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Title: Integrated PV-thermal panel and process for production

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5258942

A process is described for production of integrated photovoltaic-thermal panels, the preferred process including the following chemical vapor depositions, in air, and the following work stations: (a) copper oxide station, whereby sheet copper, Cu, is cleaned and a layer of copper oxide, CuO, is formed thereon by heating the copper in air or steam, (b) silica station, whereby silicic acid, Si(OH)/sub 4/, and steam, H/sub 2/O, are sprayed on the hot oxidized sheets of copper, and Si(OH)/sub 4/ is reduced by hot carbon atoms to carbon monoxide, CO, which is vented and burned off, and silica, SiO/sub 2/, a layer of which is deposited onto and bonded thermally to the copper oxide layer, (c) silicon station, whereby the silicic acid is further reduced by increased numbers of hot carbon atoms to silicon, Si, a layer of which is deposited on and bonded to the SiO/sub 2/ layer, (d) p-n junction station, whereby boron atoms, then phosphorus atoms, are diffused into the silicon layer, under temperature, timing and number density controls, to establish what is called a p-n junction, (e) crystallization station, whereby heat is applied to the surface of the doped silicon layer, to sinter same and to let silicon atoms form bonds with one another in an orderly and crystalline manner and dominate over unordered, amorphous, bonds of oxide layers below, the results being a crystalline photovoltaic, PV, surface layer bonded to a silica layer and that to CuO and that to Cu, (f) electrode grid station, whereby electrical leadwires are affixed in series and in parallel to the PV surfaces, (g) thermal exchanger station, whereby flat tubes are soldered to the underside of the copper substrate, to carry a heat exchange fluid to and away from the PV layer, to cool the PV layer and to extract thermal heat as well as electrical energy from the integrated PV-thermal panel.

Assignee:
NOV; NOV-85-020955; EDB-86-163828
Patent Number(s):
US 4607132
OSTI ID:
5258942
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: Filed date 13 Aug 1985
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English