Microsystem enabled photovoltaic modules and systems
| DWPI Title: Photovoltaic solar energy apparatus, has pupil element for relaying all of radiation in solar image or quasi-image formed by Keplerian telescope element in collimated or diverging beam onto corresponding photovoltaic element |
| Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) module includes an absorber layer coupled to an optic layer. The absorber layer includes an array of PV elements. The optic layer includes a close-packed array of Keplerian telescope elements, each corresponding to one of an array of pupil elements. The Keplerian telescope substantially couple radiation that is incident on their objective surfaces into the corresponding pupil elements. Each pupil element relays radiation that is coupled into it from the corresponding Keplerian telescope element into the corresponding PV element. |
| Use: PV solar energy apparatus. |
| Advantage: The apparatus reduces overall weight and dimensions of individual micro-optical elements. The apparatus is provided with chromatic aberration of a micro-optical element so as to allow each successive PV cell to efficiently absorb incident radiation within absorption band while using a minimum of a PV cell absorber material. The PV module realizes passive solar tracking process that can efficiently accept incident radiation over a predetermined range of angles. |
| Novelty: The apparatus has a photovoltaic (PV) module comprising an absorber layer (200) including PV elements (202''). A Keplerian telescope element comprises an eyepiece lens (402) and an objective lens (400) comprising an objective surface, where the objective lens forms a close-packed array and the objective surface is 25-200 times greater in area than PV element top surfaces. A pupil element (404) relays all of radiation in a solar image or quasi-image formed by the Keplerian telescope element in a collimated or diverging beam onto the corresponding PV element. |
| Filed: 4/14/2015 |
| Application Number: US14686139A |
| Tech ID: SD 11515.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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