scholarly journals Characterization and Design of Photovoltaic Solar Cells That Absorb Ultraviolet, Visible and Infrared Light

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Sara Bernardes ◽  
Ricardo A. Marques Lameirinhas ◽  
João Paulo N. Torres ◽  
Carlos A. F. Fernandes

The world is witnessing a tide of change in the photovoltaic industry like never before; we are far from the solar cells of ten years ago that only had 15–18% efficiency. More and more, multi-junction technologies seem to be the future for photovoltaics, with these technologies already hitting the mark of 30% under 1-sun. This work focuses especially on a state-of-the-art triple-junction solar cell, the GaInP/GaInAs/Ge lattice-matched, that is currently being used in most satellites and concentrator photovoltaic systems. The three subcells are first analyzed individually and then the whole cell is put together and simulated. The typical figures-of-merit are extracted; all the I−V curves obtained are presented, along with the external quantum efficiencies. A study on how temperature affects the cell was done, given its relevance when talking about space applications. An overall optimization of the cell is also elaborated; the cell’s thickness and doping are changed so that maximum efficiency can be reached. For a better understanding of how varying both these properties affect efficiency, graphic 3D plots were computed based on the obtained results. Considering this optimization, an improvement of 0.2343% on the cell’s efficiency is obtained.

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riccardo Trevisan ◽  
Alessandra Costanzo

This paper is dedicated to the extensive review of state-of-the-art contactless energy transfer (CET) systems that are gaining increasing interest in the automatic machinery industries. We first introduce the circuit equivalent networks considered in the literature, and discuss the main operating principles. Possible circuital resonant solutions are also discussed together with the required compensating networks. Then we focus on the problem of transferring, at the maximum efficiency, high-power levels (of the order of 1 kW or higher), showing that highly coupled inductive links are needed, requiring to refrain from the resonance condition. These systems are usually referred to as CET systems, since the link distances are negligible with respect to the coils dimensions. The operating frequencies are of the order of tens to hundreds of kilohertz. The fundamental figures of merit are analytically defined and used to measure the actual limitations involved in this class of systems, including aspects related to realization feasibility with respect to voltages and currents limitations. Finally, state-of-the-art CET works are surveyed, and realistic applications for different operating frequencies are considered and critically compared.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barath Kanna Mahadevan ◽  
Sahar Naghibi ◽  
Fariborz Kargar ◽  
Alexander A. Balandin

Temperature rise in multi-junction solar cells reduces their efficiency and shortens their lifetime. We report the results of the feasibility study of passive thermal management of concentrated multi-junction solar cells with the non-curing graphene-enhanced thermal interface materials. Using an inexpensive, scalable technique, graphene and few-layer graphene fillers were incorporated in the non-curing mineral oil matrix, with the filler concentration of up to 40 wt% and applied as the thermal interface material between the solar cell and the heat sink. The performance parameters of the solar cells were tested using an industry-standard solar simulator with concentrated light illumination at 70× and 200× suns. It was found that the non-curing graphene-enhanced thermal interface material substantially reduces the temperature rise in the solar cell and improves its open-circuit voltage. The decrease in the maximum temperature rise enhances the solar cell performance compared to that with the commercial non-cured thermal interface material. The obtained results are important for the development of the thermal management technologies for the next generation of photovoltaic solar cells.


Author(s):  
Benmessaoud Mohammed Tarik ◽  
Fatima Zohra Zerhouni ◽  
Amine Boudghene Stambouli ◽  
Mustapha Tioursi ◽  
Aouad M'harer

In this chapter, we propose to perform a numerical technique based on genetic algorithms (GAs) to identify the electrical parameters (Is, Iph, Rs, Rsh, and n) of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells and modules. The one diode type approach is used to model the I–V characteristic of the solar cell. To extract electrical parameters, the approach is formulated as optimization problem. The GAs approach was used as a numerical technique in order to overcome problems involved in the local minima in the case optimization criteria. Compared to other methods, we find that the GAs is a very efficient technique to estimate the electrical parameters of photovoltaic solar cells and modules. Compared with other parameter extraction techniques, based on statistical study, results indicate the consistency and uniformity of method in terms of the quality of final solutions. In parallel, the simulated data with the extracted parameters of method base with GAs are in very good agreement with the experimental data in all cases.


2016 ◽  
pp. 1371-1390
Author(s):  
Benmessaoud Mohammed Tarik ◽  
Fatima Zohra Zerhouni ◽  
Amine Boudghene Stambouli ◽  
Mustapha Tioursi ◽  
Aouad M'harer

In this chapter, we propose to perform a numerical technique based on genetic algorithms (GAs) to identify the electrical parameters (Is, Iph, Rs, Rsh, and n) of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells and modules. The one diode type approach is used to model the I–V characteristic of the solar cell. To extract electrical parameters, the approach is formulated as optimization problem. The GAs approach was used as a numerical technique in order to overcome problems involved in the local minima in the case optimization criteria. Compared to other methods, we find that the GAs is a very efficient technique to estimate the electrical parameters of photovoltaic solar cells and modules. Compared with other parameter extraction techniques, based on statistical study, results indicate the consistency and uniformity of method in terms of the quality of final solutions. In parallel, the simulated data with the extracted parameters of method base with GAs are in very good agreement with the experimental data in all cases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 3939-3942
Author(s):  
Nikhil Deep Gupta

The paper discusses and compares the Lambertian limits for light trapping (LT) in GaAs active layer based thin film solar cells as described by different mathematical theories and expressions. The Lambertian limits for thin film GaAs solar cell provide the maximum efficiency that can be achieved through LT structures and also indicate the advantage that these structure can provide for the design of GaAs thin film solar cell structure. The purpose to discuss difference Lambertian limit expressions is to understand and predict, which limiting benchmark value is more suited for nano LT structures based GaAs active material solar cells, considering GaAs material properties. The paper also compares these calculated limiting values with different nano LT structures including photonic crystal structures based designs proposed by the author. The aim is to check how much close a particular proposed structure is to the Lambertian values, so that we can predict that which is more suitable design to get best efficiency out of the single junction GaAs material based structure. The paper discussed the three Lambertian theories including that of Yablonovitch, Green and Schuster.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 306-316
Author(s):  
Sadanand ◽  
Pravin Kumar Singh ◽  
Pooja Lohia ◽  
D. K. Dwivedi ◽  
Fahad A. Alharthi ◽  
...  

CZTSSe materials have been studied for a highly efficient solar cell. In this paper, Cu2ZnSn(S0.2Se0.8)4 (CZTSSe) thin film was prepared and its application to photovoltaic solar cells was studied. The CZTSSe thin film was deposited using facile thermal evaporation process and examined by various techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman-scattering and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Interestingly, the synthesized CZTSSe thin are exhibiting broad-spectrum absorption. The I–V characteristics were performed to study the photoresponse of CZTSSe nanofilm. By the numerical simulation, the observed maximum efficiency of the fabricated device was ∼16.5%. Therefore, the present study reveals that Cu2ZnSn(S0.2Se0.8)4 thin films could be used as an effective absorber layer for efficient solar cells applications.


2009 ◽  
Vol 156-158 ◽  
pp. 107-114
Author(s):  
Antonio Luque ◽  
Antonio Martí

The state of the art of the intermediate band solar cells is presented with emphasis on the use of impurities or alloys to form bulk intermediate band materials. Quantum dot intermediate band solar cells start to present already attractive efficiencies but many difficulties jeopardize the immediate achievement of record efficiency cells. To complement this research it is worthwhile examining bulk materials presenting an IB. Four or perhaps more materials have already proven to have it and several paths for the research of more are today open but no solar cell has yet been published based on them. This topic has already attracted many researches and abundant funds for their development worldwide.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Musztyfaga-Staszuk ◽  
Damian Janicki ◽  
Piotr Panek

This work presents comparison results of the selected electrical parameters of silicon solar cells manufactured with silver front electrodes which were co-fired in an infrared belt furnace in the temperature range of 840–960 °C. The commercial paste (PV19B) was used for the metallization process. Electrical properties of a batch of solar cells fabricated in one cycle were investigated. Three methods were used, including measurement of the current-voltage characteristics (I-V), measurement of contacts’ resistivity using the transmission Line model method (TLM), and measurement of contacts’ resistivity using the potential difference method (PD). This work is focused on both the different metallization temperatures of co-firing of solar cells and measurements using the above-mentioned methods. It is shown that the solar cell parameters measured with three methods have different, but strongly correlated values. Moreover, the comparative analysis was performed of the investigations of the same photovoltaic solar cells using both the TLM method and independent research stands (including one non-commercial and two commercial ones) at three different scientific units. In the PD and TLM methods, the same calculation formulae are used. It can be stated, comparing methods I-V, PD, and TLM, that for each, different parameters are determined to assess the electrical properties of the solar cell.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peyman Jelodarian ◽  
Abdolnabi Kosarian

The effect of p-layer and i-layer characteristics such as thickness and doping concentration on the electrical behaviors of the a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H thin film heterostructure solar cells such as electric field, photogeneration rate, and recombination rate through the cell is investigated. Introducing Ge atoms to the Si lattice in Si-based solar cells is an effective approach in improving their characteristics. In particular, current density of the cell can be enhanced without deteriorating its open-circuit voltage. Optimization shows that for an appropriate Ge concentration, the efficiency of a-Si:H/a-SiGe solar cell is improved by about 6% compared with the traditional a-Si:H solar cell. This work presents a novel numerical evaluation and optimization of amorphous silicon double-junction (a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H) thin film solar cells and focuses on optimization of a-SiGe:H midgap single-junction solar cell based on the optimization of the doping concentration of the p-layer, thicknesses of the p-layer and i-layer, and Ge content in the film. Maximum efficiency of 23.5%, with short-circuit current density of 267 A/m2and open-circuit voltage of 1.13 V for double-junction solar cell has been achieved.


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