SBIR Phase I: Activation Station Technology for In-line Solar String Inspection

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的广泛影响是使太阳能电池组件制造商能够实时进行质量控制。这有可能降低太阳能电池组件的成本，并将产量提高约26%。该技术的潜在客户是制造组件（称为“串”）的公司，特别是电池串工具的生产商。该系统还将在其他可再生能源市场上得到应用，例如，在真空沉积太阳能电池背面薄层之前，测试入射硅晶片的裂纹。在最初的商业化阶段，生产级系统将在国内生产，从而创造新的就业机会。在第一阶段，超声波技术公司将与一家美国模块生产商合作，在商业弦和生产环境中集成和验证原型。该项目将得到两个大学研究小组的支持，这两个小组在高科技生产设施中为研究生提供教育和培训。拟议的项目将展示一个多头激活站（AS）系统，通过一个特殊设计的多头真空吸盘，对管柱施加可控的机械应力。在测量管柱应力之后，快速测量由真空加载引起的单元响应挠度。这种偏转提供了一种敏感的方法来评估电池的机械完整性，并显示任何隐藏的看不见的裂缝。电池的偏转还可以实时控制串接工艺参数的紧密程度，例如退火温度、焊接厚度和焊接质量。一种新的AS方法用于快速在线检测串中的裂纹，将坚持每小时4,200个单元的吞出率或0.85秒的周期时间在现代生产串。同时，真空卡盘的设计将进行优化，以确保高水平的裂纹覆盖，这将通过实验进行量化。有限元分析模型将支持AS技术裂纹检测精度和灵敏度的实验数据。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to enable manufacturers of solar cell assemblies to conduct quality control in real time. potentially reducing the cost of the solar cell modules and increasing production by an estimated 26%. Prospective customers of the envisioned technology are firms that make the assemblies (known as "strings"), and specifically producers of cell stringer tools. The system will have other renewable market applications, such as testing cracks on incoming silicon wafers prior to vacuum deposition of thin layers for back-side solar cells. The production-grade systems at the initial commercialization step will be made domestically, creating new jobs. In Phase I, Ultrasonic Technologies will team with a US-based module producer to integrate and validate the prototype in a commercial stringer and production environment. The project will be supported by two university research teams which provide education and training of graduate students in a high-tech production facility. The proposed project will demonstrate a multi-head Activation Station (AS) system, using controllable mechanical stress applied to the cell string through a specially designed multi-head vacuum chuck. The string stressing is followed by fast measurements of the responding deflection of the cell caused by vacuum loading. This deflection provides a sensitive means to assess the cell's mechanical integrity and to exhibit any hidden invisible cracks. The cell deflection also provides real-time control for how tight the technological parameters are of the stringing processes, e.g., annealing temperature, soldering thickness and soldering quality. A new AS method for rapid in-line crack detection in strings will adhere to a throughput rate of 4,200 cells per hour or a cycle time of 0.85 seconds per cell in modern production stringers. In parallel, the vacuum chuck design will be optimized to assure a high level of crack coverage which will be quantified through experimentation. Finite Element Analyses model will support the experimental data of crack inspection accuracy and sensitivity of the AS technology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.