Photovoltaic solar concentrator
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:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1082448
- Patent Number(s):
- 8329503
- Application Number:
- 12/957,082
- Assignee:
- Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02S - GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRA-RED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY
Citation Formats
Nielson, Gregory N., Okandan, Murat, Resnick, Paul J., and Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis. Photovoltaic solar concentrator. United States: N. p., 2012.
Web.
Nielson, Gregory N., Okandan, Murat, Resnick, Paul J., & Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis. Photovoltaic solar concentrator. United States.
Nielson, Gregory N., Okandan, Murat, Resnick, Paul J., and Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis. Tue .
"Photovoltaic solar concentrator". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1082448.
@article{osti_1082448,
title = {Photovoltaic solar concentrator},
author = {Nielson, Gregory N. and Okandan, Murat and Resnick, Paul J. and Cruz-Campa, Jose Luis},
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 = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2012},
month = {12}
}
Works referenced in this record:
Silicon point contact concentrator solar cells
journal, August 1985
- Sinton, R. A.; Kwark, Y.; Swirhun, S.
- IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 6, Issue 8, p. 405-407
Microstructure to substrate self-assembly using capillary forces
journal, March 2001
- Srinivasan, U.; Liepmann, D.; Howe, R. T.
- Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 10, Issue 1, p. 17-24
Design criteria for Si point-contact concentrator solar cells
journal, October 1987
- Sinton, R. A.; Swanson, R. M.
- IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 34, Issue 10, p. 2116-2123