Fabrication of Efficient Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) are third generation solar cells used as an alternative to c-Si solar cells. DSSC are mostly flexible, easier to handle and are less susceptible to damage compared to c-Si solar cells. Additionally, DSSC is an excellent choice for indoor application as they perform better under diverse light condition. Most DSSCs are made of liquid medium sandwiched between two conductive polymer layers. However, DSSCs have significantly lower efficiencies compared to silicon solar cells. Also, use of liquid medium resulting in leaking of liquid, and occasional freezing during cold weather, and thermal expansion during hot weather conditions. DSSC can be manufactured in small quantities using relatively inexpensive solution-phase techniques such as roll-to-roll processing and screen printing technology. However, scaling-up the DSSC manufacturing from small-scale laboratory tests to sizeable industrial production requires better and efficient manufacturing processes. This research studies the feasibility of using additive manufacturing technique to fabricate electrodes of DSSC. The study aims to overcome the limitations of DSSCs including preventing leakage and providing more customized design. Experimental studies are performed to evaluate the effects of critical process parameters affecting the quality of electrodes for DSSC. Volume resistivity test is performed to evaluate the efficiency of the electrodes. In this study, the electrodes of DSSC are successfully fabricated using Fused Disposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing technique. The results of this study would enable additive manufacturing technology towards rapid commercialization of DSSC technology.