How to choose an oil-free water lubrication air compressor for solar photovoltaic module production

In the production process of solar photovoltaic modules, compressed air is widely used as a key power source in core processes such as lamination, cutting, and packaging. Due to the extremely high requirements for the cleanliness of the production environment, material bonding accuracy and long-term stability of photovoltaic modules, the selection of oil-free water-lubricated air compressors (Oil-Free Water-Lubricated Air Compressor) that meet international standards has become a guarantee for product quality and production. The core element of efficiency. This paper will analyze the technical standards, process requirements, parameter selection and economic benefits.

1. why does the production of photovoltaic modules need oil-free water lubrication air compressor?

1. Process cleanliness requirements

the lamination process of photovoltaic cells (such as EVA adhesive film bonding, glass encapsulation) is extremely sensitive to the purity of compressed air. The oil content of the compressed air output by the traditional oil-lubricated air compressor is as high as 1-3 ppm, and the oil will react with the material during the high-temperature lamination (process temperature 50-150 ℃), resulting in component delamination, bubbles or light transmittance Decrease, and ultimately reduce the photoelectric conversion efficiency 79.

2. Environmental Protection and Energy Consumption Standards

the international standard ISO 8573-1 stipulates that the oil content of oil-free compressed air must reach Class 0 (oil content ≤ 0.01 mg/m³). Water lubrication technology replaces lubricating oil through water film, completely eliminates the risk of oil pollution, complies with environmental regulations such as RoHS and REACH in the European Union, and helps enterprises pass carbon footprint certification. 59.

3. Device compatibility

the pneumatic components of photovoltaic production equipment (such as laser cutting machines and automatic packaging machines) are sensitive to oil pollution. Oil-free air can extend the service life of solenoid valves, cylinders and other components and reduce the frequency of downtime and maintenance 9.

Selection of 2. key parameters and international standards

1. Core Performance Parameters

• exhaust pressure: It needs to match the requirements of the laminator (usually 0.7-1.0 MPa), and the pressure fluctuation needs to be controlled within ± 0.01 MPa to ensure the uniformity of lamination 7.
• Flow (CFM): According to the scale of the production line, a single laminator usually requires a flow rate of 10-20 m³/min, and multiple stations need to be superimposed.
• Exhaust temperature: It should be lower than 40 ℃ to avoid high temperature affecting the efficiency of downstream drying equipment (such as adsorption dryer) 36.

2. Technical standard requirements

• ISO 1217: specify the performance test method of positive displacement compressor to ensure that the energy efficiency ratio (Specific Energy Consumption)≤ 5.5 kW/(m³/min) 5.
• ISO 8573-1 Class 0 compressed air is mandatory to be free of oil and particles (particles ≤ 0.1 μm) 5.
• Cooling system: Multi-stage cooler (pre-cooling + post-cooling) shall be configured to ensure the temperature of compression chamber ≤ 80 ℃ and prevent vaporization of water lubricating medium 36.

3. Structural Design

• rotor Material: Using all stainless steel or ceramic coated rotor, corrosion resistance and life of more than 60,000 hours.
• Sealing technology: Double mechanical shaft seal (Dual Mechanical Seals) design, leakage rate ≤ 1 ppm 39.

3. the risk of not using oil-free water lubrication air compressor

1. Product quality defect

oil contamination can cause:

• laminated debonding: The bonding strength between EVA film and glass/back plate is reduced by 20%-30%, and the component life is shortened to less than 10 years 7.
• battery chip cracked: Oil stains adhere to the surface of the silicon wafer during the cutting process, increasing the risk of micro-cracks, and the loss of photoelectric efficiency reaches 3%-5% 9.

2. Increased operating costs

• post-processing equipment input: Additional multi-stage filter (activated carbon + precision filter element) is required, and the initial cost is increased by 15%-20%.
• Maintenance frequency increase: Oil is blocked in pipelines and pneumatic components, the maintenance cycle is shortened to 3 months, and the annual maintenance cost is increased by 30% 9.

Economic Benefit of 4. Oil-free Air Compressor

1. Direct cost savings

• energy consumption reduction water lubrication technology saves 15%-36% energy than traditional dry oil-free screw machines (by reducing friction loss and cooling energy consumption) 69.
• Reduced maintenance costs: No need to replace the oil filter and oil and gas separator, and the annual maintenance cost is reduced by 40% 9.

2. Indirect revenue boost

• product qualification rate: Clean air increases component yield by 2%-3%, increasing annual revenue by more than US $5 million based on 1 GW capacity. 7.
• Brand Premium in line with international environmental standards, access to TÜV, UL and other certification, export market competitiveness enhanced 5.

Comparison of 5. Oil-free Air Compressor vs Oil-free Air Compressor

conclusion

in the production of solar photovoltaic modules, the oil-free water lubrication air compressor has become the key equipment to ensure product quality and enhance the competitiveness of enterprises by virtue of its cleanliness, high efficiency and low maintenance cost. Enterprises need to combine international standards (such as ISO 8573-1, ISO 1217) and process parameters (pressure, flow, temperature), select the appropriate water lubrication model, in order to achieve the dual goals of green production and long-term economic benefits.