ENERGY CONVERSION CELLS USING TAPERED WAVEGUIDE SPECTRAL SPLITTERS

• US 20150234122A1
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shalom Wertsberger
• Original Assignee: Energy Conversion Cells Using Tapered Waveguide Spectural Splitters
• Inventors: Andle, Jeffrey C., Wertsberger, Shalom
• Granted Patent: US 9,823,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12002 Three-dimensional structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12007 forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1228 Tapered waveguides, e.g. integrated spot-size transformers for coupling with fibres G02B6/305
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4298 coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14629 Reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/054 Optical elements directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0549 comprising spectrum splitting means, e.g. dichroic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

An energy converter for converting multi-frequency radiant energy into electrical energy is disclosed, comprising a plurality of superposed lateral waveguides having photovoltaic energy transducers disposed within. The waveguide include charge collectors, which may be the cladding. A plurality of spectral refractors termed Continuous Resonant Trap Refractors (CRTR) are disposed within the lateral waveguides the refractors comprising a tapered core waveguide, the wider end of which defining an aperture, and the tapered core width decreasing in magnitude as a function of the depth. A cladding is disposed about the tapered core. The aperture of the tapered core is dimensioned to allow passage of radiant energy comprising at least two frequencies. The varying width of the tapered core will cause different frequencies to reach a state at which they will penetrate the cladding and be emitted from the spectral refractor sorted by depth, and be coupled to respective lateral waveguides and/or transducers.

Claims

1. An energy converter for converting multi-frequency radiant energy into electrical energy, the converter comprising:

a plurality of superposed waveguides, at least a first and a second of the superposed waveguide having energy transducers disposed within, each of the at least two waveguides having an inlet and comprising;

a core having a photoactive conversion zone for converting radiant energy entered via the inlet into electrical energy, the photoactive conversion zone forming a transducer;

the core being disposed between charge collectors for collecting electrical energy from the conversion zone, and

a cladding disposed about the core;

wherein each of the at least two superposed waveguides is constructed to guide incoming energy in a direction substantially paralleling the interface between the cladding;

a plurality of spectral refractors comprising;

a tapered waveguide core having a first end and a second end, the first end defining an aperture, the core having a depth direction extending between the first end and the second end, wherein the depth magnitude increases with distance from the first end towards the second end;

the tapered core having a width dimension in at least one direction transverse to the depth direction;

the tapered core width monotonically decreasing in magnitude as a function of the depth.

a cladding disposed at least partially about the tapered core;

wherein the first end of the tapered core is dimensioned to allow passage of radiant energy comprising at least a first and a second spectral components each having at least one frequency associated therewith, wherein the first spectral component has a lower frequency than the second spectral component; and

,

the varying width of the tapered core will cause the first and the second spectral components reaching a state at which they will penetrate the cladding and be emitted from the spectral refractor at a respective first and second depths, wherein the first depth is less than the second depth;

wherein the plurality of spectral refractors are at least partially disposed within the superposed waveguides such that the first spectral component will couple into the input of the first of the plurality of superposed waveguides, and the second spectral component will couple into the input of the second of the plurality of the superposed waveguides.

2. A converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charge collectors of at least one of the superposed waveguides are also the cladding therefor.

3. A converter as claimed in any of claim 1 or 2, wherein the superposed waveguides cladding comprises metal;

4. A converter as claimed in claim any preceding claim, wherein the transducer disposed within the first superposed waveguide is optimized to at least one frequency in the first spectral component, and the transducer disposed within the second superposed waveguide is optimized to at least one frequency in the second spectral component.

5. A converter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the transducers is selected from a group consisting of an inorganic photovoltaic converter, an organic photovoltaic converter, a quantum-dot-based converter, an electrochemical radiant energy converter, a thermoelectric energy converter, rectenna based converter, antenna based converter, Transition-Metal-Dichalcogenides converter, and any combination thereof.

6. A converter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cladding disposed about the tapered core comprises metal.

7. A converter as claimed in claim 6, wherein the metal cladding disposed about the tapered core comprises discontinuous metal.

8. A converter as claimed in claim 6 wherein the thickness of the cladding disposed about the tapered core is in the order of, or thinner than, the penetration depth for at least one frequency, at or about the depth corresponding to the cladding penetration state of the at least one frequency.

9. A converter as claimed in any of claims 1-5, wherein the cladding disposed about the tapered core comprises a dielectric material, or a composition thereof.

10. A converter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the thickness of the cladding disposed about the tapered core is smaller that ¾

of the wavelength of at least one frequency, at or about the depth corresponding to the cladding penetration state of the at least one frequency.

11. A converter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tapered core is in the form of an elongated wedge.

12. A converter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the superposed waveguides are planar and having an edge, and wherein at least two of the charge collectors are electrically coupled to contact regions near the edge.

13. A converter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second end of the tapered core allows passage of a portion of energy admitted via the aperture.

14. A converter as claimed in any of claims 1-12, further comprising of a reflector dispose at or near the second end of at least one of the tapered cores of the plurality of refractors, for reflecting a portion of the energy admitted via the aperture.

15. A converter as claimed in any of claims 1-12, further comprising a transducer disposed at or near at least one of the of the tapered cores of the plurality of refractors.

16. A converter as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising at least one emitting transducer disposed within at least one of the superposed waveguides, the emitting transducer being EL type light transducer, or a RL reflective transducer, wherein the emitting transducer is disposed to controllably couple light into the CRTR via the cladding, or reflect light emitted therefrom back thereto.

21. A combiner circuit as claimed in any of claims 17-20, wherein the DC sources are a plurality of transducers as claimed in any of claims 1-15.

22. A combiner circuit as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least two of the DC sources are transducers disposed within lateral waveguides.

23. A combiner circuit as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one of the capacitors is formed between two adjacent charge carriers of two transducers.

24. A combiner circuit as claimed in any of claims 17-23, wherein the combiner circuit or portions thereof are disposed in an edge connector coupleable to superposed waveguides, as claim in any of claims 1-15.

17. A switched capacitor combiner circuit for providing series-connected voltage output from a plurality of direct current (DC) sources, the combiner comprises:

a plurality of capacitors, each having a first at least two terminals,

each of the terminals being coupled to a corresponding switching device;

the switching devices having a charge and a discharge state, wherein in the charge state the switching devices are operative to couple the respective capacitor in parallel to at least one respective DC sources, so as to transfer charge from the DC source to the capacitor;

and wherein in the discharge state the switching devices operatively couple the plurality of capacitors in series, and further couple the series coupled capacitors to a load.

18. A combiner circuit as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a controller to control the switching device between the charge and the discharge state.

19. A combiner circuit as claimed in claim 17, wherein the DC sources are connected at opposing polarity to each other.

20. A combiner circuit as claimed in any of claims 17-19, wherein at least two off the DC sources have differing voltages.

25. A spectral refractor for spatially separating multi-component radiant energy into at least two spectral component thereof, the refractor comprising:

a tapered waveguide core having a first end and a second end, the first end defining an aperture, the core having a depth direction extending between the first end and the second end, wherein the depth magnitude increases with distance from the first end towards the second end;

the core having a width dimension in at least one direction transverse to the depth direction;

the core width monotonically decreasing in magnitude as a function of the depth.

a cladding disposed at least partially around the core;

wherein the first end of the core is dimensioned to allow passage of radiant energy comprising at least a first and a second spectral components each having a frequency associated therewith, wherein the first spectral component has a lower frequency than the second spectral component; and

,

the varying width of the core resulting in the first and the second spectral components reaching a state at which they will penetrate the cladding at a respective first and second depths, wherein the first depth is less than the second depth.

26. A refractor as claimed in any of claims 25, wherein the tapered waveguide core is constructed as an elongate wedge.

27. A refractor as claimed in any of claims 25-26, wherein the tapered waveguide core comprises a fluid.

28. A refractor as claimed in any of claims 25-27, wherein the second end of the core taper blocks radiant energy from passing therethrough.

29. A refractor as claimed in any of claims 25-28, wherein the cladding comprises metal having a thickness in the order of, or lower than, the skin penetration depth.

30. A refractor as claimed in any of claims 25-28, wherein the cladding comprises a discontinuous metal film.

31. A refractor as claimed in claim 29 or 30, further comprising a dielectric material disposed about the cladding the material being transmissive of at least a portion of the energy admitted via the aperture.

32. A refractor as claimed in any of claims 25-28, wherein the cladding comprises a material having a lower refractive index than the refractive index of the core.

33. A refractor as claimed in claim 32, wherein the cladding is dielectric.

34. A refractor as claimed in any of claims 25-33, wherein the local thickness of the cladding does not exceed the local skin penetration depth.

35. An energy converter comprising at least one refractor as claimed in any of claims 25-34, further comprising at least two energy transducers disposed to receive energy which penetrated the refractor cladding at respective two different depths.

36. An energy converter comprising a plurality of refractors as claimed in any of claims 25-34, the refractors being disposed on a planar surface, wherein the depth direction of at least one of the refractors being transverse to the surface.