curvature equal to a horizontal curvature of a portion of a vehicle to which the solar cell is applied and a second curvature equal to a vertical curvature of the portion of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the curved substrates has the same curvature as a curvature of a sunroof or panoramic roof of a vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a jig having the same curvature as a curvature of the curved substrates is mounted in a coating machine for a curved substrate, wherein the distance between a source for deposition of the coating machine and the curved substrates is constantly maintained at regular intervals to coat an electrode film having a uniform thickness with the curved substrates held by the jig.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a squeezer having the same curvature as a curvature of the curved substrates is mounted in a screen printer for a curved substrate to coat an electrode film having a uniform thickness on the curved substrates, wherein the coating is performed while adjusting a tension of a plate for screen printing.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

patterning the conductive films of the curved substrates, wherein a jig is mounted in a laser scriber for uniformly patterning the conductive films to maintain the distance between a laser part and the curved conductive substrates at regular intervals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a pre-treatment is performed on the semiconductor oxide electrode film of the first conductive substrate using a titanium tetrachloride-based compound or a titanium alkoxide-based compound.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive films, the metal electrodes, the protection films, the semiconductor oxide electrode film, and the catalytic film are coated to have a uniform thickness using a method selected from the group consisting of a screen printing method, an electrospray method, a spray printing method, an inkjet printing method, a MOCVD method, and a CVD method.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one of color glass and a translucent color film is attached on a convex surface of the first curved conductive substrate and a concave surface of the second curved conductive substrate to enhance ornamentality.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a reflection film is attached on a concave surface of the second curved conductive surface to increase efficiency.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a condenser lens is mounted on a convex surface of the first curved substrate to increase efficiency.

13. A curved dye-sensitized solar cell manufactured by the method of claim 1.

14. A sunroof for a vehicle comprising the curved dye-sensitized solar cell of claim 13.

15. A panoramic roof for a vehicle comprising the curved dye-sensitized solar cell of claim 13.

16. Glass for a vehicle employing the curved dye-sensitized solar cell of claim 13.

17. A method of manufacturing a non-planar dye-sensitized solar cell comprising:

providing a first non-planar substrate and a second non-planar substrate, each of the first and second non-planar substrates being arranged so as to have a complementary opposing surface to each other;

forming a first non-planar conductive substrate as a working electrode and forming a second non-planar conductive substrate as a counter electrode, wherein said forming includes coating the opposing surface of the first non-planar substrate with a conductive film (first non-planar conductive substrate) and coating the opposing surface of the second non-planar conductive substrate with another conductive film (second non-planar conductive substrate);

wherein said forming further includes;

(a) coating each of the first and second non-planar conductive substrates with a metal electrode and a protection film,

(b) coating the first non-planar conductive substrate with a semiconductor oxide electrode film and adsorbing a dye in the semiconductor oxide electrode film, and

(c) coating the second non-planar conductive substrate with a catalytic electrode;

joining the working electrode with the counter electrode; and

injecting an electrolyte in between the working electrode and the counter electrode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the non-planar substrates is prepared using injection molding so that the opposing surfaces have a desired predetermined shape or configuration.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the non-planar substrates has a first surface configuration corresponding to an opposing horizontal surface configuration of a portion of a vehicle to which the solar cell is to be applied, and a second surface configuration corresponding to an opposing vertical surface configuration of the portion of the vehicle.

20. A non-planar dye-sensitized solar cell manufactured by the method of claim 17.