Project Details
Description
The narrow spectral response of existing photovoltaic (PV) technologies previously limited their efficiency and increased costs, impacting the satellite market. Plasmonic enhanced luminescent down-shifting (PLDS) was explored as a passive strategy to improve this. It involved applying a semi-transparent, fluorescent, polymer nanocomposite layer onto PV cells to boost spectral responsivity.
The Dublin Energy Lab (DEL) at TUDublin developed and tested nanocomposite structured enhanced (SE)-PLDS concentrators. These contained components like metal nanoparticles, fluorescent species, polymers, and antireflection (ARC) films tailored to match PLDS optical properties. This innovation enhanced light trapping efficiency by thirty-four to sixty-six percent, depending on the PV's energy band-gap.
Preliminary results provided proof-of-concept, showing an optical efficiency increase that led to a twenty-one to fifty-two percent enhancement in photocurrent for retrofitted mc-Si PVs. For GaAs PVs, up to a forty-three percent photocurrent enhancement was predicted. The SE-PLDS architecture achieved power outputs of 0.9 to 1.1 kW/kg, with potential for further improvement.
The flexible SE-PLDS design allowed for the integration of various plasmonic particles and optical components, paving the way for a new class of luminescent solar concentrators (LSC). Once developed, the LSC technology utilized both theoretical and experimental methods to optimize system elements, aspiring to achieve solar PV arrays with performance up to 1.8 to 2 kW/kg. By employing synergetic light-trapping mechanisms, the project contributed to enhanced PV performance, offering prospects for additional cost and weight savings.
The Dublin Energy Lab (DEL) at TUDublin developed and tested nanocomposite structured enhanced (SE)-PLDS concentrators. These contained components like metal nanoparticles, fluorescent species, polymers, and antireflection (ARC) films tailored to match PLDS optical properties. This innovation enhanced light trapping efficiency by thirty-four to sixty-six percent, depending on the PV's energy band-gap.
Preliminary results provided proof-of-concept, showing an optical efficiency increase that led to a twenty-one to fifty-two percent enhancement in photocurrent for retrofitted mc-Si PVs. For GaAs PVs, up to a forty-three percent photocurrent enhancement was predicted. The SE-PLDS architecture achieved power outputs of 0.9 to 1.1 kW/kg, with potential for further improvement.
The flexible SE-PLDS design allowed for the integration of various plasmonic particles and optical components, paving the way for a new class of luminescent solar concentrators (LSC). Once developed, the LSC technology utilized both theoretical and experimental methods to optimize system elements, aspiring to achieve solar PV arrays with performance up to 1.8 to 2 kW/kg. By employing synergetic light-trapping mechanisms, the project contributed to enhanced PV performance, offering prospects for additional cost and weight savings.
| Status | Finished |
|---|---|
| Effective start/end date | 1/09/21 → 1/03/23 |
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