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Three layer mikrotrakingovye concentrating solar panels significantly increase the efficiency of energy production
Testing of the prototype. Small dark squares on the increase - photocells. I>
The next step in increasing the efficiency of solar cells made joint team of engineers from the University of Pennsylvania and Illinois . Their product belongs to the class concentrating photovoltaics , ie uses lenses to concentrate sunlight onto small solar cells.
There is an analogy using lenses already have - for example, such solar cells are used on the ISS. However, they are expensive to manufacture and require complex guidance system for tracking the sun, because the focused beam of light moves with the sun. For such a significant impact panels should be about the size of a roadside billboard. As a result, they can not be placed on the roof of his house.
Industrial concentrating panel i>
Engineering team strives to simplify and reduce the cost of production. The lenses are made of plastic (for the test sample, they were printed on 3D-printer). Miniature (of 1 mm 2 sup>) solar cells made of gallium arsenide. To adjust the focus of the movement of the Sun engineers have done a three-layer structure of the panels.
The upper layer comprises a lens, the lower - concave mirrors that help focus light, the intensity of which increases as a result of about 200 times. Between them is a layer of glass or plastic, comprising photocells, which moves in one plane by means of motors.
This layer is in optical oil reduces friction, which reduces the energy consumption for the operation of motors. Such a configuration can effectively focusing light on the light detector during the 8-hour daylength, thus shifting the middle layer have all within one centimeter. The total thickness of the panel is about 1 cm, and 99% consists of Plexiglas that makes its production run low.
Noel Chris Gibink , assistant professor, рассказывает: "We strive to ensure that such mikrotrakingovuyu panel can be placed on the roof of a house in the same way as a classical and at the same time receive from it a much higher yield. The simplicity of our solution is uniquely practical significance ».
Of course, for the efficient operation panel it requires exposure to direct sunlight. In cloudy weather, it will not be able to concentrate the light and lose the advantage of efficiency.
Source: geektimes.ru/post/245596/
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