Solar Cell Management System Electric Field Charge Carrier Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solar cell systems fail to maximize power output and efficiency due to high recombination rates of electron-hole pairs, requiring structural modifications and high voltages that increase manufacturing costs and reduce optical energy, making it difficult to retrofit existing systems.
Innovation Solution
A solar cell management system that applies an external electric field across existing solar cells without structural modifications, using a switch and voltage source to induce an electric field that increases the mobility of electron-hole pairs and reduces recombination, thereby enhancing power output without the need for additional electrodes or structural changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If structural modifications and high voltages are applied to increase power output, then electron-hole pair mobility improves, but manufacturing cost increases and optical energy is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies external electric fields by adjusting voltage parameters to optimize charge carrier mobility without structural modifications. By changing the electric field strength parameter, the system enhances power output while avoiding the need for expensive structural changes or high-voltage permanent installations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces external electrodes as intermediary elements that apply electric fields across the solar cell without becoming part of the permanent structure. These temporary electrodes serve as mediators to enhance charge carrier separation and reduce recombination losses, improving power output without requiring structural integration.
2Reliability
If external electric fields are applied using modified solar cell structure, then charge carrier mobility increases, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the solar cell to self-optimize its performance by applying external electric fields that enhance its own charge carrier mobility without requiring permanent structural modifications. The system serves itself by using external fields to improve its internal charge transport mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies external electric fields in periodic or pulsed manner rather than continuously, which reduces the complexity of the system while still achieving enhanced charge carrier mobility. The periodic application of fields allows the solar cell to benefit from improved charge separation without requiring permanent structural changes.
3Productivity
If existing solar cell systems are retrofitted with additional electrodes, then power output can be enhanced, but installation difficulty and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses temporary external electrodes as intermediaries that can be easily connected and disconnected from existing solar cells. These mediator electrodes apply electric fields to enhance power output without requiring permanent integration into the solar cell structure, making retrofitting simple and cost-effective.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the function of enhancing charge carrier mobility from the permanent solar cell structure and separates it into an external, removable component. By taking out the electrode function from the cell structure itself and providing it externally, the system enables easy retrofitting without modifying the original solar cell design.
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 system increases the current and power output of solar cells by up to 50% under low light conditions and 20% under high intensity light, without the drawbacks of structural modifications or high voltage risks, and can be applied to various solar cell configurations.
Implementation Method 1
applying an external electric field across a photovoltaic device... A voltage source applies an external voltage to the solar panels that induces an electric field across the solar panels
Implementation Method 2
A solar cell (also called a photovoltaic cell) is an electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by a process known as 'the photovoltaic effect.'
Implementation Method 3
The mobile electron—hole pair diffuses or drifts toward the electrodes 101a, 101b. Typically, the electron diffuses/drifts towards the negative electrode, and the hole diffuses/drifts towards the positive electrode. Drifting of carriers is driven by electric fields established across an active field of the solar cell 100.
Data Source
AI summary
A solar cell management system for increasing the efficiency and power output of a solar cell and methods for making and using the same. The management system provides an electric field across one or more solar cells. The imposed electric field exerts a force on both the electrons and holes created by light incident on the solar cell and accelerates the electron-hole pairs towards the electrodes of the solar cell. The solar cell management system considers variations in configuration of solar cells to maximize the power output of the solar cells. The accelerated electron-hole pairs have a lower likelihood of recombining within the cells' semiconductor's material. This reduction in the electron-hole recombination rate results in an overall increase in the solar cells' efficiency and greater power output.