3638results about How to "Improve energy conversion efficiency" patented technology

Transducers and transducer modules having the transducers are disclosed. An embodiment discloses a transducer that includes a conductive layer having a U-shaped slit toward its swing end. The slit is configured to enhance a haptic feedback or an acoustic propagation, or adjust a resonant mode.

An ECU executes a program including a step of detecting a present location using a GPS system (S1000); a step of reading out data of a geographical map proximate to the present location (S1010) and presenting in the geographical map charging installations including a charging installation employing solar light, together with the location of its vehicle (S1020); a step of, if a presentation switching request is made (YES in S1030) and a real-time solar radiation correction request is made (YES in S1050), detecting a solar radiation amount (S1060) and correcting a charge amount per unit time provided by the power generation installation employing solar light, based on the detected solar radiation amount (S1070); and a step of detecting an SOC in the battery to calculate an amount of discharge done until arrival at the charging installation (S1080, S1090), calculating time required for charging up to a fully charged state (S1100), and presenting the time required for charging in the geographical map (S1200).

A method for producing hydrogen gas is provided and comprises reducing a metal oxide in a reduction reaction between a carbon-based fuel and a metal oxide to provide a reduced metal or metal oxide having a lower oxidation state, and oxidizing the reduced metal or metal oxide to produce hydrogen and a metal oxide having a higher oxidation state. The metal or metal oxide is provided in the form of a porous composite of a ceramic material containing the metal or metal oxide. The porous composite may comprise either a monolith, pellets, or particles.

Disclosed are fixed solar-electric modules having arrays of solar concentrator assemblies capable of separately tracking movements through one or two degrees of rotational freedom to follow the movement of the sun daily and/or seasonally. The concentrators can include optical elements to direct and concentrate light onto photovoltaic and/or thermoelectric receivers for generation of electric current.

A photoluminescence color display comprises a display panel that displays red, green and blue pixel areas, an excitation source operable to generate excitation radiation for operating the display, and a photoluminescence color-element plate. The color-element plate comprises at least one photoluminescence material, such as a phosphor material or quantum dots, that is operable to emit light corresponding to red, green and blue pixel areas of the display in response to said excitation radiation. Additionally, the photo-luminescence color display comprises a wavelength selective filter that is provided between the color-element plate and the excitation source. The filter has a transmission characteristic that allows the passage of excitation radiation from the excitation source to excite the at least one photoluminescence material whilst preventing the passage of photoluminescence light back to the excitation source thereby prevent cross contamination of light among the different pixel areas of the display.

A method for making a heterojunction photovoltaic device (200) is provided for converting solar radiation to photocurrent and photovoltage with improved efficiency. The method and apparatus include an improved window layer (230) having an increased oxygen (140) concentration with higher optical bandgap and photo to dark conductivity ratio. The improved photovoltaic device (200) is made using a deposition method which incorporates the use of a gas mixture of an inert gas (115) and a predetermined amount of oxygen (140), deposited at or near room temperature. Window layers contemplated by the present invention include, but are not limited to, cadmium sulfide (CdS) and various alloys of zinc cadmium sulfide (Zn_xCd_1-xS). To further increase the efficiency of the resultant photovoltaic device (200), deposition parameters are controlled and monitored to improve the deposited window layer (230).

The present inventions are solar cell assemblies comprising a combination of efficiency enhancing features, such as, a photovoltaic cell array including two or more members having different band gaps, dispersive optics capable of directing wavelengths of incoming light to the most efficient cells for those wavelengths, light concentrators to focus incoming light onto the appropriate cells, and electrically conductive light concentrators that can act as contacts and transmission paths for current generated in the assembly.

Techniques for improving energy conversion efficiency in photovoltaic devices are provided. In one aspect, an antimony (Sb)-doped film represented by the formula, Cu_1-yIn_1-xGa_xSb_zSe_2-wS_w, provided, wherein: 0≦x≦1, and ranges therebetween; 0≦y≦0.2, and ranges therebetween; 0.001≦z≦0.02, and ranges therebetween; and 0≦w≦2, and ranges therebetween. A photovoltaic device incorporating the Sb-doped CIGS film and a method for fabrication thereof are also provided.

The invention relates to a perovskite solar battery and a preparing method thereof. The perovskite solar battery comprises a transparent electrode, a hole transmission layer, a perovskite light absorption layer, an electronic transmission layer and a metal electrode. The hole transmission layer comprises at least one of PEDOT: PSS, P3HT, PTAA, PThTPTI, metallic oxide and graphene oxide. The electronic transmission layer comprises at least one of 58 pi-electronic fullerene PCBM, 56 pi-electronic fullerene OQMF, 54 pi-electronic fullerene OQBMF, PFN, PEIE, ZnO, TiO2, doped or modified ZnO or TiO2. The perovskite solar battery is high in energy exchange efficiency and low in cost and can be produced on a large scale, and the preparing method is simple in technology.

A fuel cell has a unit cell whose output is increased. A unit cell of a fuel cell includes a cathode electrode having a gas diffusion layer and an electrode catalyst layer. The electrode catalyst layer is made of carbon black carrying a Pt—Mn-based alloy such as a Pt—Mn alloy on its particle surface. For operating the fuel cell which includes the cathode electrode, it is preferable to make the pressure of an oxygen-containing gas supplied to the cathode electrode higher than the pressure of an hydrogen-containing gas supplied to an anode electrode to make the pressure at the cathode electrode higher than the pressure at the anode electrode.

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a nano-array electrode with a controlled nano-structure by filling an electrode material into the fine pores of an anodic-oxide porous alumina film obtained by anodically oxidizing aluminum in electrolyte, or by filling a material into the fine pores of an anodic-oxide porous alumina film obtained by anodically oxidizing aluminum in electrolyte and then filling an electrode material into the spaces defined by the nano-array formed by removing the anodic-oxide porous alumina film, or by filling repeatedly an electrode material in the fine pores of the anodic-oxide porous alumina film to fill a plurality of electrode materials. A high-performance, high-efficiency photoelectric converting device comprising a nano-array electrode manufactured by the method is also disclosed.

The invention discloses a polycyclic benzothiadiazole non-fullerene acceptor material, a preparation method thereof and an application of the material. The polycyclic benzothiadiazole non-fullerene acceptor material comprises a polycyclic benzothiadiazole center core and electrophilic end groups, the polycyclic benzothiadiazole center core is of a nitrogen bridge trapezoidal polycyclic structure,the electrophilic end groups are connected to two ends of the center core, 4, 7-dibromo-5, 6-binitro benzothiadiazole serves as a raw material in the preparation process, Stille coupling and Vilsmeier-Haack reaction are sequentially performed to obtain the polycyclic benzothiadiazole center core, and end-group structures are introduced by Knoevenagel reaction to obtain the polycyclic benzothiadiazole non-fullerene acceptor material. The acceptor material is good in solubility and easily processed into a film, has a good photoelectric conversion function and is used for preparing an organic solar battery device, and photoelectric conversion efficiency reaches nearly 16% of single battery conversion efficiency.

The invention discloses a wireless energy transmission system, a wireless energy transmission device, a wireless energy transmission method, an energy transmitter, an intelligent reflecting surface and a computer readable storage medium. The method comprises the following steps of acquiring the channel state information; calculating a beam forming vector and the reflection parameters of an intelligent reflection surface according to the channel state information; sending an energy signal according to the beam forming vector, and sending the reflection parameter to the intelligent reflection surface, so that the intelligent reflection surface adjusts a reflection array according to the reflection parameter, wherein the intelligent reflecting surface comprises a plurality of reflecting arrays, and the energy signal sent by the energy transmitter is directly irradiated to the energy receiver and is reflected to the energy receiver through the intelligent reflecting surface. According to the wireless energy transmission method disclosed by the invention, the wireless energy transmission efficiency is improved, and the coverage area is enlarged.

The invention discloses a compressed air energy storage system, which comprises a compressor unit, a pre-expansion device, a turbine expansion machine, an intermediate cooler, an electric motor, a power generator, a hot water storage tank and a cold water storage tank, wherein the system utilizes electric energy which is not used up in the user electricity consumption valley period or wind power station power generation peak period for driving the compressor unit to work, the air at the normal pressure is compressed to high pressure, in addition, the part of air with rich pressure energy is stored into a high-pressure-resistance hole, in addition, the stored high-pressure air is released in the user electric consumption peak period or the wind power field generation valley period, an expansion unit is pushed to apply work, and the electric energy is output. The air pre-expansion device is additionally arranged at an outlet of an air storage chamber, so the air inlet pressure of the air turbine expansion machine is stable, the work stability of a power generation system is enhanced, low-temperature air at an outlet of the pre-expansion device is utilized for cooling hot water from the hot water storage tank, the temperature of the low-temperature air is raised through absorption of heat from the hot water, and the cooled water enters the cold water storage tank. The compressed air energy storage system is provided with the hot water storage tank and the cold water storage tank, the water is cyclically utilized in a closed loop, the water is not consumed, in addition, the heat discharged by the compressor is fully utilized and conveyed back to the high-pressure air at the outlet of the pre-expansion device. The high-pressure air at the outlet of the pre-expansion device is recovered through a heat recovering device (HRH).

The invention relates to series battery equalizing equipment. Each battery of a plurality of batteries connected in series is connected with an equalizing module, and the equalizing module comprises a diffluence module and a flyback transformer unit. The diffluence module of the equalizing module spans two adjacent single batteries. In the diffluence module, a grid electrode of a switching tube MOSFET is connected with the anode of the first single battery; a source electrode of the switching tube MOSFET is connected with an energy storage inductor; a gate electrode is connected with a controller; the energy storage inductor is connected with the cathode of the first single battery; the cathode of a diode is connected with the source electrode of the MOSFET; and the anode of the diode is connected with the cathode of the second battery. The flyback transformer unit is characterized in that a grid electrode of the switching tube MOSFET for controlling a flyback transformer is connectedwith the anode of a third battery; the source electrode is connected with a primary side same polarity of the transformer; the gate electrode is controlled by the controller; a primary side synonyms polarity and a vice-side same polarity of the flyback transformer are both connected with the cathode of the third battery; a vice-side synonyms polarity of the flyback transformer is connected with the anode of a protection diode of the flyback transformer; and the cathode of the protection diode is connected with the anode of the first battery.

A resonant power converter includes a DC power source 1, a pair of MOS-PETs 1 and 2 which are connected in series to the DC power source, a transformer Tr1 which is arranged at the subsequent stage of the MOS-FETs 1 and 2 and includes a primary coil and a secondary coil, a capacitor C4 is arranged in parallel with the secondary coil of the transformer Tr1 so that series resonance occurs between the leakage inductance of the transformer Tr1 and the capacitor C4. A current doubler rectifier circuit may be arranged in the subsequent stage of the capacitor C4. Further, a pair of switching elements for synchronous rectification may be provided in the subsequent stage of the capacitor C4 so that these switching elements are driven by drive signals responsive to a voltage generated across the resonance capacitor C4.

The invention relates to a solar photovoltaic energy conversion apparatus. The apparatus consists of a substrate, a buffer layer formed on the substrate layer, a first transparent conductive oxide layer formed on the buffer layer, periodic protrusions containing first silicon layers formed on the first transparent conductive oxide layer, second silicon layers formed on the first silicon layers, a second transparent conductive oxide layer covering the first silicon layers, the second silicon layers and the first transparent conductive oxide layer, and an anti-reflective protective layer. The first silicon layer and the second silicon layer are the electrodes with the opposite type of charge carriers. The first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer are the electrodes with the opposite type of charge carriers. This TCO-based hybrid solar photovoltaic energy conversion device not only can allow the transmission of visible sunlight but also can enhance the photovoltaic energy.

The invention discloses a laminated organic thin-film solar cell comprising a substrate, a transparent anode layer, an anode buffering layer, an organic photoelectric conversion layer 1, a connecting layer, an organic photoelectric conversion layer 2, a cathode buffering layer and a cathode layer, wherein the connecting layer can be formed by the following two methods: (1) an enhancement reflection film and a hole transporting layer are combined into the connecting layer; and (2) an enhancement reflection film, a metal thin layer and a hole transporting layer are combined into the connecting layer. The enhancement reflection film can improve the reflectivity of the connecting layer according to the specified range of wavelength. Simultaneously, the enhancement reflection film has better electronic transmission performance, guarantees electrons and holes to be effectively compounded on the connecting layer. The laminated organic thin-film solar cell prepared by the method is characterized by high energy conversion efficiency and good stability.

A photo-luminescence liquid crystal (LCD) display comprises: a display panel and a radiation source for generating excitation radiation for operating the display. The display panel comprises transparent front and back plates; a liquid crystal disposed between the front and back plates; a matrix of electrodes (array of thin film transistors TFTs) defining red, green and blue pixel areas of the display and operable to selectively induce an electric field across the liquid crystal in the pixel areas for controlling transmission of light through the pixels areas. A red phosphor material which emits red (R) light in response to excitation radiation is provided on the back plate corresponding to red pixel areas and a green phosphor material which emits green light in response to excitation radiation is provided on the back plate corresponding to green pixel areas.

Disclosed herein is a counter electrode for a dye-sensitized solar cell, and a method of producing the same. In the dye-sensitized solar cell which includes a photoelectrode containing a photosensitive dye molecules, in which the counter electrode is positioned opposite to the photoelectrode, and an electrolytic solution interposed between the photoelectrode and the counter electrode, the counter electrode has an electron transfer layer. The electron transfer layer has a structure in which one or more conductive materials, selected from the group consisting of a conductive polymer, platinum nanoparticles, a carbon compound, inorganic oxide particles, and a conductive polymer blend, are sequentially laminated. In the counter electrode, the electron transfer layer promotes smooth electron transfer through an interface between the electrolyte, containing pairs of redox ions, and counter electrode. Thereby, energy conversion efficiency is significantly improved in comparison with a conventional dye-sensitized solar cell employing a counter electrode in which only a platinum layer is applied on a transparent conductive material.

A high efficiency thermodynamic power conversion cycle is disclosed using thermal storage, atmospheric heat exchangers, and wind channeling in a synergistic method. Using the preferred configuration with ground source water, solar collectors, and heat pump including the further preferred utilization of ionic liquids or electride solutions as the working fluid in the system, achieves optimal total energy efficiency and enables otherwise insufficient thermal differentials to effectively generate power.

The invention provides a cascade megawatt photovoltaic grid-connected inverter, wherein a topology structure of the cascade megawatt photovoltaic grid-connected inverter is composed of two levels, namely a DC/DC (direct current/direct current) isolation level and a DC/AC (direct current/alternating current) output level; the structures of three phases of circuits are the same; the output ends of a power inverter group of each single-phase of DC/DC output level are connected in a star shape; the input sides of power units of each single-phase level are provided with independent PV (photovoltaic) modules of the same structure; the DC/DC isolation level comprises high-frequency DC/AC, a high-frequency transformer and high-frequency AC/DC nodes of each single-phase for realizing isolation and boosting, and reducing the consumption of a switch tube via action of a resonant soft switch; the output level power transformer set adopts a bridge type inverter circuit; and the single-phase output level power units are connected with each other in a cascade mode. Based output cascade, the device can realize megawatt grid connection; as a high-frequency chain technology is used, the traditional low frequency transformer is omitted, and the power density is high; and compared with the existing photovoltaic grid-connected inverter structure, the device provided by the invention has the advantages of high energy conversion efficiency, excellent output energy quality, certain fault-tolerant capability and the like.