Collapsible Photovoltaic Module for a Large-Scale Solar Power Plant

• US 20140238464A1
• Filed: 09/06/2012
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suntube Holding ApS
• Original Assignee: Suntube Holding ApS
• Inventors: Vesborg, Peter Christian Kjaergaard
• Granted Patent: US 9,570,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/245
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/80 Airborne solar heat collector modules, e.g. inflatable structures
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/02 Ballasting means
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/10 extending in directions away from a supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/10 Supporting structures directly fixed to the ground H02S20/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 30/20 Collapsible or foldable PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49355 Solar energy device making

Abstract

An elongate photovoltaic (PV) module for use in a solar energy conversion plant for the production of electricity from incident light, the PV-module comprising a top portion with a support panel (G) carrying on a front side a plurality of electrically connected PV cells (D), and a transparent protective layer (A) sealed to the support panel (G) so as to encapsulate the PV-cells (D) between the support panel (G) and the protective layer (A), wherein prior to installation of the PV-module at the deployment site a collapsible portion of the PV-module is configured to be collapsible in a longitudinal direction by folding and/or rolling, wherein the collapsible portion includes at least the top portion, wherein the PV-module further comprises one or more integrated ballast chambers (I) in a bottom portion of the PV-module arranged on a rear side of the support panel (G), wherein said integrated ballast chamber (I) after installation of the PV-module at the deployment site contains an amount of a ballasting material (H) with a weight sufficient to immobilize the PV-module on a supporting surface of the deployment site under predetermined characteristic climate conditions for the deployment site.

Claims

1. Elongate photovoltaic (PV) module for use in a solar energy conversion plant for the production of electricity from incident light, the PV-module comprising a top portion with a support panel carrying on a front side a plurality of electrically connected PV cells, and a transparent protective layer sealed to the support panel so as to encapsulate the PV-cells between the support panel and the protective layer, wherein prior to installation of the PV-module at the deployment site a collapsible portion of the PV-module is configured to be collapsible in a longitudinal direction by folding and/or rolling, wherein the collapsible portion includes at least the top portion, characterised in that the PV-module further comprises one or more integrated ballast chambers in a bottom portion of the PV-module arranged on a rear side of the support panel, wherein said integrated ballast chamber after installation of the PV-module at the deployment site contains an amount of a ballasting material with a weight sufficient to immobilize the PV-module on a supporting surface of the deployment site under pre-determined characteristic climate conditions for the deployment site.

2. The PV-module according to claim 1, wherein the collapsible portion comprises relatively stiff sections that are hinged together in a longitudinal direction by relatively flexible sections allowing the relatively stiff sections to be folded onto each other about a folding line oriented transverse to the longitudinal direction.

3. The PV-module according to claim 1, wherein the collapsible portion also comprises the bottom portion.

4. The PV-module according to claim 1, wherein the module is configured for generating an electric power output of at least 1 kW.

5. The PV-module according to claim 1, wherein the PV-module in its deployed state is at least 30 m long and less than about 2 m wide.

6. The PV-module according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer is made of a flexible material, which upon installation is distended above the support panel by inflation and/or mechanical distension means so as to form a hollow space between the support panel and the protective top layer.

7. The PV-module according to claim 6, wherein the hollow space is filled with a protective atmosphere, wherein the protective atmosphere is controlled at least with respect to one or more parameters selected from a group of control parameters including composition, pressure, humidity, flow rate, re-circulation rate, re-circulation fraction, and temperature.

8. The PV-module according to claim 1, wherein the bottom portion is configured to maintain the support panel at a predetermined angle α

with the horizontal, so as to orient the PV-cells towards a principal direction of incidence of light.

9. The PV-module according to claim 1, wherein the bottom portion further comprises means for adjusting the tilt angle α

.

10. The PV-module according to claim 9, wherein the adjustment means include pneumatic actuation means.

11. The PV-module according to claim 1, wherein the PV-cells are coated with an antireflection coating and/or wherein reflective surfaces, collimating optics and/or focussing optics are provided in the vicinity of the PV-cells for directing sunlight onto the PV-cells.

12. The PV-module according to claim 1, wherein infrastructure means are provided for collecting, transferring and/or conditioning the electricity generated by the PV-cells for output to an output interface of the PV-module.

13. The PV-module according to claim 1, wherein the PV-module is covered by a separate sacrificial transparent protection sheet.

14. A Solar power plant comprising a plurality of PV-modules according to claim 1.

15. A method of installing an elongated PV-module at a deployment site for use in a large-scale solar energy conversion plant for the production of electricity, wherein the PV-module comprises a top portion having a support panel carrying on a front side electrically connected PV-cells and a transparent protective layer sealed to the support panel so as to encapsulate the PV-cells between the support panel and the protective layer, characterised in that the PV-module in its installed state further comprises one or more integrated ballast chambers in a bottom portion of the PV-module arranged on a rear side of the support panel, and that the method comprises the steps of:

providing both the top portion and the bottom portion at the deployment site, wherein at least the top portion is provided at the deployment site as a lengthwise collapsible portion of the PV-module in a collapsed state;

expanding the collapsible portion at the deployment site; and

filling the one or more ballast chambers through one or more openings in the bottom portion with an amount of a ballasting material having a weight sufficient to fix the PV-module to the supporting surface under pre-determined characteristic climate conditions for the deployment site.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the collapsible portion comprises the bottom portion attached to the rear side of the support panel such that the PV module is installed by expanding the collapsible portion directly onto the support surface, and filling the ballasting material into the one or more ballast chambers.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the PV-module is installed by laying out the bottom portion on the support surface, loading the one or more ballast chambers, and expanding and attaching the collapsible top portion onto the bottom portion.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of distending the protective layer above the support panel so as to form a hollow space between the protective layer and the PV-cells.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of maintaining a protective atmosphere within the hollow space, wherein the protective atmosphere is controlled at least with respect to one or more parameters selected from a group of control parameters including composition, pressure, humidity, flow rate, re-circulation rate, re-circulation fraction, and temperature.