Evaluation of temperature characteristics of high-efficiency InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells under concentration

Temperature characteristics of the open-circuit voltage (V_oc) were investigated in the temperature range from 30°C to 240°C for the InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple-junction cells. Also, single-junction cells that had the similar structure to the subcells in the triple-junction cells were studied. In the high-temperature range (from 170°C to 240°C), the temperature coefficients of V_oc of the InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cell (dV_oc/dT) were different from those in the low-temperature range (from 30°C to 100°C). This is because photo-voltage from the Ge subcell becomes almost 0 V in the high-temperature range. It was found that the open-circuit voltage of a Ge single-junction cell reduced to almost 0 V temperatures over 120°C under 1 sun condition.     

Widening of harvesting layer and area of P3HT/PCBM bulk-heterojunction photovoltaic cells

We have fabricated P3HT/PCBM based bulk-heterojunction photovoltaic cells with P3HT layer as the hole transport layer and PCBM layer as the electron transport layer between electrode and blended P3HT/PCBM layer in order to widen the photon harvesting layer. Current density has increased by about 1 mA/cm² by the insertion of P3HT layer and the resulting conversion efficiency has been improved by about 20%. We have also fabricated a centimeter-scale active area with an efficiency of ∼1%.     

Proposal of Design Criteria for Gas Entrainment from Vortex Dimples Based on a Computational Fluid Dynamics Method

Design criteria for gas entrainments (GE) from the liquid surface in a fast breeder reactor system were proposed in this paper for the two types of GE phenomena from a vortex dimple based on a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The first gas entrainment phenomenon is a gas core extension directly to the outlet piping level, which induces large amount of GE to the flow system. The second is continuous bubble detachments from the tip of the vortex dimple. Based on CFD calculations for elemental experiments of the surface vortex, local CFD non-dimensional numbers were defined as the design criteria to prevent GE. In conclusion, it was found that the CFD non-dimensional numbers are useful for the design parameters of GE prevention.     

High-efficiency InGaP/In0.01Ga0.99As tandem solar cells lattice-matched to Ge substrates

Conversion efficiency (AM1.5G) of more than 30% was achieved by adding a small quantity of Indium into a GaAs bottom cell in the conventional tandem solar cell on Ge substrate. It was found that the lattice-mismatch between GaAs and Ge caused misfit-dislocations in thick GaAs layers and reduced an open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of the cell. An In_0.49Ga_0.51P/In_0.01Ga_0.99As tandem cell lattice-matched to Ge showed a great improvement in efficiency, which was attributed to an increase in the V_oc of the bottom cell and increases in the photocurrents both in the top and bottom cells due to reductions in band-gap energy.     

ON THE SPECIFIC RESISTANCE OF CAKES OF MICROORGANISMS

The mean specific resistance of the cakes of various microorganisms was evaluated by measurement of either a change in the amount of permeate with time or of steady-state flux under constant pressure. The mean specific resistance was different with different shapes and sizes of microorganisms. The large differences arose from different packing structures of the cake. The effect of a filter aid on the filtration rate and cake structure was studied experimentally and theoretically. The effects of a filter aid were best explained by a series model, in which a cake layer composed of microbial cells and a layer of randomly distributed microbial cells and filter aid are packed on the membrane surface in series with respect to the directions of permeation.     

Temperature Dependence of Young's Modulus and Internal Friction in Alumina, Silicon Nitride, and Partially Stabilized Zirconia Ceramics

The temperature dependence of Young's modulus and internal friction (Q⁻¹)in alumina, silicon nitride, and partially stabilized zirconia (Y-PSZ) ceramics was studied. Little change in Q⁻¹ was found for alumina, whereas Q⁻¹ for silicon nitride ceramics increased above 700°C. The Q⁻¹ of Y-PSZ increased markedly with increasing temperature up to a peak at ∼200°C.     

High-pressure synthesis and optical limiting property of cyclic diphenylacetylene oligomer

New conjugated oligomers were synthesized by reacting diphenylacetylene under high pressure of 0.13–0.76 GPa at 250 and 300°C for 1–10 h. The number-average molecular weight M _n, and the weight-average molecular weight M _w increased with pressure, but those values were independent of temperature and time (M _n, 320–490; M _w, 350–580). Elementary analysis, field desorption mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared, and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance experiments revealed that the oligomer above and including pentamer was a new compound having cyclic structure. Toluene solutions of the oligomer (400 M _n) contained within a quartz cell were irradiated with the pulse from a frequency-doubled Nd : Yag laser at 532 nm. The transmittance of the solution decreased with input fluence, and we observed an optical limiting property with saturated output fluence. As the concentration of the oligomer increased, the saturated output fluence decreased. The optical limiting property was analyzed according to the reverse saturable absorption mechanism. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 68:129–135, 1998