Jx Crystals Inc.

The Boeing Company

James E Avery

Lewis M Fraas

John E Samaras

Jany X Fraas

Nurullah Mansoori

Gerald R Girard

Han Xiang Huang

Jason B Keyes

Namsoo Paul Kim

Lucian G Ferguson

John William Yerkes

Veeravana S Sundaram

Wilbert E Daniels

Peter E Gruenhaum

Eric Malocsay

Galen Magendanz

Russell J Ballantyne

John M Martin

Louis M Fraas

A planar concentrator solar power module has a planar base, an aligned array of linear photovoltaic cell circuits on the base and an array of linear Fresnel lenses or linear mirrors for directing focused solar radiation on the aligned array of linear photovoltaic cell circuits. The cell circuits are mounted on a back panel which may be a metal back plate. The cell circuit area is less than a total area of the module. Each linear lens or linear mirror has a length greater than a length of the adjacent cell circuit. The cell circuit may have cells mounted in shingle fashion to form a shingled-cell circuit. In an alternative module, linear extrusions on the circuit element have faces for mounting the linear mirrors for deflecting sun rays impinging on each mirror onto the shingled-cells. The linear extrusions are side-wall and inner extrusions with triangular cross-sections. The circuit backplate is encapsulated by lamination for weather protection. The planar module is generally rectangular with alternating rows of linear cell circuits and linear lenses or linear mirrors.

Planar solar concentrator power module

A cylindrical TPV generator uses low bandgap PV cells mounted on circuits in a polygonal array around an IR emitter. A low NOx radiant tube burner enables operation at low NOx. The combustion gases are completely contained within the radiant tube burner. A gap is provided between a recuperator and an inner flame tube of a dual tube SiC folded back recuperator assembly. Preheating combustion air in the recuperator allows for flameless oxidation. The gap allows for exhaust gas recirculation to complete combustion. The PV array is mounted inside a leak-tight envelope cooled on its outer surface by either water or air flow. Flanges on either end of this PV array container allow for hermetic seals. A folded back coaxial emitter support tube provides a long path length limiting thermal conduction along its cylindrical wall from the very hot emitter section to the cooled seal flange.

TPV cylindrical generator for home cogeneration using low NOx radiant tube burner

A shingle circuit array and a method of assembling the shingle circuit is provided. The array has a shingle circuit with a substrate, an insulation film layer, a metal layer and TPV cells connected to the metal layer in series forming a shingle pattern with terraces. The substrate is of CTE matched material. The metal layer may be copper pads deposited on the terraces. The TPV cells are bonded to the copper pads and may be GaSb cells. Substrate materials include AlSiC or a Cu/Invar/Cu laminate sheet. The AlSiC material may be a microstructure having a continuous Al-metal phase with a discrete SiC particulate phase. The substrate may also be an enameled cast-iron substrate. The shingle circuit array may be provided in a TPV generator.

Shingle circuits for thermophotovoltaic systems

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) electric power generators have emitters with infrared (IR) outputs matched with usable wavelengths for converter cells. The emitters have durable substrates, optional refractory isolating layers, conductive refractory metal or inter-metallic emitter layers, and refractory metal oxide antireflection layers. SiC substrates have tungsten or TaSi,emitter layers and 0.14 micron HfO,, ZrO,, Al,O,, Ta,O,and TiO,antireflection layers used as IR emitters for GaSb converter cells in TPV generators.

Antireflection coated refractory metal matched emitters for use in thermophotovoltaic generators

A shingle circuit array and a method of assembling the shingle circuit is provided. The array has a shingle circuit with a substrate, an insulation film layer, a metal layer and TPV cells connected to the metal layer in series forming a shingle pattern with terraces. The substrate is of CTE matched material. The metal layer may be copper pads deposited on the terraces. The TPV cells are bonded to the copper pads and may be GaSb cells. Examples of substrate materials include AlSiC or a Cu/Invar/Cu laminate sheet. The AlSiC material may be a microstructure having a continuous Al-metal phase with a discrete SiC particulate phase. The shingle circuit array may be provided in a TPV generator.

Linear circuit designs for solar photovoltaic concentrator and thermophotovoltaic applications using cell and substrate materials with matched coefficients of thermal expansion

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) electric power generators have emitters with infrared (IR) outputs matched with usable wavelengths for converter cells. The emitters have durable substrates, optional refractory isolating layers, conductive refractory metal or inter-metallic emitter layers, and refractory metal oxide antireflection layers. SiC substrates have tungsten or TaSi,emitter layers and 0.14 micron ZrO,or Al,O,antireflection layers used as IR emitters for GaSb converter cells in TPV generators.

A thermophotovoltaic generator apparatus includes a thermophotovoltaic converter assembly and a cooling fan positioned beneath the assembly for generating an updraft around the assembly. A fuel source is connected to the converter assembly by a fuel line. A new control system, which may include a non-metallic electrode for flame sensing and, regulates flow of fuel from the fuel source to the converter assembly. A housing encloses the cooling fan and the converter assembly. The converter assembly includes a fuel injector cup having a fuel inlet connected to the fuel source and a fuel outlet. A combustion chamber is positioned above the cup for receiving fuel from the fuel outlet and for allowing hydrocarbon combustion. A combustion fan is positioned between the cup and the cooling fan for generating an updraft into the combustion chamber. An infrared emitter is positioned around the combustion chamber for emitting infrared radiation when heated by combustion gases resulting from the hydrocarbon combustion. The emitter includes infrared emitter further comprises a first refractory, infrared transparent ceramic material layer, a second refractory, infrared transparent ceramic material layer, a reinforcing material layer sandwiched between the first layer and the second layer, and a doped, refractory, infrared transparent ceramic matrix material layer positioned over the second layer.

Electric power generator including a thermophotovoltaic cell assembly, a

A hydrocarbon fired room heater with thermophotovoltaic electric generator has high power outputs without cell overheating and failure. The unit includes a burner for generating a hydrocarbon flame, a catalytic emitter positioned in the hydrocarbon flame for emitting infrared radiation when heated by the flame, a receiver positioned around the catalytic emitter for receiving the infrared radiation and for converting the infrared radiation to electric power, an exhaust chimney positioned adjacent the receiver, and air draw ducts having uncovered tops, upper parts, and lower parts and positioned adjacent the chimney and the receiver for directing heat up and away from the receiver. The chimney is positioned directly above the top edge of the receiver, and the air draw ducts are positioned adjacent the receiver and chimney for defining air draw channels. Each air draw duct is a generally U-shaped member having a pair of side walls and a boundary wall extending between the side walls. The side walls of the upper part of each air draw duct are connected to the chimney and the side walls of the lower part of the first air duct extends around the heat sinks of the first circuit and the lower part of the second air duct extends around the heat sinks of the second circuit. The burner is a gas-fired, wall-mounted heater having a fuel/air mixing tube and multiple flame ports. The emitter is v-shaped and opens downward towards the burner.

Hydrocarbon fired room heater with thermophotovoltaic electric generator

A photovoltaic (PV) cell with a single pn-junction is disclosed that is capable of functioning as both a current source and a bypass diode. The photovoltaic cell is made of material that has a low bandgap energy, 1.0 eV, or less. One version of the PV cell is formed of a GaSb wafer doped with Te to form an n-region; the Te concentration is between 6 and 10.times.10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3. Multiple PV cells of this invention can be connected in series or in parallel or in tandem in a primary-booster tandem pair to form a circuit without the requirement of protecting the individual cells of the circuit with a separate bypass diode.

Low bandgap photovoltaic cell with inherent bypass diode

A photovoltaic cell (20) with a single pn-junction (46) is disclosed that is capable of functioning as both a current source and a bypass diode. The photovoltaic cell is made of material that has a low bandgap energy, 1.0 eV, or less. One version of the photovoltaic cell is formed of a GaSb wafer doped with Te to form an n-region (22); the Te concentration is between 3 and 15.times.10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3. Multiple photovoltaic cells of this invention can be connected in series and placed in parallel across a like number of photovoltaic cells (76) that do not function as tunnel diodes in order to form a power-generating array (70). The photovoltaic cells are arranged in tandem pairs so that the photovoltaic cells (76), which are transparent to the light absorbed by the photovoltaic cells (20), overlie the photovoltaic cells (20). In the event one of the photovoltaic cell pairs (20, 76) is rendered inactive, current will flow through the inactive photovoltaic cell (20) to minimize the drop in output current from the array.

Photovoltaic cell and array with inherent bypass diode

Zinc diffusion procedures applicable for large scale manufacture of GaAs and GaSb cells used in tandem solar cells having a high energy conversion efficiency. The zinc doping and carrier concentration are restricted to be less than about 10.sup.19 /cm.sup.3 to obtain good light generated carrier collection and hence good short circuit currents. The amount of zinc that is available for diffusion during a drive-in heating step is restricted. Confinement of zinc and arsenic vapors during the heating step may be effected by use of a proximity source wafer or by an encapsulant layer. The zinc diffusion of GaSb is obtained by a homogeneous light diffusion that is followed by a patterned heavy diffusion to give low ohmic contact with the grid lines. Texture etching of the GaSb solar cell is also compatible with this diffusion process.

III-V solar cells and doping processes

A photovoltaic cell array involving rows and columns of tandem or stacked solar cell units composed of GaSa/GaSb associated with a radiation collector have produced measured energy conversion efficiencies of 31% AMO. The booster GaSb cell is manufactured by a process which produces a p-type diffusion region within an n-type substrate, has improved energy conversion efficiencies and can be mounted as part of a four terminal stacked solar cell unit.

Tandem photovoltaic solar cell with III-V diffused junction booster cell

Solar cells, particularly GaAs/GaSb tandem solar cells, are mechanically and electrically connected in the form of a string using a flexible circuit tape and mounted in optical alignment with solar energy concentrators in a module. A heat spreader body is attached to each cell unit as part of a heat sink and the cells are precisely positioned to provide optical alignment. The flexible circuit tape is formed by conductive strips sandwiched between layers of polymer dielectric tape and provided with tabs at predefined holes in the tape for bonding to current carrying surfaces of concentrated sunlight tandem solar cell units.

Terrestrial concentrator solar cell module

Solar cells, particularly GaAs/GaSb tandem solar cells, are mounted on a honeycomb light weight panel in optical alignment with solar energy concentrators mounted on a front panel side. The cells are mounted on metallized surfaces of the heat spreader that is attached to a panel wall rear panel side. A circuit carrier has conductors which are bonded to metallization islands that are on one side only of the heat spreader. The circuit carrier is adhered to the rear panel side.

Growing community of inventors

Issaquah, WA, United States of America

James E Avery