High voltage photovoltaic power converter

Patent · 01 January 2001

OSTI ID:873885

Haigh, Ronald E ^[1]; Wojtczuk, Steve ^[2]; Jacobson, Gerard F ^[3]; Hagans, Karla G ^[3]

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1. Arvada, CO
2. Cambridge, MA
3. Livermore, CA

An array of independently connected photovoltaic cells on a semi-insulating substrate contains reflective coatings between the cells to enhance efficiency. A uniform, flat top laser beam profile is illuminated upon the array to produce electrical current having high voltage. An essentially wireless system includes a laser energy source being fed through optic fiber and cast upon the photovoltaic cell array to prevent stray electrical signals prior to use of the current from the array. Direct bandgap, single crystal semiconductor materials, such as GaAs, are commonly used in the array. Useful applications of the system include locations where high voltages are provided to confined spaces such as in explosive detonation, accelerators, photo cathodes and medical appliances.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 6265653
• OSTI ID: 873885
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/136/250/257/322/323/
accelerators
appliances
applications
array
bandgap
beam
beam profile
cast
cathodes
cell
cell array
cells
coatings
commonly
confined
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connected
contains
converter
crystal
current
detonation
direct
direct bandgap
efficiency
electrical
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electrical signal
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energy
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enhance
enhance efficiency
essentially
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fed
fiber
flat
gaas
illuminated
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insulating substrate
laser
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locations
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medical
optic
optic fiber
photo
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prevent
prior
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profile
provided
reflective
reflective coating
reflective coatings
semi-insulating
semi-insulating substrate
semiconductor
semiconductor material
semiconductor materials
signals
single
single crystal
source
spaces
stray
substrate
substrate contain
top
uniform
useful
useful application
voltage
voltages
wireless