Patent Description:
A photovoltaic module, also known as a solar panel, is configured to generate electricity through the "photovoltaic effect". The photovoltaic module is the core part of the solar power generation system. With the popularization of the policy of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, environmentally friendly buildings have become the main theme of the industry. A foldable flexible photovoltaic module is used as a shade or a sun visor for building doors and windows, motorhomes, etc. In response to a flexible photovoltaic module being unfolded, the flexible photovoltaic module not only provides shelter, but also generates electricity. Due to the small occupied area after being folded, the foldable flexible photovoltaic module is easy to be stored, which makes the foldable flexible photovoltaic module increasingly popular.

However, at present, the photovoltaic module has poor folding performance. For example, in<NPL>), the increasing demand for photovoltaic (PV) electricity has resulted in wider usage for many applications. Current dominant PV electrical sources use crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar modules. These would provide greater potential as an energy source if they could be installed to any surface with a curvature, for example integration into buildings, and would perform better under omni-directional incident light, which is not considered in the design of current modules. In this study, we propose an1 origami-type foldable c-Si solar cell module by introducing a tessellated module design and textile-based woven metal connections to overcome the limitations of using c-Si solar cell modules on curved surfaces and under various light conditions. For the proposed module, two main concepts are introduced: a tessellation design for rigid folding and stretchable textile-based metal connections. The flexible crease pattern and interconnection allows the modules to be folded up to <NUM>°, and a diagonal force on the metal textile can be induced on the inter-module connections using rotating wires. These features allow solar cell modules to cover an arbitrary surface without electrical degradation. Tessellating the module allows for maximum potential using the origami design when applied to both flat and curved surfaces. The origami-type foldable tessellated modules performed better than conventional modules. Their energy production under various angles of incident light is higher per day than that of flat modules, even during periods of lower intensity sunlight from a low solar altitude. These findings demonstrate a new approach to extend the usage of c-Si solar cells.

The embodiments of the present application provide a photovoltaic module and a method for preparing a photovoltaic module, which are at least beneficial for improving the folding performance of the photovoltaic module. The invention relates to a photovoltaic module set forth in claim <NUM> and to a method for preparing the same set forth in claim <NUM>.

A photovoltaic module is provided according to the embodiments of the present application, the photovoltaic module includes multiple cell sheets arranged in an array including multiple rows and multiple columns, where each row of the multiple rows includes a set of cell sheets arranged at intervals along a first direction, each column of the multiple columns includes a set of cell sheets arranged at intervals along a second direction, and each cell sheet of the multiple cell sheets has a first surface and a second surface. The photovoltaic module further includes multiple support plates arranged at intervals, where each of the multiple support plates extends along the first direction or the second direction, and each of the multiple support plates is arranged on the second surface of each cell sheet of a respective row of the multiple rows or a respective column of the multiple columns of cell sheets. The photovoltaic module further includes a first flexible cover layer arranged on a side of the first surface of each of the multiple cell sheets, and a second flexible cover layer arranged on a side of the each of the multiple support plates away from the multiple cell sheets.

In some embodiments, each of the multiple support plates has a thickness of <NUM> to <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the multiple support plates are in a one-to-one correspondence to the multiple columns of cell sheets or the multiple rows of cell sheets.

According to the invention, along a direction in which the multiple support plates are arranged, at least one of two outermost support plates is not provided with any of the multiple cell sheets on a surface of each of the two outermost support plates.

In some embodiments, a material of each of the multiple support plates includes either a metal material or a fiberglass composite material.

In some embodiments, two adjacent cell sheets in each of the multiple columns of cell sheets are connected in series, and each of the multiple columns of cell sheets is used to form a cell string.

In some embodiments, two adjacent cell strings are connected in series, and a distance between the two adjacent cell strings is <NUM> to <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the photovoltaic module further includes a busbar arranged on the first surface or the second surface of the cell sheet, where the busbar extends along the first direction, the busbar is configured to be electrically connected to two outermost two cell strings in which a positive electrode of one of the two outermost cell strings and a negative electrode of the other cell string are connected to the busbar, and the busbar is further configured to connect the two adjacent cell strings in series.

In some embodiments, two adjacent cell strings are connected in parallel, and a distance between the two adjacent cell strings is <NUM> to <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the photovoltaic module further includes a busbar arranged on the first surface or the second surface of the cell sheet, the busbar extends along the second direction, and the busbar is configured to be electrically connected to two outermost cell sheets in the cell string.

In some embodiments, a flexible welding strip configured to connect two adjacent cell sheets in series, where the flexible welding strip has a thickness of <NUM> to <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the photovoltaic module further includes a first adhesive film and a second adhesive film, where the first adhesive film is arranged between the first flexible cover layer and the multiple cell sheets, and the second adhesive film is arranged between the multiple support plates and the multiple cell sheets.

Correspondingly, a method for preparing a photovoltaic module is further provided according to the embodiments of the present application, which is applied to any of the above photovoltaic modules, and the method includes providing multiple cell sheets, providing a second flexible cover layer; arranging multiple support plates at intervals on a surface of the second flexible cover layer, and laying the multiple cell sheets on the multiple support plates, whereby the multiple cell sheets are arranged in an array including multiple rows and multiple columns, each row of the multiple rows includes a set of cell sheets arranged at intervals along a first direction, each column of the multiple columns includes a set of cell sheets arranged at intervals along a second direction, and each respective row of the multiple rows of cell sheets or each respective column of the multiple columns of cell sheets is arranged on a surface of a respective support plate of the multiple support plates. The method further includes laying a first flexible cover layer on a surface of each of the multiple cell sheets.

One or more embodiments are described as examples with reference to the corresponding figures in the accompanying drawings, and the exemplary description does not constitute a limitation to the embodiments. The figures in the accompanying drawings do not constitute a proportion limitation unless otherwise stated.

It can be seen from the background technology that the folding performance of the photovoltaic module in the prior art is poor.

It is found in analysis that one of the reasons for the poor folding performance of the photovoltaic module is that in a foldable photovoltaic module in the prior art, one kind of the photovoltaic module is to replace only the cover plates arranged on two surfaces of the cell sheet with flexible front plates or flexible rear plates, so that the photovoltaic module is bent within the curvature radius of the flexible front plate and the flexible rear plate. However, the degree of bending of this kind of the photovoltaic module is limited and cannot be folded and stored. Another kind of foldable photovoltaic module mainly involves connecting two or more photovoltaic modules together through connecting components, and folding multiple photovoltaic modules up and down. However, this folding method cannot achieve folding within a single photovoltaic module, resulting in a relatively large volume of the folded photovoltaic module and difficult to be carried.

In the photovoltaic module provided according to the embodiments of the present application, the first flexible cover layer and the second flexible cover layer are arranged, so that the multiple cell sheets can be folded. Each of the multiple support plates is arranged on the second surface of each of the multiple rows of cell sheets or each of the multiple columns of cell sheets. On the one hand, the multiple support plates are configured to support the multiple cell sheets, and prevent the multiple cell sheet from breaking. On the other hand, in response to the photovoltaic module being folded, the photovoltaic module can be folded along a gap between adjacent support plates. That is, the folding between multiple cell sheets can be implemented by folding between adjacent support plates, which is conducive to the folding and storing of the photovoltaic module, to achieve folding within a single photovoltaic module, thereby improving the folding performance of the photovoltaic module.

The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that, in various embodiment of the present application, many technical details are set forth in order to provide the reader with a better understanding of the present application. However, the technical solutions claimed in the present application may be realized even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments.

<FIG> is a schematic structural view of a photovoltaic module provided according to an embodiment of the present application. <FIG> is a schematic structural view of another photovoltaic module provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

Referring to <FIG>, the photovoltaic module includes: multiple cell sheets <NUM> arranged in an array including multiple rows and multiple columns, where each row of the multiple rows includes a set of cell sheets <NUM> arranged at intervals along a first direction X, each column of the multiple columns includes a set of cell sheets <NUM> arranged at intervals along a second direction Y, and each cell sheet <NUM> of the multiple cell sheets <NUM> has a first surface and a second surface. The photovoltaic module further includes multiple support plates <NUM> arranged at intervals, where each of the multiple support plates <NUM> extends along the first direction X or the second direction Y, and each of the multiple support plates <NUM> is arranged on the second surface of each cell sheet <NUM> of a respective row of the multiple rows or a respective column of the multiple columns of cell sheets <NUM>. The photovoltaic module further includes a first flexible cover layer <NUM> arranged on a side of the first surface of each of the multiple cell sheets <NUM>, and a second flexible cover layer <NUM> arranged on a side of the each of the multiple support plates <NUM> away from the multiple cell sheets <NUM>.

Each of the multiple cell sheets <NUM> is configured to absorb photons from incident light and generate electron hole pairs. The electron hole pairs are separated by the built-in electric field in the cell sheet <NUM>, to generate potential at both ends of a PN junction, thereby converting light energy into electrical energy. In some embodiments, the first surface of the cell sheet <NUM> serves as the receiving surface for absorbing incident light. In other embodiments, both the first surface and the second surface of the cell sheet <NUM> serve as receiving surfaces for absorbing incident light. In some embodiments, the cell sheet <NUM> is a crystalline silicon solar cell, such as a monocrystalline silicon solar cell or a polycrystalline silicon solar cell. It can be understood that in some embodiments, the cell sheet <NUM> is a whole or multiple pieces (such as <NUM>/<NUM> equal pieces, <NUM>/<NUM> equal pieces, <NUM>/<NUM> equal pieces, etc.).

The first flexible cover layer <NUM> and the second flexible cover layer <NUM> are respectively arranged on two opposite surfaces of the cell sheet <NUM>. The materials of the first flexible cover layer <NUM> and the second flexible cover layer <NUM> can be selected to have good flexibility, insulation, water resistance, and aging resistance. In this way, the first flexible cover layer <NUM> and the second flexible cover layer <NUM> can effectively protect and seal the cell sheet <NUM>. Meanwhile, due to the good flexibility of the first flexible cover layer <NUM> and the second flexible cover layer <NUM>, the entire photovoltaic module is easy to be folded.

Specifically, in some embodiments, the first flexible cover layer is a flexible cover plate. Each of the multiple support plates <NUM> is arranged on the second surface of each of the multiple cell sheets <NUM>, so that each of the multiple support plates <NUM> not only supports and fixes the multiple cell sheets <NUM>, but also provides protection for the multiple cell sheets <NUM>. Due to the fact that the first flexible cover layer <NUM> is arranged on a side of the cell sheet <NUM> away from the surface of the support plate <NUM>, in order to provide protection for the first surface of the cell sheet <NUM>, it is possible to arrange the first flexible cover layer <NUM> to not only have flexibility but also have a certain degree of toughness, which can not only achieve the folding of the photovoltaic module, but also provide good protection for the first surface of the cell sheet <NUM>. Specifically, in some embodiments, the flexible cover plate can be made of materials that are resistant to environmental aging and scratching, such as polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), or ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE).

In some embodiments, the second flexible cover layer <NUM> is an insulating cloth. It can be understood that due to the fact that the second flexible cover layer <NUM> is arranged on the side of the support plate <NUM> away from the cell sheet <NUM>, and each of the multiple support plates <NUM> has a relatively high hardness, so that the multiple support plates <NUM> have a good protective effect on the multiple cell sheets <NUM>, that is, for the second surface of each of the multiple cell sheets <NUM>, the multiple support plates <NUM> have already played a protective role. Based on this, in order to improve the flexibility of the photovoltaic module, the second flexible cover layer <NUM> is embodied as the insulation cloth. On the one hand, the insulating cloth can prevent the electricity leakage of the multiple cell sheets <NUM> and make the multiple cell sheets <NUM> to be functional. On the other hand, the insulating cloth has great flexibility, which can further improve the folding performance of the multiple cell sheets <NUM>.

In addition, the second flexible cover layer <NUM> is embodied as an insulating cloth, and the light transmission performance of the insulating cloth can also be set to set the shading performance of the photovoltaic module. For example, in response to good shading performance being needed, the insulation cloth can be set with a darker color to block the incident light. In response to good transparency being needed, the insulation cloth can be set to have good transparency, so that after the photovoltaic module is unfolded, some of the incident light can pass through the gaps between adjacent cell sheets in the photovoltaic module.

A row of cell sheets <NUM> or a column of cell sheets <NUM> are arranged on the surface of each of the multiple support plates <NUM>, and the cell sheets <NUM> are fixed on the surface of each of the multiple support plates <NUM>. In some embodiments, the second surface of the cell sheet <NUM> and the surface of the support plate <NUM> can be fixed by adhesive. That is to say, each of the multiple support plates <NUM> serves as a support and fixation for a row of cell sheets <NUM> or a column of cell sheets <NUM>. In this way, in response to the photovoltaic module being folded, it is only necessary to fold along the gap between adjacent support plates <NUM>, so that two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM> or two adjacent columns of cell sheets <NUM> can be folded. In this way, the method for folding the photovoltaic module is similar to the method for folding louvers, thereby the photovoltaic module being enabled to be better applied as curtains on windows to meet the needs of users.

In addition, due to the large number of cell sheets <NUM> in the photovoltaic module, without the multiple support plates <NUM>, it is likely to have cell sheets <NUM> being bent due to interfere happened in response to the photovoltaic module being folded, resulting in damage to the multiple cell sheets <NUM>. The multiple support plates <NUM> allow the method for folding the photovoltaic module to be customized, that is, the photovoltaic module can be folded only along the gap between the two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM> or only along the gap between two adjacent columns of cell sheets <NUM>, which improves the folding performance of the multiple cell sheets <NUM> while keeping the multiple cell sheets <NUM> undamaged.

Specifically, referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, multiple support plates <NUM> are arranged at intervals along the second direction Y, each of the multiple support plate <NUM> extends along the first direction X, and each of the multiple support plates <NUM> is arranged on the second surface of each of the multiple rows of cell sheets <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, in other embodiments, multiple support plates <NUM> are arranged at intervals along the first direction X, each of the multiple support plate <NUM> extends along the second direction Y, and each of the multiple support plates <NUM> is arranged on the second surface of each of the multiple columns of cell sheets <NUM>.

It can be understood that in response to photovoltaic module being folded, the photovoltaic module is folded along the gap between the two adjacent support plates <NUM>, and a folding angle included in the two adjacent support plates <NUM> is of great significance to the folding angle of the entire photovoltaic module. In response to the thickness of the support plate <NUM> being too large, and folding one support plate <NUM> onto the surface of an adjacent support plate <NUM>, side walls of the two adjacent support plates <NUM> are abutted against each other, resulting in a problem where the folding angle between the two adjacent support plates <NUM> cannot be further reduced. In addition, in response to the thickness of the support plate <NUM> being too small, it will not be able to provide good support and protection for the multiple cell sheets <NUM>. Based on this, in some embodiments, each of the multiple support plates has a thickness of 20µmto <NUM>. For example, it may be <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, or <NUM> to <NUM>. Within this thickness range, on the one hand, the thickness of the support plate <NUM> is reduced, which can solve the problem where the two adjacent support plates <NUM> cannot be further folded due to side walls of the two adjacent support plates <NUM> being abutted against each other during the folding process of the photovoltaic module, thereby improving the folding performance of the photovoltaic module. On the other hand, within this range, the thickness of the support plate <NUM> is too small, which can also provide good support and protection for the multiple cell sheets <NUM> and improve the quality of the photovoltaic module.

In some embodiments, the multiple support plates are in a one-to-one correspondence to the multiple columns of cell sheets or the multiple rows of cell sheets. Specifically, in response to the multiple support plates <NUM> being arranged in the same way as multiple columns of cell sheets <NUM> being arranged, each of the multiple support plates <NUM> is arranged on the second surface of each column of cell sheets <NUM>. In response to the multiple support plates <NUM> being arranged in the same way as multiple rows of cell sheets <NUM> being arranged, each of the multiple support plates <NUM> is arranged on the second surface of each row of cell sheets <NUM>.

According to the invention, along a direction in which the multiple support plates <NUM> are arranged, at least one of two outermost support plates <NUM> is not provided with any of the multiple cell sheets <NUM> on a surface of each of the two outermost support plates <NUM>. In some embodiments, in the multiple support plates <NUM> arranged at intervals, one of the two outermost support plates <NUM> is not provided with any of the multiple cell sheets <NUM> on the surface. In other embodiments, in the multiple support plates <NUM> arranged at intervals, two outermost support plates <NUM> are both not provided with any of the multiple cell sheets <NUM> on the surface. For example, in response to one support plate <NUM> is arranged on the second surface of a column of cell sheets <NUM>, there is a distance between the outermost column of cell sheets <NUM> and the side edge of the photovoltaic module being equal to the width of one support plate <NUM>, and the one support plate is not provided with any of the multiple cell sheets <NUM>. That is, compared to a solution in which a cell sheet <NUM> is provided on the surface of each of the multiple support plates <NUM>, at least one of two outermost support plates <NUM> is not provided with any of the multiple cell sheets <NUM> on a surface of each of the outermost support plates <NUM>, which can decrease the number of cell sheets <NUM>, and increase the distance between the outermost column of cell sheets <NUM> and the side edge of the photovoltaic module, thereby increasing the creepage distance of the photovoltaic module. It can be understood that the side edge of the photovoltaic module referred to here as a side edge of the photovoltaic module arranged opposite to the outermost row of cell sheets <NUM>.

In addition, at least one of two outermost support plates <NUM> is not provided with any of the multiple cell sheets <NUM> on a surface of each of the outermost support plates <NUM>, so that there is sufficient space for placing the junction box, which not only facilitates hiding the junction box, but also does not affect the overall integrity of the circuit, thereby ensuring the aesthetic appearance of the photovoltaic module.

In some embodiments, the material of each of the multiple support plates <NUM> includes either a metal material or a fiberglass composite material. The metal material and the fiberglass composite material have high hardness, which can provide good support for the multiple cell sheets <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, in some embodiments, two adjacent cell sheets <NUM> in a column of cell sheets <NUM> are connected in series, and each column of cell sheets <NUM> is used to form a cell string <NUM> (shown in dashed boxes in <FIG> and <FIG>). Specifically, in some embodiments, the photovoltaic module further includes: a flexible welding strip configured to connect two adjacent cell sheets <NUM> in series, and the flexible welding strip has a thickness of <NUM> to <NUM>. The flexible welding strip is arranged on the surface of the cell sheet <NUM>. Specifically, the flexible welding strip is arranged can be arranged on the surface of a busbar of the cell sheet <NUM> and is configured to connect to two adjacent cell sheets <NUM>, to achieve electrical connection between the two adjacent cell sheets <NUM>. The flexible welding strip has good flexibility, which can achieve the folding of two adjacent cell sheets <NUM> in the cell string <NUM>, while also maintaining the normal current transmission performance of the flexible welding strip.

In some embodiments, one end of the flexible welding strip is electrically connected to the first surface of the cell sheet <NUM>, and the other end of the flexible welding strip is electrically connected to the second surface of an adjacent cell sheet <NUM> to form an electrical connection between the two cell sheets <NUM>. In other embodiments, one end of the flexible welding strip is electrically connected to the first surface of a cell sheet <NUM>, the other end of the flexible welding strip is electrically connected to the first surface of an adjacent cell sheet <NUM>, or one end of the flexible welding strip is electrically connected to the second surface of a cell sheet <NUM>, and the other end of the flexible welding strip is electrically connected to the second surface of an adjacent cell sheet <NUM> to form an electrical connection between adjacent cell sheets <NUM>. In some embodiments, the shape of the flexible welding strip may be any of circular, rectangular, trapezoidal, or triangular. The flexible welding strip with the above shape has a larger thickness, which can improve the current transmission performance of the flexible welding strip.

It can be understood that in response to the flexible welding strip having a constant length, the thicker the flexible welding strip is, the harder to bend the flexible welding strip. The flexible welding strip has a thickness of <NUM> to <NUM>. Within the above thickness range, the flexible welding strip is not too thick to prevent the problem of folding between adjacent cell sheets <NUM> along the gap in a cell string, which limits the folding angle between adjacent cell sheets <NUM> due to the excessive thickness of the flexible welding strip. On the other hand, within this range, the thickness of the flexible welding strip is not too small, which can maintain the good current transmission performance of the flexible welding strip and improve the current collection capacity of the photovoltaic module. Specifically, in some embodiments, the flexible welding strip has a thickness of <NUM> to <NUM>. For example, it may be <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, or <NUM> to <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, two adjacent cell strings are connected in series. That is to say, in the photovoltaic modules, all electrical connections between the multiple cell sheets <NUM> are series connection, that is, the circuit composed of multiple cell sheets <NUM> in the photovoltaic module is a series circuit. In some embodiments, adjacent cell strings can also be electrically connected by the flexible welding strips.

Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, the photovoltaic module further includes a busbar <NUM> located on the first surface or the second surface of the cell sheet <NUM>. Based on the series circuit formed by the multiple cell sheets <NUM> in the photovoltaic module, the busbar <NUM> extends along the first direction X. The busbar <NUM> is configured to be electrically connected to two outermost two cell strings in which a positive electrode of one of the two outermost cell strings and a negative electrode of the other cell string are connected to the busbar <NUM>, and the busbar <NUM> is further configured to connect two adjacent cell strings in series. The positive electrode of a cell string refers to the input current end of the cell string, while the negative electrode of a cell string refers to the output current end of the cell string. One end of the current input in the cell string is located in the cell sheet <NUM> at the first stage, which can be the positive electrode of the cell sheet <NUM>. One end of the current output in the cell string is located in the cell sheet <NUM> at the last stage, which can be the negative electrode of the cell sheet <NUM>. The first stage refers to the cell sheet <NUM> in a cell string where the input end of the current is located, and the last stage refers to the cell sheet <NUM> in a cell string where the output end of the current is located. Specifically, each cell sheet <NUM> has an input end and an output end for current, that is, each cell sheet <NUM> has a positive electrode and a negative electrode. The negative electrode of a cell sheet <NUM> is electrically connected to the positive electrode of an adjacent cell sheet <NUM>, to form a series circuit.

The busbar <NUM> extends in the first direction X, that is, the extension direction of the busbar <NUM> is the same as the direction in which the multiple cell strings are arranged, so that one end of the busbar <NUM> is electrically connected to one of the positive or negative electrodes arranged in one of the two outermost cell strings, and the other end of the busbar <NUM> is electrically connected to the other of the positive or negative electrodes arranged in the outermost cell string, thereby collecting the current of the entire circuit composed of cell sheets <NUM> in the photovoltaic module. Moreover, the two adjacent cell strings are electrically connected through a busbar to form a series circuit, and the busbar located between the two adjacent cell strings extends in the first direction X, to connect the first stage of one cell string and the last stage of the adjacent cell string, respectively.

It is not difficult to find that the busbar <NUM> extends along the first direction X, so that the extension direction of the busbar <NUM> is the same as the direction in which each row of cell sheets <NUM> is arranged. In order to prevent the busbar <NUM> from being folded, resulting in damage to the busbar <NUM> or breaking of the busbar <NUM> during folding the photovoltaic module, the extension direction of the multiple support plates <NUM> is set to be the same as the extension direction of the busbar <NUM>. Therefore, in response to the photovoltaic module being folded along the gap between adjacent support plates <NUM>, the busbar <NUM> will not be folded, which can prevent the busbar <NUM> from breaking. Reference is made to <FIG> for details, the dashed line in <FIG> represents the folding line of the photovoltaic module, which is folded along the folding line.

In addition, due to the fact that busbar <NUM> is not folded during the folding process of the photovoltaic module, in some embodiments, the busbar <NUM> is made of harder and thicker materials, which can ensure that busbar <NUM> has good current transmission performance and good current collection ability. In other embodiments, the busbar <NUM> may also be made of flexible materials.

It can be understood that in response to the photovoltaic module being folded, one row of cell sheets <NUM> is folded towards the adjacent row of cell sheets <NUM>, or a column of cell sheets <NUM> is folded towards the adjacent row of cell sheets <NUM>. That is to say, the two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM> are folded over each other or the two adjacent columns of cell sheets <NUM> are folded over each other. Therefore, it is necessary to set the thickness of each of the cell sheets <NUM> not to be too large to avoid the problem of the two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM> or adjacent two columns of cell sheets <NUM> being folded against each other, which causes the a side edge of a cell sheet to be abut against a side edge of an adjacent cell sheet <NUM> due to the excessive thickness of the cell sheets <NUM>, makes it impossible for the photovoltaic module to be further folded, and makes the folding angle unable to be further reduced. Based on the above considerations, in some embodiments, the thickness of the cell sheet is <NUM> to <NUM>. For example, it may be <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, or <NUM> to <NUM>. Within this range, the thickness of the cell sheets <NUM> is relatively small, which is beneficial for the formation of a lightweight photovoltaic module. In addition, within this range, the probability of a side edge of a cell sheet abutting against a side edge of an adjacent cell sheet <NUM> along a direction in which the two adjacent cell sheets are getting close to each other is reduced, so that the folding angle between two adjacent cell sheets <NUM> is relatively small, which is conducive to the storage of the photovoltaic module. In addition, within this range, the thickness of the cell sheet <NUM> is not too small, thereby ensuring the photoelectric conversion performance of the cell sheet <NUM>.

In some embodiments, in response to two adjacent cell strings being connected in series, a distance between the two adjacent rows of cell sheets is <NUM> to <NUM>, for example, it may be <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, or <NUM> to <NUM>. It can be understood that in response to the photovoltaic module being folded along the gap between two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM>, the folding angle between the two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM> is related to the thickness of the cell sheets <NUM> and the distance between the two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM>. In response to the two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM> being folded towards each other, and the distance between the two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM> being too small, the side edges of the adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM> are abutted against each other. In addition, in response to the thickness of the cell sheet <NUM> being too large, it will also cause the side edges of the adjacent two cell sheets <NUM> to be abutted against each other, resulting in a problem where the folding angle between the adjacent two cell sheets <NUM> cannot be further reduced. In addition, in response to the photovoltaic module being folded along the gap between two adjacent support plates <NUM>, it can be either two rows of cell sheets <NUM> folded over each other, that is, two rows of cell sheets <NUM> are folded to close to each other, or two support plates <NUM> are folded over each other, that is, two support plates <NUM> are folded towards each other to close to each other. Therefore, in response to the thickness of the support plate <NUM> being too large, side edges of the two adjacent support plates <NUM> getting close to each other are abutted against each other, resulting in the problem of the folding angle between the two support plates <NUM> being unable to be further reduced.

Based on the above considerations, the distance between two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM> is set to be within this range, so that the distance between two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM> matches the thickness of the cell sheets <NUM>, and the distance between two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM> is sufficient to accommodate the total thickness of two stacked cell sheets <NUM>, and thus the folding angle between adjacent two cell sheets <NUM> can reach <NUM> degree. In addition, the distance between the two adjacent rows of cell sheets <NUM> is enough to accommodate the total thickness of two stacked support plates, so that the folding angle between adjacent two cell sheets <NUM> can reach <NUM> degree, which greatly improves the folding performance and the storing performance of the photovoltaic module.

Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, two adjacent cell strings are connected in parallel. That is to say, in the photovoltaic module, the electrical connection between the cell sheets <NUM> is a series-parallel connection. In some embodiments, two adjacent cell strings can be electrically connected by the flexible welding strip.

Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, in response to two adjacent cell strings being connected in parallel, the busbar <NUM> extends along the second direction Y, and the busbar <NUM> is configured to electrically connect the two outermost cell sheets <NUM> in a cell string. The two outermost cell sheets <NUM> in a cell string serve as the current input and current output ends of the cell string, respectively. Among them, the cell sheet <NUM>, which serves as the current input end, is in the first stage in the cell string, and the cell sheet <NUM>, which serves as the current output end, is in the last stage in the cell string. That is to say, one end of busbar <NUM> is configured to electrically connect to the first stage of the cell string, and the other end of busbar <NUM> is configured to electrically connect to the last stage of the cell string, so that the busbar <NUM> can collect the current transmitted in each of the multiple cell strings. Specifically, the busbar <NUM> can only be electrically connected to the first stage and the last stage of the outermost cell string. In some embodiments, parallel connection can also be formed between two adjacent cell strings by the busbar <NUM>, and the busbar <NUM> between adjacent cell strings extends along the second direction Y.

In response to two adjacent cell strings being connected in parallel, one support plate <NUM> can be arranged on the second surfaces of multiple cell sheets <NUM> in the cell string, so that the photovoltaic module is folded along the gap between two adjacent cell strings, which can prevent the problem of loss or even fracture of the busbar <NUM> during the folding process of the photovoltaic module. Reference is made to <FIG> for details. The dashed line in <FIG> represents the folding line of the photovoltaic module. That is, the photovoltaic module is folded along the folding line.

In some embodiments, in response to two adjacent cell strings being connected in parallel, the distance between the two adjacent columns of cell sheets is <NUM> to <NUM>. For example, it may be <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, or <NUM> to <NUM>. Within this range, the distance between two adjacent columns of cell sheets <NUM> is matched with the thickness of the support plate <NUM>, which makes the distance between two adjacent columns of cell sheets <NUM> sufficient to accommodate the total thickness of the two stacked cell sheets <NUM> to achieve a folding angle of <NUM> degree between adjacent two cell sheets <NUM>. Moreover, the distance between the two adjacent columns of cell sheets <NUM> sufficient to accommodate the total thickness of the two support plates <NUM> after being stacked, to achieve a folding angle of <NUM> degree between the adjacent two support plates <NUM>, thereby greatly improving the folding performance and the storing performance of the photovoltaic module.

In some embodiments, the photovoltaic module includes a central region and a peripheral region. The cell string is located in the central region, and the photovoltaic module further includes a junction box <NUM>. The junction box <NUM> is located in the peripheral region of the photovoltaic module, and the junction box <NUM> is located on a side of the busbar <NUM> away from the cell string. The junction box <NUM> serves as a connecting device configured to connect the busbar <NUM> to external circuits and transport the current from the busbar <NUM> to external circuits. The junction box <NUM> in arranged in the peripheral region of the photovoltaic module, which makes it easy to combine the photovoltaic module with the window and hide the junction box <NUM> without affecting the integrity of the circuit.

Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, the photovoltaic module further includes: a first adhesive film <NUM> and a second adhesive film <NUM>. The first adhesive film <NUM> is arranged between the first flexible cover layer <NUM> and the multiple cell sheets <NUM>, and the second adhesive film <NUM> is arranged between the multiple support plates <NUM> and the multiple cell sheets <NUM>. The first adhesive film <NUM> and the second adhesive film <NUM> are configured to encapsulate the multiple cell sheets <NUM>, and adhere the multiple cell sheets <NUM> to the first flexible cover layer <NUM>, and adhere the multiple cell sheets <NUM> to the multiple support plates <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the first adhesive film <NUM> and the second adhesive film <NUM> are at least one of a POE adhesive film or an EVA adhesive film. The POE adhesive film has excellent water vapor barrier and ion barrier capabilities, and does not produce acidic substances during aging. That is, the POE adhesive film has excellent anti-aging performance and anti-potential induced degradation (anti-PID) effect. The EVA adhesive film can facilitate the smooth passage of short wavelength incident light, thereby increasing the absorption and utilization of incident light by the cell sheet <NUM>. In some embodiments, both the first adhesive film <NUM> and the second adhesive film <NUM> are POE adhesive films. In other embodiments, the first adhesive film <NUM> and the second adhesive film <NUM> are be EVA adhesive films. In some other embodiments, both the first adhesive film <NUM> and the second adhesive film <NUM> include POE materials and EVA materials. For example, the first adhesive film <NUM> and the second adhesive film <NUM> are composite adhesive films, which are composed of the POE adhesive film and the EVA adhesive film.

In other embodiments, the photovoltaic module further includes a third adhesive film <NUM> arranged between the multiple support plates <NUM> and the second flexible cover layer <NUM>, and the third adhesive film <NUM> is configured to adhere the multiple support plates <NUM> to the insulating cloth. The material of the third adhesive film <NUM> can be the same as that of the second adhesive film <NUM> and the first adhesive film <NUM>.

The overall thickness of the photovoltaic module also plays an important role in the folding performance of the photovoltaic module. In response to the overall thickness of the photovoltaic module being small, the thickness of the first flexible cover layer <NUM>, the thickness of the first adhesive film <NUM>, the thickness of the second adhesive film <NUM>, and the thickness of the second flexible cover layer <NUM> are all relatively small, resulting in a smaller bending radius of the first flexible cover layer <NUM>, the first adhesive film <NUM>, the second adhesive film <NUM>, and the second flexible cover layer <NUM>, so that the overall bending resistance of the photovoltaic module is reduced, which is beneficial for bending the first flexible cover layer <NUM>, the first adhesive film <NUM>, the second adhesive film <NUM>, and the second flexible cover layer <NUM> in the photovoltaic module, thereby improving the overall folding performance of the photovoltaic module. However, considering the sealing and protective effects of the first flexible cover layer <NUM>, the first adhesive film <NUM>, the second adhesive film <NUM>, and the second flexible cover layer <NUM> on the photovoltaic module, it is necessary to ensure that the overall thickness of the photovoltaic module is not too small to provide sufficient space for the first flexible cover layer <NUM>, the first adhesive film <NUM>, the second adhesive film <NUM>, and the second flexible cover layer <NUM>. Based on this, in some embodiments, the overall thickness of the photovoltaic module is set to be <NUM> to <NUM>, for example, it may be <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, or <NUM> to <NUM>. Within this thickness range, on the one hand, the overall thickness of the photovoltaic module is relatively small, resulting in a smaller thickness of the first flexible cover layer <NUM>, the first adhesive film <NUM>, the second adhesive film <NUM>, and the second flexible cover layer <NUM>, which is beneficial for reducing the bending resistance of the first flexible cover layer <NUM>, the first adhesive film <NUM>, the second adhesive film <NUM>, and the second flexible cover layer <NUM>, thereby integrally improving the folding performance of the photovoltaic module. On the other hand, within this range, the thickness of the first flexible cover layer <NUM>, the first adhesive film <NUM>, the second adhesive film <NUM>, and the second flexible cover layer <NUM> is not too small, so that the first adhesive film <NUM> and the second adhesive film <NUM> provide sufficient adhering strength for the multiple cell sheets <NUM> and the first flexible cover layer <NUM>, as well as the multiple cell sheets <NUM> and the multiple support plates <NUM>, and can also have good water vapor barrier and ion barrier capabilities. The first flexible cover layer <NUM> and the second flexible cover layer <NUM> are enabled to provide good insulation and protection for the multiple cell sheets <NUM>.

In the photovoltaic module provided according to the embodiments of the present application, the first flexible cover layer <NUM> and the second flexible cover layer <NUM> are arranged, so that the multiple cell sheets <NUM> can be folded. Each of the multiple support plates <NUM> is arranged on the second surface of each of the multiple rows of cell sheets <NUM> or each of the multiple columns of cell sheets <NUM>. On the one hand, the multiple support plates <NUM> are configured to support the multiple cell sheets <NUM>, and prevent the multiple cell sheets <NUM> from breaking. On the other hand, in response to the photovoltaic module being folded, the photovoltaic module can be folded along a gap between adjacent support plates <NUM>. That is, the folding between multiple cell sheets <NUM> can be implemented by folding between adjacent support plates <NUM>, which is conducive to the folding and storing of the photovoltaic module, to achieve folding within a single photovoltaic module, thereby improving the folding performance of the photovoltaic module.

Correspondingly, a method for preparing a photovoltaic module is further provided according to the embodiments of the present application, which is applied to any of the above photovoltaic modules, and the method includes providing multiple cell sheets <NUM>, providing a second flexible cover layer <NUM>, arranging multiple support plates <NUM> at intervals on a surface of the second flexible cover layer <NUM>, and laying the multiple cell sheets <NUM> on the multiple support plates <NUM>, whereby the multiple cell sheets <NUM> are arranged in an array including multiple rows and multiple columns, each row of the multiple rows includes a set of cell sheets <NUM> arranged at intervals along a first direction X, each column of the multiple columns includes a set of cell sheets <NUM> arranged at intervals along a second direction Y, and each respective row of the multiple rows of cell sheets <NUM> or each respective column of the multiple columns of cell sheets <NUM> is arranged on a surface of a respective support plate <NUM> of the multiple support plates <NUM>. The method further includes laying a first flexible cover layer <NUM> on a surface of each of the multiple cell sheets <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the second flexible cover layer <NUM> is an insulating cloth, which greatly improves the flexibility of the photovoltaic module.

Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, multiple support plates <NUM> are adhered to the second flexible cover layer <NUM> by the third adhesive film <NUM>. In order to improve the stability of the multiple support plates <NUM> on the surface of the second flexible cover layer <NUM>, a high-temperature resistance adhesive tape is further arranged on the surface of each of the multiple support plates <NUM> facing towards the second flexible cover layer <NUM>. The high-temperature adhesive resistance tape is configured to further fix the multiple support plates <NUM>, and the third adhesive film <NUM> is further configured to adhere the high-temperature adhesive resistance tape to the multiple support plates <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the multiple cell sheets <NUM> are adhered to the multiple support plates <NUM> by the second adhesive film <NUM>. Firstly, a second adhesive film <NUM> is formed on the surface of each of the multiple support plates <NUM>, and the multiple cell sheets <NUM> is laid on the surface of the second adhesive film <NUM>. Multiple cell sheets <NUM> are laid on the surface of one of the multiple support plates <NUM>. After the multiple cell sheets <NUM> are laid, the multiple cell sheets <NUM> located on the surface of the multiple support plates <NUM> are arranged in an array in which each row of cell sheets <NUM> arranged at intervals along the first direction X, and each column of cell sheets <NUM> arranged at intervals along the second direction Y.

In some embodiments, the multiple cell sheets <NUM> are adhered to the first flexible cover layer <NUM> by the first adhesive film <NUM>. To begin with, the first adhesive film <NUM> is formed on the surface of each of the multiple cell sheets <NUM>, and the multiple cell sheets <NUM> are laid on the surface of the second adhesive film <NUM>. In some embodiments, the first flexible cover layer <NUM> is a flexible cover plate, so that the first flexible cover layer <NUM> not only has flexibility but also has a certain degree of toughness, thereby enabling the first flexible cover layer <NUM> to not only achieve the folding of the photovoltaic module, but also provide good protection for the first surface of each of the multiple cell sheets <NUM>. Specifically, in some embodiments, the material of the flexible cover plate includes PVF, PVDF, or ETFE.

The terminology used in the description of the various described embodiments herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the description of the various described embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term "and/or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms "includes," "including," "has," "having," "comprises," and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

In addition, when parts such as a layer, a film, a region, or a plate is referred to as being "on" another part, it may be "directly on" another part or may have another part present therebetween. In addition, when a part of a layer, film, region, plate, etc., is "directly on" another part, it means that no other part is positioned therebetween.

Although the present application is disclosed above with preferred embodiments, it is not used to limit the claims. The scope of protection shall be subject to the scope defined by the claims of the present application. In addition, the embodiments and the accompanying drawings in the specification of the present application are only illustrative examples, which will not limit the scope protected by the claims of the present application.

Claim 1:
A photovoltaic module, comprising:
a plurality of cell sheets (<NUM>) arranged in an array comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein each row of the plurality rows comprises a set of cell sheets (<NUM>) arranged at intervals along a first direction (X), each column of the plurality columns comprises a set of cell sheets (<NUM>) arranged at intervals along a second direction (Y), and each cell sheet of the plurality of cell sheets (<NUM>) has a first surface and a second surface;
a plurality of support plates (<NUM>) arranged at intervals, wherein each of the plurality of support plates (<NUM>) extends along the first direction (X) or the second direction (Y), and each of the plurality of support plates (<NUM>) is arranged on the second surface of each cell sheet (<NUM>) of a respective row of the plurality rows or a respective column of the plurality columns of cell sheets;
a first flexible cover layer (<NUM>) arranged on a side of the first surface of each of the plurality of cell sheets;
a second flexible cover layer (<NUM>) arranged on a side of the each of the plurality of support plates (<NUM>) away from the plurality of cell sheets (<NUM>);
characterised in that along a direction in which the plurality of support plates (<NUM>) are arranged, there is/are one or two additional outermost support plates which is/are not provided with any of the plurality of cell sheets (<NUM>) on its/their surface.