Encapsulation of PV modules using ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer as a pottant: A critical review

The primary purpose of this work is to review the literature about what is and is not known about using ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA0 copolymer as the encapsulant (or pottant) material in photovoltaic (PV) modules. Secondary purposes include elucidating the complexity of the encapsulation problem, providing an overview about encapsulation of PV cells and modules, providing a historical overview of the relevant research and development on EVA, summarizing performance losses reported for PV systems deployed since ca. 1981, and summarizing the general problems of polymer stability in a solar environment. We also provide a critical review of aspects of reported work for cases that we believe are important.Failure modes resolved in the early work to establish reliability of deployed modules and the purposes and properties of pottants, are summarized. Typical performance losses in large field-deployed, large-scale systems ranging from 1% to 10% per year are given quantitatively, and qualitative reports of EVA discoloration are summarized with respect to ultraviolet (UV), world-wide location and site dependence.The general stability of polymers and their desirable bulk properties for solar utilization are given. The stabilization formulation for EVA, its effectiveness, and changes in it during degradation are discussed. The degradation mechanisms for the base resin, e.g., unstabilized Elvax 150^TM, and stabilized EVA are indicated for literature dating to the early 1950s, and the role played by unsaturated chromophores is indicated. The limited number of studies relating discoloration and PV cell efficiency are summarized.Observed degradation of EVA or the unstabilized base resin in the laboratory and examples used to measure the degradation are summarized in sections entitled: (1) thermally-induced degradation; (2) photodegradation and photothermal degradation of EVA in different temperature regimes; (3) photobleaching and photodegradation of the UV absorber and cross-linking agent; (4) acetic acid and metal and metal-oxide catalyzed oxidative degradation; and (5) discolaration and PV cell efficiency losses.Processing effects/influences on EVA stability are discussed in sections entitled: (1) EVA raw materials and extruded, uncured films; (2) thermal encapsulation processes; (3) effects of lamination, curing, and curing peroxide on gel content and chromophores formed; and (4) incomplete shielding of curing-generated chromophores. A summary is given for the limited number of accelerated lifetime testing efforts and examples of erroneous service lifetime predictions for EVA are discussed. The known factors that effect the discoloration rate of several EVA formulations are discussed in which the reduction in rate by using UV-absorbing superstrates is a prime example. A summary is given of what is and is not known about EVA degradation mechanisms, degradation from exposures in field-deployed modeules and/or laboratory testing, and factors that contribute to EVA stability or degradation. Finally, conclusions about using Elvax 150 in EVA formulations are summarized, and future prospects for developing the next-generation pottant for encapsulating PV modules are discussed.     

Early detection of ageing in solder joints through laser probe thermal analysis of the peltier effect

We have recently developed an optical contactless method for testing the quality of solder joints during accelerated thermal cycling ageing processes.¹ The method was based upon the measurement of the dynamic thermal behaviour of the joint to short bursts of Joule heating. It has proved to be efficient in revealing the formation of cracks at the lead-solder interface. We present a method to evaluate ageing at a much earlier stage in the cycling process. We have observed in earlier work,¹ that before cracks appear, structural changes occur in the solder at the lead-solder interface. The thermal response of the solder joint is recorded over time to a Peltier heat perturbation produced by flowing a current pulse through the interface where structural changes occur. The key point in this method is to discriminate the Peltier effect from the Joule thermal response because both effects generate heat. The variation of the early Peltier response in the thermal cycling ageing tests is seen as a quantitative signature of the structural changes in the lead-solder interface.     

Novel miniature integrated optical goniometers

A new principle and arrangement for directly determining the angle of incidence of an optical beam on an object are proposed and demonstrated. The novelty of the approach lies in the realization of a ‘smart object’, which extracts a portion of the incident beam's power into an optical waveguide attached to the object's surface or embedded in its body for converting the angle of incidence into the position of a guided beam with finite lateral extent. This ‘integrated optical light pointer’ beam is accomplished by means of creating additional degrees of freedom on the target in two different ways. While a first type is based on introducing spatial variations of the waveguide thickness, a second type makes use of a chirp of the grating periodicity. The feasibility for practical applications has been experimentally demonstrated by a direct comparison with a commercial high-resolution encoder, resulting in an r.m.s. error of <30′'. Measurements have been performed for chips fabricated based on replicated polycarbonate substrates and with no external optics, showing the great potential of this approach for realizing low-cost yet high-performance miniature goniometers.     

Contemporary approaches to certification of measurement provision software

Contemporary approaches to the certification of measurement provision software are considered in domestic and overseas publications. Normative documentation is analyzed and a scheme is proposed for certification that takes account of the features of programs used for metrological purposes. __________ Translated from Izmeritel’naya Tekhnika, No. 5, pp. 65–68, May, 2007.     

振动采油工艺在稠油区的实验研究与应用

在天然地震的影响下,油井产量发生波动,使人们受到启示,从而引进了振动采油工艺技术。本文对振动增产的机理进行了探讨,指出振动增油机理在于加快地层中流体的流速;改变储集层内油、气、水的重新分布;改变岩石表面润湿性,有利于清除油层堵塞,提高渗透率。通过分析两个试验区的振动采油效果,总结出在不同扰动力、不同激振频率、不同振动周期下的增产效果和规律,对振动采油的实施具有一定的指导意义。     

湘潭新大粉末冶金设备制造有限公司的一体化真空烧结炉

简要介绍了湘潭新大粉末冶金设备制造有限公司研制的一体化真空烧结炉的炉子结构、脱蜡系统、工艺气体的引入系统、设备的控制系统以及炉子性能的鉴定结果。     

Controversy and consensus regarding the use of cognitive ability testing in organizations.

Seven hundred three members of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology indicated agreement or disagreement with 49 propositions regarding cognitive ability tests in organizations. There was consensus that cognitive ability tests are valid and fair, that they provide good but incomplete measures, that different abilities are necessary for different jobs, and that diversity is valuable. Items dealing with the unique status of cognitive ability were most likely to generate polarized opinions. A 2-factor model, classifying items as those reflecting societal concerns over the consequences of ability testing and those reflecting an emphasis on the unique status of "g," fit the data well, and these factors proved especially important for predicting responses to the more controversial items. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

应用地层测试流动段资料确定油井稳定产能方法研究

提出了一种根据地层测试流动段压力资料预测油井稳定产能的方法，该方法以比采油指数作为对比参数，对测试比采油指数的计算进行了推导，采用回归分析方法建立了测试比采油指数和生产比采油指数之间的关系式。应用建立的关系式对其它井的稳定产能进行了预测，误差分析表明预测结果比较正确。     

高压高产井电子压力计直读试井应注意的几个问题

在高压高产井电子压力计直读试井中，推荐选用石英作为压力传感器的压力计，附加适量的加重杆，保证压力计顺利入井，并平稳工作；同时选用可靠的井口防喷系统。     

利用双种群遗传算法进行数值试井自动拟合

遗传算法以随机化技术为指导，通过对整个解空间的高效搜索而得到全局最优解，当解空间较大时，常规遗传算法难以同时保证搜索速度和最优解的精度。针对这种缺陷提出了应用双种群遗传算法，即利用具有不同搜索策略的2个种群进行联合搜索，既保证了最优解的精度，又提高了搜索速度，将其应用于数值试井自动拟合解释，比常规遗传算法能节省50％以上的计算时间。