Capacitor enhanced multi-element photovoltaic cell
First Claim
1. A photovoltaic cell assembly comprising:
- a plurality of photovoltaic elements, comprising at least a first photovoltaic element and a last photovoltaic element, each photovoltaic element comprising a photovoltaic layer and a pair of layer conductors, a layer front conductor and a layer rear conductor, the photovoltaic layer being interposed between the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor, the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor being in electrical contact with the photovoltaic layer, each photovoltaic layer having a layer bandgap which differs from the layer bandgap of the other photovoltaic layers, and each photovoltaic layer having a cell element anode and a cell element cathode;
one or more isolation layers, a respective isolation layer being interposed between contiguous photovoltaic elements;
a capacitor charge circuit electrically connected to each photovoltaic element;
a respective plurality of element capacitors electrically connected to each photovoltaic element by the capacitor charge circuit, each element capacitor having two capacitor electrodes, a capacitor cathode and a capacitor anode;
a respective plurality of capacitor charge switches electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit to each photovoltaic element, a respective capacitor charge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit between the cell element cathode and the capacitor cathode of a respective element capacitor, and another respective capacitor charge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit between the cell element anode and the capacitor anode of the respective element capacitor,a capacitor discharge circuit electrically connected to each element capacitor,an output circuit electrically connected to the capacitor discharge circuit;
a respective plurality of capacitor discharge switches connected in the capacitor discharge circuit to each element capacitor, a respective capacitor discharge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor discharge circuit between the capacitor cathode of the respective element capacitor and the output circuit, and another respective capacitor discharge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor discharge circuit between the capacitor anode of the respective element capacitor and the output circuit;
a plurality of capacitor voltage sensors, each of the voltage sensors being electrically connected to the respective element capacitor, anda photovoltaic controller in communication with the capacitor voltage sensors, the capacitor charge switches and the capacitor discharge switches, and providing for control of the capacitor charge switches and capacitor discharge switches.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-element photovoltaic cell having two or more photovoltaic elements with an isolation layer interposed between all contiguous photovoltaic elements. Each photovoltaic element has an element front conductor and an element rear conductor which are in electrical contact with the photovoltaic layer of the photovoltaic element. The current from a respective photovoltaic element which is generated as incident solar radiation irradiates the photovoltaic cell, flows independently of the other photovoltaic elements to one or more capacitor banks controlled by a photovoltaic controller. The photovoltaic controller controls charging and discharging of element capacitors of the capacitor banks so as to optimize the efficiency of the photovoltaic cell.
35 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A photovoltaic cell assembly comprising:
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a plurality of photovoltaic elements, comprising at least a first photovoltaic element and a last photovoltaic element, each photovoltaic element comprising a photovoltaic layer and a pair of layer conductors, a layer front conductor and a layer rear conductor, the photovoltaic layer being interposed between the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor, the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor being in electrical contact with the photovoltaic layer, each photovoltaic layer having a layer bandgap which differs from the layer bandgap of the other photovoltaic layers, and each photovoltaic layer having a cell element anode and a cell element cathode; one or more isolation layers, a respective isolation layer being interposed between contiguous photovoltaic elements; a capacitor charge circuit electrically connected to each photovoltaic element; a respective plurality of element capacitors electrically connected to each photovoltaic element by the capacitor charge circuit, each element capacitor having two capacitor electrodes, a capacitor cathode and a capacitor anode; a respective plurality of capacitor charge switches electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit to each photovoltaic element, a respective capacitor charge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit between the cell element cathode and the capacitor cathode of a respective element capacitor, and another respective capacitor charge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit between the cell element anode and the capacitor anode of the respective element capacitor, a capacitor discharge circuit electrically connected to each element capacitor, an output circuit electrically connected to the capacitor discharge circuit; a respective plurality of capacitor discharge switches connected in the capacitor discharge circuit to each element capacitor, a respective capacitor discharge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor discharge circuit between the capacitor cathode of the respective element capacitor and the output circuit, and another respective capacitor discharge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor discharge circuit between the capacitor anode of the respective element capacitor and the output circuit; a plurality of capacitor voltage sensors, each of the voltage sensors being electrically connected to the respective element capacitor, and a photovoltaic controller in communication with the capacitor voltage sensors, the capacitor charge switches and the capacitor discharge switches, and providing for control of the capacitor charge switches and capacitor discharge switches. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A photovoltaic cell assembly comprising:
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a plurality of photovoltaic elements, comprising at least a first photovoltaic element and a last photovoltaic element, each photovoltaic element comprising a photovoltaic layer and a pair of layer conductors, a layer front conductor and a layer rear conductor, the photovoltaic layer being interposed between the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor, the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor being in electrical contact with the photovoltaic layer, each photovoltaic layer having a layer bandgap which differs from the layer bandgap of the other photovoltaic layers, and each photovoltaic layer having a cell element anode and a cell element cathode; one or more isolation layers, a respective isolation layer being interposed between contiguous photovoltaic elements; a capacitor charge circuit electrically connected to each photovoltaic element; a respective plurality of element capacitors electrically connected to each photovoltaic element by the capacitor charge circuit, each element capacitor having two capacitor electrodes, a capacitor cathode and a capacitor anode; a respective plurality of capacitor charge switches electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit to each photovoltaic element, a respective capacitor charge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit between the cell element cathode and the capacitor cathode of a respective element capacitor, and another respective capacitor charge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit between the cell element anode and the capacitor anode of the respective element capacitor, a capacitor discharge circuit electrically connected to each element capacitor, an output circuit electrically connected to the capacitor discharge circuit; a respective plurality of capacitor discharge switches connected in the capacitor discharge circuit to each element capacitor, a respective capacitor discharge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor discharge circuit between the capacitor cathode of the respective element capacitor and the output circuit, and another respective capacitor discharge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor discharge circuit between the capacitor anode of the respective element capacitor and the output circuit; a plurality of capacitor voltage sensors, each of the voltage sensors being electrically connected to the respective element capacitor, and a photovoltaic controller in communication with the capacitor voltage sensors, the capacitor charge switches and the capacitor discharge switches, and having a capability for controlling the capacitor charge switches and the capacitor discharge switches in accordance with a control algorithm. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for improving the output power production of a photovoltaic cell assembly of a plurality of photovoltaic elements, each photovoltaic element having a photovoltaic layer, an element anode and an element cathode, each photovoltaic layer having a layer bandgap which differs from the layer bandgap of the other photovoltaic layers, and each photovoltaic layer having a cell element anode and a cell element cathode the method comprising:
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interposing a pair of layer conductors for each photovoltaic layer, a layer front conductor and a layer rear conductor, the photovoltaic layer being interposed between the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor, the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor being in electrical contact with the photovoltaic layer, interposing one or more isolation layers, a respective isolation layer being interposed between contiguous photovoltaic elements; connecting a respective plurality of element capacitors to each photovoltaic element by a capacitor charge circuit, each element capacitor having two capacitor electrodes, a capacitor cathode and a capacitor anode; providing a respective plurality of capacitor charge switches for selectively charging the respective element capacitors of each photovoltaic layer, a respective capacitor charge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit between the element cathode and the capacitor cathode of a respective element capacitor, and another respective capacitor charge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit between the element anode and the capacitor anode of the respective element capacitor, monitoring a capacitor voltage across each element capacitor using a plurality of voltage sensors, one of the respective voltage sensors being electrically connected to a respective element capacitor, connecting the element capacitors to an output circuit by a capacitor discharge circuit; providing a respective plurality of capacitor discharge switches for selectively discharging the respective element capacitors, a respective capacitor discharge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor discharge circuit between the capacitor cathode of the respective element capacitor and the output circuit, and another respective capacitor discharge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor discharge circuit between the capacitor anode of the respective element capacitor and the output circuit; and using a photovoltaic controller in communication with the capacitor voltage sensors, the capacitor charge switches, and the capacitor discharge switches, to control an operation of the respective capacitor charge switches and an operation of the respective capacitor discharge switches, to optimize the power output of the photovoltaic array using the capacitor voltages measured by the voltage sensors. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for improving the output power production of a photovoltaic array of a plurality of photovoltaic cells, each photovoltaic cell comprising a plurality of photovoltaic elements, each photovoltaic element comprising a photovoltaic layer and a pair of layer conductors, a layer front conductor and a layer rear conductor, the photovoltaic layer being interposed between the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor, the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor being in electrical contact with the photovoltaic layer, each photovoltaic layer having a layer bandgap which differs from the layer bandgap of the other photovoltaic layers, and each photovoltaic layer having a cell element anode and a cell element cathode, the method comprising:
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interposing a pair of layer conductors for each photovoltaic layer, a layer front conductor and a layer rear conductor, the photovoltaic layer being interposed between the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor, the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor being in electrical contact with the photovoltaic layer; interposing one or more isolation layers, a respective isolation layer being interposed between contiguous photovoltaic elements; providing a capacitor bank comprised of a plurality of element capacitors and connecting each photovoltaic element of each photovoltaic cell to the capacitor bank by a capacitor charge circuit, each element capacitor having two capacitor electrodes, a capacitor cathode and a capacitor anode; providing a plurality of capacitor charge switches for selectively connecting the photovoltaic elements of each photovoltaic cell to the element capacitors through the capacitor charge circuit, and selectively charging the element capacitors from the photovoltaic elements; monitoring a capacitor voltage across each element capacitor using a plurality of voltage sensors, one of the respective voltage sensors being electrically connected to a respective element capacitor, connecting the element capacitors of each photovoltaic to an output circuit by a capacitor discharge circuit; providing a plurality of capacitor discharge switches electrically connected in the capacitor discharge circuit for selectively connecting the element capacitors to the output circuit and selectively discharging the element capacitors to the output circuit; and using a photovoltaic controller in communication with the capacitor voltage sensors, the capacitor charge switches, and the capacitor discharge switches, to control an operation of the respective capacitor charge switches and an operation of the respective capacitor discharge switches using the capacitor voltages measured by the voltage sensors, to improve the power output of the photovoltaic array. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification