Photovoltaic concentrator module improvements study

Technical Report · Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5212150· OSTI ID:5212150

Levy, S L; Kerschen, K A ^[1]; Hutchison, G ^[2]; Nowlan, M J ^[3]

---

1. Black and Veatch, Kansas City, MO (United States)
2. Solar Kinetics, Inc., Dallas, TX (United States)
3. Spire Corp., Bedford, MA (United States)

This report presents results of a project to design and fabricate an improved photovoltaic concentrator module. Using previous work as a baseline, this study conducted analyses and testing to select major module components and design features. The lens parquet and concentrator solar cell were selected from the highest performing, available components. A single 185X point-focus module was fabricated by the project team and tested at Sandia. Major module characteristics include a 6 by 4 compression-molded acrylic lens parquet (0.737 m{sup 2} area), twenty-four 0.2 ohms-cm, FZ, p-Si solar cells (1.56 cm{sup 2} area) soldered to ceramic substrates and copper heat spreaders, and an aluminized steel housing with corrugated bottom. This project marked the first attempt to use prismatic covers on solar cells in a high-concentration, point-focus application. Cells with 15 percent metallization were obtained, but problems with the fabrication and placement of prismatic covers on these cells lead to the decision not to use covers in the prototype module. Cell assembly fabrication, module fabrication, and module optical design activities are presented here. Test results are also presented for bare cells, cell assemblies, and module. At operating conditions of 981 watts/m{sup 2} DNI and an estimated cell temperature of 65{degrees}C, the module demonstrated an efficiency of 13.9 percent prior to stressed environmental exposure. 12 refs., 56 figs., 7 tabs.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5212150
• Report Number(s): SAND-91-7001; ON: DE92000605
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
DESIGN
FABRICATION
TESTING
SOLAR CONCENTRATORS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
COPPER
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
NICKEL
SOLDERING
SUBSTRATES
TIN
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
JOINING
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WELDING
141000* - Solar Collectors & Concentrators
140501 - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion