Laser-Welded Edge Seals for Glass/Glass PV Modules
DuraMAT will explore the viability of glass-to-glass laser welding for hermetically sealed photovoltaic (PV) modules.
Glass samples will be laser welded by industrial laser partners and then mechanically tested at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to determine the characteristic strength of the weld. A finite element model of a full-area module will use these input parameters to test the weld under simulated typical mechanical forces and loads experienced by fielded modules.
Core Objective
Location
NREL
Applications
This project will explore the use of industrial lasers to edge seal glass/glass modules. The seal should be as strong as the glass, hermetically tight, resulting in faster processing than traditional lamination and providing a step towards a polymer-free, recyclable-friendly PV module.
Availability
The final report on this project will be publicly available.
References
Cvecek et al., Optics Express, Vol 23 No. 5 5682, 2015, https://DOI.org/10.1364/OE.23.005681
Cvecek et al, Int. J. Extrem. Manuf. 1 (2019) 042001, https://doi.org/10.1088/2631-7990/ab55f6
Chen et al., Optics Letters, Vol. 44, No. 10, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.44.002570
Contact
To learn more about this project, contact David L. Young.
(top right) An industrial fiber laser welds glass-to-glass with high energy, ultra-short pulses of light. (Top left) Embossed glass provides relief for solar cell within the solar module and glass-to-glass edge contact for laser-welded seal. (bottom) Solar modules are edge-sealed with rastered lasers.
(top right) An industrial fiber laser welds glass-to-glass with high energy, ultra-short pulses of light. (Top left) Embossed glass provides relief for solar cell within the solar module and glass-to-glass edge contact for laser-welded seal. (bottom) Solar modules are edge-sealed with rastered lasers.
