Method and system for converting light to electric power

• US 20090272420A1
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kare, Jordin T.
• Application Number:
  US12/322,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20090272420A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/244
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0543 comprising light concentrating means of the refractive type, e.g. lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0547 comprising light concentrating means of the reflecting type, e.g. parabolic mirrors, concentrators using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0687 Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0725 Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/10 including a supplementary source of electric power, e.g. hybrid diesel-PV energy systems combinations with gas-turbine plants F02C6/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/30 Thermophotovoltaic systems photovoltaic cells specially adapted for conversion or sensing of infrared [IR] radiation H01L31/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/544 Solar cells from Group III-V materials

Abstract

A method and system for converting light to electric power including coupling in parallel at least two devices in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power, coupling in parallel at least two devices in at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power, and coupling in series the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light electricity with the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power. A method for converting electromagnetic flux to electric power. A method for optimizing the electric power output of a system including determining the expected illumination pattern of incident laser radiation, and optimizing the amount of laser radiation incident on the surface of the devices suitable to convert light to electric power by distributing the devices according to the expected illumination pattern of the incident laser beam.

Claims

1-116. -116. (canceled)

117. A system suitable for converting light to electric power, comprising:

a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power, at least one of the devices of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert tight to electric power adapted to receive tight from a light source;

at least two of the devices of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in parallel; and

at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power;

at least two of the devices of the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in parallel;

the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power and the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in series.

118. The system of claim 117, wherein the light source includes at least one laser.

119. The system of claim 117, wherein the light source includes at least one array of lasers.

120. The system of claim 117, wherein the light source includes at least one LED.

121. The system of claim 117, wherein the light source includes at least one array of LEDs.

122-123. -123. (canceled)

124. A system suitable for converting light to electric power, comprising:

a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power, at least one of the devices of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power adapted to receive light transmitted through at least one transmission medium;

at least two of the devices of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in parallel; and

at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power;

at least two of the devices of the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert tight to electric power are coupled in parallel;

the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power and the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in series.

125. The system of claim 124, wherein the at least one transmission medium includes at least one guiding medium.

126. The system of claim 125, wherein the at least one guiding medium includes at least one optical fiber.

127. The system of claim 126, wherein the at least one optical fiber includes at least one photonic crystal fiber.

128. The system of claim 125, wherein the at least one guiding medium includes at least one fluid filled container.

129-137. -137. (canceled)

138. A system suitable for converting light to electric power, comprising:

a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power, at least one of the devices of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power including at least one photovoltaic cell, at least one multiple energy band gap photovoltaic cell, at least one multilayer photovoltaic cell, at least one thermovoltaic device, at least one thermophotovoltaic device, at least one photocapacitor, or at least one optical rectenna;

at least two of the devices of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in parallel; and

at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power;

at least two of the devices of the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in parallel;

the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power and the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in series.

139. A system suitable for converting light to electric power, comprising:

a first plurality of devices suitable to convert tight to electric power, at least one of the devices of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power including a set of at least one series connected photovoltaic cell, multiple energy band gap photovoltaic cell, one multilayer photovoltaic cell, thermovoltaic device, thermophotovoltaic device, photocapacitor, or optical rectenna;

at least two of the devices of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in parallel; and

at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power;

at least two of the devices of the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in parallel;

the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power and the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in series.

140-162. -162. (canceled)

163. A system suitable for converting light to electric power, comprising:

a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power, at least two of the devices of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power spatially distributed according to at least one set of spatial positions is defined by at least one expected characteristic of the light from the light source;

at least two of the devices of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in parallel;

at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power;

a first spatially discrete region containing at least one device of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power and at least one device of the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power;

at least one additional spatially discrete region containing at least one device of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power and at least one device of the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power; and

the first spatially discrete region and the at least one additional spatially discrete region define a substantially contiguous receiving region;

at least two of the devices of the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in parallel;

the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power and the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in series.

164. The system of claim 163, wherein the light source includes at least one laser.

165. The system of claim 163, wherein the at least one expected characteristic of the light from the light source includes the expected spatial power distribution of the light from the light source.

166. The system of claim 165, wherein the at least one expected spatial power distribution of the light from the light source includes the expected physical distribution of the light from the light source.

167. The system of claim 165, wherein the at least one expected spatial power distribution of the light from the light source includes the expected statistical variation of the light from the light source.

168. The system of claim 165, wherein the at least one expected spatial power distribution of the light from the light source includes the expected temporal variation of the light from the light source.

169. A system suitable for converting light to electric power, comprising:

a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power, at least two of the devices of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power spatially distributed according to at least one set of spatial positions defined by at least one expected characteristic of the light from the light source processed by at least one optical device;

at least two of the devices of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in parallel;

at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power;

a first spatially discrete region containing at least one device of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power and at least one device of the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power;

at least one additional spatially discrete region containing at least one device of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power and at least one device of the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power; and

the first spatially discrete region and the at least one additional spatially discrete region define a substantially contiguous receiving region;

at least two of the devices of the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in parallel;

the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power and the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power are coupled in series.

170. The system of claim 169, wherein the at least one expected characteristic of the light from the light source processed by at least one optical device includes the expected spatial power distribution of the light from the light source processed by at least one optical device.

171. The system of claim 170, wherein the at least one expected spatial power distribution of the light from the light source processed by at least one optical device includes the expected physical distribution of the light from the light source processed by at least one optical device.

172. The system of claim 170, wherein the at least one expected spatial power distribution of the light from the light source processed by at least one optical device includes the expected statistical variation of the light from the light source processed by at least one optical device.

173. The system of claim 170, wherein the at least one expected spatial power distribution of the light from the light source processed by at least one optical device includes the expected temporal variation of the light from the light source processed by at least one optical device.

174-217. -217. (canceled)