Estimation of thermal stress in concentrator cells using structural mechanics simulation

Abstract

Under the concentration conditions, it is important to manage the operating temperature of a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module, because a high-density solar energy enters into the solar cell. The estimation of operating temperature and mechanical stress is important for the solution of failure mechanisms. We estimated the operating temperature and thermal stress of the CPV module using structural mechanics simulation. In the case of the non-uniform light condition, inhomogeneous temperature distribution was generated in the solar cell and the highest thermal stress at the center of the finger electrode was observed. In the case of uniform light condition, the maximum temperature and thermal stress were suppressed. The developed model can be applied to the design optimization of CPV module which achieves low operating temperature and low thermal stress.