ELECTRONIC COMPONENT HOUSING WITH HEAT SINK

• US 20130255749A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enphase Energy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sunpower Corporation (Totalenergies Se)
• Inventors: Kinyon, Zachary, Gannon, John, McKibben, Nick
• Granted Patent: US 9,635,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/246
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/00 Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof H10K30/00 takes precedence; devices consisting of a plurality of solid state components formed in, or on, a common substrate, other than combinations of radiation-sensitive components with one or more electric light sources, H01L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/024 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation for photovoltaic devices H01L31/052
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/049 Protective back sheets
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/345 with cooling means associated with the electrical connection means, e.g. cooling means associated with or applied to the junction box cooling means for PV cells H01L31/052, for PV modules H02S40/42
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2039 characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A photovoltaic assembly for converting solar radiation to electrical energy is described. The photovoltaic assembly includes a photovoltaic module and an electronic component housing. The photovoltaic module has a frame, a laminate, a plurality of solar cells and a backsheet. The electronic component housing has an upper section to couple to the backsheet, a middle section and a lower section for enclosing electronic components. The electronic components can include a microinverter or electronics for a junction box. The middle section can have a heat sink in thermal communication with the electronic component and an opening. The opening can be a plurality of openings having a plurality of air fins distributed therein, or can be a diagonal or curved structure. The opening can permit fluid communication between the heat sink and an ambient environment. The upper section and/or the aforementioned air fins can also be coupled to the backsheet via a heat conductive adhesive.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic assembly comprising:

a photovoltaic module having a front side that faces the sun during normal operation and a back side opposite the front side, the photovoltaic module comprising;

a frame of the photovoltaic module;

a plurality of solar cells on the front side disposed within the photovoltaic module; and

a backsheet on the back side of the photovoltaic module; and

an electronic component housing comprising;

an upper portion coupled to the backsheet of the photovoltaic module;

a lower portion enclosing an electronic component; and

a middle portion comprising;

a heat sink in thermal communication with the electronic component; and

an opening in the electronic component housing between the upper portion and lower portion, the opening permitting fluid communication between the heat sink and an ambient environment.

2. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 1, wherein the electronic component comprises a microinverter for converting direct current generated from the solar module into alternating current and outputting alternating current.

3. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 1, wherein the electronic component comprises an electronic junction box.

4. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 1 further comprising a heat conductive adhesive between the upper section of the electronic component housing and the backsheet.

5. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is distributed within the middle portion of the electronic component housing.

6. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 1 further comprising a plurality air fins distributed within the opening in the electronic component housing.

7. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 1, wherein the electronic component comprises an electronic DC to DC optimizer.

8. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 7 further comprising a plurality of air fins distributed within the plurality of openings.

9. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 1, wherein the electronic component housing comprises aluminum or a heat dissipating polymer.

10. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 1, wherein the backsheet of the photovoltaic module comprises a glass or a plastic polymer.

11. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic module comprises a photovoltaic concentrator.

12. A photovoltaic assembly comprising:

a photovoltaic module having a front side that faces the sun during normal operation and a back side opposite the front side, the photovoltaic module comprising;

a plurality of solar cells on the front side disposed within the photovoltaic module; and

a backsheet on the back side of the photovoltaic module; and

an electronic component housing comprising;

an upper portion coupled to the backsheet of the photovoltaic module;

a lower portion enclosing an electronic component; and

a middle portion comprising;

a heat sink in thermal communication with the electronic component; and

an opening in the housing originating from the lower portion and ending in between the upper portion and lower portion, the opening permitting fluid communication between the heat sink and an ambient environment.

13. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 12 further comprising a heat conductive adhesive between the upper section of the electronic component housing and the backsheet.

14. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 12 further comprising a plurality of air fins distributed within the opening in the housing.

15. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 12, wherein the opening in the housing originating from the lower portion and ending in between the upper portion and lower portion of the electronic component housing comprises a plurality openings.

16. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 15 further comprising a plurality of air fins distributed within the plurality of openings.

17. A photovoltaic assembly comprising:

a photovoltaic module having a front side that faces the sun during normal operation and a back side opposite the front side, the photovoltaic module comprising;

a frame of the photovoltaic module;

a plurality of solar cells on the front side disposed within the photovoltaic module; and

a backsheet on the back side of the photovoltaic module; and

an electronic component housing comprising;

a lower portion enclosing an electronic component;

an upper portion comprising an L-shaped structure extending from the lower portion and bending inward to couple to the backsheet of the photovoltaic module; and

a middle portion comprising;

a heat sink in thermal communication with the electronic component;

an opening in the housing between the upper portion and lower portion, the opening permitting fluid communication between the heat sink and an ambient environment; and

a plurality of air fins extending from the lower portion to contact the backsheet between the L-shaped structure allowing heat transfer from the backsheet to the heat sink.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 further comprising a heat conductive adhesive between the upper section of the electronic component housing and the backsheet.

19. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 17, wherein the opening in the electronic component housing comprises a plurality of openings in the electronic component housing.

20. The photovoltaic assembly of claim 17, wherein the upper portion comprising the L-shaped structure extending from the lower portion and bending inward comprises an L-shaped structure extending from the lower portion and bending outward to couple to the backsheet of the photovoltaic module.