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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 1,747 records · Page 97

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1981

Space applicable DOE photovoltaic technology: An update

Photovoltaic development projects applicable to space power are identified. When appropriate, the type of NASA support that would be necessary to implement these technologies for space use is indicated. It is conducted that the relatively small market and divergent operational requirements for space power are mainly responsible for the limited transfer of terrestrial technology to space applications. Information on the factors which control the cost and type of technology is provided. Terrestrial modules using semiconductor materials are investigated.

Scott-Monck, J.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Is structural interface standardization beneficial?

Factors applicable to fixed angle, large field and fixed angle, large building flat plate photovoltaic (PV) generator arrays are discussed in the context of standardization. It is concluded that structural interface standardization may be highly desirable in any one major project, but not at this time in the overall PV industry. Attempts to mandate such standardization will act as a deterrent to long-range improvements. In specific projects, structural standardization should be defined at the largest practical interface, leaving the maximum possible freedom to the module and array manufacturer. There is a corollary area, however, where detailed standards would benefit the industry; the matter of Standard Practices. Work being done towards definition of acceptable/desirable practices in materials, finishes, fastening and locking methods, grounding techniques, lightning protection, etc., and in handling the environmental ranges, should be continued.

Dombert, W. E.↗

DOE OSTI2019

Bifacial PV Performance Models: Comparison and Field Results

Updated performance models for bifacial PV are being developed at NREL. We are in the process of validating these optical models against field trial configurations, and commercial bifacial models. This presentation provides preliminary field test results, intercomparison of NREL's Ray Tracing and View Factor bifacial modules against PVSyst, and a SolarWorld empirical model. Some specific attributes of bifacial modeling are addressed including edge effects and rear irradiance non-uniformity / mismatch loss.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2016

Trap-clearing Spectroscopy in Perylene Diimide Derivatives

Perylene diimide (PDI) derivatives are important components of organic circuits and photovoltaic systems, but the electron trapping mechanism(s) in higher-LUMO PDIs (–3 to –4 eV, where radical anions are expected to react with atmospheric water and oxygen) are not well characterized. In this work, we examine the spatial distribution of traps in transistors made from PDIs with these higher LUMO levels and measure trap-clearing spectra in n-type organic materials using time- and wavelength-resolved frequency-modulated Kelvin probe force microscopy (FM-KPFM). We find that the rate of trap-clearing under visible light does not follow a LUMO-level trend, and we observe spectral evidence for different trapping mechanisms on bare versus HMDS-treated SiO 2 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1978

Evaluation of options for process sequences

A methodology is being developed to ease the comparative evaluation of competing options in the process sequence for the manufacture of photovoltaic solar energy utilization systems. This evaluation will largely involve process economic analyses but will place equal emphasis on other characteristics, including energy consumption and environmental effects of the process options. Early analyses have been performed for the energy consumption in the arc furnace reduction of SiO2, for the costs and energy consumption in CZ crystal pulling and various slicing processes, and for the total energy consumption of process sequence through the completed module.

Wolf, M.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Photovoltaic system grounding and fault protection

The grounding and fault protection aspects of large photovoltaic power systems are studied. Broadly, the overlapping functions of these two plant subsystems include providing for the safety of personnel and equipment. Grounding subsystem design is generaly governed by considerations of personnel safety and the limiting of hazardous voltages to which they are exposed during the occurrence of a fault or other misoperation of equipment. A ground system is designed to provide a safe path for fault currents. Metal portions of the modules, array structures, and array foundations are used as a part of the ground system, provided that they and their interconnection are designed to be suitably reliable over the life of the plant. Several alternative types of fault protection and detection equipment are designed into the source circuits and dc buses feeding the input terminals of the subfield power conditioner. This design process requires evaluation of plausible faults, equipment, and remedial actions planned to correct faults. The evaluation should also consider life cycle cost impacts.

Stolte, W. J.↗

DOE OSTI2019

Does geography matter? A study of technological learning and innovation in the U.S. Solar photovoltaic balance-of-systems (PV BOS) industry

Different learning channels (i.e., learning from upstream actors, local network, global codified knowledge, etc.) coexist in firms’ technological innovation processes. Although firms are exposed to globalization and convenient communication and transportation tools, researchers still argue about the role of geography in technology innovation. Geographic proximity can facilitate knowledge spillover and network-building. Localized learning and the significance of geography indicate the importance of local knowledge in innovative activities. Local knowledge tends to be more closely aligned with local firms’ technological demand and easier to understand and absorb, because they are created and applied in the same context. However, following Schumpeter, innovation researchers believe that diverse knowledge, especially knowledge from external industries and geographically distant places, is a valuable source for innovation, especially disruptive innovation. Therefore, firms must balance different learning channels, especially between localized learning and global learning. However, it is still unclear about the extent to which localized learning is important for technology innovations and which factors influence the degree of localized learning. Meanwhile, most studies in the area of localized learning usually take no account of the international dimension and the interdependent of knowledge at different geographic scales. Different learning channels (i.e., learning from upstream actors, local network, global codified knowledge, etc.) coexist in firms’ technological innovation processes. Although firms are exposed to globalization and convenient communication and transportation tools, researchers still argue about the role of geography in technology innovation. Geographic proximity can facilitate knowledge spillover and network-building. Localized learning and the significance of geography indicate the importance of local knowledge in innovative activities. Local knowledge tends to be more closely aligned with local firms’ technological demand and easier to understand and absorb, because they are created and applied in the same context. However, following Schumpeter, innovation researchers believe that diverse knowledge, especially knowledge from external industries and geographically distant places, is a valuable source for innovation, especially disruptive innovation. Therefore, firms must balance different learning channels, especially between localized learning and global learning. However, it is still unclear about the extent to which localized learning is important for technology innovations and which factors influence the degree of localized learning. Meanwhile, most studies in the area of localized learning usually take no account of the international dimension and the interdependent of knowledge at different geographic scales. To address this research gap, this paper empirically investigated firms’ learning and innovation processes in relation to the geography. The aim is to answer the following three questions: 1) how does geographic distance influence knowledge spillover; 2) how technological characteristics influence knowledge acquisition choices as regards local vs. non-local knowledge? and 3) how do local and non-local knowledge affect the quality of innovation? The subject of our empirical inquiry is photovoltaic balance-of-systems (PV BOS) components. This choice is primarily motivated by two factors: (1) large-scale deployment of distributed solar PV technologies is widely considered to be an important piece in addressing the environmental impacts of the electricity sector, making PV an important technology to study; furthermore, there is a general consensus that the biggest barrier for a wider deployment of PV is the high price of non-module components, and (2) technological aspects of non-module components of PV systems make local conditions (climate, regulation, learning networks, etc.) salient, thus affording a rich empirical setting to explore the geography-innovation-economy interactions at the local level. We find that the localization effect of technological learning in the solar PV BOS industry is at state level, the number of citations-based linkages decreases with distance, and we also find that international knowledge significantly contributes to the quality of patents, which suggests that state border might be a barrier of current knowledge spillover, and only focusing on local innovation networks is not sufficient for promoting PV BOS innovation.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2016

Solar cell efficiency tables (version 49)

Consolidated tables showing an extensive listing of the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules are presented. Here, guidelines for inclusion of results into these tables are outlined, and new entries since June 2016 are reviewed.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2015

DNA-mediated excitonic upconversion FRET switching

Excitonics is a rapidly expanding field of nanophotonics in which the harvesting of photons, ensuing creation and transport of excitons via Förster resonant energy transfer (FRET), and subsequent charge separation or photon emission has led to the demonstration of excitonic wires, switches, Boolean logic and light harvesting antennas for many applications. FRET funnels excitons down an energy gradient resulting in energy loss with each step along the pathway. Conversely, excitonic energy up conversion via up conversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), although currently inefficient, serves as an energy ratchet to boost the exciton energy. Although FRET-based up conversion has been demonstrated, it suffers from low FRET efficiency and lacks the ability to modulate the FRET. We have engineered an up conversion FRET-based switch by combining lanthanide-doped UCNPs and fluorophores that demonstrates excitonic energy up conversion by nearly a factor of 2, an excited state donor to acceptor FRET efficiency of nearly 25%, and an acceptor fluorophore quantum efficiency that is close to unity. These findings offer a promising path for energy up conversion in nanophotonic applications including artificial light harvesting, excitonic circuits, photovoltaics, nanomedicine, and optoelectronics.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Using spatio-temporal graph neural networks to estimate fleet-wide photovoltaic performance degradation patterns

Accurate estimation of photovoltaic (PV) system performance is crucial for determining its feasibility as a power generation technology and financial asset. PV-based energy solutions offer a viable alternative to traditional energy resources due to their superior Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). A significant challenge in assessing the LCOE of PV systems lies in understanding the Performance Loss Rate (PLR) for large fleets of PV systems. Estimating the PLR of PV systems becomes increasingly important in the rapidly growing PV industry. Precise PLR estimation benefits PV users by providing real-time monitoring of PV module performance, while explainable PLR estimation assists PV manufacturers in studying and enhancing the performance of their products. However, traditional PLR estimation methods based on statistical models have notable drawbacks. Firstly, they require user knowledge and decision-making. Secondly, they fail to leverage spatial coherence for fleet-level analysis. Additionally, these methods inherently assume the linearity of degradation, which is not representative of real world degradation. To overcome these challenges, we propose a novel graph deep learning-based decomposition method called the Spatio-Temporal Graph Neural Network for fleet-level PLR estimation (PV-stGNN-PLR). PV-stGNN-PLR decomposes the power timeseries data into aging and fluctuation components, utilizing the aging component to estimate PLR. PV-stGNN-PLR exploits spatial and temporal coherence to derive PLR estimation for all systems in a fleet and imposes flatness and smoothness regularization in loss function to ensure the successful disentanglement between aging and fluctuation. We have evaluated PV-stGNN-PLR on three simulated PV datasets consisting of 100 inverters from 5 sites. Experimental results show that PV-stGNN-PLR obtains a reduction of 33.9% and 35.1% on average in Mean Absolute Percent Error (MAPE) and Euclidean Distance (ED) in PLR degradation pattern estimation compared to the state-of-the-art PLR estimation methods.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Crossbreeding Effect of Chalcogenation and Iodination on Benzene Additives Enables Optimized Morphology and 19.68% Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells

Volatile solid additives have attracted increasing attention in optimizing the morphology and improving the performance of currently dominated non-fullerene acceptor-based organic solar cells (OSCs). However, the underlying principles governing the rational design of volatile solid additives remain elusive. Herein, a series of efficient volatile solid additives are successfully developed by the crossbreeding effect of chalcogenation and iodination for optimizing the morphology and improving the photovoltaic performances of OSCs. Five benzene derivatives of 1,4-dimethoxybenzene (DOB), 1-iodo-4-methoxybenzene (OIB), 1-iodo-4-methylthiobenzene (SIB), 1,4-dimethylthiobenzene (DSB) and 1,4-diiodobenzene (DIB) are systematically studied, where the widely used DIB is used as the reference. The effect of chalcogenation and iodination on the overall property is comprehensively investigated, which indicates that the versatile functional groups provided various types of noncovalent interactions with the host materials for modulating the morphology. Among them, SIB with the combination of sulphuration and iodination enabled more appropriate interactions with the host blend, giving rise to a highly ordered molecular packing and more favorable morphology. As a result, the binary OSCs based on PM6:L8-BO and PBTz-F:L8-BO as well as the ternary OSCs based on PBTz-F:PM6:L8-BO achieved impressive high PCEs of 18.87%, 18.81% and 19.68%, respectively, which are among the highest values for OSCs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2017

Solar cell efficiency tables (version 50)

Abstract Consolidated tables showing an extensive listing of the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules are presented. Guidelines for inclusion of results into these tables are outlined, and new entries since January 2017 are reviewed.

Green, Martin A.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Solar cell efficiency tables (Version 64)

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2023

Framework-Topology-Controlled Singlet Fission in Metal–Organic Frameworks

Singlet fission (SF) has been explored as a viable route to improve photovoltaic performance by producing more excitons. Efficient SF is achieved through a high degree of interchromophoric coupling that facilitates electron super exchange to generate triplet pairs. However, strongly coupled chromophores often form excimers that can serve as an SF intermediate or a low-energy trap site. The succeeding decoherence process, however, requires an optimum electronic coupling to facilitate the isolation of triplet production from the initially prepared correlated triplet pair. Conformational flexibility and dielectric modulation can provide a means to tune the SF mechanism and efficiency by modulating the interchromophoric electronic interaction. Such a strategy cannot be easily adopted in densely stacked traditional organic solids. Here, we show that the assembly of the SF-active chromophores around well-defined pores of solution-stable metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can be a great platform for a modular SF process. A series of three new MOFs, built out from 9,10-bis(ethynylenephenyl)anthracene-derived struts, show a topology-defined packing density and conformational flexibility of the anthracene core to dictate the SF mechanism. Various steady-state and transient spectroscopic data suggest that the initially prepared singlet population can prefer either an excimer-mediated SF or a direct SF (both through a virtual charge-transfer (CT) state). Finally, these solution-stable frameworks offer the tunability of the dielectric environment to facilitate the SF process by stabilizing the CT state. Given that MOFs are a great platform for various photophysical and photochemical developments, generating a large population of long-lived triplets can expand their utilities in various photon energy conversion schemes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2014

Low-Cost Spectral Sensor Development Description

Solar spectral data for all parts of the US is limited due in part to the high cost of commercial spectrometers. Solar spectral information is necessary for accurate photovoltaic (PV) performance forecasting, especially for large utility-scale PV installations. A low-cost solar spectral sensor would address the obstacles and needs. In this report, a novel low-cost, discrete-band sensor device, comprised of five narrow-band sensors, is described. The hardware is comprised of commercial-off-the-shelf components to keep the cost low. Data processing algorithms were developed and are being refined for robustness. PV module short-circuit current ($I_{sc}$) prediction methods were developed based on interaction-terms regression methodology and spectrum reconstruction methodology for computing $I_{sc}$. The results suggest the computed spectrum using the reconstruction method agreed well with the measured spectrum from the wide-band spectrometer (RMS error of 38.2 W/m 2 -nm). Further analysis of computed $I_{sc}$ found a close correspondence of 0.05 A RMS error. The goal is for ubiquitous adoption of the low-cost spectral sensor in solar PV and other applications such as weather forecasting.

Armijo, Kenneth Miguel↗

NASA NTRS1978

Description and status of NASA-LeRC/DOE photovoltaic applications systems

Designed, fabricated and installed were 16 geographically dispersed photovoltaic systems. These systems are powering a refrigerator, highway warning sign, forest lookout towers, remote weather stations, a water chiller at a visitor center, and insect survey traps. Each of these systems is described in terms of load requirements, solar array and battery size, and instrumentation and controls. Operational experience is described and present status is given for each system. The P/V power systems have proven to be highly reliable with almost no problems with modules and very few problems overall.

Ratajczak, A. F.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Description and status of NASA-LeRC/DOE photovoltaic applications systems experiments

In its role of supporting the DOE Photovoltaic Program, the NASA-Lewis Research Center has designed, fabricated and installed 16 geographically dispersed photovoltaic systems. These systems are powering a refrigerator, highway warning sign, forest lookout towers, remote weather stations, a water chiller at a visitor center, and insect survey traps. Each of these systems is described in terms of load requirements, solar array and battery size, and instrumentation and controls. Operational experience is described and present status is given for each system. The P/V power systems have proven to be highly reliable with almost no problems with modules and very few problems overall

Ratajczak, A. F.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Solar Power System and Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generation Technologies at Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus Environments: New Insights and Paradigms

Power system selection for outer planet destinations, such as Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus and beyond, is complex, involving and dependent on many interdisciplinary factors such as power system mass, specific power, cost, mechanical and electrical integration, and natural radiation environment. Low solar irradiance at Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus systems (i.e., 50, 15, and 4 W/m2 , respectively) makes solar power systems challenging in mechanical / electrical integration and accommodating radiation environments. More costly radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) systems can help proposed missions overcome radiation environment and spacecraft control challenges at Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has recently made significant strides in demonstrating high-efficiency, radiation-hard solar cell technologies for low-irradiance, low-temperature (LILT) applications, and high-efficiency thermoelectric (TE) materials and modules for higher-specific-power RTGs. Stateof-art multi-junction solar cells now routinely demonstrate high efficiencies of 30-34% at LILT (9.5AU and -165°C), making solar arrays a viable option for many near-term Saturn mission concepts. Emerging technologies like LILToptimized solar cells have recently demonstrated even higher efficiencies of 37% at 9.5AU and -165°C and 30% lower mass than the state-of-art, offering the prospect of ~3W/kg array-level, end-of-life specific powers under Saturn conditions. Having already demonstrated the tremendous utility of RTGs on Mars and in deep-space missions (e.g., Galileo at Jupiter, New Horizons at Pluto), NASA is now developing and demonstrating new TE materials and modules (e.g., skutterudites, La3-x Te4, and Zintls) for increasing RTG specific power (up to >8.5 W/kg), which strongly impacts an RTG’s mass, fuel utilization, and modularity in the power system trade domain. New accomplishments in both areas highlight the renewed requisite for updated comparisons and trade-offs in power output, specific power and mass, cost, mechanical and electrical integration, new technology timelines, and natural radiation impacts between new LILT-optimized photovoltaic technologies and next-generation RTG technologies. This work discusses and demonstrates how new LILT-based technologies are now allowing one to consider and design solar power systems for Saturn orbit and beyond, and are changing the potential cost-mass trade-offs between emerging solar power technologies and newly-envisioned RTG technologies. Key updated system mass and cost trade-offs between high-performance LILT solar technologies and new RTG technologies are presented, reinforcing and refining power selection criteria supporting possible future NASA deep-space science and exploration missions to Mars, the Jupiter system (Europa, Ganymede), the Saturn system (Titan, Enceladus), Uranus, and beyond. Key trade-offs in other above-mentioned interdisciplinary factors between these two power technologies are also discussed.

Bairstow, Brian K.↗