Flexible Solar Panel Using Chard Extract Polymer Matrix
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacture of dye-sensitized solar cells is hindered by the difficulty in eliminating or reducing the use of expensive materials like platinum and ruthenium, necessitating the development of a flexible solar panel that can incorporate alternative, cost-effective components.
Innovation Solution
A flexible solar panel is created using a polymer matrix incorporating a plant extract, specifically an extract of chard (B. vulgaris subsp. cicla), which includes chloroplasts and can be formed with poly(vinyl alcohol) or polystyrene, allowing for the production of a cost-effective and efficient solar panel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional dye-sensitized solar cell materials (platinum, ruthenium) are used, then high efficiency is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, rare materials (platinum, ruthenium) with inexpensive, readily available plant extracts containing chloroplasts. This substitution dramatically reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining functional performance, directly resolving the contradiction between efficiency and manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses plant extracts as a natural copy or alternative to synthetic dyes and noble metal catalysts. The chloroplasts in plant extracts replicate the light-absorbing and catalytic functions of traditional materials, providing a cost-effective substitute that maintains efficiency.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid structures are used in solar panels, then structural stability is improved, but flexibility and adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible polymer matrix to encapsulate the plant extract, creating a thin-film solar panel structure. This flexible substrate allows the solar panel to be bent, folded, and adapted to various surfaces while maintaining structural integrity and functional performance, resolving the contradiction between stability and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite material system combining plant extracts with polymer matrices. This composite structure integrates the light-absorbing properties of chloroplasts with the mechanical flexibility and structural stability of polymers, simultaneously achieving both structural stability and flexibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solar panel demonstrates increased current and voltage generation upon exposure to light, with the presence of chloroplasts in the plant extract being the primary factor for electricity generation, showcasing a viable alternative to traditional materials.
Implementation Method 1
The plant extract can include chloroplasts... the presence of chloroplasts in the plant extract being the primary factor for electricity generation
Data Source
AI summary
The flexible dye-sensitized solar panel with an organic chromophore is formed from an organic chromophore dye in a polymer matrix. The organic chromophore dye is extracted from chard (B. vulgaris subsp. cicla). The polymer matrix may be formed from either poly(vinyl alcohol) or polystyrene. The flexible dye-sensitized solar panel with an organic chromophore is made by preparing a solution of the selected polymer in the dye extracted from the B. vulgaris subsp. cicla. The solution is coated on a glass plate and dried to form a thin film. The thin flexible film is removed from the plate, forming the flexible dye-sensitized solar panel with an organic chromophore.