The Boeing Company

Edtek, Inc.

United Solar Technologies, Inc.

Other

William E Horne

Mark D Morgan

Arthur C Day

Czeslaw Deminet

Richard E Oettel

A parabolic primary mirror () has a concave specular surface () that is constructed and positioned to receive solar energy and focus it towards a focal point. A secondary mirror () having a convex specular surface () is constructed and positioned to receive focused solar energy from the primary mirror and focus it onto an annular receiver (). The annular receiver () may include an annular array of optical elements () constructed to receive solar energy from the secondary specular surface () and focus it onto a ring of discrete areas. A ring of solar-to-electrical conversion units are positioned on the ring of discrete areas.

Conversion of solar energy to electrical and/or heat energy

A positional sensor for a solar energy collection device includes a fine sensing device having first light-sensitive sensors supported above a base so that adjacent first light-sensitive sensors are oriented in mutually orthogonal directions at a sensor height above the base. The first light-sensitive sensors are positioned at oblique angles relative to the base. The sensor also includes a coarse sensing device having a light-opaque shield surrounding the first light-sensitive sensors that extends outwardly from the base to a height that is greater than the sensor height. The shield includes second light sensing devices directed outwardly from the shield and arranged so that adjacent second light-sensitive sensors are oriented in mutually orthogonal directions.

Positional sensor for solar energy conversion device

The solar concentrator system includes a generally parabolic-shaped primary reflector having a flat region at the center thereof, so that the focus of the primary reflector is a ring about the center axis of the reflector, in the plane of the rim thereof. A receiver, in the shape of an inverted, truncated cone, is positioned so that the peripheral surface of the receiver is approximately coincident with the ring focus. Solar cells are positioned in lines on the peripheral surface of the receiver. Prefilter tubular secondary concentrator elements are positioned just in front of the lines of solar cells, providing an additional focusing capability and improving the concentration of the solar rays, while being spaced sufficiently that the unilluminated areas between the lines of solar cells can accommodate electrical interconnectors.

Solar concentrator having an offset parabolic configuration

A method of fabricating a resonant micromesh filter having conductive antenna elements sized on the order of microns. The steps comprise of first creating an exposure mask having absorbing portions capable of stopping incident ions completely and transmitting portions incapable of stopping incident ions and through which incident ions can pass. The absorbing and transmitting portions form in the mask in the pattern of the antenna elements to be fabricated. Second, an exposure mask confronting an unpatterned filter is positioned. The unpatterned filter includes: a substrate, a thin metal foil mounted on the substrate, and a resist material covering the metal flow. Third, ions are passed through the exposure mask. The absorbing portions of the mask stop the ions and the transmitting portions allow the ions to pass through the mask and expose the section of the resist material of the filter in the pattern of the antenna elements. Fourth, the exposure mask is repositioned over an area of the unpatterned filter not previously exposed to incident ions. The third step is repeated. Then fourth step is repeated until a desired surface area of the unpatterned filter has been exposed. Last, the exposed unpatterned filter is processed to produce a conductive antenna array supported by a substrate.

Method of fabricating a resonant micromesh filter

A system for modifying the radiant energy spectrum of a thermal energy source to produce a desired spectral bandwidth profile including a frequency-selective resonant micromesh filter (50) confronting a thermal energy source (80). Micromesh filter (50) includes an array of resonant-conductive antenna elements (50', 50') and a substrate (56) for supporting the antenna elements. Thermal radiation (82) emitted from energy source (80) is filtered by micromesh filter (50), wherein radiant energy at particular wavelengths is reflected back to the energy source, while certain wavelength photons are transmitted through the micromesh filter.

Filter array for modifying radiant thermal energy

The present invention provides a photovoltaic module for converting solar energy into electrical energy. The module comprises a substrate having a relatively large first surface and a relatively small second surface. A first photovoltaic cell is mounted to the first surface, the first photovoltaic cell having a first response band. The module is positioned such that the solar energy is incident onto the active area of the first photovoltaic cell. A second photovoltaic cell substantially smaller than the first photovoltaic cell is mounted to the second surface of the substrate. The substrate is formed such that a portion of the solar energy transmitted by the first photovoltaic cell into the substrate is directed onto the active area of the second photovoltaic cell. Because of the smaller area of the second photovoltaic cell, the cost per unit cell area is lower than in conventional tandem cell designs.

Solar energy system

A solar energy system that includes a primary concentrator, a receiver having a plurality of photovoltaic cells, and a prefilter surrounding the receiver. The prefilter absorbs some of the radiation that is out of band with respect to the photovoltaic cells, and may include a conduit for a cooling fluid. The cells on the receiver are positioned such that each cell receives the same solar energy flux. The receiver may include a phase change material to protect the photovoltaic cells from excessive temperatures.

A cryocrucible permits the introduction of ion clusters of a cryogen, like oxygen or nitrogen, to a vacuum chamber, and preferably comprises a liquid cryogen containment vessel connected to an expansion chamber through a solenoid-actuated valve, a cooling means for maintaining the cryogen as a liquid in the containment vessel, and a nozzle connecting the expansion chamber to the vacuum chamber. Liquid evaporates through the valve into the expansion chamber and, then, forms clusters when it expands further while passing through the nozzle into the vacuum chamber.

Film deposition system

A film deposition system is provided for depositing a film of at least first and second materials onto a common target. This system includes a housing within which the common target is located and within which a high vacuum region may be formed. The system further includes first and second crucibles each containing respective first and second materials to be deposited; a heating element and/or cooling element for vaporizing the materials in each of the first and second crucibles, respectively; first and second nozzles for ejecting the vaporized material from the first and second crucibles into the high vacuum region to form non-ionized atomic clusters by adiabatic expansion with those clusters traveling in first and second directions, respectively, each of which are non-coincident with the common target; first and second electron strippers for converting a portion of those non-ionized clusters to ionize clusters of the first and second materials; first and second accelerators for accelerating the ionized clusters of the first and second materials; and first and second deflectors for deflecting the ionized clusters of first and second materials to third and fourth directions, respectively, each of which are coincident with the common target. By varying the percentage of non-ionized atomic clusters converted to ionized clusters, the rate of flow of the ionized clusters deposited upon the common material may be effectively instantaneously controlled to thereby deposit a film having a continuous and smoothly varying property.

Solar energy is collected by a concave mirror and directed onto a body located within a container which is lined with solar cells. The heated body radiates energy to the solar cells. The solar cells convert a portion of such radiated energy to electricity. Another portion is converted to heat which is removed by a heat exchanger. A third portion of the radiated energy which is not absorbed by the solar cells or their support structure is reflected back to the radiating body to help maintain its temperature.

Conversion of solar to electrical energy

A method of bonding a cover glass to a semiconductor substrate having conductors thereon. The cover glass and the semiconductor substrate are placed in a relatively high voltage field and heated to induce ion drift in the glass and improved conductivity in the substrate. Additional localized heating softens the cover glass in the vicinity of the conductors permitting the cover glass to flow around the conductors and to be drawn into contact and bonded with the substrate.

Electro-optically assisted bonding

The process comprises the following steps: (1) forming a glass sheet which defines a substrate layer for the solar cell product; (2) forming a diffusion barrier layer on at least one surface of the substrate; (3) forming a first electrically-conductive layer on the diffusion barrier, the first electrically-conductive layer being a first electrode in the solar cell product; (4) depositing small-grain polycrystalline silicon in a thin film, i.e., 10-100 micrometers, on the first electrode layer; (5) recrystallizing, typically by heating, the deposited polycrystalline silicon until it reforms into large-grain polycrystalline or single-crystal silicon; (6) forming a PN junction in the recrystallized silicon layer; and (7) forming a second electrically-conductive layer on the recrystallized silicon layer, the second electrically-conductive layer being a second electrode in the solar cell product. The solar cell product produced by the above-process may be fabricated in large surface area configurations, suitable for terrestrial as well as extra-terrestrial use, at relatively low cost.

Continuous process for fabricating solar cells and the product produced

Thermal isolation shields consisting of two glass slides separated by insulating standoffs are positioned upon the front radiation receiving surface of a solar cell and/or upon the back surface of the solar cell. One of the two glass plates is made from material selected to absorb and radiate electromagnetic wave energy with a wavelength above 5 microns to prevent overheating of the cell. The space between the two cover plates forms a thermal gap that is, if desired, bridged by a bimetallic strip. The strip is adhered to one of the plates and has a reverse bend to extend along the face surface of the opposed cover plate. The strip distorts under an increased temperature to break the bridge between the two plates and thereby isolates the solar cell from the thermal shield formed by the outer cover plate until there is a sufficient reduction in temperature at which the bimetallic strip reestablishes conductive contact between the cover plates. Each solar cell assembly in an array is adhered to a substrate by first bonding glass pads to the substrate and then heating the cell and glass pads to a temperature of about 400.degree. while applying an electrical potential of the order of 400 volts with the glass being negative potential with respect to the cell. A hermetic bond is achieved without the use of adhesives.

Growing community of inventors

Renton, WA, United States of America

William E Horne