Title: Diffusion-based degradation in silicon photovoltaic solar cells

Authors: Ankur Singh; P.R. Budarapu

Addresses: School of Mechanical Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar 752050, India ' School of Mechanical Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar 752050, India

Abstract: Due to moisture affinity of polymers, the water diffusion in photovoltaic (PV) is inevitable, resulting degradation and corrosion of the module. In this study, the water diffusion and hence, the degradation of PV modules has been investigated. The water concentration in the PV module considering varying environmental conditions has been studied through simulations. The presence of water vapour in PV solar cells leads to corrosion of metallic parts in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. In a PV cell, galvanic corrosion occurs in the presence of diffused water, where water acts as an electrolyte, and soldering material and metallic parts acts as anode and cathode materials, respectively. The galvanic corrosion results in the generation of electro-chemical current, which finally leads to the deformation of metallic parts. The influence of water diffusion on the galvanic corrosion in metallic parts is estimated through simulations, using COMSOL multiphysics computational tool.

Keywords: photovoltaic modules; water diffusion; Fickian diffusion model; back sheet; corrosion.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHM.2024.143186

International Journal of Hydromechatronics, 2024 Vol.7 No.4, pp.368 - 381

Received: 21 Apr 2023
Accepted: 13 Nov 2023
Published online: 06 Dec 2024 *

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