Atlantic Richfield Company

Richard C Sill

John W Yerkes

Harry R Blieden

Robert R Davis

A luminescent sheet having two essentially parallel opposed large area surfaces separated by one or more thin edge faces, the sheet being penetrated by one or more tapered, asymmetrically disposed cavities extending from one such surface at least partially through such sheet toward the opposite surface and a corresponding number of photovoltaic cells positioned on such opposite surface in respective concentric alignment with such cavities so that light internally reflected from the convergent side walls of such cavities toward such opposite surface is concentrated onto such cells.

Luminescent solar collector

A luminescent solar collector comprising at least one luminescent member which has at least one photovoltaic means operably associated therewith, the luminescent member having a side which is to be essentially oriented toward the sun when in operation, and an optically transparent member on the sun-facing side of the luminescent member, the transparent member being spaced from the sun-side to provide space between the luminescent member and the transparent member, the transparent member being essentially coextensive with the luminescent member.

A luminescent solar collector comprising at least one luminescent member having at least one photovoltaic means operably associated therewith, said luminescent member having a side which is to be exposed to incoming (incident) light, and a transparent member carried adjacent to the incident light side of the luminescent member, the outer exposed side of the transparent member having a roughened surface.

In the photovoltaic conversion of solar radiation to electrical energy, light energy passes through an upper or outer surface of a collector member where the light energy is absorbed and reradiated by luminescent materials in the collector. Internal light energy strikes the upper surface and a lower surface of the collector until it is emitted at an edge surface of the collector into a photovoltaic cell mounted on the edge surface. The upper and lower surfaces of the collector are divergent in one or more preselected directions. This divergence changes the internal angle of reflection and directs the light energy to the edge surface and photovoltaic cell thereby decreasing loss of useful energy from within the collector. Light emissive areas of the edge and lower surfaces not covered by a photovoltaic cell may also be covered by a reflective material. The reflective material may be a diffusive material.

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Reno, NV, United States of America

Richard C Sill