Title :
Progress in development of all-glass terrestrial concentrator modules based on composite Fresnel lenses and III-V solar cells
Author :
Rumyantsev, V.D. ; Andreev, V.M. ; Bett, A.W. ; Dimroth, F. ; Hein, M. ; Lange, G. ; Shvarts, M.Z. ; Sulima, O.V.
Author_Institution :
A.F. Ioffe Physicotech. Inst., Acad. of Sci., St. Petersburg, Russia
Abstract :
This paper describes an approach in designing of concentrator modules which is very similar to that for flat PV panels. Small-size submodules, each with 4×4 cm2 aperture and 7.5 cm focusing distance, are integrated in a fully hermetic module which is resistant to the environmental influences. Panels of concentrating Fresnel lenses have a composite structure and consist of a silicate glass superstrate and a thin (~0.2 mm in average) refractive profile made of transparent silicone. An optical efficiency of the lenses as high as 91.5% was measured. The geometrical concentration ratio of the all-glass module is 130×. The solar cells are mounted on copper heat-spreaders which are glued to a bottom glass plate. The module cabinet has glass walls sealed to the lens and solar cell panels by means of silicone. The outdoor module efficiencies of 19.3% in the case of single-junction AlGaAs-GaAs cells and 24.8% in the case of two-junction GaInP-GaInAs solar cells were measured
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; gallium arsenide; gallium compounds; glass; indium compounds; lenses; p-n junctions; solar cells; solar energy concentrators; 19.3 percent; 24.8 percent; 4 cm; 7.5 cm; 91.5 percent; AlGaAs-GaAs; AlGaAs-GaAs solar cells; GaInP-GaInAs; GaInP-GaInAs solar cells; III-V solar cells; all-glass terrestrial concentrator modules; aperture; bottom glass plate; composite Fresnel lenses; concentrating Fresnel lens panels; copper heat-spreaders; development progress; focusing distance; geometrical concentration ratio; refractive profile; small-size submodules; Apertures; Copper; Fresnel reflection; Gain measurement; Geometrical optics; Glass; Lenses; Optical refraction; Photovoltaic cells; Solar heating;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2000. Conference Record of the Twenty-Eighth IEEE
Conference_Location :
Anchorage, AK
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5772-8
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.2000.916096