Solar Cell Module With Slit Lenses and Air Gap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Concentrator solar cell modules face challenges in increasing electricity generation efficiency, alignment issues, and high fabrication costs due to complex optical designs and the need for tracking apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A solar cell module design incorporating a concentration unit with a flat surface and a reflection unit that uses internal reflection to trap concentrated light, featuring lenses with slits and an air gap, allowing for efficient light concentration without a tracking apparatus and enabling the use of cells with varying sizes and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a concentrator solar cell module uses a complex optical design to concentrate solar light, then electricity generation efficiency is improved, but device complexity and fabrication costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The concentration unit is divided into multiple lenses arranged in an array, where each lens independently concentrates light to a corresponding solar cell. This segmentation allows the system to handle wide-angle sunlight without requiring complex tracking mechanisms, as each lens-solar cell pair operates independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The lenses in the concentration unit serve multiple functions: they concentrate sunlight, guide light to solar cells, and work with the reflective region to trap and redirect light. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, simplifying the overall optical design while maintaining high electricity generation efficiency.
2Power
If a tracking apparatus is added to follow sun orbit and altitude, then light concentration is improved, but device complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses lenses with specific curvature designs that dynamically adapt to different angles of incident sunlight throughout the day. The optical design inherently handles varying sun positions without mechanical movement, allowing the concentration ratio to be maintained across wide angle ranges without tracking apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical tracking system with an optical solution using specially designed lenses and reflective regions. The optical elements are arranged and shaped to automatically redirect sunlight from various angles to the solar cells, substituting mechanical motion with static optical geometry.
3Volume of moving object
If the concentration unit is positioned close to solar cells, then structure is compact, but light concentration and trapping efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the air gap space between the concentration unit and solar cells as an optical cavity for light trapping. By designing the reflective region to extend into this gap and using internal reflection, the system effectively uses the third dimension (depth) to enhance light concentration without increasing the overall footprint area, thus maintaining compactness while improving efficiency.
4Ease of manufacture
If misalignment occurs between cells and lenses, then fabrication is simplified, but concentration efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The lenses are designed with asymmetric curvature profiles optimized for capturing sunlight from wide angles rather than requiring precise symmetric alignment. This asymmetric design makes the system more tolerant of manufacturing variations and alignment errors, maintaining concentration efficiency even when perfect alignment is not achieved.
Solution Approach 2:
The reflective region is designed to extend beyond the immediate area of each lens, creating an overlapping reflective field that covers potential misalignment zones. This excessive coverage ensures that even if lenses are slightly misplaced, the reflective regions will still redirect light effectively to the solar cells.
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 design enhances electricity generation efficiency, reduces misalignment issues, and facilitates mass production by concentrating light over a wide angle range, improving yield and reducing surface losses, while maintaining a compact structure.
Implementation Method 1
The concentration unit may be made of a plurality of materials having different refractive indexes... configured as a flat lens of concentrating light by the different refractive indexes
Implementation Method 2
a reflection unit configured to reflect light between the solar cells... solar light concentrated by and output from the concentration unit is trapped between the concentration unit and the reflection unit
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a solar cell module, includes a plurality of solar cells, a concentration unit having a flat surface to which solar light is incident, arranged at a position spaced apart from the solar cells, and configured to concentrate the incident solar light for output, and a reflection unit configured to reflect light between the solar cells, wherein the concentration unit is provided with a reflective region such that solar light concentrated by the concentration unit and output from is trapped between the concentration unit and the reflection unit, and an air gap is formed between the concentration unit and the reflection unit.