Thermal influence on charge carrier transport in solar cells based on GaAs PN junctions
The electron and hole one-dimensional transport in a solar cell based on a Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) PN junction and its dependency with electron and lattice temperatures are studied here. Electrons and heat transport are treated on an equal footing, and a cell operating at high temperatures using concentrators is considered. The equations of a two-temperature hydrodynamic model are written in terms of asymptotic expansions for the dependent variables with the electron Reynolds number as a perturbation parameter. The dependency of the electron and hole densities through the junction with the temperature is analyzed solving the steady-state model at low Reynolds numbers. Lattice temperature distribution throughout the device is obtained considering the change of kinetic energy of electrons due to interactions with the lattice and heat absorbed from sunlight. In terms of performance, higher values of power output are obtained with low lattice temperature and hot energy carriers. This modeling contributes to improve the design of heat exchange devices and thermal management strategies in photovoltaic technologies.
- OSTI ID:
- 22305845
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 116, Issue 15; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ASYMPTOTIC SOLUTIONS
CHARGE CARRIERS
DISTURBANCES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
HEAT
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRODYNAMIC MODEL
KINETIC ENERGY
PERTURBATION THEORY
PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFECT
P-N JUNCTIONS
REYNOLDS NUMBER
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SIMULATION
SOLAR CELLS
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION