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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Irradiation Experiments on High Efficiency Nanowire Solar Cells Including Tilted Incidence Angle

Nanowire based solar cells have promising potential to become the next generation of space solar cells. In this study we corroborate their high radiation tolerance by irradiating high efficiency GaAs (efficiency > 15 %) nanowire solar cells with 1 MeV electrons at a fluence of 10 16 e - /cm 2 . Additionally, we theoretically show that the damage in nanowire solar cells is expected to be slightly dependent on the incidence angle and the geometry of the nanowire array. However, experimentally, two sets of GaAs nanowire solar cells have been irradiated with 1 MeV electrons at normal incidence and with a 25° tilted angle exhibiting a similar degradation.

high specific power↗
DOE OSTI2018

Thin film photovoltaic devices with microlens arrays

Textured transparent layers are formed on the incident light receiving surface of thin film solar cells to increase their efficiency by altering the incident light path and capturing a portion of the light reflected at the MLA. The textured transparent layer is an array of lenses of micrometer proportions such as hemispheres, hemi-ellipsoids, partial-spheres, partial-ellipsoids, cones, pyramids, prisms, half cylinders, or combinations thereof. A method of forming the textured transparent layer to the light incident surface of the solar cell is by forming an array of lenses from a photocurable resin and its subsequent curing. The photocurable resin can be applied by inkjet printing or can be applied by roll to roll imprinting or stamping with a mold.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

The molecular clouds fueling a 1/5 solar metallicity starburst

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, we have made the first high spatial and spectral resolution observations of the molecular gas and dust in the prototypical blue compact dwarf galaxy II Zw 40. The {sup 12}CO(2−1) and {sup 12}CO(3−2) emission is clumpy and distributed throughout the central star-forming region. Only one of eight molecular clouds has associated star formation. The continuum spectral energy distribution is dominated by free–free and synchrotron; at 870 μm, only 50% of the emission is from dust. We derive a CO-to-H{sub 2} conversion factor using several methods, including a new method that uses simple photodissocation models and resolved CO line intensity measurements to derive a relationship that uniquely predicts α{sub co} for a given metallicity. We find that the CO-to-H{sub 2} conversion factor is 4–35 times that of the Milky Way (18.1–150.5 M{sub ⊙}(Kkms{sup −1}pc{sup 2}){sup −1}). The star formation efficiency of the molecular gas is at least 10 times higher than that found in normal spiral galaxies, which is likely due to the burst-dominated star formation history of II Zw 40 rather than an intrinsically higher efficiency. The molecular clouds within II Zw 40 resemble those in other strongly interacting systems like the Antennae: overall they have high size–linewidth coefficients and molecular gas surface densities. These properties appear to be due to the high molecular gas surface densities produced in this merging system rather than to increased external pressure. Overall, these results paint a picture of II Zw 40 as a complex, rapidly evolving system whose molecular gas properties are dominated by the large-scale gas shocks from its ongoing merger.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

High Flux Microchannel Receiver Development with Adap-tive Flow Control

This project is focused on the demonstration of a microchannel-based solar receiver (MSR). The MSR concept consists of using a modular arrangement of arrayed microchannels to heat a working fluid in a concentrating solar receiver, allowing a much higher solar flux on the receiver and consequently a significant reduction in thermal losses, size, and cost.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE FIRST FOCUSED HARD X-RAY IMAGES OF THE SUN WITH NuSTAR

We present results from the the first campaign of dedicated solar observations undertaken by the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope ARray ( NuSTAR ) hard X-ray (HXR) telescope. Designed as an astrophysics mission, NuSTAR nonetheless has the capability of directly imaging the Sun at HXR energies (>3 keV) with an increase in sensitivity of at least two magnitude compared to current non-focusing telescopes. In this paper we describe the scientific areas where NuSTAR will make major improvements on existing solar measurements. We report on the techniques used to observe the Sun with NuSTAR , their limitations and complications, and the procedures developed to optimize solar data quality derived from our experience with the initial solar observations. These first observations are briefly described, including the measurement of the Fe K-shell lines in a decaying X-class flare, HXR emission from high in the solar corona, and full-disk HXR images of the Sun.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Bifacial PV test-bed irradiance measurements

Data for 2 front-facing and 4 rear-facing IMT irradiance sensors placed on a scaled-down setup that replicate a PV array in a highly-reflective rooftop. The test-bed consist of 3 rows of 20x2ft aluminum sheets (the “panels”), supported by a Unistrut structure, with 6 irradiance sensors (IMT) measuring front and rear irradiance in the center module of the center row. High quality weather-station data available

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Broadband-antireflective hybrid nanopillar array for photovoltaic application

Subwavelength structures such as nanopillars, nanoholes, and nanodomes have recently attracted considerable attention as antireflective structures for solar cells. Recent studies on the optical property of nanopillar array revealed that the reflection minimum is related to the diameter, the pitch, and the height of nanopillars. Here, we investigate the “hybrid” nanopillar array, which is composed of different diameters of nanopillars. Finite differential time domain simulations revealed that the photogeneration in a hybrid nanopillar array is spatially heterogeneous: carriers are generated mainly in the narrower pillars for short-wavelength incident light and in the thicker pillars for long-wavelength light, respectively. Hybrid silicon nanopillar arrays fabricated by using electron beam lithography and dry etching show excellent broadband antireflection property. Hybrid nanopillar array is thus highly promising for next-generation antireflection for photovoltaic applications.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Solar Photovoltaic DC Systems: Basics and Safety: Preprint

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems are common and growing with 42.4 GW installed capacity in U.S. (almost 15 GW added in 2016). This paper will help electrical workers, and emergency responders understand the basic operating principles and hazards of PV DC arrays. We briefly discuss the following aspects of solar photovoltaic (PV) DC systems: the effects of solar radiation and temperature on output power; PV module testing standards; common system configurations; a simple PV array sizing example; NEC guidelines and other safety features; DC array commissioning, periodic maintenance and testing; arc-flash hazard potential; how electrical workers and emergency responders can and do work safely around PV arrays; do moonlight and artificial lighting pose a real danger; typical safe operating procedures; and other potential DC-system hazards to be aware of. We also present some statistics on PV DC array electrical incidents and injuries. Safe PV array operation is possible with a good understanding of PV DC arrays basics and having good safe operating procedures in place.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Tetradymite layer assisted heteroepitaxial growth and applications

A multilayer stack including a substrate, an active layer, and a tetradymite buffer layer positioned between the substrate and the active layer is disclosed. A method for fabricating a multilayer stack including a substrate, a tetradymite buffer layer and an active layer is also disclosed. Use of such stacks may be in photovoltaics, solar cells, light emitting diodes, and night vision arrays, among other applications.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Efficient Unassisted Overall Photocatalytic Seawater Splitting on GaN-Based Nanowire Arrays

Large-scale, clean, efficient and sustainable hydrogen production from water is one of the major goal in solar-to-fuel conversion as the sun and water represent the two most abundant and geographically-balanced free resources available on Earth. Considering that most of the liquid water available on Earth’s surface is present in the form of seawater, H 2 generation from seawater splitting is highly desirable for large-scale practical and economical application. Herein, we report on the first demonstration of direct efficient overall solar-driven seawater splitting on p-GaN-based nanowire-arrays without any external bias or sacrificial agents from various types of simulated seawater solutions. As a result, a stable solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency of 1.9% was obtained under concentrated irradiation, demonstrating its possible utilization for large-scale, environmental-friendly and sustainable generation of clean solar fuel.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

High flux thermal receiver and method of use

A thermal receiver, such as a solar flux thermal receiver, is disclosed comprising a modular arrangement of arrayed microchannels or micropins to heat a working fluid by heat transfer. Disclosed solar receivers provide a much higher solar flux and consequently a significant reduction in thermal losses, size, and cost, relative to known receivers. Unit cell receivers can be numbered up and combined in parallel to form modules, and modules combined to form full scale receivers.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evaluation of Models and Measurements to Estimate Solar Radiation for 1-Axis Tracking Modules at NREL's SRRL: Preprint

Solar radiation reaching photovoltaic (PV) modules on a 1-axis tracking system can be measured by reference cells or thermopiles. The former is often biased due to the reflection of solar radiation by the glass cover of the PV. The uncertainty can be moderated by applying a correction factor, as a function of solar incident angle and the refractive index of the glass, to the measurement. On the other hand, solar radiation on the inclined PV panels can be computed by transposition models using global horizontal irradiance (GHI) observations from thermopiles. This study examines the models and measurements to estimate solar radiation for 1-axis tracking modules at National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) Solar Radiation Research Laboratory (SRRL). The 1-minute plane-of-array (POA) irradiances in 2019 are computed using the observed GHIs and a transposition model developed by Perez et al. The POA irradiances are compared with the observation by an IMT reference cell and a Kipp & Zonen CM Pyranometer 22 (CMP22) thermopile. For SRRL’s 1-axis tracking system with the annual solar energy of 2323.9 kWh/m2, the POA irradiance is overestimated by ~70 kWh/m2 using the transposition model. This bias is reduced by more than 50% using the IMT measurements calibrated by a correction factor for a PV surface of antireflection coated glass.

41 EE - Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evaluation of an LED Simulator for Single- and Multi-Junction PV Cell Performance Testing

We present the evaluation of a solar simulator comprising a Light Emitting Diode (LED) array as its light source. While multiple applications can be envisioned for such a light source, here we focus on its use for performance testing of solar cells at Standard Test Conditions. With this in mind, we present characterization of the spatial uniformity of the irradiance and its temporal stability as well as the spectral range and spectral class. For a multisource simulator, the spectral uniformity across the test plane should also be evaluated and we discuss a method for performing this evaluation that is well suited to a solar cell performance testing application. One major advantage of this simulator is the ability to easily adjust the spectral output as needed in multijunction PV cell measurements and we also discuss this application here.

LED↗
DOE OSTI2018

Sensing, interlocking solar module system and installation method

A solar module system is coupled directly to a fixed structure either individually or collectively as an array. Universal mounting brackets attached to the back of each solar panel module each connect to one or more other brackets of adjacent solar panels and/or to mounting feet that anchor to the fixed structure. Mounting brackets interlock with mounting brackets on adjacent solar modules and include a flexible snap coupling mechanism including a locking feature to selectively flexibly connect to and disconnect from other mounting brackets of adjacent solar panels.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

What Would It Take to Manufacture Perovskite Solar Cells in Space?

Imagine: Astronauts land on the moon. They verify their arrival with mission control and perform system checks and validations. After the dust settles, they open the airlock of the landing vehicle and venture outside. A side hatch opens, and a flexible substrate slowly unfurls on a boom. A series of printer heads raster, hovering over the substrate and sequentially vapor-depositing the constituent layers of a perovskite solar module. In time, a 1-megawatt array has been manufactured on the moon and can now be connected to supply power to the Artemis Base Camp. This ambitious vision could someday become a reality.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗