Solar Cell or Photo-voltaic Cells
"A solar cell or Photo-voltaic Cell is a device that produces electric current either by chemical action or by converting light to electric current when exposed to sunlight."
"A solar cell or Photo-voltaic Cell is a device that produces electric current either by chemical action or by converting light to electric current when exposed to sunlight."
Operating Principle Of A Photo-voltaic / Solar Cell :
The principle operation of a solar cell is similar to conduction in a semiconductor like silicon. As seen in the picture, the dark surface is the part that is exposed to sunlight. When EM radiation strikes the surface of the cell, it excites the electrons and as such cause them to jump from jump from one energy level (orbit) to the other leaving holes behind.
These holes serve as the positive charge carriers while the electrons serve as negative charge carriers. Do not get confused, the electrons or holes do not constitute to give the electrical charges. They only carry the charges. By so doing EM radiation is converted to electrical energy.
How To Construct A Simple Photovoltaic / Solar Cell?
Silicon and selenium are the most extensively used semiconductors in the production of solar cells. Gallium, arsenide, indium arsenide and cadmium sulfide etc. are in use too but silicon and selenium are the most widely used. Knowing that semiconductor materials like silicon and selenium can be quite expensive.
Advantages of using Solar Cell
- It doesn’t require fuel to power it up
- Its driving power is free in nature
- It require little maintenance
- It doesn’t produce noise
How To Construct A Simple Photovoltaic / Solar Cell?
Silicon and selenium are the most extensively used semiconductors in the production of solar cells. Gallium, arsenide, indium arsenide and cadmium sulfide etc. are in use too but silicon and selenium are the most widely used. Knowing that semiconductor materials like silicon and selenium can be quite expensive.
- It doesn’t require fuel to power it up
- Its driving power is free in nature
- It require little maintenance
- It doesn’t produce noise
Disadvantages Of Using Solar Cells
- The surface of the cell has to be large in order to produce reasonable amount of electrical energy.
- They cannot be employed as energy source because of fluctuations in the amount of energy generated.
- When the sun goes into hiding in the clouds amount of energy generated will be cut down
- The surface of the cell has to be large in order to produce reasonable amount of electrical energy.
- They cannot be employed as energy source because of fluctuations in the amount of energy generated.
- When the sun goes into hiding in the clouds amount of energy generated will be cut down
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A big nano boost for solar P V cells
Solar p v cells convert light into electricity. While the sun is one source of light, the burning of natural resources like oil and natural gas can also be harnessed.However, solar cells do not convert all light to power equally, which has inspired a joint industry-academia effort to develop a potentially game-changing solution.
Current solar cells are not good at converting visible light to electrical power. The best efficiency is only around 20%," explains Kyoto University's Takashi Asano, who uses optical technologies to improve energy production.
Higher temperatures emit light at shorter wavelengths, which is why the flame of a gas burner will shift from red to blue as the heat increases. The higher heat offers more energy, making short wavelengths an important target in the design of solar cells."The problem," continues Asano, "is that heat dissipates light of all wavelengths, but a solar cell will only work in a narrow range.
"To solve this, we built a new nano-sized semiconductor that narrows the wavelength bandwidth to concentrate the energy."Previously, Asano and colleagues of the Susumu Noda lab had taken a different approach. "Our first device worked at high wavelengths, but to narrow output for visible light required a new strategy, which is why we shifted to intrinsic silicon in this current collaboration with Osaka Gas.
Solar p v cells convert light into electricity. While the sun is one source of light, the burning of natural resources like oil and natural gas can also be harnessed.However, solar cells do not convert all light to power equally, which has inspired a joint industry-academia effort to develop a potentially game-changing solution.
Current solar cells are not good at converting visible light to electrical power. The best efficiency is only around 20%," explains Kyoto University's Takashi Asano, who uses optical technologies to improve energy production.
Higher temperatures emit light at shorter wavelengths, which is why the flame of a gas burner will shift from red to blue as the heat increases. The higher heat offers more energy, making short wavelengths an important target in the design of solar cells."The problem," continues Asano, "is that heat dissipates light of all wavelengths, but a solar cell will only work in a narrow range.
"To solve this, we built a new nano-sized semiconductor that narrows the wavelength bandwidth to concentrate the energy."Previously, Asano and colleagues of the Susumu Noda lab had taken a different approach. "Our first device worked at high wavelengths, but to narrow output for visible light required a new strategy, which is why we shifted to intrinsic silicon in this current collaboration with Osaka Gas.
SPHERICAL SUN POWER GENERATOR
Company Rawlemon has created a spherical sun power generator prototype called the beta.ray. His technology will combine spherical geometry principles with a dual axis tracking system, allowing twice the yield of a conventional solar panel in a much smaller surface area. The futuristic design is fully rotational and is suitable for inclined surfaces, walls of buildings, and anywhere with access to the sky. It can even be used as an electric car charging station.
It operates at efficiency levels of nearly 57% in hybrid mode. At nighttime the Ball Lens can transform into a high-power lamp to illuminate your location, simply by using a few LED’s. The station is designed for off grid conditions as well as to supplement buildings’ consumption of electricity and thermal circuits like hot water.below figure shows the working of this system
EmoticonEmoticon