SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTING MODULE

• US 20100108056A1
• Filed: 03/09/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lin, Hui-Hsiung, Pao, Yu-Nan, Yu, Chia-Wei
• Granted Patent: US 9,960,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 126/684
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/12 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02366 of the substrate or of a layer on the substrate, e.g. textured ITO/glass substrate or superstrate, textured polymer layer on glass substrate
• 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: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators

Abstract

A solar energy collecting system includes a substrate and at least one solar chip. The substrate includes a first surface, a second surface and a plurality of lateral surfaces, wherein the first surface faces the second surface, the lateral surfaces are adjacent to the first and second surfaces, and a first micro structure is formed on the first or the second surface. The solar chip is near one of the lateral surfaces. Solar light penetrates the first and the second surface and is refracted or reflected by the first micro structure to leave the substrate via the lateral surface and be absorbed by the solar chip.

Claims

1. A solar energy collecting module, comprising

a substrate comprising a first surface, a second surface and a plurality of lateral surfaces, wherein the first surface faces the second surface, the lateral surfaces are adjacent to the first and second surfaces, and a first micro structures are formed on the second surface;

and

at least one solar chip near one of the lateral surfaces, wherein solar light penetrates the first surface and is refracted or reflected by the first micro structure on the second surface to leave the substrate via the lateral surface and be absorbed by the solar chip.

2. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate is transparent.

3. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second micro structure is formed on the lateral surfaces.

4. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first micro structure comprises a plurality of strips parallel to one of the lateral surfaces, and the cross section of the strip is triangular.

5. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 4, wherein the solar chips are near the lateral side to which the strips are parallel.

6. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first micro structure comprises protrusions of a pyramid or cylinder shape.

7. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar chip is made of silicon or the chemical elements listed on the III or V column of the periodic table.

8. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between the solar chips and the lateral surface is less than 1 mm.

9. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first surface is coated by a water repellent material comprising polyvinylidene fluoride, polysulfone, reactive modifying agent with a water-free polymer, silicon rubber, Acrylonitrile-Butadien-Styrene, or PTFE.

10. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first surface has a micro/nano-scale structure comprising a micro/nano layer formed on the substrate.

11. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the micro/nano-scale structure comprises a plurality three-dimensional structures with a cross section having a width that is gradually large from a top to bottom portion, wherein the three dimensional structure has a period of 100˜

600 nm and a height of 100˜

570 nm.

12. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the micro/nano-scale structure further comprises a metal layer formed on the micro/nano layer.

13. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 12, wherein the metal layer comprises gold, silver, aluminum, nickel, copper, chromium, tin oxide or ITO.

14. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 12, wherein the thickness of the metal layer is less than 150 nm.

15. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the micro/nano structure further comprises a hard coating coated on the metal layer.

16. A solar energy collecting module, comprising:

a substrate comprising a first surface, a second surface and a plurality of lateral surfaces, wherein the first surface faces the second surface, the lateral surfaces are adjacent to the first and second surfaces, and a first micro structures are formed on the first surface; and

at least one solar chip near one of the lateral surfaces, wherein solar light penetrates the first surface and is refracted or reflected by the first micro structure on the second surface to leave the substrate via the lateral surface and be absorbed by the solar chip.

17. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the substrate is transparent.

18. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 16, wherein a second micro structure is formed on the lateral surfaces.

19. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first micro structure comprises a plurality of strips parallel to one of the lateral surfaces, and the cross section of the strip is triangular.

20. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 19, wherein the solar chip is near the lateral side to which the strips are parallel.

21. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first micro structure comprises protrusions of a pyramid or cylinder shape.

22. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the solar chip is made of silicon or the chemical elements listed on the III or V column of the periodic table.

23. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the distance between the solar chips and the lateral surface is less than 1 mm.

24. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first surface is coated by a water repellent material comprising polyvinylidene fluoride, polysulfone, reactive modifying agent with a water-free polymer, silicon rubber, Acrylonitrile-Butadien-Styrene, or PTFE.

25. The solar energy collecting module as claimed in claim 16, wherein a third micro structure is formed on the second surface.