IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natene/v9y2024i11d10.1038_s41560-024-01651-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A bending test protocol for characterizing the mechanical performance of flexible photovoltaics

Author

Listed:
  • Kenjiro Fukuda

    (RIKEN
    RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS))

  • Lulu Sun

    (RIKEN)

  • Baocai Du

    (RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS)
    The University of Tokyo)

  • Masahito Takakuwa

    (The University of Tokyo
    The University of Tokyo)

  • Jiachen Wang

    (ETH Zürich)

  • Takao Someya

    (RIKEN
    RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS)
    The University of Tokyo)

  • Lluis F. Marsal

    (Universitat Rovira i Virgili)

  • Yinhua Zhou

    (Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

  • Yiwang Chen

    (Nanchang University)

  • Hongzheng Chen

    (Zhejiang University)

  • S. Ravi P. Silva

    (University of Surrey)

  • Derya Baran

    (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

  • Luigi A. Castriotta

    (University of Rome Tor Vergata)

  • Thomas M. Brown

    (University of Rome Tor Vergata)

  • Changduk Yang

    (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST))

  • Weiwei Li

    (Beijing University of Chemical Technology)

  • Anita W. Y. Ho-Baillie

    (The University of Sydney)

  • Thomas Österberg

    (Epishine AB)

  • Nitin P. Padture

    (Brown University)

  • Karen Forberich

    (Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN))

  • Christoph J. Brabec

    (Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN)
    Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)

  • Osbel Almora

    (Universitat Rovira i Virgili)

Abstract

Flexible photovoltaic (PV) devices are a promising research field with potential for wearable, portable, indoor and internet-of-things applications. Substantial progress has been made in recent years, with flexible emerging PVs reporting power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of over 24%. Yet, there is a need for a unifying protocol to assess PV performance, compare research results, and evaluate state-of-the-art achievements in flexible PVs. Here we present a protocol for measuring PCE over 1,000 bending cycles under 1% strain. Moreover, several good practice guidelines are proposed, including those related to bending procedures, flexibility testing with and without encapsulation, and ambient conditions during testing (for example, temperature, humidity and illumination). Notably, the importance of the uniform application of the bending radius and the testing of parallel and perpendicular orientations of the bending axis with respect to the direction of the electric current are emphasized. These recommendations aim to promote consistency in device comparison and allow for better reproducibility.

Suggested Citation

  • Kenjiro Fukuda & Lulu Sun & Baocai Du & Masahito Takakuwa & Jiachen Wang & Takao Someya & Lluis F. Marsal & Yinhua Zhou & Yiwang Chen & Hongzheng Chen & S. Ravi P. Silva & Derya Baran & Luigi A. Castr, 2024. "A bending test protocol for characterizing the mechanical performance of flexible photovoltaics," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 9(11), pages 1335-1343, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natene:v:9:y:2024:i:11:d:10.1038_s41560-024-01651-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41560-024-01651-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-024-01651-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41560-024-01651-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natene:v:9:y:2024:i:11:d:10.1038_s41560-024-01651-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.