• Title/Summary/Keyword: Solar Energy Conversion Efficiency

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A Study of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Systems Using Kalina cycle and Regenerative Rankine cycle (Kalina 사이클과 재생 Rankine 사이클을 이용한 해양 온도차 발진 시스템)

  • Shin, S.H.;Jung, D.S.;Kim, C.B.;Seo, T.B.
    • Solar Energy
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    • v.19 no.3
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    • pp.101-113
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    • 1999
  • Thermodynamic performance of a simple Rankine cycle, regenerative Rankine cycle, and Kalina cycle for Ocean thermal Energy Conversion(OTEC) is evaluated under the same condition with various working fluids. The evaporator and condenser are modeled by a UA and LMTD method while the turbine and pump are modeled by considering isentropic efficiencies. As for the working fluids, R22, R134a, R32, propylene, ammonia are used for the Rankine cycles while ammonia/water and R32/R134a mixtures are used for Kalina cycle. Calculated results show that newly developed fluids such non-ozone depleting refrigerants as R134a and R32 perform as well as R22 and ammonia. The regenerative Rankine cycle showed a 1.2 to 2.8% increase in energy efficiency as compared to the simple Rankine cycle while the Kalina cycle with ammonia/water mixture showed a 1.8% increase in energy efficiency. The efficiency of the Kalina cycle with R32/R134a mixtures is the same as that of a simple Rankine cycle using R22. Therefore, the regenerative Rankine cycle turns out to be best choice for OTEC applications.

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The Effect of Barrier Layer on Thin-film Silicon Solar Cell Using Graphite Substrates (탄소 기판을 이용한 박막 실리콘 태양전지의 배리어 층 효과)

  • Cho, Young Joon;Lee, Dong Won;Cho, Jun Sik;Chang, Hyo Sik
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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    • v.29 no.8
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    • pp.505-509
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    • 2016
  • We have investigated the characteristics of amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film solar cell by inserting barrier layer. The conversion efficiency of a-Si thin-film solar cells on graphite substrate shows nearly zero because of the surface roughness of the graphite substrate. To enhance the performance of solar cells, the surface morphology of the back side were modified by changing the barrier layer on graphite. The surface roughness of graphite substrate with the barrier layer grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reduced from ~2 um to ~75 nm. In this study, the combination of the barrier layer on graphite substrate is important to increase solar cell efficiency. We achieved ~ 7.8% cell efficiency for an a-Si thin-film solar cell on graphite substrate with SiNx/SiOx stack barrier layer.

High-Efficiency ITO/Se Solar Cells (Se 태양전지(太陽電池)의 고효율화(高效率化)에 관한 연구(硏究))

  • Kim, Tae-Seoung
    • Solar Energy
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    • v.7 no.2
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    • pp.7-13
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    • 1987
  • Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO)/Selenium heterojunction solar cells which fabricated by vacuum deposition technique and annealing process has been investigated. Prior to the Selenium deposition, a thin tellurium layer (about $10{\AA}$) was deposited onto the ITO layers to provide a sufficient mechanical bond between the Oxide and Selenium layers. The amorphous Selenium layer was deposited onto the Te-ITO layers, and then the crystallization of the amorphous Selenium was carried out using a hot plate at about $180^{\circ}C$ for 4 min. Efficient Selenium solar cells with conversion efficiency as high as 4.52% under AM1 condition has been fabricated in polycrystalline Selenium layer ($6{\mu}m$). The optimum data in manufacturing Se solar cell was listed in table.

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Performance Investigation of Solar-Heating Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (SH-OTEC) in Korea (태양열 이용 해양온도차발전시스템의 성능 예측)

  • Nguyen, Van Hap;Lee, Geun Sik
    • Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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    • v.37 no.1
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    • pp.43-49
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    • 2013
  • The use of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) to generate electricity is one of the methods proposed to utilize renewable energy and to protect the environment. In this study, simulations were performed to investigate the effect of weather conditions in the Ulsan region, Korea, on the efficiency of a solar-heating OTEC (SH-OTEC) system. This system utilizes solar thermal energy as the secondary heat source. Various working fluids were also simulated to select one that is suitable for this system. The results showed that R152A, R600, and R600A, in that order, were the most suitable working fluids. The effective area of the solar collector for a $20^{\circ}C$ increase in the collector outlet temperature fluctuated from 50 to $97m^2$ owing to the change in the monthly average solar gain. The annual average efficiency of the SH-OTEC increases to 6.23%, compared to that of a typical conventional OTEC, which is 2-4%.

Experimental Analysis on the Performance of a Solar Powered Water Pump (태양열 물펌프의 실험적 성능분석)

  • Kim Y. B.;Son J. G.;Lee S. K.;Kim S. T.;La W. J.;Lee Y. K.
    • Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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    • v.29 no.6 s.107
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    • pp.521-530
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    • 2004
  • The solar powered water pump is very ideal equipment because solar power is more intensive when the water is more needed in summer and it is very helpful in the rural area, in which electrical power is not available. The average solar radiation power is $3.488\;kWh/(m^2{\cdot}day)$ in Korea. In this study, the experimental system of the water pump driven by the radiation energy were designed, assembled, tested and analyzed fur realizing the solar powered water pump. Energy conversion ken radiation energy to mechanical energy by using n-pentane as operating material was done and the water pumping cycles were able to be continued. The quantity of the water pumped per cycle ranged from 2 L to 10 L depending on the level of the valve open area far the vapour supply. The average quantity was about 4,366 cc. The thermal efficiency was about $0.018\%$. The pressure level of the n-pentane vapour in flash tank was about $110\~150\;kPa$ and that in the water tank was $93\~130\;kPa$. The pressure in the condenser during cycles was maintained as about 70 kPa. The condensation of the n-pentane vapour in the water tank was increased with the cycles even though the internal and external insulation were done. Air tank performance was better with increasing of the water piston displacement and the water could be pumped with the water piston displacement becoming higher than 6,500 cc.

The Research of Ni/Cu/Ag Contact Solar Cells for Low Cost & High Efficiency in Crystalline Solar Cells (결정질 실리콘 태양전지의 저가 고 효율화를 위한 Ni/Cu/Ag 전극 태양전지)

  • Cho, Kyeong-Yeon;Lee, Ji-Hun;Lee, Soo-Hong
    • 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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    • 2009.04a
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    • pp.214-219
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    • 2009
  • In high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells, If high-efficiency solar cells are to be commercialized. It is need to develop superior contact formation method and material that can be inexpensive and simple without degradation of the solar cells ability. For reason of plated metallic contact is not only high metallic purity but also inexpensive manufacture. It is available to apply mass production. Especially, Nickel, Copper and Silver are applied widely in various electronic manufactures as easily formation is available by plating. The metallic contact system of silicon solar cell must have several properties, such as low contact resistance, easy application and good adhesion. Ni is shown to be a suitable barrier to Cu diffusion as well as desirable contact metal to silicon. Nickel monosilicide(NiSi) has been suggested as a suitable silicide due to its lower resistivity, lower sintering temperature and lower layer stress than $TiSi_2$. Copper and Silver can be plated by electro & light-induced plating method. Light-induced plating makes use the photovoltaic effect of solar cell to deposite the metal on the front contact. The cell is immersed into the electrolytic plating bath and irradiated at the front side by light source, which leads to a current density in the front side grid. Electroless plated Ni/ Electro&light-induced plated Cu/ Light-induced plated Ag contact solar cells result in an energy conversion efficiency of 14.68 % on $0.2{\sim}0.6{\Omega}{\cdot}cm,\;20{\times}20mm^2$, CZ(Czochralski) wafer.

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Effect of SiO2/ITO Film on Energy Conversion Efficiency of Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

  • Woo, Jong-Su;Jang, Gun-Eik
    • Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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    • v.16 no.6
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    • pp.303-307
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    • 2015
  • Multilayered films of ITO (In2O3:SnO2 = 9:1)/SiO2 were deposited on soda-lime glass by RF/DC magnetron sputtering at 500℃ to improve the energy conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The light absorption of the dye was improved by decrease in light reflectance from the surface of the DSSCs by using an ITO film. In order to estimate the optical characteristics and compare them with experimental results, a simulation program named EMP (essential macleod program) was used. EMP results revealed that the multilayered thin films showed high transmittance (approximate average transmittance of 79%) by adjusting the SiO2 layer thickness. XRD results revealed that the ITO and TiO2 films exhibited a crystalline phase with (400) and (101) preferred orientations at 2 θ = 26.24° and 35.18°, respectively. The photocurrent-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the DSSCs were measured under AM 1.5 and 100 mW/cm2 (1 sun) by using a solar simulator. The DSSC fabricated on the ITO film with a 0.1-nm-thick SiO2 film showed a Voc of 0.697 V, Jsc of 10.596 mA/cm2 , FF of 66.423, and calculated power conversion efficiency (ηAM1.5) of 5.259%, which was the maximum value observed in this study.

A Study on Characteristics of ZnO/n-Si Low Cost Solar Cells (ZnO/n-Si 저가 박막태양전지의 특성연구)

  • Baik, D.G.;Cho, S.M.
    • Solar Energy
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.29-36
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    • 1999
  • ZnO/n-Si junctions were fabricated by spin coating with ZnO precursor produced by the sol-gel process. In order to increase the electrical conductivity of ZnO films, the films were n-doped with Al impurity and subsequently annealed at about $450^{\circ}C$ under reducing environments. The ohmic contacts between n-Si and AI for a bottom electrode were successfully fabricated by doping the rear surface of Si substrate with phosphorous atoms. The front surface of the substrate was also doped with phosphorous atoms for improving the efficiency of the solar cells. Consequently, conversion efficiencies ranging up to about 5.3% were obtained. These efficiencies were found to decrease slowly with time because of the oxide films formed at the ZnO/Si interface upon oxygen penetration through the porous ZnO. Oxygen barrier layers could be necessary in order to prevent the reduction of conversion efficiencies.

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Observation of Carrier Multiplication via Internal Quantum Efficiency Exceeding 100% in PbS QDs Monolayer Solar Cells

  • Park, So Yeon;Chung, Hyun Suk;Han, Gill Sang;Su, Jang Ji;Jung, Hyun Suk
    • Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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    • 2014.02a
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    • pp.467.1-467.1
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    • 2014
  • Quantum dots (QD) solar cells has received considerable attention due to their potential of improving the overall conversion efficiency by harvesting excess energy via multiple excitons generation (MEG). Although there have been many reports which show MEG phenomena by using optical measurement of quantum dots themselves, carrier multiplication in real QD photovoltaic devices has been sparsely reported due to difficulty in dissociation of excitons and charge collection. In this reports, heterojunction QD solar cells composed of PbS QD monolayer on highly crystalline $TiO_2$ thin films were fabricated by using Langmuir-Blodgett deposition technique to significantly reduce charge recombination at the interfaces between each QD. The PbS CQDs monolayer was characterized by using UV-vis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The internal quantum efficiency (IQE) for the monolayer QD solar cells was obtained by measurement of external quantum efficiency and determining light absorption efficiency of active layer. Carrier multiplication was observed by measuring IQE greater than 100% over threshold photon energy. Our findings demonstrate that monolayer QD solar cell structure is potentially capable of realizing highly efficient solar cells based on carrier multiplication.

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Multi-layer Front Electrode Formation to Improve the Conversion Efficiency in Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell (결정질 실리콘 태양전지의 효율 향상을 위한 다층 전면 전극 형성)

  • Hong, Ji-Hwa;Kang, Min Gu;Kim, Nam-Soo;Song, Hee-Eun
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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    • v.25 no.12
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    • pp.1015-1020
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    • 2012
  • Resistance of the front electrode is the highest proportion of the ingredients of the series resistance in crystalline silicon solar cell. While resistance of the front electrode is decreased with larger area, it induces the optical loss, causing the conversion efficiency drop. Therefore the front electrode with high aspect ratio increasing its height and decreasing is necessary for high-efficiency solar cell in considering shadowing loss and resistance of front electrode. In this paper, we used the screen printing method to form high aspect ratio electrode by multiple printing. Screen printing is the straightforward technology to establish the electrodes in silicon solar cell fabrication. The several printed front electrodes with Ag paste on silicon wafer showed the significantly increased height and slightly widen finger. As a result, the resistance of the front electrode was decreased with multiple printing even if it slightly increased the shadowing loss. We showed the improved electrical characteristics for c-Si solar cell with repeatedly printed front electrode by 0.5%. It lays a foundation for high efficiency solar cell with high aspect ratio electrode using screen printing.