Modelling of multijunction cascade photovoltaics for space applications

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5692477

Educato, J L

An alternative class of photovoltaics was presented, which is designed to overcome two problem areas with conventional cascade designs: poor upper subcell performance and lossy intercell ohmic contact (IOC). It was shown that upper subcell quality can be improved by incorporating additional junctions into the upper subcell and that the problems with monolithic IOCs may be circumvented by using complementary pairs of three-terminal cells or a 1 x 2 voltage-matched configuration. Realistic simulations show that AlGaAs-GaAs and AlGaAs-InGaAs multijunction, multiband-gap solar cells (MJSC) may achieve benginning-of-life (BOL) one-sun, AMO efficiencies of 26 and 28 percent, respectively. Complementary cells made in the AlGaAs-InGaAs system can achieve BOL one-sun AMO efficiencies in excess of 27 percent. Seven-layer MJSCs are most advantageous for space applications due to their superior tolerance to radiation degradation.

• Research Organization: Illinois Univ., Urbana (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5692477
• Report Number(s): N-87-29958; NASA-CR-181417; NAS-1.26:181417
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ENERGY SPECTRA
EQUIPMENT
GALLIUM ARSENIDE SOLAR CELLS
INDIUM ARSENIDES
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
JUNCTIONS
LAYERS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
P-N JUNCTIONS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PNICTIDES
RADIATION EFFECTS
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPECTRA