Design, Analysis, and Modeling of Curved Photovoltaic Surfaces Using Composite Materials
Currently, the use of photovoltaic solar energy has increased considerably due to the development of new materials and the ease to produce them, which has significantly reduced its acquisition costs. Most commercial photovoltaic modules have a flat geometry and are manufactured using metal reinforce...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano
2022-05-01
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| Series: | TecnoLógicas |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://revistas.itm.edu.co/index.php/tecnologicas/article/view/2171 |
| _version_ | 1818552529851514880 |
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| author | Gabriel Espitia-Mesa Efraín Hernández-Pedraza Santiago Molina-Tamayo Ricardo Mejía-Gutiérrez |
| author_facet | Gabriel Espitia-Mesa Efraín Hernández-Pedraza Santiago Molina-Tamayo Ricardo Mejía-Gutiérrez |
| author_sort | Gabriel Espitia-Mesa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Currently, the use of photovoltaic solar energy has increased considerably due to the development of new materials and the ease to produce them, which has significantly reduced its acquisition costs. Most commercial photovoltaic modules have a flat geometry and are manufactured using metal reinforcement plates and glass sheets, which limits their use in irregular surfaces such as roofs and facades (BIPV) and the transportation sector (VIPV). The purpose of this study is to analyze the design implications of curved photovoltaic surfaces using composite materials. Considering operation and maintenance requirements, the most suitable reinforcement and encapsulation materials are selected based on references and experimental tests. It was found that the maximum radius of curvature that a polycrystalline silicon cell with the dimensions of a SunPower C60 model can achieve is 6.51 m for a failure probability lower than 5 %, which allows us to define the maximum curvature that this photovoltaic surface can reach. Additionally, an analytical model of the reinforcement was implemented using macromechanical models in Matlab™, which was validated by the finite element method employing the composite materials module in Ansys®. Therefore, this paper presents a detailed analysis of the shear stresses between the layers and of the deformations generated in the curved solar panel reinforcement. Finally, under the operating conditions assumed here, carbon fiber presents the best structural behavior in the reinforcement material, while epoxy resin exhibits a better performance in the encapsulation material. These results can facilitate the manufacturing of curved photovoltaic surfaces. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:14:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6b2dbb0865c74e9c81e9828424d90cbe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0123-7799 2256-5337 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:14:24Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano |
| record_format | Article |
| series | TecnoLógicas |
| spelling | doaj.art-6b2dbb0865c74e9c81e9828424d90cbe2022-12-22T00:29:25ZengInstituto Tecnológico MetropolitanoTecnoLógicas0123-77992256-53372022-05-012553e2171e217110.22430/22565337.21712171Design, Analysis, and Modeling of Curved Photovoltaic Surfaces Using Composite MaterialsGabriel Espitia-Mesa0Efraín Hernández-Pedraza1Santiago Molina-Tamayo2Ricardo Mejía-Gutiérrez3Universidad EAFIT, ColombiaUniversidad EAFIT, ColombiaUniversidad Nacional de Colombia, ColombiaUniversidad EAFIT, ColombiaCurrently, the use of photovoltaic solar energy has increased considerably due to the development of new materials and the ease to produce them, which has significantly reduced its acquisition costs. Most commercial photovoltaic modules have a flat geometry and are manufactured using metal reinforcement plates and glass sheets, which limits their use in irregular surfaces such as roofs and facades (BIPV) and the transportation sector (VIPV). The purpose of this study is to analyze the design implications of curved photovoltaic surfaces using composite materials. Considering operation and maintenance requirements, the most suitable reinforcement and encapsulation materials are selected based on references and experimental tests. It was found that the maximum radius of curvature that a polycrystalline silicon cell with the dimensions of a SunPower C60 model can achieve is 6.51 m for a failure probability lower than 5 %, which allows us to define the maximum curvature that this photovoltaic surface can reach. Additionally, an analytical model of the reinforcement was implemented using macromechanical models in Matlab™, which was validated by the finite element method employing the composite materials module in Ansys®. Therefore, this paper presents a detailed analysis of the shear stresses between the layers and of the deformations generated in the curved solar panel reinforcement. Finally, under the operating conditions assumed here, carbon fiber presents the best structural behavior in the reinforcement material, while epoxy resin exhibits a better performance in the encapsulation material. These results can facilitate the manufacturing of curved photovoltaic surfaces.https://revistas.itm.edu.co/index.php/tecnologicas/article/view/2171solar energyphotovoltaic surfacescurved solar panelbuilding-integrated photovoltaics (bipv)vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (vipv) |
| spellingShingle | Gabriel Espitia-Mesa Efraín Hernández-Pedraza Santiago Molina-Tamayo Ricardo Mejía-Gutiérrez Design, Analysis, and Modeling of Curved Photovoltaic Surfaces Using Composite Materials TecnoLógicas solar energy photovoltaic surfaces curved solar panel building-integrated photovoltaics (bipv) vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (vipv) |
| title | Design, Analysis, and Modeling of Curved Photovoltaic Surfaces Using Composite Materials |
| title_full | Design, Analysis, and Modeling of Curved Photovoltaic Surfaces Using Composite Materials |
| title_fullStr | Design, Analysis, and Modeling of Curved Photovoltaic Surfaces Using Composite Materials |
| title_full_unstemmed | Design, Analysis, and Modeling of Curved Photovoltaic Surfaces Using Composite Materials |
| title_short | Design, Analysis, and Modeling of Curved Photovoltaic Surfaces Using Composite Materials |
| title_sort | design analysis and modeling of curved photovoltaic surfaces using composite materials |
| topic | solar energy photovoltaic surfaces curved solar panel building-integrated photovoltaics (bipv) vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (vipv) |
| url | https://revistas.itm.edu.co/index.php/tecnologicas/article/view/2171 |
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