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Reliability investigation of photovoltaic cell using finite element modeling

Conference Paper · April 2013

DOI: 10.1109/ISMA.2013.6547391

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 Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Mechatronics and its Applications (ISMA13), Amman, Jordan, April 9-11, 2013
RELIABILITY INVESTIGATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL USING
FINITE ELEMENT MODELING
O. M. Al-Habahbeh1, B. A. Al-Hrout 2, E. M. Al-Hiary 3 and S. A. Al-Fraihat4
1, 2, 3, 4
Mechatronics Engineering Department, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
ABSTRACT
The reliability of Monocrystalline photovoltaic cells (PVC) is
investigated using modeling and simulation. Despite that
experimental data on this topic is available; it is only for PVC
types that existed many years ago. On the other hand, for new
designs, long waiting periods are needed. Therefore, it is
desired to build a model that can predict PVC reliability using
numerical simulation. The advantage of the model is that it
eliminates the need to wait many years to get the results, as the
results can be obtained using modeling and simulation.
However, with this huge time saving comes a difficulty; that is
finding a suitable prediction model. In this work, a reliability
prediction model is built and tested. The model is based on
thermal stress failure, where solar radiation temperature is
converted to thermal stress imposed on the module. The
temperature history was taken into account, and different types
of stress were calculated. Based on stresses, fatigue life was
investigated. Eventually, even though the model turned out to
be good for design and analysis of PV cells, it still needs more
development so as to serve as a PVC reliability prediction tool.
1. INTRODUCTION
Photovoltaic has been the fastest growing energy technology
since 2002, Due to the increasing need for renewable energy
sources. It is growing at an approximate rate of 48% per
year [2]. The high contribution of Photovoltaic systems in
the energy sector, its rate of growing, output power, and
predicted future tells us how important and significant these
systems are. Designing an efficient PV system is a main goal
for solar panel producer, but on the other hand the reliability
and durability of these systems should be further improved, to
ensure that these systems will perform well and give their
maximum output during their lifetime. The difficulty about
reliability, that it is a prediction about future. Many failures
could occur in these rigid systems which cause their lifetime
to end. In order to detect the failure mechanisms that may
affect the reliability of the system, it has to be exposed to the
environmental conditions and wait about 25 years. Clearly, this
is impractical.
Few researchers have studied the PVC reliability;
Buratti C. and Goretti [10] evaluated deformation due to
temperature on photovoltaic modules surface. They carried out
laboratory measurements employing strain gauges in order to
determine stress in four different samples subjected to
temperature variations. Cao et al. [9] investigated the structural
integrity of two concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) modules
using FEM thermal stress analysis. They tested two types of
CPV modules, one was bonded by epoxy-type material, and
the other was bonded by lead-free solder. Yixian and Tay [11]
conducted FEM to determine the stresses induced in a PV
module during lamination and subsequent exposure to
sunlight. They showed that delamination - if it occurs - will
most likely start from the edges of the laminate.
This work applies a simulation method to the type of
PVC used in the local Jordanian market. The method relies on
a virtual model to predict the reliability of PV cells. The first
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step is to build a physics-based model for a PV cell. The
model is used to simulate the thermal performance of the
cell. The purpose of the simulation is to predict the duration
of the useful life of the cell based on thermal fatigue cycling.
The main goal of this study is to determine the most
significant factors that make a PV module more reliable and
durable. Multiple models for PV modules are built and tested
under environmental conditions. Thermal stress caused by
environmental conditions m a y l e a d t o f a i l u r e o f t h e
PV module. Some of the expensive solar panels come with a
25 year warranty, but the Manufacturers are still looking for
more than 30 year warranty. They strive to improve product
efficiency, reliability and cost effectiveness.
The actual silicon cells used in modules have an infinite
life span and show no degradation after decades of use.
However, module output can decrease over time which means
lower durability. This performance degradation is the result of
two main factors; the first one is the slow breakdown of a
module’s encapsulant EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate) and back
sheet (PVF), as well as the gradual obscuration of the EVA
layer between the module’s front glass and the cells themselves.
The second source for output degradation occurs as UV light
breaks down the EVA layer between a module’s front glass and
the silicon cells. Over time this obscuration limits the amount of
sunlight that can hit the cell. A slight but incremental decrease
in cell output current is the result [1].
Deterioration may occur because of high temperature and
humidity, and most of the time occurs within the EVA layer and
mainly affect the optical properties, such as transparency and
gloss. Also, high temperatures cause high thermal stresses. In
this work a model for a PV module was built, with the purpose
of predicting the reliability of such a structure. For verification
purposes, the results obtained using the model are compared to
actual field results. Our model meets the international standards
specifications, with reduction of thermal stresses by 23%. This
was achieved by designing and simulating different PV modules
using ANSYS finite element software
It is expected that the module which is subjected to
lower thermal stress is more reliable. Therefore, in this
work, the effect of thermal stress on reliability of PV module
will be investigated. The conditions which wi l l b e applied
on t h e module are according international standards of PV
module testing. Modules were built using SolidWorks®
software. ANSYS® software was used for simulation.
1.1. PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE STRUCTURE AND
MANUFACTURING
Solar arrays often used in remote environments and harsh
conditions of extreme heat and cold, where power needs to
be supplied by solar cells since fuel-dependent systems is not
feasible. Hence the PV module must be able to withstand
such extreme environmental conditions as diurnal and
seasonal temperature variations, condensation and
evaporation of moisture, salt, dust, wind, sand, snow, rain,
birds, hail, humidity as well as maintaining performance
under prolonged exposure to UV light.
 Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Mechatronics and its Applications (ISMA13), Amman, Jordan, April 9-11, 2013
Module lifetimes of around 20 years are normally
quoted by manufacturers, although the industry is seeking
30-year lifetimes. Encapsulation is the main factor affecting
solar cell life expectancy (King etal., 2000). The Australian
Standard for Installation of Photovoltaic (PV) Arrays
(Standards Australia, 2005) makes reference to IEC
Standard 61215 (IEC, 1993) which is widely used by
module manufacturers to ensure that modules continue to
perform under extreme, but not unlikely, environments. The
IEC 61215 tests require eight modules sampled at random
from a production batch that have been subjected to the
manufacturer’s normal inspection quality control procedures.
Each module undergoes a different sequence of tests to
check the electrical, optical or mechanical construction of the
module type [3].
A module type meets the qualification requirements if each
sample meets all of the following criteria:
There is no evidence of a major visual defect.
The degradation of maximum output power at STC is
less than 5% after each test and 8% after the sequence.
Insulation resistance and high-voltage tests are passed.
No sample exhibits any open circuit or ground fault [3].
1.2. STANDARD MODULE STRUCTURE
In order to get the desired power for any application from
photovoltaic, individual solar cells are connected together to
form a panel or module, as shown in figure 1. The number of
solar cells in the module determines the output power.
Figure 1. Photovoltaic Cells, Modules and Arrays [14]
A standard PV module consists of many layers; glass,
encapsulation sheet, the interconnected cells, a second layer
of encapsulation sheet and plastic back sheet (Tedlar), the
module layers are shown in figure 2.
Figure 2. Standard PV module layers [15]
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1.3. ENCAPSULANT
The encapsulant sheet is a transparent polymer that can
be laminated onto glass, these materials used in PV modules
to serve multiple purposes as follows:
As adhesive material so physically hold components in
place.
As electrical insulation material.
Optically couple superstrate material (which is glass in this
model) to the PV cell.
Used to protect components from mechanical stress by
mechanically de-coupling layers of the PV cell via strain
relief.
Protect layers form corrosion [4].
Since the 1980s, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) has been
the standard encapsulation material for crystalline
photovoltaic modules. [3]. EVA is a thermoplastic material
that cures at 150°C where the polymeric chains crosslink so
that a polymer network forms. Also it can approache
elastomeric materials in softness and flexibility [1].
Therefore after lamination step, it exhibits typical
properties such as low stiffness above the glass transition,
high stiffness below the glass transition. EVA must adhere
well to all surfaces so it remains compliant. Since it is a
transparent material, it should transmit light after be i n g
exposed to UV radiation, temperature and humidity. Also if it
is well-adhered, it will provide a protection against corrosion
and electrical shock.
1.4. SILICON
As mentioned before, the active layer in the model is
made from a semiconductor material. In solar manufacturing,
there are many options for choosing the semiconductor
material. At present most solar cells module are silicon-based
and that mea ns about 90% of PV modules. However, other
materials are under active investigation such as CIGS
(copper indium gallium diselenide). On the other hand it is not
exactly suited for solar cells production. Purity of silicon
wafers used for solar cells is about 99.9% or higher, which
is a great benefit for conductivity. But silicon is not
conductor in nature so in order to be a good conductor it
must be doped with certain materials.
1.5. TYPES OF SILICON
Silicon used for solar cells can be crystalline, polycrystalline,
microcrystalline or amorphous. The main difference between
mono and poly crystalline is that mono crystalline cells are cut
from a silicon ingot grown from a single large crystal of
silicon, whilst polycrystalline cells are cut from an ingot made
up of many smaller crystals [5].
2. MONOCRYSTALLINE SILICON TEST
A finite element model of a PVC was built and meshed as
shown in Figure 3. The mesh consists of about 20,000
elements. Temperature load is applied on the model to find the
temperature distribution of the Monocrystalline silicon. The
silicon layer in the Monocrystalline silicon PVC is of 200 µm
thickness.
 Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Mechatronics and its Applications (ISMA13), Amman, Jordan, April 9-11, 2013

Figure 3. Mesh of PVC Module

2.1. TRANSIENT THERMAL TEST
This test aims to simulate thermal stress on the materials as
a result of changes of extreme temperatures. According to
IEC Standard Testing, The cell is subjected to a cycling
temperature limits of –40°C and +90°C and to a radiation of
2 Principal Stress, and Shear Stress. The stress distribution in
1000 W/m . The results of the thermal test are shown in
Figures 4 and 5.
2.2. STATIC STRUCTURAL TEST
Figure 5. Temperature (°C) vs. Time (sec) for Monocrystalline
Module
The stress and strain results are shown in Tables 1, 2, 3,
and 4. They contain the minimum and maximum values of the
stress. Types of stress investigated include Von Mises,
the PVC is shown in Figure 6.
TABLE 1: VON MISES STRESS FOR MONOCRYSTALLINE
MODULE

VON MISES (EQUIVALENT) STRESS

This mechanical load test is conducted so as to determine the
structural stress on the module based on the computed
Minimum / occurs on 1.4538e-010 Pa, Tedler
temperature distribution. The body temperature is imported
from the previous transient thermal test and applied on the
Maximum / occurs on 3.514e-005 Pa, Silicon
model, then thermal stress is calculated.
The temperature variation with time is shown in figure 5.
S teady state was reached within 70 sec. TABLE 2: MAXIMUM PRINCIPAL STRESS FOR
MONOCRYSTALLINE MODULE

MAXIMUM PRINCIPAL STRESS

Minimum / occurs on -7.294e-006 Pa, EVA

Maximum / occurs on 3.8733e-005 Pa, Silicon

Figure 4. Temperature Distribution along PVC

Figure 6. Maximum Shear Stress for Monocrystalline

Module

TABLE 3: MAXIMUM SHEAR STRESS FOR

MONOCRYSTALLINE MODULE

MAXIMUM SHEAR STRESS

Minimum / occurs on 8.247e-011 Pa, Tedler

Maximum / occurs on 1.9367e-005 Pa, Silicon

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 Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Mechatronics and its Applications (ISMA13), Amman, Jordan, April 9-11, 2013
TABLE 4: STRAIN FOR MONOCRYSTALLINE MODULE
EQUIVALENT ELASTIC STRAIN
Minimum / occurs on 4.1538e-020m/m, Tedler
Maximum / occurs on 6.834e-015 m/m, EVA
2.3. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
It is shown how the results could help to build a reliable PVC
module that has a longer life than other modules, and with
less risk of fatigue failure that ends the life of the module. The
simulation results show that module stress is affected by the
thickness of the silicon layer, as the thickness increases,
stresses decrease.
High stresses affect the reliability of the PV module.
Since fatigue failure occurs when the module is subjected to
high enough and repetitive stresses, which results from thermal
cycles. High stresses occur in silicon and the two layers of
EVA, causing its lifespan to decrease. In PVC industries,
EVA is used to prevent the critical layer (silicon) from high
stresses. This could be understood by the maximum strain
that results in EVA layers. Since EVA is a viscoelastic (non-
linear) material, while silicon is described by linear
elasticity, EVA is forced to deform and decouple the
layers. Decoupling EVA layers from glass and back sheet
reduce the high stresses that reach the critical layer, which
makes EVA act as a protection layer for silicon that reduces
the risk of damage.
Despite the low value of thermal stress in the tested
module, these low stresses are high enough to decouple the
layers, because they are repetitive. Referring to a research
paper that quantifies these thermomechanical stresses by
performing a Finite-Element-analysis (FEA) of a module
during thermal cycling. The module contains 60 solar cells
grouped in 6 lines made of 10 cells [1]. The maximum
principle stress occurs at the silicon layers. It has a value o f
50 MP. In order to calculate the module fatigue life, this
value is multiplied by FSRF (Fatigue strength reduction
factor), which is equal to 2.0 for integral parts and 4.0 for
non-integral attachments. Assuming the integral attachment
case, FSRF is equal to 2.0. So the value of the 50 MPa
becomes 100 MPa [7].
Based on the Stress-life fatigue behavior of single crystal
silicon at room temperature, a stress of 100 MPa estimates an
“infinite” life for the module. This means that thermal stress
is not the main cause of failure for this type of PV modules.
Although there is no fatigue failure, there are other factors
that affect the performance of the PV module, which will be
discussed in the next section.
2. CONCLUSIONS
Monocrystalline modules come with 25-year warranty. Their
life expectancy i s expected to have 80 percent life efficiency
at year 40 [6]. One of the primary factors that reduce the
span life of the PV module is high temperature. This
temperature causes relatively high stresses on the PV
module. That’s due to different coefficients of thermal
expansion (CTE) of the module materials. If these stresses
affect the module for repetitive and long enough periods, they
lead it to failure.
Thermal stresses within the module vary from one to
another, depending on the module structure and material. This
means that the structure and material of the PV cell can be
improved in order to reduce stresses. In other words, a more
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reliable PV module needs to be designed and built.
During the hot season in some places around the
world, temperature can be over 50° C coupled with the
humidity of over 90% in the monsoon season. Apparent
physical deteriorations of PV modules under long term field-
exposure have been observed. The first layer of EVA in the
degraded PV modules, which i s continuously exposed to
light and higher temperatures, becomes opaque. Their
mechanical properties are greatly changed, such as reduced
elongation compared with the second layer of EVA, which
is between silicon and back sheet. Because this layer is not
directly exposed to light and were at lower temperature than
the front side, large series resistance of cells in modules, or
other defects that produce hot spots, could locally heat EVA
leading to severe delamination [8].
Although there are many physical deteriorations of the
insulation system of the PV modules, there is no visible
evidence to declare the end of the PV lifetime by the
standard of electrical insulation test for PV module [8]. EVA
Deteriorations reduce the reliability and durability of the
PV module. In general, reliability analysis is concerned
with measuring discrete absolute failures. But according to
our test results, the monocrystalline module didn’t reach the
failure level. That’s why further development of the model is
desired, especially as to the modeling of the layers separation
process which leads to failure of the PVC.
4. REFERENCES
[1] Eitner et al., in: Shell-like structures, Advanced structural
materials 15(5), Springer (2011), p.453-468
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[3] S.R. Wenham, M.A. Green, M.E. Watt, R. Corkish,
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Photovoltaics, 2nd edition, New York, NY: Earthscan
Publications Ltd., 2007.
[4] M. Kempe, Evaluation of encapsulant materials for PV
applications, National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Golden, Colorado, USA, P 170-176, 2010.
[5] http://www.solargreen.net.au/3solarcells.php
[6] http://solar.calfinder.com/pros/thin-film-us-solar-market
[7] O. M. Al-Habahbeh, “Integrated Approach for Physics-
Based Reliability Assessment
Engineering Systems”, PhD Dissertation, Department of
Mechanical and Aeronautical of
Engineering, Clarkson University, USA, Dec., 2009, pp. 7,
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[8] C. Dechthummarong, B. Wiengmoon, D. Chenvidhya, C.
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[9] M. Cao, S. Butler, J. T. Benoit, Thermal Stress
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[10] C. Buratti. and M. Goretti. “Experimental evaluation and
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[11] L. Yixian, A.A,O, Tay, "Stress analysis of silicon wafer
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 Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Mechatronics and its Applications (ISMA13), Amman, Jordan, April 9-11, 2013

[12] http://www.solarhome.ru/en/basics/pv/pv_longevity.htm
[13] http://energy.ece.tamu.edu/solarprimer/ reports/ G10.pdf
[14] http://cyberparent.com/solar-electricity/pv-solar-cells-
modules-arrays.htm.
[15] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S135943
110500075X.

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