JP-2026075852-A - Solar cell module recycling equipment

JP2026075852AJP 2026075852 AJP2026075852 AJP 2026075852AJP-2026075852-A

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an apparatus that reliably and easily separates a glass substrate from other materials in the recycling process of used solar cell modules. [Solution] A recycling device for solar cell modules that separates a glass substrate from other materials, comprising: an upstream transport unit 30 for transporting solar cell modules 10; a roller brush 20 that rotates in contact with the transported solar cell modules to separate the other materials; a solar cell module support unit 40 that supports the area in contact with the solar cell module from the glass substrate side; a lifting mechanism 50 that can adjust the gap between the roller brush and the back sheet; a downstream transport unit 80 for transporting the glass substrate from which the other materials have been separated; a central processing control device that controls the operation of each unit; and a recovery means 60 for recovering the separated other materials, wherein the roller brush has a metal wire such as steel wire or a resin wire such as nylon, and its wire diameter is optimized according to the removal rate of the other materials. [Selection Diagram] Figure 1

Inventors

松本健司

Assignees

株式会社エヌ・ピー・シー

Dates

Publication Date: 20260511
Application Date: 20241023

Claims (4)

In a solar cell module recycling device that separates a glass substrate from other materials, An upstream transport unit that receives and transports the aforementioned solar cell modules, A roller brush is provided to the solar cell module transported by the upstream transport unit, which rotates in contact with the other material and peels it off. A solar cell module support portion that supports the area in which the roller brush contacts the solar cell module from the glass substrate side, A lifting mechanism capable of adjusting the gap between the roller brush and the back sheet, A downstream transport unit that transports the glass substrate from which the other materials have been removed, A central processing control device that controls the operation of the upstream transport unit, the roller brush, the lifting mechanism, and the downstream transport unit, A recovery means for recovering the other material that has been peeled off, Equipped with, The aforementioned roller brush has a metal wire such as a steel wire or a resin wire such as nylon, and its wire diameter is optimized according to the removal rate of the other materials, characterized in that it is a solar cell module recycling device.
The solar cell module recycling apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotation speed of the roller brush is in the range of 100 rpm to less than 1000 rpm.
The solar cell module recycling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising means other than the roller brush for separating the glass substrate from the other material, located upstream of the roller brush.
The solar cell module recycling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, means other than the roller brush, the encapsulant of the solar cell module is heated to soften it, and a heated blade is brought into contact with the glass substrate and the other material to separate them.

Description

This invention relates to a recycling device for solar cell modules. To reuse the constituent materials of used solar cell modules (glass substrate, encapsulant, solar cells, wiring, backsheet, etc.), it is necessary to separate each material from the others. Recycling equipment is used to separate the solar cells, wiring, and other materials, including the backsheet, from the glass substrate. Conventional recycling devices included one described in Patent Document 1, which involved heating and softening a sealant, and then using a heated blade to separate the glass substrate from other materials. In the recycling apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the blades are divided into multiple sections to ensure they follow and contact the backsheet surface, and each section requires a buffer mechanism. Even with this, achieving perfect follow-through is difficult, making it challenging to completely separate other materials, including solar cells. To achieve more complete separation, a method using a roller brush made of metal wire or similar material instead of blades has been proposed, and Patent Document 2 proposes a solar cell module recycling device utilizing a roller brush. Patent No. 6271468Patent No. 5938309 This is a perspective view showing the configuration of a recycling device for separating the layered structure of the embodiment from a glass substrate.This is a perspective view showing the configuration of a recycling device for separating the layered structure of the embodiment from a glass substrate.This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional configuration of the recycling device according to the same embodiment.This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional configuration of the recycling device according to the same embodiment.This is a diagram illustrating the structure of the roller brush in the same embodiment.This graph shows experimental results of separation rates based on differences in the wire diameter of roller brushes.This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a preliminary step to separate the backsheet and sealant before the removal process using a roller brush. The following describes a method for recycling solar cell modules according to an embodiment, with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a solar cell module recycling device used in the embodiment, and Figures 2 and 3 are longitudinal cross-sectional views showing the cross-sectional configuration of the recycling device of the same embodiment. This solar cell panel recycling device includes used solar cell modules 10, roller brushes 20, an upstream transport unit 30, a solar cell module support unit 40, a downstream transport unit 80, and a central processing control device that controls the operation of each of these components. The solar cell module 10 is transported by the upstream transport unit 30 from the standby position F of the roller brush 20 to the mounting position of the roller brush 20. The upstream transport unit 30 is located upstream of the roller brush 20 and includes a plurality of upstream upper transport rollers 31 and a plurality of upstream lower transport rollers 32, arranged to grip and transport the solar cell module 10. It further includes a buffer mechanism (not shown) provided on the upstream lower transport rollers 32, which allows the buffer mechanism to accommodate variations in the thickness of the solar cell module 10. Then, in the region supported by the solar cell module support section 40, only materials other than the glass substrate in the solar cell module 10 are scraped off by the rotating roller brush 20. That is, in the solar cell module 10, the layered structure containing metal components, the backsheet, and the sealing material are separated from the glass substrate. In this embodiment, when scraping the surface of the solar cell module 10, the roller brush 20 is fixed and the solar cell module 10 is moved horizontally from upstream to downstream; however, the solar cell module 10 may be fixed and the roller brush 20 is moved horizontally. The glass substrate, from which other materials have been separated from the solar cell module 10, is further transported by the lower transport section 80 to the downstream transport position B of the roller brush 20. The downstream transport section 80 includes a plurality of downstream upper transport rollers 81 and a plurality of downstream lower transport rollers 82 arranged to grip and transport the peeled glass substrate, and further includes a buffer mechanism (not shown) provided on the downstream lower transport rollers 82, which follows variations in the thickness of the solar cell module 10. Here, the roller brush 20 has a structure in which nylon or wire brushes 22 are arranged radially around the central axis 21, as shown in Figure 5. Here, if the roller brush 20 is made of a metal wire such as steel w