Visibly Transparent, Luminescent Solar Concentrator

• US 20130333755A1
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Lunt, Richard Royal, Bulovic, Vladimir, Barr, Miles Clark
• Granted Patent: US 9,985,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/259
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/055 where light is absorbed and re-emitted at a different wavelength by the optical element directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. by using luminescent material, fluorescent concentrators or up-conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators

Abstract

A visibly transparent luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) is disclosed. The LSC includes a transparent substrate having at least one edge surface. A dye layer is coupled to the substrate, the dye layer having a peak absorption wavelength outside the visible band, the dye layer being configured to re-emit light at a peak emission wavelength outside the visible band, at least a portion of the re-emitted light being waveguided to the edge surface of the substrate. A photovoltaic device is coupled to the edge surface of the transparent substrate, the photovoltaic device being configured to absorb light at the peak emission wavelength and generate electrical energy.

Claims

1. A visibly transparent luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) comprising:

a transparent substrate having at least one edge surface,

a dye layer coupled to the substrate, the dye layer having a peak absorption wavelength outside the visible band, the dye layer being configured to re-emit light at a peak emission wavelength outside the visible band, at least a portion of the re-emitted light being waveguided to the edge surface of the substrate;

a photovoltaic device coupled to the edge surface of the transparent substrate, the photovoltaic device being configured to absorb light at the peak emission wavelength and generate electrical energy.

2. The LSC of claim 1 wherein the peak emission wavelength is selected to optimize internal reflections within the transparent substrate.

3. The LSC of claim 1 wherein the transparent substrate has an index of refraction selected to optimize internal reflections within the transparent substrate.

4. The LSC of claim 1 wherein the dye layer has a peak absorption wavelength in at least one of the ultraviolet (UV) and near-infrared (NIR) bands.

5. The LSC of claim 1 wherein the dye layer has a peak absorption wavelength in at least one of the ultraviolet (UV) and near-infrared (NIR) bands and up to 20% of light in the visible band.

6. The LSC of claim 1 wherein the dye layer has a peak absorption wavelength in at least one of the ultraviolet (UV) and near-infrared (NIR) bands and up to 50% of light in the visible band.

7. The LSC of claim 1 wherein the dye layer comprises at least one of a molecular dye, an organometallic complex, and a rare earth phosphor.

8. The LSC of claim 1 wherein the dye layer comprises at least one component selected from the group of a phthalocyanine, a porphyrin, rhodamine, an organic laser dye, perylene and its derivatives, a cyanine, a coumarin, a dioxazine, a naphthalimide, a thiazine and a stilbene.

9. The LSC of claim 1 wherein the dye layer comprises at least one of U3, SnPc and carbon nanotubes.

10. The LSC of claim 1 further comprising a second dye layer with a peak absorption of up to 20% of light in the visible band.

11. The LSC of claim 1 further comprising a second dye layer with a peak absorption of up to 50% of light in the visible band.

12. The LSC of claim 1 further comprising an index matching compound disposed between the edge of the substrate and the photovoltaic device.

13. The LSC of claim 1 wherein the photovoltaic device comprises at least one of cadmium telluride, cadmium indium gallium selenide, copper indium sulfide, amorphous silicon, monocrystalline silicon, multicrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon/polysilicon micromorph, cadmium selenide, aluminum antimonide, indium phosphide, aluminum arsenide, gallium phosphide, and gallium antimonide, gallium arsenide, gallium indium phosphide, germanium, an inorganic nanocrystal and an organic semiconductor.

14. The LSC of claim 1 further comprising a wavelength selective mirror coupled to the substrate, the wavelength selective mirror being configured to reflect light at the peak emission wavelength.

15. The LSC of claim 14 wherein the wavelength selective mirror is configured to transmit incident light in the visible band and the peak absorption wavelength.

16. The LSC of claim 1 further comprising a first wavelength selective mirror disposed on a first surface of the substrate and a second wavelength selective mirror disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the first wavelength selective mirror being transparent in the visible band and at the peak absorption wavelength and reflective at the peak emission wavelength, the second wavelength selective mirror being transparent in the visible band and reflective at the peak emission wavelength and at the peak absorption wavelength.

17. A method of forming visibly transparent luminescent solar concentrator (LSC), the method comprising:

providing a transparent substrate having at least one edge surface,

forming a dye layer coupled to the substrate, the dye layer having a peak absorption wavelength outside the visible band, the dye layer being configured to re-emit light at a peak emission wavelength outside the visible band, at least a portion of the re-emitted light being waveguided to the edge surface of the substrate;

coupling a photovoltaic device to the edge surface of the transparent substrate, the photovoltaic device being configured to absorb light at the peak emission wavelength and generate electrical energy.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the peak emission wavelength is selected to optimize internal reflections within the transparent substrate.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the transparent substrate has an index of refraction selected to optimize internal reflections within the transparent substrate.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the dye layer has a peak absorption wavelength in at least one of the ultraviolet (UV) and near-infrared (NIR) bands.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the dye layer has a peak absorption wavelength in at least one of the ultraviolet (UV) and near-infrared (NIR) bands and up to 20% of light in the visible band.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the dye layer has a peak absorption wavelength in at least one of the ultraviolet (UV) and near-infrared (NIR) bands and up to 50% of light in the visible band.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the dye layer comprises at least one of a molecular dye, an organometallic complex, and a rare earth phosphor.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the dye layer comprises at least one component selected from the group of a phthalocyanine, a porphyrin, rhodamine, an organic laser dye, perylene and its derivatives, a cyanine, a coumarin, a dioxazine, a naphthalimide, a thiazine and a stilbene

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the dye layer is comprises at least one of U3, SnPc and carbon nanotubes.

26. The method of claim 17 further comprising forming a second dye layer with a peak absorption of up to 20% of light in the visible band.

27. The method of claim 17 further comprising forming a second dye layer with a peak absorption of up to 50% of light in the visible band.

28. The method of claim 17 further comprising disposing an index matching compound between the edge of the substrate and the photovoltaic device.

29. The method of claim 17 further comprising disposing a wavelength selective mirror on the substrate, the wavelength selective mirror being configured to reflect light at the peak emission wavelength.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the wavelength selective mirror is configured to transmit incident light in the visible band and the peak absorption wavelength.

31. The method of claim 17 further comprising disposing a first wavelength selective mirror disposed on a first surface of the substrate and a second wavelength selective mirror on a second surface of the substrate, the first wavelength selective mirror being transparent in the visible band and at the peak absorption wavelength and reflective at the peak emission wavelength, the second wavelength selective mirror being transparent in the visible band and reflective at the peak emission wavelength and at the peak absorption wavelength.

32. The method of claim 17 wherein the photovoltaic device comprises at least one of cadmium telluride, cadmium indium gallium selenide, copper indium sulfide, amorphous silicon, monocrystalline silicon, multicrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon/polysilicon micromorph, cadmium selenide, aluminum antimonide, indium phosphide, aluminum arsenide, gallium phosphide, and gallium antimonide, gallium arsenide, gallium indium phosphide, germanium, an inorganic nanocrystal and an organic semiconductor.

33. A method of generating electricity, the method comprising:

providing a luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) having a transparent substrate having at least one edge surface;

a dye layer coupled to the substrate, the dye layer having a peak absorption wavelength outside the visible band, the dye layer being configured to re-emit light at a peak emission wavelength outside the visible band, at least a portion of the re-emitted light being waveguided to the edge surface of the substrate; and

a photovoltaic device coupled to the edge surface of the transparent substrate, the photovoltaic device being configured to absorb light at the peak emission wavelength and generate electrical energy; and

exposing the LSC to light.