Investigation of element enrichment in silicone gels used to encapsulate inverter modules for renewable power generation

Conference: CIPS 2022 - 12th International Conference on Integrated Power Electronics Systems
03/15/2022 - 03/17/2022 at Berlin, Germany

Proceedings: ETG-Fb. 165: CIPS 2022

Pages: 6Language: englishTyp: PDF

Authors:
Giebel, Elisabeth; Boettge, Bianca; Klengel, Sandy (Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, Halle, Germany)

Abstract:
The focus of this study is to investigate the enrichment of impurities within the silicone gels protecting power electronic modules during application. For this purpose, the power modules of three photovoltaic (PV) string inverters installed at different locations and after an operation time of approximately 8 years were compared with modules tested in a continuous condensation test and the respective reference modules. Impurities found in the silicone gel were correlated to possible sources, such as polymer housing or electronic components.