Silicon Dioxide Solar Cell Tandem with Titanium Dioxide
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solar cells, such as titanium dioxide and dye-sensitized solar cells, have limited sunlight utilization efficiency due to their narrow usable wavelength range, with titanium dioxide cells utilizing only ultraviolet light and dye-sensitized cells achieving up to 10% efficiency, while silicon dioxide solar cells have shown potential but with unclear mechanisms and lower performance.
Innovation Solution
A silicon dioxide solar cell in tandem configuration with a titanium dioxide solar cell, where silicon dioxide particles are treated with halogen acid and used in combination with a dye-sensitized titanium dioxide solar cell, allowing for the utilization of light across the ultraviolet to infrared spectrum through a tandem configuration and the use of iodine electrolyte and ruthenium complex dye.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If titanium dioxide is used as the photoelectrode material, then the solar cell structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but the usable wavelength range is narrow (only ultraviolet light up to 380 nm) and sunlight utilization efficiency is extremely poor (practically 1%)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines titanium dioxide with silicon dioxide to create a composite photoelectrode structure. The titanium dioxide component maintains ease of manufacture while the silicon dioxide component extends the usable wavelength range into the visible region, thereby improving sunlight utilization efficiency without sacrificing manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The silicon dioxide component is introduced to provide additional light absorption capability in the visible spectrum, making the photoelectrode capable of utilizing both ultraviolet and visible light. This multi-functional approach allows the same structure to harvest a broader portion of the solar spectrum
2Productivity
If dye sensitized solar cell with ruthenium complex is used, then the usable wavelength range is extended to visible light region, but the sunlight utilization efficiency is still limited to 10% at most
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite of titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide where silicon dioxide provides broad-spectrum light absorption including visible light, replacing or supplementing the need for dye sensitization. This composite approach achieves higher sunlight utilization efficiency while maintaining simpler device structure without requiring ruthenium complex dyes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs silicon dioxide, an abundant and inexpensive material, to replace expensive ruthenium complex dyes. Silicon dioxide provides durable, cost-effective light absorption in the visible region, achieving high efficiency without the cost and complexity of organic dyes
3Productivity
If silicon dioxide particles are used in the solar cell, then the light absorption capability is improved, but the mechanism is unclear and performance is lower than expected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a well-defined composite structure where silicon dioxide particles are integrated with titanium dioxide in a controlled manner. This composite configuration provides clear mechanisms for light absorption and charge transfer, making the performance predictable and reliable while maintaining high light absorption capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an electrolyte as an intermediary medium that facilitates charge transfer between silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide components. This intermediary enables clear understanding of the operational mechanism and improves overall device performance reliability by ensuring efficient electron transport
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 configuration significantly increases photo-generation capabilities, achieving short-circuit currents of up to 2860 μA and improved electromotive ability compared to conventional cells, effectively utilizing light from ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths.
Implementation Method 1
The incident light which has passed through the transparent conductive layer 2 on the glass substrate 1 is absorbed by the porous titanium dioxide sintered material 10. The porous titanium dioxide sintered material 10 which has absorbed the light is electronically changed from the ground state to an excited state, and the excited electrons are caused to go out of the transparent conductive layer 2 due to diffusion
Implementation Method 2
an iodine electrolyte having iodine dissolved in an aqueous potassium iodide solution is generally used
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
In order to increase the generation efficiency of a silicon dioxide solar cell, two conductive substrates are arranged so that the conductive surfaces thereof face each other, at least one of the substrates is disposed upon the substrate facing the light entry-side substrate, and an electrolyte is filled between the silicon dioxide particles compact and the light entry-side substrate. Silicon dioxide solar cells having this configuration exhibit a significantly increased short circuit current and open circuit voltage in comparison to solar cells in which the silicon dioxide and the electrolyte are mixed. This configuration can further be improved by disposing a titanium dioxide solar cell or a dye-sensitized titanium dioxide solar cell upon the light entry-side substrate to further increase the short circuit current and the open circuit voltage.