Monte-Carlo simulation of the cofiring process in polycrystalline silicon solar cells

Effects of material heterogeneity and thickness uncertainties

authored by: Seyed Roozbeh Nabavi, Felix Haase, Eelco Jansen, Raimund Rolfes
Abstract: During production, solar cells undergo significant thermomechanical loadings that lead to permanent deformations before being laminated in photovoltaic (PV) modules. One of these thermomechanical production processes is cofiring. In this work, the permanent deformation of solar cells after the cofiring process was investigated. The experimental measurements revealed a great scatter in the measured deflection at the deformed edges of the polycrystalline silicon solar cells after the cofiring process. A finite element (FE) framework was developed to investigate factors contributing to this scatter. The framework predicts the multistable response of the solar cell to the thermomechanical loading of the cofiring process. It accounts for the uncertainties arising from the heterogeneity of the polycrystalline silicon layer (grain orientations and non-uniform grain sizes) and uncertainties regarding the layer thicknesses of the silicon and aluminum paste. Employing the developed framework in a Monte-Carlo simulation the relative significance of the mentioned uncertainties on the deflection at the solar cell edge after the cofiring process was analyzed. Numerical results for a commercially produced polycrystalline silicon solar cell were compared with an analytical model and validated with experimental measurements.
Organisation(s): Institute of Structural Analysis
External Organisation(s): Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH)
Type: Article
Journal: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Volume: 170
Pages: 263-277
No. of pages: 15
ISSN: 0927-0248
Publication date: 27.06.2017
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Surfaces, Coatings and Films
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2017.06.012 (Access: Closed)