Electrothermal finite-element modeling for defect characterization in thin-film silicon solar modules

Lanz, Thomas; Bonmarin, Mathias; Stuckelberger, Michael; Schlumpf, Christian; Ballif, Christophe; Ruhstaller, Beat

doi:10.1109/JSTQE.2013.2250259

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Electrothermal finite-element modeling for defect characterization in thin-film silicon solar modules
Authors:	Lanz, Thomas Bonmarin, Mathias Stuckelberger, Michael Schlumpf, Christian Ballif, Christophe Ruhstaller, Beat
DOI:	10.1109/JSTQE.2013.2250259
Published in:	IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics
Volume(Issue):	19
Issue:	5
Page(s):	1
Pages to:	8
Issue Date:	2013
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	IEEE
ISSN:	1077-260X 1558-4542
Language:	English
Subject (DDC):	621.3: Electrical, communications, control engineering
Abstract:	We present and validate a finite-element model for coupled charge and heat transport in monolithically interconnected thin-film solar modules. Using measured current-voltage ( I-V) and lock-in thermography (LIT) measurements of amorphous silicon minimodules, we experimentally validate our model. The entire module volume is represented by two planes (front and back electrodes) which are coupled in vertical direction using 1-D models, leading to a large reduction of the degrees of freedom in the numerical model and contributing to an efficient solution approach. As compared to 3-D models, the vertical coupling of the charge transport is represented by local temperature-dependent I-V curves. These can be obtained by drift-diffusion calculations, single-cell measurements or, as presented here, by an analytical solar cell diode model. Inhomogeneous heat sources such as Joule's heating in the electrodes lead to nonuniform temperature distributions. The explicit temperature dependence in the local I-V curve, therefore, mediates the feedback of the thermal transport on the local electrical cell characteristics. We employ measured I-V curves under partial illumination and analytical solutions for the potential distribution to validate this approach. Further, with LIT measurements of the same modules with and without artificially induced electrical shunts, we verify the computed temperature distributions.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/5023
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	School of Engineering
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Computational Physics (ICP)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen School of Engineering

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Lanz, T., Bonmarin, M., Stuckelberger, M., Schlumpf, C., Ballif, C., & Ruhstaller, B. (2013). Electrothermal finite-element modeling for defect characterization in thin-film silicon solar modules. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 19(5), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTQE.2013.2250259

Lanz, T. et al. (2013) ‘Electrothermal finite-element modeling for defect characterization in thin-film silicon solar modules’, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 19(5), pp. 1–8. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTQE.2013.2250259.

T. Lanz, M. Bonmarin, M. Stuckelberger, C. Schlumpf, C. Ballif, and B. Ruhstaller, “Electrothermal finite-element modeling for defect characterization in thin-film silicon solar modules,” IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 1–8, 2013, doi: 10.1109/JSTQE.2013.2250259.

LANZ, Thomas, Mathias BONMARIN, Michael STUCKELBERGER, Christian SCHLUMPF, Christophe BALLIF und Beat RUHSTALLER, 2013. Electrothermal finite-element modeling for defect characterization in thin-film silicon solar modules. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics. 2013. Bd. 19, Nr. 5, S. 1–8. DOI 10.1109/JSTQE.2013.2250259

Lanz, Thomas, Mathias Bonmarin, Michael Stuckelberger, Christian Schlumpf, Christophe Ballif, and Beat Ruhstaller. 2013. “Electrothermal Finite-Element Modeling for Defect Characterization in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Modules.” IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics 19 (5): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTQE.2013.2250259.

Lanz, Thomas, et al. “Electrothermal Finite-Element Modeling for Defect Characterization in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Modules.” IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, vol. 19, no. 5, 2013, pp. 1–8, https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTQE.2013.2250259.