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arXiv · 1410.0256

Image analysis of polycrystalline solar cells and modeling of intergranular and transgranular cracking

Andrea Infuso·Mauro Corrado·Marco Paggi
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Abstract

An innovative image analysis technique is proposed to process real solar cell pictures, identify grains and grain boundaries in polycrystalline Silicon, and finally generate finite element meshes. Using a modified intrinsic cohesive zone model approach to avoid mesh dependency, nonlinear finite element simulations show how grain boundaries and Silicon bulk properties influence the crack pattern. Numerical results demonstrate a prevalence of transgranular over intergranular cracking for similar interface fracture properties of grains and grain boundaries, in general agreement with the experimental observation.

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Andrea Infuso, Mauro Corrado, Marco Paggi. 2014-10-01. Image analysis of polycrystalline solar cells and modeling of intergranular and transgranular cracking. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2013.12.051

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