Automated Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Manufacturing System with IoT Monitoring

Abstract

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have become acknowledged as a viable replacement for the more common silicon-based solar cells. Overall, dye-sensitized solar cells can achieve higher levels of efficiency than that of their predecessor and are cheaper to produce. In this work, a prototype of an autonomous DSSC manufacturing system is presented. With the utilization of a robotic arm, a motor driven conveyor belt, automated chemical dispensers, and an improvised hot plate, almost all human interaction with the manufacturing process is removed. Alongside these automated features lies an Internet of Things (IoT) network that is utilized to display sensor readings onto a webpage. Due to the modularity of this network, multiple sensors could be utilized for monitoring purposes although no controlling aspect is put in place at the moment. The cells that have been created by the system are compared to a handmade cell to ensure that the quality of the DSSC that is produced is up to par with what is typically used.