Modification of fluorinated films by radiation to perform up and down spectral conversion for solar cell encapsulation

• Grant number: 13/13144-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2013
• End date: September 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Ademar Benévolo Lugão
• Grantee: Giovanni González Pérez
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Solar modules serve to generate electrical energy from sunlight. The solar photovoltaic devices are the most promising in the medium term to provide electrical power. A very important component in the production process is the encapsulation. The silicone solar cells have low mechanical strength and need protection or encapsulation into an environmentally stable laminate known as the encapsulant. The solar cells encapsulates provide electrical insulation and protection from the effects of mechanical loads and of weathering. The photovoltaic modules are generally comprised of a frontal layer made of a material with high permeability to light, usually comprised of fluropolymers compounds. The propose of this work is the modification of fluorinated films for solar cells frontsheet encapsulation and the change of the wavelength of the absorbed light by down-up conversion to improve solar cell efficiency. The properties of fluorinated polymers (solar cell encapsulation) are improved by modification with different lanthanide ions, which can modify the incident light spectrum. The modification of frontsheet by grafting materials is a good method to improve physical and chemical properties and down-up light conversion. The grafting materials are able to immobilization the lanthanide ions on the modified surface of fluoropolymer and to control ion concentration. Spectral conversion has the potential to enhance considerably the efficiency of photovoltaic cells; therefore, frontsheet will be developed and evaluated to determine the encapsulation degradation mechanism, techniques for eliminating or controlling degradation, and spectral conversion mechanisms