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Title: Photovoltaic solar cell

Abstract

A photovoltaic solar concentrator is disclosed with one or more transverse-junction solar cells (also termed point contact solar cells) and a lens located above each solar cell to concentrate sunlight onto the solar cell to generate electricity. Piezoelectric actuators tilt or translate each lens to track the sun using a feedback-control circuit which senses the electricity generated by one or more of the solar cells. The piezoelectric actuators can be coupled through a displacement-multiplier linkage to provide an increased range of movement of each lens. Each lens in the solar concentrator can be supported on a frame (also termed a tilt plate) having three legs, with the movement of the legs being controlled by the piezoelectric actuators.

Inventors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1214117
Patent Number(s):
9,130,092
Application Number:
12/882,976
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2010 Sep 15
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY

Citation Formats

Nielson, Gregory N., Gupta, Vipin P., Okandan, Murat, and Watts, Michael R. Photovoltaic solar cell. United States: N. p., 2015. Web.
Nielson, Gregory N., Gupta, Vipin P., Okandan, Murat, & Watts, Michael R. Photovoltaic solar cell. United States.
Nielson, Gregory N., Gupta, Vipin P., Okandan, Murat, and Watts, Michael R. 2015. "Photovoltaic solar cell". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1214117.
@article{osti_1214117,
title = {Photovoltaic solar cell},
author = {Nielson, Gregory N. and Gupta, Vipin P. and Okandan, Murat and Watts, Michael R.},
abstractNote = {A photovoltaic solar concentrator is disclosed with one or more transverse-junction solar cells (also termed point contact solar cells) and a lens located above each solar cell to concentrate sunlight onto the solar cell to generate electricity. Piezoelectric actuators tilt or translate each lens to track the sun using a feedback-control circuit which senses the electricity generated by one or more of the solar cells. The piezoelectric actuators can be coupled through a displacement-multiplier linkage to provide an increased range of movement of each lens. Each lens in the solar concentrator can be supported on a frame (also termed a tilt plate) having three legs, with the movement of the legs being controlled by the piezoelectric actuators.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1214117}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 08 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue Sep 08 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Tandem junction solar cell
patent, January 1979


High-intensity solid-state solar-cell device
patent, October 1982


Screen printed interdigitated back contact solar cell
patent, October 1984


Method of fabricating solar cells
patent, September 1986


Deposited-silicon film solar cell
patent, October 1991


Mini-optics solar energy concentrator
patent, September 2003


Apparatus to position a microelectromechanical platform
patent, September 2003


Methods and apparatus for fluidic self assembly
patent, February 2007


Transfer assembly for manufacturing electronic devices
patent, July 2007


Silicon point contact concentrator solar cells
journal, August 1985


Design criteria for Si point-contact concentrator solar cells
journal, October 1987


Microstructure to substrate self-assembly using capillary forces
journal, March 2001


Works referencing / citing this record:

Photovoltaic solar cell
patent, September 2015