Reflective Photovoltaic Cells for Image Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional photovoltaic cells appear black or dark blue due to antireflection coatings, limiting their ability to visually combine reflections into images or colors, which restricts their aesthetic and functional applications.
Innovation Solution
The development of reflective photovoltaic cells acting as pixels, composed of 100 to 256 base color sub-pixel reflective segments, allowing for a wide variety of colors by controlling film thickness and refractive indices to achieve constructive interference of specific wavelengths, enabling the creation of images or camouflage patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If antireflection coatings are applied to photovoltaic cells to maximize light absorption, then energy conversion efficiency is improved, but the cells appear black or dark blue and cannot visually combine reflections into images
Solution Approach 1:
The photovoltaic cell surface is segmented into multiple reflective segments, each with different optical thicknesses of coating material. These segments are arranged in patterns that allow selective reflection of different wavelengths, enabling both energy generation and visual image formation simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the photovoltaic cell surface are given different local properties through varying optical thicknesses of the coating material. This allows specific areas to reflect specific wavelengths while maintaining overall energy absorption, creating localized color properties across the cell surface
2Adaptability or versatility
If photovoltaic cells are designed to reflect specific wavelengths for color formation, then visual appearance and image creation are improved, but light absorption efficiency may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The coating is applied with partial action - different optical thicknesses are used in different segments rather than uniform thickness. This allows selective wavelength reflection in specific segments while other segments maintain high absorption, achieving color formation without excessive loss of overall energy efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The optical thickness parameter of the coating material is varied across different segments of the photovoltaic cell. By changing this parameter, specific wavelengths are reflected to create colors while maintaining overall light absorption efficiency through the photovoltaic effect
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform coating thickness is used across photovoltaic cells, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but no color variation or image formation is possible
Solution Approach 1:
The coating process is segmented into multiple application steps or zones, allowing different optical thicknesses to be deposited in different regions. This can be achieved through techniques like rotational deposition, dip-coating at varying speeds, or multiple passes, maintaining reasonable manufacturing complexity while enabling color formation
Solution Approach 2:
The coating thickness is varied in the vertical dimension (optical thickness) rather than maintaining uniform thickness. This dimensional variation allows different segments to reflect different wavelengths, creating color and image capabilities while using standard coating techniques
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
This solution allows for the creation of photovoltaic modules that can visually combine reflections into images or patterns while maintaining electricity generation capabilities, offering both aesthetic and functional flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
The film may include an optical thickness such that rays of the visible light reflected from the film surface and from the cell surface interfere constructively
Implementation Method 2
The film may be configured to reflect a predetermined wavelength of visible light from the film surface and the cell surface in a direction away from the device layer
Data Source
AI summary
A photovoltaic module includes colorized reflective photovoltaic cells that act as pixels. The colorized reflective photovoltaic cells are arranged so that reflections from the photovoltaic cells or pixels visually combine into an image on the photovoltaic module. The colorized photovoltaic cell or pixel is composed of a set of 100 to 256 base color sub-pixel reflective segments or sub-pixels. The color of each pixel is determined by the combination of base color sub-pixels forming the pixel. As a result, each pixel can have a wide variety of colors using a set of base colors, which are created, from sub-pixel reflective segments having standard film thicknesses.