Application of Static Concentrators to Photovoltaic Roof Tiles

An innovative three-dimensional approach to static concentrators has keen developed that offers increased concentration ratios with slimmer designs than previous two-dimensional static concentrator photovoltaic modules. Slimmer designs are essential for a practical static concentrator because they allow an economically viable implementation by using less material and by allowing incorporation into building structures such as roofing tiles. In this paper, the theoretical performance limits are discussed and a design is developed that achieves a concentration ratio of 3.6:1 while still capturing 90% of the annual irradiation without tracking the sun. The thermal performance of the static concentrator module is analysed to show that any efficiency loss due to cell heating is matched by the efficiency gain due to concentration. The efficiency of the module described is predicted to he greater than that of a conventional fiat plate module.     

Electrical performance evaluation of low‐concentrating non‐imaging photovoltaic concentrator

Second generation prototype photovoltaic facades of reduced costs incorporating devices with optically concentrating elements (PRIDE) incorporate 6 mm wide ‘Saturn’ solar cells at the absorber of the dielectric concentrator. The concentrators were made using injection moulding technique with potential to manufacture in large‐scale applications. Four different concentrator panels have been experimentally verified at outdoors to identify the non‐identical current–voltage (I–V) curves. The I–V curve, fill factor and solar to electrical conversion efficiency of four PRIDE concentrator modules have been evaluated from the 24 manufactured in the ‘IDEOCONTE’ project. The maximum solar to electrical conversion efficiency and the fill factor of the PRIDE concentrator were 9·1 and 70%, respectively. The mismatch loss of the ‘unit concentrators’ has been identified that occurred due to the lack of bonding between the concentrator unit and the solar cell and the rear glass. The average power concentration ratio of PRIDE concentrators manufactured by the improved method was 2·10 compared to a similar non‐concentrating panel and the optical efficiency of the PRIDE system was 83%. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental demonstration of high‐concentration photovoltaics on a parabolic trough using tracking secondary optics

A new approach to high‐concentration photovoltaics (HCPV) based on a parabolic trough primary concentrator is presented. The design diverges from the standard HCPV arrangement of a two‐axis tracking point‐focus concentrator, and rather employs a simpler parabolic trough primary concentrator to reduce cost. To break the 2D limit of concentration, and bring the system into the realm of HCPV, the system employs an array of rotating secondary concentrators is arranged along the focal line of the parabolic trough. The resulting line‐to‐point (LTP) focus geometry allows the system to achieve a geometric concentration of 590×, yet still maintains the advantages of having a linear trough primary concentrator, namely manufacturability, economy, and scalability. A full‐scale prototype of the system was constructed in Biasca, Switzerland. During on‐sun tests a flux concentration of 364 suns was measured at the exit of the secondary concentrator, the highest reported concentration for any parabolic‐trough‐based system. Moreover, the system reached a peak efficiency of 20.2%, the highest measured solar‐to‐DC efficiency for a parabolic trough‐based solar collector. Long‐term performance is estimated by means of a coupled optical‐electrical model validated vis‐à‐vis the experimental results. This work serves as an experimental proof‐of‐concept for high‐concentration trough‐based collectors, thereby opening new avenues for reducing the cost of HCPV systems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

激光无线能量传输接收系统二次聚光研究

为了克服激光无线能量传输接收系统中聚焦光斑能量分布不均匀、光斑形状不匹配的缺陷,设计并加工了一种梯形二次聚光器。依据边缘光线理论分析了梯形二次激光器的设计原理,利用Tracepro软件进行了仿真,采用直角梯形拼接的方法加工成梯形二次聚光器。在激光无线传能系统中对梯形二次聚光器进行了实验研究,对比了菲涅耳透镜单次聚光和与梯形二次聚光器组合聚光时对激光电池效率的影响。实验得出,在激光电池接收功率一致的情况下,菲涅耳透镜与梯形二次聚光器组合产生的聚焦光斑能使激光电池的转换效率值提高6%~7%;在计入二次聚光器损耗后,激光电池的转换效率值提高2%~3%。结果表明:梯形二次聚光器的使用可以提升激光无线传能系统接收端的性能。     

一种环面焦斑菲涅耳聚光器的设计与分析

在聚光光伏系统中,聚光光斑辐照度的不均匀性会降低光伏系统的光电转换效率,且会在光伏电池表面形成热斑效应,灼伤光伏电池。基于多焦点方法,设计了一种环形焦斑菲涅耳太阳能聚光镜,每环小透镜在焦平面上具有一个环面焦斑,且环面焦斑在接受面上均匀依次排列,实现均匀聚光。以口径400mm,具有200环,焦斑半径20mm,F数为0.8的圆状环面焦斑菲涅耳聚光器为实例,用TracePro模拟平行太阳光垂直照射下时的照度图,得到其理想光学效率为86.77%,光能均匀度为0.8,表明环状焦斑菲涅耳聚光器具有较高的光能利用率和照明均匀性。分析了焦斑均匀性与聚光器F数的关系,当F数一定时,焦斑均匀性随着聚光器口径的增大而逐渐降低。     

全内反射型太阳能聚光模块设计与研究

设计了用于太阳能聚集的全内反射（Total-internal-reflection,TIR）聚光器并采取措施进行优化,将多个TIR聚光器进行叠加放置在光波导板组成波导聚光模块。太阳光线经TIR聚光器阵列收集后照射到光波导板上并在其内部传播,由末端的光伏电池吸收。由实验结果可知,在光波导板长度为400 mm增至4 800 mm的过程中,光学效率由88.6%降低为40.2%,而辐照度由212 W/m2增长为980 W/m2。这样根据不同需求选取不同长度的光波导板,并在保证较高的输出功率的前提下大大减少所需使用的光伏电池面积,同时TIR聚光器只需水平放置在光波导板上,避免了透镜阵列与光波导板的严格对准要求,降低了制造与装配成本。     

Accelerated publication 30.2% efficient GaInP/GaAs monolithic two-terminal tandem concentrator cell

The Ga_0.5In_0.5P/GaAs monolithic two-terminal tandem cell has been adapted for concentrator operation. the adaptation involves changes in the grid design, top-cell base thickness and top-cell emitter thickness. the prototype concentrator device has demonstrated an efficiency exceeding 30% in the concentration range of 115-260 suns, making this the first two-terminal monolithic cell to exceed 30% efficiency.     

BICON: high concentration PV using one‐axis tracking and silicon concentrator cells

BICON is a two‐stage concentrator system developed at Fraunhofer ISE which is one‐axis tracked. The innovation of this one‐axis tracked system is that it enables a high geometrical concentration of 300 × in combination with a high optical efficiency (upto 78%) and a large acceptance angle of ± 23·5° all year through. For this, the system uses a parabolic mirror (40·4 ×) and a three dimensional second stage consisting of compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs, 7·7 ×). For the concentrator concept and particularly for an easy cell integration, rear‐line‐contacted concentrator (RLCC) cells with a maximum efficiency of 25% were developed and a hybrid mounting concept for the RLCC cells is presented. The optical performance of different CPC materials was tested and is analysed in this paper. Finally, small modules consisting of six series interconnected RLCC cells and six CPCs were integrated into the concentrator system and tested outdoor. A BICON system efficiency of 16·2% was reached at around 800 W/m² direct irradiance under realistic outdoor conditions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Directed emissive high efficient white transparent organic light emitting diodes with double layered capping layers

We report on white transparent organic light emitting diode (TOLED) with double layered capping layer (CL), 1,1-bis[(di-4-tolylamino)phenyl]cyclohexane (TAPC) and ZnSe. By introducing the double layered CL, total efficiency was improved by 27% to have 90% of that of conventional bottom-emissive device. The achievement of highly improved efficiency was interpreted as the synergetic effect of constructive interference and maximized reflectance of CL. By adjusting the reflectance of the CL, it was possible to choose the emissions direction selectively and achieve spectral matching between top and bottom emissions as well as enhanced total efficiency in white TOLED.     

Sliver solar cells for concentrator PV systems with concentration ratio below 50

This paper links together two different yet complimentary technologies: concentrator photovoltaics (CPVs) and Sliver technology. Recent research and development and commercialisation efforts in concentrator technologies have centred on high‐concentration systems, encouraged by the availability of high‐efficiency, multi‐junction III‐V cells. In contrast, little attention has been paid to the potential of systems with low‐to‐medium levels of concentration. Arguably, this is due to the absence of any suitable, low‐cost concentrator cells, readily available at a commercial scale. Sliver technology is a candidate for the supply of commercial low‐cost cells suitable for systems with concentration ratios in the range of 5–50. This can be achieved via judicious choice of cell design parameters and with only minor changes to the fabrication process suitable for 1‐sun Sliver cells. Device modelling is used to show that Sliver cells are suitable for illumination intensities up to 5 W/cm², with unavoidable emitter resistance limiting performance for higher intensities. The best cells manufactured for operation at low and medium concentration had efficiencies of 18·8% at 9 suns (above 18·6% between 5 and 15 suns) and 18·4% at 37 suns (above 18·2% between 30 and 50 suns), respectively. Incorporation of sidewall texturing and SiN anti‐reflection coatings would yield efficiencies exceeding 20% for similar cells. Concentrator Sliver cells can be produced to almost any length and are perfectly bifacial, features which add significantly to their attractiveness to concentrator system designers. The availability of cheap concentrator Sliver cells could provide opportunities for new, low‐cost concentrator systems, which in turn has the potential to provide a pathway to low‐cost solar electricity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental analysis of a photovoltaic concentrator based on a single reflective stage immersed in an optical fluid

This article reviews all the experimental tests carried out to analyze the performance of a FluidReflex photovoltaic concentrator. This novel concentrator concept consists of a single reflective stage immersed in an optical fluid. The presence of the fluid entails significant advantages. It not only allows a high system optical efficiency and increases the attainable concentration but also enhances the heat dissipation from the cell. In addition, the electrical insulation is improved, and the problem of water vapor condensation inside the module is avoided. A complete characterization is addressed in this paper. Among the experimental results, a measured optical efficiency of 83.5% for a concentration of 1035× stands out. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

倒梯形双层金属光栅式偏振分束器

为获得高衍射效率、高消光比、宽带宽及大角度容差的光栅结构，提出了一种在近红外波长区域工作的倒梯形双层金属光栅结构的偏振分束器。该结构引入了一层高折射率介质层，并且将光栅区的光刻胶斜切成倒梯形结构，新的设计增大了光栅的透射效率和消光比。使用严格耦合波分析方法，模拟和优化了偏振分束器的结构参数。结果表明，横磁波及横电波在1 290~1 840 nm波长范围内的透射效率和反射效率分别超过97%和95%。透射和反射的最大消光比分别为33 dB和53 dB。在波长为1 550 nm，入射角为-40~40时，光栅的透射和反射消光比都大于22 dB，达到了高性能偏振分束器的要求。相较于双层金属矩形光栅，所提出的倒梯形双层金属结构表现出更高的透射性与反射性，同时具有更好的设计灵活性。     

Initial field performance of a hybrid CPV‐T microconcentrator system

The first prototype of the hybrid CPV‐T ANU‐Chromasun micro‐concentrator has been installed at The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. The results of electrical and thermal performance of the micro‐concentrator system, including instantaneous and full‐day monitoring, show that the combined efficiency of the system can exceed 70%. Over the span of a day, the average electrical efficiency was 8% and the average thermal efficiency was 50%. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High-efficiency (η = 39.6%, AM 1.5D) cascade of photoconverters in solar splitting systems

A concentrator photovoltaic module with spectral splitting of solar radiation is developed. The module is based on a Fresnel lens and two dichroic filters. Solar cells based on AlGaAs and GaAs are grown by low-temperature liquid-phase epitaxy. GaSb photoconverters are fabricated by zinc gas-phase diffusion into a base epitaxial layer or an n-type GaSb substrate. The total efficiency of three solar cells developed for the spectral splitting module reached 39.6% (AM 1.5D spectrum).     

Reorganized Porous Silicon Bragg Reflectors for Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells

Stacks of porous silicon layers have been successfully applied to maximize internal reflection at the interface between a silicon substrate and an epitaxially grown layer. The stack is consist of alternating porous layers of high and low porosity, defined by the quarter-wavelength rule. During the hydrogen bake prior to epitaxial growth of the epitaxial layer, the porous silicon stack crystallizes in the form of thin quasi-monocrystalline silicon layers incorporating large voids. Experimental data of the measured external reflectance have been linked to the internal reflectance. An optical-path-length enhancement factor of seven was calculated in the wavelength range of 900–1200 nm. Application on thin-film epitaxial solar cells showed a 12% increase in short-circuit current and efficiency.     

Maximization of conversion efficiency based on global normal irradiance using hybrid concentrator photovoltaic architecture

Maximization of module conversion efficiency based on global normal irradiance (GNI) rather than direct normal irradiance (DNI) was experimentally demonstrated using a hybrid concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) architecture in which a low‐cost solar cell (a bifacial crystalline silicon cell) was integrated with a high‐efficiency concentrator solar cell (III–V triple‐junction cell) to harvest diffuse sunlight. The results of outdoor experiments showed that the low‐cost cell enhanced the generated power by factors of 1.39 and 1.63 for high‐DNI and midrange‐DNI conditions, respectively, and that the resultant GNI‐based module efficiencies were 32.7% and 25.6%, respectively. © 2016 The Authors. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Enhancement of the output emission efficiency of thin-film photoluminescence composite structures based on PbSe

The opportunity to increase the output emission efficiency of PbSe-based photoluminescence structures by depositing an antireflection layer is analyzed. A model of a three-layer thin film where the central layer is formed of a composite medium is proposed to calculate the reflectance spectra of the system. In von Bruggeman’s approximation of the effective medium theory, the effective permittivity of the composite layer is calculated. The model proposed in the study is used to calculate the thickness of the arsenic chalcogenide (AsS₄) antireflection layer. The optimal AsS₄ layer thickness determined experimentally is close to the results of calculation, and the corresponding gain in the output photoluminescence efficiency is as high as 60%.     

Correlation of in-situ reflectance spectra and resistivity of GaN/Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> interfacial layer in metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The correlation between the resistivity of an undoped GaN/Al₂O₃ interfacial layer and in-situ reflectance spectrum in metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and the mechanism of this correlation were investigated. The first minimum reflectance during the initial high-temperature GaN growth was found to be a good indicator of the resistivity of the GaN buffer. The background electron concentration and mobility were both higher in the samples with higher indicative reflectance at that point. The resistivity of the GaN buffer layer was predominantly determined by an ∼0.25-μm-thick layer near the GaN/Al₂O₃ interface. Atomic force microscope (AFM) and high-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD) results showed that the samples with higher indicative reflectance had smaller sized but higher density nuclei before the high-temperature GaN growth and lower screw threading dislocation (TD) density in the initially grown GaN. The difference in the background electron concentration and mobility of the interfacial layer was related to the relatively higher concentration of the O and Al diffused from Al₂O₃, which is also dependent on the size and density of the nuclei. These differences were found not to affect the structural and electrical properties or the surface morphology of AlGaN/GaN high electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs, except for the buffer conduction) when the GaN buffer is thick enough (e.g., ∼2.5 μm).     

Metamorphic GayIn1−yP/Ga1−xInxAs tandem solar cells for space and for terrestrial concentrator applications at C > 1000 suns

The use of Ga_1−xIn_xAs instead of GaAs as a bottom solar cell in a Ga_yIn_1−yP/Ga_1−xIn_xAs tandem structure increases the flexibility of choosing the optimum bandgap combination of materials for a multijunction solar cell. Higher theoretical efficiencies are calculated and different cell concepts are suggested for space and terrestrial concentrator applications. Various Ga_yIn_1−yP/Ga_1−xIn_xAs material combinations have been investigated for the first time and efficiencies up to 24·1% (AM0) and 27·0% (AM1·5 direct) have been reached under one-sun conditions. An efficiency of 30·0–31·3% was measured for a Ga_0·35In_0·65P/Ga_0·83In_0·17As tandem concentrator cell with prismatic cover at 300 suns. The top and bottom cell layers of this structure are grown lattice-matched to each other, but a large mismatch is introduced at the interface to the GaAs substrate. This cell structure is well suited for the use in next-generation terrestrial concentrators working at high concentration ratios. For the first time a cell efficiency up to 29–30% has been measured at concentration levels up to 1300 suns. A small prototype concentrator with Fresnel lenses and four tandem solar cells working at C = 120 has been constructed, with an outdoor efficiency of 23%. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

CFK: a Fresnel–Köhler concentrator with an external confinement cavity

In a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module, the solar cell surface reflects a non‐negligible portion of the incoming light, leading to a loss in module efficiency. The Fresnel–Köhler with an external confinement cavity (CFK) is a novel optical CPV concentrator designed to recover this portion of the reflected light. The design is based on an external confinement cavity, an optical element able to redirect the light reflected by the cell surface towards its surface again. Its integration into a CPV module is possible, thanks to the recent invention of advanced Köhler concentrators by LPI. This strategy, based on light recovery, leads to a significant increase in electrical efficiency. We have tested the excellent performance of these cavities by means of integrating one of them into an FK concentrator and manufacturing a proof‐of‐concept prototype. The measured results are outstanding: a relative electrical efficiency and I_sc gains of up to 6% when comparing both with and without cavity designs, and a 33.2% of CFK module electrical efficiency (@T_cell = 25 °C) using a 38.5% nominal efficiency cell (without anti‐reflection coatings on the optics). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.