Vertically stacked photovoltaic and thermal solar cell
Abstract
According to some embodiments, the present invention provides a novel photovoltaic solar cell system from photovoltaic modules that are vertically arrayed in a stack format using thin film semiconductors selected from among organic and inorganic thin film semiconductors. The stack cells may be cells that are produced in a planar manner, then vertically oriented in an angular form, also termed herein tilted, to maximize the light capturing aspects. The use of a stack configuration system as described herein allows for the use of a variety of electrode materials, such as transparent materials or semitransparent metals. Light concentration can be achieved by using fresnel lens, parabolic mirrors or derivatives of such structures. The light capturing can be controlled by being reflected back and forth in the photovoltaic system until significant quantities of the resonant light is absorbed. Light that passes to the very end and can be reflected back through the device by beveling or capping the end of the device with a different refractive index material, or alternatively using a reflective surface. The contacting between stacked cells can be done in series or parallel. According to some embodiments, the present invention uses a concentrator architecture where the light is channeledmore »
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM, Houston, TX (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1493300
- Patent Number(s):
- 10170650
- Application Number:
- 12/975,038
- Assignee:
- UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM (Houston, TX)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG36-08G088008
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2010 Dec 21
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY
Citation Formats
Curran, Seamus, Dias, Sampath, Liao, Kang-Shyang, Yambem, Soniya Devi, Haldar, Amrita, and Alley, Nigel. Vertically stacked photovoltaic and thermal solar cell. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web.
Curran, Seamus, Dias, Sampath, Liao, Kang-Shyang, Yambem, Soniya Devi, Haldar, Amrita, & Alley, Nigel. Vertically stacked photovoltaic and thermal solar cell. United States.
Curran, Seamus, Dias, Sampath, Liao, Kang-Shyang, Yambem, Soniya Devi, Haldar, Amrita, and Alley, Nigel. Tue .
"Vertically stacked photovoltaic and thermal solar cell". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1493300.
@article{osti_1493300,
title = {Vertically stacked photovoltaic and thermal solar cell},
author = {Curran, Seamus and Dias, Sampath and Liao, Kang-Shyang and Yambem, Soniya Devi and Haldar, Amrita and Alley, Nigel},
abstractNote = {According to some embodiments, the present invention provides a novel photovoltaic solar cell system from photovoltaic modules that are vertically arrayed in a stack format using thin film semiconductors selected from among organic and inorganic thin film semiconductors. The stack cells may be cells that are produced in a planar manner, then vertically oriented in an angular form, also termed herein tilted, to maximize the light capturing aspects. The use of a stack configuration system as described herein allows for the use of a variety of electrode materials, such as transparent materials or semitransparent metals. Light concentration can be achieved by using fresnel lens, parabolic mirrors or derivatives of such structures. The light capturing can be controlled by being reflected back and forth in the photovoltaic system until significant quantities of the resonant light is absorbed. Light that passes to the very end and can be reflected back through the device by beveling or capping the end of the device with a different refractive index material, or alternatively using a reflective surface. The contacting between stacked cells can be done in series or parallel. According to some embodiments, the present invention uses a concentrator architecture where the light is channeled into the cells that contain thermal fluid channels (using a transparent fluid such as water) to absorb and hence reduce the thermal energy generation.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2019},
month = {1}
}
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