501 results about "Concentrated photovoltaics" patented technology

An apparatus having a concentrating optic member, wherein the concentrating optic member redirects light to form concentrated illumination. The apparatus also has a structure with a curved surface positioned to receive the redirected light and a set of solar cells connected to a curved surface of the structure, wherein the curved surface is curved such that all of the set of solar cells receive the redirected light at substantially the same intensity.

A concentrating photovoltaic module is provided which provides a concentration in the range of about 500 to over 1,000 suns and a power range of a few kW to 50 kW. A plurality of such modules may be combined to form a power plant capable of generating over several hundred megawatts. The concentrating photovoltaic module is based on a Photovoltaic Cavity Converter (PVCC) as an enabling technology for very high solar-to-electricity conversions. The use of a cavity containing a plurality of single junction solar cells of different energy bandgaps and simultaneous spectral splitting of the solar spectrum employs a lateral geometry in the spherical cavity (where the cell strings made of the single junction cells operate next to each other without mutual interference). The purpose of the cavity with a small aperture for the pre-focused solar radiation is to confine (trap) the photons so that they can be recycled effectively and used by the proper cells. Passive or active cooling mechanisms may be employed to cool the solar cells.

A Concentrating Photovoltaics (CPV) module includes a metal frame, a plurality of Fresnel lenses, a secondary reflective or refractive concentrator, multi-junction solar cells with up to 40% efficiency and a novel heat spreading material. The Fresnel lenses and the secondary concentrator focus the sun over 500 times to maximize the amount of photons collected by the solar cells and converted to electricity. A newly designed soft board material provides coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) matched carrier for the solar cells and an efficient electrical connectivity method. The carrier board is attached to a specially formulated heat spreader made of graphite. At 40% the weight of aluminum and 18% the weight of copper, this specially formulated material offers thermal heat conductivity that is superior to copper. The combination of the above creates CPV modules with the highest efficiency and lowest cost per Watt.

The present invention is that of a solar energy system that uses a light-guide solar panel (LGSP) to trap light inside a dielectric or other transparent panel and propagates the light to one of the panel edges for harvesting by a solar energy collector such as a photovoltaic cell. This allows for very thin modules whose thickness is comparable to the height of the solar energy collector. This eliminates eliminating the depth requirements inherent in traditional concentrated photovoltaic solar energy systems. A light guide solar panel has a deflecting layer, a light guide layer and a solar cell in optical communication with the light guide layer. The deflecting layer receives light at a first surface and inputs the light into the light guide layer. The light guide layer propagates the light to the solar cell, which is aligned generally parallel to the input surface.

A solar power system is disclosed. The solar power system includes: a solar energy receiving solar collector; a reflective secondary optical element comprising one or more sheets, wherein the one or more sheets are arranged to form a hollow structure having an interior surface, an exterior surface, an entry aperture, and an exit aperture, such that at least a portion of the interior of the hollow structure is reflective and wherein the hollow structure is positioned to receive energy from the solar collector through the entry aperture, reflect the energy from the interior surface of the hollow structure, and output the reflected energy through the exit aperture; and a receiver positioned to receive the reflected energy from the exit aperture. The energy from the solar collector is reflected and thereby directed through the exit aperture to the receiver by the reflective secondary optical element.

The present invention proposes a hybrid methodology and apparatus between photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar panels to lower the photovoltaic solar energy production cost. In particular, the disclosed methodology addresses a simple quasi-parabolic trough PV (QPTPV) low concentration system with greater tolerance to tracker pointing errors. The quasi-parabolic trough (QPT) reflector is defocused to cover the width of a linear solar cells array, which is reduced from a large rectangular solar cells panel. In summary, the QPTPV system consists of low cost quasi-parabolic reflectors, a compact linear PV cells array and a lower cost relaxed pointing 2-axes tracker. The combination of these low cost technologies disclosed can achieve the lowest cost per kilowatt hour of photovoltaic energy production.

Improved building-integrated photovoltaic systems according to certain example embodiments may include concentrated photovoltaic skylights or other windows having a cylindrical lens array. The skylight may include an insulated glass unit, which may improve the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC). The photovoltaic skylight and lens arrays may be used in combination with strip solar cells. Arrangements that involve lateral displacement tracking systems, or static systems (e.g., that are fixed at one, two, or more predefined positions) are contemplated herein. Such techniques may advantageously help to reduce cost per watt related, in part, to the potentially reduced amount of semiconductor material to be used for such example embodiments. A photovoltaic skylight may permit diffuse daylight to pass through into an interior of a building so as to provide lighting inside the building, while the strip solar cells absorb the direct sunlight and convert it to electricity, providing for SHGC tuning.

Certain examples relate to improved solar photovoltaic systems, and/or methods of making the same. Certain improved building-integrated photovoltaic systems may include concentrated photovoltaic skylights having a cylindrical lens array. The skylight may include an insulated glass unit, which may improve the solar heat gain coefficient. The photovoltaic skylight and lens arrays may be used in combination with strip solar cells and lateral displacement tracking systems. Such techniques may advantageously help to reduce cost per watt related, in part, to the potentially reduced amount of semiconductor material to be used for such example embodiments. A photovoltaic skylight may permit diffuse daylight to pass through into an interior of a building so as to provide lighting inside the building, while the strip solar cells absorb the direct sunlight and convert it to electricity.

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to patterned glass that can be used as a cylindrical lens array in a concentrated photovoltaic application, and/or methods of making the same. In certain example embodiments, the lens arrays may be used in combination with strip solar cells and/or single-axis tracking systems. That is, in certain example embodiments, lenses in the lens array may be arranged so as to concentrate incident light onto respective strip solar cells, and the entire assembly may be connected to a single-axis tracking system that is programmed to follow the East-West movement of the sun. A low-iron glass may be used in connection with certain example embodiments. Such techniques may advantageously help to reduce cost per watt related, in part, to the potentially reduced amount of semiconductor material to be used for such example embodiments.

A system or methodology for converting thermal energy obtained from solar thermal, photovoltaic, geothermal or industrial waste heat into electrical power is disclosed. The energy efficient way of transferring two steams of liquid solutions containing different concentrations of ionic species is disclosed. The combination of thermal gradient in addition to concentration gradient to improve efficiency, reduce or avoid fouling is disclosed. This invention describes a method of efficient ion migration from concentrated stream to dilute stream thereby improving DC power generation process. The utilization of solar thermal energy from solar collector or concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) generator system or solar thermal power generation (CSP) system provides the additional driving force for ions transport from concentrated stream to dilute stream, apart from the concentration grading to generating power. The thermal power is also used to bring back the diluted steam to original concentration in the reverse Electro dialysis system. The utilization of CPV process heat or solar or waste heat for bringing back the dilute stream into the concentrated stream for next operation of ions gradient power generation is also disclosed in this invention.

The invention provides a frequency divided type solar full-spectrum utilizing system with low concentrating photovoltaic-high concentrating photothermal / thermoelectric coupling. The solar full-spectrum utilizing system comprises a high power frequency divided concentrator based on low concentrating photovoltaic, a photothermal / thermoelectric composite heat collector tube, a photothermal second-grade concentrator and a real-time sunlight tracking system. The high power frequency divided concentrator based on low concentrating photovoltaic comprises spectrum selective transmission glass, a lower concentrating photovoltaic concentrator, a photovoltaic battery and heat dissipating fins. The photothermal / thermoelectric composite heat collector tube comprises a glass outer pipe, a ring type metal inner pipe, a glass inner pipe and a thermoelectric device, wherein the glass outer pipe, the ring type metal inner pipe, the glass inner pipe and the thermoelectric device are coaxially arranged. According to the solar full-spectrum utilizing system, electricity generating can not only be conducted through photovoltaic, thermoelectricity and a heat engine, but also thermochemistry stored energy can be utilized, so that high efficiency utilizing of the solar full spectrum is realized. Furthermore, the solar full-spectrum utilizing system is low in cost, broad in application scope, high in social and economic benefit and wide in market prospect.

The invention relates to a concentrating photovoltaic solar cooler and belongs to the technical field of solar power generation. The concentrating photovoltaic solar cooler comprises main cooling fins, auxiliary cooling fins, a cooler bottom plate and a concentrating photovoltaic conversion receiver mounting area, wherein a main cooling fin array and two auxiliary cooling fin arrays of different shapes are arranged on one face of the cooler bottom plate, the auxiliary cooling fins are arranged in the mode that the heights of the auxiliary cooling fins become smaller progressively from the center main cooling fins to the periphery, and a concentrating photovoltaic conversion receiver mounting area is arranged on the other face of the cooler bottom plate. The concentrating photovoltaic solar cooler is simple in structure and low in manufacturing cost, the cooling fins of the cooler are arranged in an arrayed mode, the weight is reduced, the auxiliary cooling fins are lower than the main cooling fins, thus heat on the main cooling fins can be conducted into air rapidly, and the cooling effect of the cooler is improved greatly.

The invention relates to a radiator for a concentrating photovoltaic photoelectric-converting receiver, and belongs to the technical field of solar power generation. The radiator comprises primary heat-radiating fins, secondary heat-radiating fins, a radiator soleplate and a concentrating photovoltaic photoelectric-converting receiver installing area, wherein one surface of the radiator soleplate is provided with a primary heat-radiating fin array and secondary heat-radiating fin arrays in two different shapes, and the other surface of the radiator soleplate is provided with the concentrating photovoltaic photoelectric-converting receiver installing area. The radiator disclosed by the invention has the advantages of simple structure and low manufacturing cost; natural wind can be guaranteed to enter the inner part of the radiator as much as possible through the surrounding arrays of the secondary heat-radiating fins of the radiator; the natural wind can be refracted in different directions at the inner part of the radiator when acting on the internal cylinder or elliptic-cylinder arrays of the secondary heat-radiating fins, and meanwhile, hot air at a higher level is brought to staggered heat-radiating arrays at a lower level in the mode of airflow flowage, so that the natural wind entering the heat-radiating fins is guaranteed to bring more hot air in the radiator to the air outside the radiator to be exchanged through many times of refraction and circulation, and therefore the heat radiation and the cooling for the radiator are guaranteed to be furthest carried out through the natural wind.

The invention relates to a high power solar concentrating photovoltaic power generation module. The module comprises a Fresnel lens, a receiver, an anti-focusing panel, a light guide funnel and a module box body. The module has characteristics that the light guide funnel is arranged below the Fresnel lens and does not contact the Fresnel lens; and the light guide funnel is fixed on the anti-focusing panel or the light guide funnel and does not contact the anti-focusing panel. The module has the advantages of having simple assembly, modular components and high accuracy of installation, reducing using large amount of materials and cost for power generation of the module and improving power generation efficiency.

The invention discloses a self-cleaning type CPC concentrating photovoltaic energy-saving flat roof based on sponge cities. The flat roof comprises a panel. CPC condensers with outward openings are evenly distributed on the side wall of the panel, a plurality of photovoltaic plates are embedded at the side wall of the panel, grooves are formed in the side walls of the CPC condensers, the side walls of the grooves are rotationally connected with reciprocating lead screws, lead screw nuts are in threaded connection with the reciprocating lead screws, and the lead screw nuts are provided with cleaning devices for cleaning away dust on the surface of the photovoltaic plates and the CPC condensers. By arranging a condensation pipe, power generation assemblies inside the photovoltaic plates canbe cooled, and the aging speed of the power generation assemblies is decreased. By arranging a first stretchable air bag and a second stretchable air bag, when the first stretchable air bag and the second stretchable air bag is constantly compressed and stretched, coolants are recycled, heat on the photovoltaic plates is better absorbed, meanwhile, water in a water storage box is pumped into a water storage cavity, and watering cooling cleaning can be performed on the surfaces of the CPC condensers and the photovoltaic plates.

Disclosed is a concentrating photovoltaic/thermal hot water solar energy system design method based on model analysis. The method comprises the steps that a concentrating photovoltaic/thermal hot water solar energy system comprises a concentrating subsystem, a photovoltaic conversion subsystem, a flat-plate heat collection subsystem and a PV/T heat collection subsystem; on the combination of characteristics of the concentrating PV/T hot water solar energy system, a design optimization model for photoelectric and photothermal conversion efficiency, the hot water temperature and output electric energy of the concentrating PV/T hot water solar energy system is built, design parameters of the concentrating PV/T hot water solar energy system are organically combined and then combined with the requirements of a user for the output electric energy, the thermal energy conversion efficiency and the hot water temperature of the system, and the design model is utilized for determining the area of a PV/T heat collector, the area of a photovoltaic cell, the thickness of a heat insulating layer of the PV/T heat collector, the capacity of an energy storage and other design parameters, so that the optimization design of the concentrating PV/T hot water solar energy system is completed. The method can effectively optimize and simplify the design process of the concentrating PV/T hot water solar energy system, and achieve the purpose of improving the practical design of the PV/T hot water solar energy system.

The invention belongs to a light-concentrating photovoltaic-temperature difference power-generating integrated device, and comprises a light-concentrating battery component, a liquid cooling device, a thermal collecting device, and a bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric generator. The light-concentrating photovoltaic-temperature difference power-generating integrated device is characterized in that: the light-concentrating battery component consists of a monocrystalline silicon solar battery and a columnar light-concentrating lens on the upper part of the monocrystalline silicon solar battery; the bottom of the monocrystalline silicon solar battery is bonded on a ceramic substrate by a heat conductive silicon chip; the ceramic substrate is connected with the liquid cooling device, and the liquid cooling device consists of a circulatory cooling passage, a water pump and a radiator. One side of the circulatory cooling passage is connected with the ceramic substrate at the bottom of the monocrystalline silicon solar battery, and the other side is connected with the radiator; the circulatory cooling passage is connected with the water pump; a top ceramic chip of the thermoelectric generator is bonded on the radiator of the liquid cooling device by adhering to a heat conductive silicon chip. The invention has the advantages that the waste heat generated by the monocrystalline silicon solar battery during the light-concentrating photovoltaic power generation can be recycled, therefore the efficiency of the overall light-concentrating photovoltaic power generation is improved substantially.

The invention discloses a micro light-condensing photovoltaic welding ribbon and a preparation process thereof. The micro light-condensing photovoltaic welding strip comprises a base ribbon. The base ribbon is provided with a light receiving surface, a back surface and side surfaces. The light receiving surface is of a saw-toothed structure. A reflecting plating layer is arranged on the light receiving surface. The reflecting plating layer is made of a metal or alloy material with thickness of 500nm-5 [mu]m, a melting point above 232DEG C and reflectivity above 65 percent under the illumination of light waves with wavelength in a range of 300nm-1200nm. Plating layers are arranged on the back surface and the side surfaces and are made of metal or alloy materials with thickness of 10 -25 [mu]m and a melting point below 232DEG C. The micro light-condensing photovoltaic welding ribbon disclosed by the invention has the advantages that not only can the dependence of the welding ribbon on a conductive adhesive bonding technology be reduced and can the manufacturing cost be decreased, but also the micro light-condensing effect can be improved and the power of a module is improved.

The invention discloses a concentrating photovoltaic power generation device which comprises a condenser lens, a light barrier, a secondary optical element, a concentrator solar cell, a radiator and a shell, wherein the condenser lens is spliced at the upper end of the shell by sealing glue; the light barrier is positioned under the condenser lens and connected with a box body into a whole; the light barrier is evenly provided with light holes, a uniform light optical element is positioned just under the light holes, the secondary optical element is spliced on the surface of the concentrator solar cell by light guide glue, the concentrator solar cell is spliced on the radiator by heat conduction glue, and the radiator is fixed on a bottom plate of the shell. Compared with the prior art, the concentrating photovoltaic power generation device has the characteristics of high condensation multiplying power and conversion efficiency, rapid heat dissipation, small land occupying area and effectively reduced cost.

The invention relates to a cooling device for a dish-type solar concentrating photovoltaic cell panel and belongs to the technical field of cooling of a concentrating photovoltaic cell panel. The invention aims to solve the problems that the conventional concentrating photovoltaic cell panel cooling technology is difficult to meet the requirement for temperature control and is poor in heat conductivity, so that the solar power generating efficiency is reduced. A heat dissipation panel of the cooling device is a hollow heat dissipation panel; fixed brackets are hollow brackets; a heat pipe is arranged in each fixed bracket; the upper end of each heat pipe is communicated with the heat dissipation panel; the hollow part of the heat dissipation panel is used as the evaporating ends of the heat pipes; the lower ends of the heat pipes are condensing ends; metal foams are sintered in the cavities between the heat pipes and the corresponding fixed brackets; the metal foams are filled with solid-liquid phase-change materials; openings of the upper ends of the fixed brackets are sealed by sealing elements; a layer of heat pipe wick is arranged on the inner wall of each heat pipe. The cooling device is used for heat dissipation of the dish-type solar concentrating photovoltaic cell panel.