Spearfish High School, Sparfish, South Dakota solar energy system performance evaluation, September 1980-June 1981

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Howard, B.D.

1981-01-01

Spearfish High School in South Dakota contains 43,000 square feet of conditioned space. Its active solar energy system is designed to supply 57% of the space heating and 50% of the hot water demand. The system is equipped with 8034 square feet of flat plate collectors, 4017 cubic feet of rock bin sensible heat storage, and auxiliary equipment including 8 heat pumps, 6 of which are solar supplied and instrumented, air conditioning units, and natural-gas-fired boilers. Performance data are given for the system including the solar fraction, solar savings ratio, conventional fuel savings, system performance factor and solar system coefficient of performance. Insolation, solar energy utilization and operation data are also given. The performance of the collector, storage, domestic hot water and space heating subsystems, the operating energy, energy savings, and weather conditions are also evaluated. Appended are a system description, performance evaluation techniques and equations, site history, long-term weather data, sensor technology, and typical monthly data. (LEW)

Solar Flares and the High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI)

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, Gordon D.; Fisher, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Solar flares are the biggest explosions in the solar system. They are important both for understanding explosive events in the Universe and for their impact on human technology and communications. The satellite-based HESSI is designed to study the explosive release of energy and the acceleration of electrons, protons, and other charged particles to high energies in solar flares. HESSI produces "color" movies of the Sun in high-energy X rays and gamma rays radiated by these energetic particles. HESSI's X-ray and gamma-ray images of flares are obtained using techniques similar to those used in radio interferometry. Ground-based radio observations of the Sun provide an important complement to the HESSI observations of solar flares. I will describe the HESSI Project and the high-energy aspects of solar flares, and how these relate to radio astronomy techniques and observations.

Xenon fractionation in porous planetesimals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zahnle, K.; Pollack, J.B.; Kasting, J.F.

1990-01-01

The distinctively fractionated Xe on Mars and Earth may have its root in a common source from which both planets accreted. We begin with Ozima and Nakazawa's hypothesis that terrestrial Xe fractionation was caused by gravitational separation of adsorbed solar nebular gases inside large porous planetesimals. We point out that Xe would have been trapped as the planetesimal grew and pores were squeezed shut by lithostatic pressure. We show that enough fractionated Xe to supply the Earth could have been trapped this way. The degree of fractionation is controlled by the lithostatic pressure at the pore-closing front and so would have been roughly the same for all large planetesimals. The predicted degree of fractionation agrees well with that preserved in terrestrial and martian Xe. Relative to Xe, this source is strongly depleted in other noble gases. In contrast to the original Ozima and Nakazawa hypothesis, our hypothesis predicts the observed fractionation, and it allows planetary accretion to occur after the dissipation of the solar nebula. The required planetesimals are large, representing a class of object now extinct in the solar system

Potential application of a centralized solar water-heating system for a high-rise residential building in Hong Kong

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chow, T.T.; Fong, K.F.; Chan, A.L.S.; Lin, Z.

2006-01-01

There is a growing, government-led trend of applying renewable energy in Hong Kong. One area of interest lies in the wider use of solar-energy systems. The worldwide fast development of building-integrated solar technology has prompted the design alternative of fixing the solar panels on the external facades of buildings. In Hong Kong, high-rise buildings are found everywhere in the urban districts. How to make full use of the vertical facades of these buildings to capture the most solar radiation can be an important area in the technology promotion. In this numerical study, the potential application of a centralized solar water-heating system in high-rise residence was evaluated. Arrays of solar thermal collectors, that occupied the top two-third of the south and west facades of a hypothetical high-rise residence, were proposed for supporting the domestic hot-water system. Based on typical meteorological data, it was found that the annual efficiency of the vertical solar collectors could reach 38.4% on average, giving a solar fraction of 53.4% and a payback period of 9.2 years. Since the solar collectors were able to reduce the heat transmission through the building envelope, the payback was in fact even shorter if the energy saving in air-conditioner operation was considered

Multi-location model for the estimation of the horizontal daily diffuse fraction of solar radiation in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bortolini, Marco; Gamberi, Mauro; Graziani, Alessandro; Manzini, Riccardo; Mora, Cristina

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A multi-location model to estimate solar radiation components is proposed. ► Proposed model joins solar radiation data from several weather stations. ► Clearness index is correlated to the diffuse component through analytic functions. ► Third degree polynomial function best fits data for annual and seasonal scenarios. ► A quality control procedure and independent datasets strength model performances. - Abstract: Hourly and daily solar radiation data are crucial for the design of energy systems based on the solar source. Global irradiance, measured on the horizontal plane, is, generally, available from weather station databases. The direct and diffuse fractions are measured rarely and should be analytically calculated for many geographical locations. Aim of this paper is to present a multi-location model to estimate the expected profiles of the horizontal daily diffuse component of solar radiation. It focuses on the European (EU) geographical area joining data from 44 weather stations located in 11 countries. Data are collected by the World Radiation Data Centre (WRDC) between 2004 and 2007. Different analytic functions, correlating the daily diffuse fraction of solar radiation to the clearness index, are calculated and compared to outline the analytic expressions of the best fitting curves. The effect of seasonality on solar irradiance is considered developing summer and winter scenarios together with annual models. Similarities among the trends for the 4 years are, further, discussed. The most adopted statistical indices are used as key performance factors. Finally, data from three locations not included in the dataset considered for model development allow to test the proposed approach against an independent dataset. Obtained results show the effectiveness of adopting a multi-location approach to estimate solar radiation components on the horizontal surface instead of developing several single location models. This is due to the increase

On the applications of nanofluids to enhance the performance of solar collectors: A comparative analysis of Atangana-Baleanu and Caputo-Fabrizio fractional models

Science.gov (United States)

Sheikh, Nadeem Ahmad; Ali, Farhad; Khan, Ilyas; Gohar, Madeha; Saqib, Muhammad

2017-12-01

In the modern era, solar energy has gained the consideration of researchers to a great deal. Apparently, the reasons are twofold: firstly, the researchers are concerned to design new devices like solar collectors, solar water heaters, etc. Secondly, the use of new approaches to improve the performance of solar energy equipment. The aim of this paper is to model the problem of the enhancement of heat transfer rate of solar energy devices, using nanoparticles and to find the exact solutions of the considered problem. The classical model is transformed to a generalized model using two different types of time-fractional derivatives, namely the Caputo-Fabrizio and Atangana-Baleanu derivatives and their comparative analysis has been presented. The solutions for the flow profile and heat transfer are presented using the Laplace transform method. The variation in the heat transfer rate has been observed for different nanoparticles and their different volume fractions. Theoretical results show that by adding aluminum oxide nanoparticles, the efficiency of solar collectors may be enhanced by 5.2%. Furthermore, the effect of volume friction of nanoparticles on velocity distribution has been discussed in graphical illustrations. The solutions are reduced to the corresponding classical model of nanofluid.

Verification of high-speed solar wind stream forecasts using operational solar wind models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reiss, Martin A.; Temmer, Manuela; Veronig, Astrid M.

2016-01-01

and the background solar wind conditions. We found that both solar wind models are capable of predicting the large-scale features of the observed solar wind speed (root-mean-square error, RMSE ≈100 km/s) but tend to either overestimate (ESWF) or underestimate (WSA) the number of high-speed solar wind streams (threat......High-speed solar wind streams emanating from coronal holes are frequently impinging on the Earth's magnetosphere causing recurrent, medium-level geomagnetic storm activity. Modeling high-speed solar wind streams is thus an essential element of successful space weather forecasting. Here we evaluate...... high-speed stream forecasts made by the empirical solar wind forecast (ESWF) and the semiempirical Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) model based on the in situ plasma measurements from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft for the years 2011 to 2014. While the ESWF makes use of an empirical relation...

Design of a high-power, high-brightness Nd:YAG solar laser.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Dawei; Almeida, Joana; Garcia, Dário

2014-03-20

A simple high-power, high-brightness Nd:YAG solar laser pumping approach is presented in this paper. The incoming solar radiation is both collected and concentrated by four Fresnel lenses and redirected toward a Nd:YAG laser head by four plane-folding mirrors. A fused-silica secondary concentrator is used to compress the highly concentrated solar radiation to a laser rod. Optimum pumping conditions and laser resonator parameters are found through ZEMAX and LASCAD numerical analysis. Solar laser power of 96 W is numerically calculated, corresponding to the collection efficiency of 24  W/m². A record-high solar laser beam brightness figure of merit of 9.6 W is numerically achieved.

The HESP (High Energy Solar Physics) project

Science.gov (United States)

Kai, K.

1986-01-01

A project for space observations of solar flares for the coming solar maximum phase is briefly described. The main objective is to make a comprehensive study of high energy phenomena of flares through simultaneous imagings in both hard and soft X-rays. The project will be performed with collaboration from US scientists. The HESP (High Energy Solar Physics) WG of ISAS (Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences) has extensively discussed future aspects of space observations of high energy phenomena of solar flares based on successful results of the Hinotori mission, and proposed a comprehensive research program for the next solar maximum, called the HESP (SOLAR-A) project. The objective of the HESP project is to make a comprehensive study of both high energy phenomena of flares and quiet structures including pre-flare states, which have been left uncovered by SMM and Hinotori. For such a study simultaneous imagings with better resolutions in space and time in a wide range of energy will be extremely important.

Energy and parametric analysis of solar absorption cooling systems in various Moroccan climates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Agrouaz

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to investigate the energetic performance of a solar cooling system using absorption technology under Moroccan climate. The solar fraction and the coefficient of performance of the solar cooling system were evaluated for various climatic conditions. It is found that the system operating in Errachidia shows the best average annual solar fraction (of 30% and COP (of 0.33 owing to the high solar capabilities of this region. Solar fraction values in other regions varied between 19% and 23%. Moreover, the coefficient of performance values shows in the same regions a significant variation from 0.12 to 0.33 all over the year. A detailed parametric study was as well carried out to evidence the effect of the operating and design parameters on the solar air conditioner performance.

High-order fractional partial differential equation transform for molecular surface construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Langhua; Chen, Duan; Wei, Guo-Wei

2013-01-01

Fractional derivative or fractional calculus plays a significant role in theoretical modeling of scientific and engineering problems. However, only relatively low order fractional derivatives are used at present. In general, it is not obvious what role a high fractional derivative can play and how to make use of arbitrarily high-order fractional derivatives. This work introduces arbitrarily high-order fractional partial differential equations (PDEs) to describe fractional hyperdiffusions. The fractional PDEs are constructed via fractional variational principle. A fast fractional Fourier transform (FFFT) is proposed to numerically integrate the high-order fractional PDEs so as to avoid stringent stability constraints in solving high-order evolution PDEs. The proposed high-order fractional PDEs are applied to the surface generation of proteins. We first validate the proposed method with a variety of test examples in two and three-dimensional settings. The impact of high-order fractional derivatives to surface analysis is examined. We also construct fractional PDE transform based on arbitrarily high-order fractional PDEs. We demonstrate that the use of arbitrarily high-order derivatives gives rise to time-frequency localization, the control of the spectral distribution, and the regulation of the spatial resolution in the fractional PDE transform. Consequently, the fractional PDE transform enables the mode decomposition of images, signals, and surfaces. The effect of the propagation time on the quality of resulting molecular surfaces is also studied. Computational efficiency of the present surface generation method is compared with the MSMS approach in Cartesian representation. We further validate the present method by examining some benchmark indicators of macromolecular surfaces, i.e., surface area, surface enclosed volume, surface electrostatic potential and solvation free energy. Extensive numerical experiments and comparison with an established surface model

German central solar heating plants with seasonal heat storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bauer, D.; Marx, R.; Nussbicker-Lux, J.; Ochs, F.; Heidemann, W. [Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Engineering (ITW), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 6, D-70550 Stuttgart (Germany); Mueller-Steinhagen, H. [Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Engineering (ITW), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 6, D-70550 Stuttgart (Germany); Institute of Technical Thermodynamics (ITT), German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Stuttgart (Germany)

2010-04-15

Central solar heating plants contribute to the reduction of CO{sub 2}-emissions and global warming. The combination of central solar heating plants with seasonal heat storage enables high solar fractions of 50% and more. Several pilot central solar heating plants with seasonal heat storage (CSHPSS) built in Germany since 1996 have proven the appropriate operation of these systems and confirmed the high solar fractions. Four different types of seasonal thermal energy stores have been developed, tested and monitored under realistic operation conditions: Hot-water thermal energy store (e.g. in Friedrichshafen), gravel-water thermal energy store (e.g. in Steinfurt-Borghorst), borehole thermal energy store (in Neckarsulm) and aquifer thermal energy store (in Rostock). In this paper, measured heat balances of several German CSHPSS are presented. The different types of thermal energy stores and the affiliated central solar heating plants and district heating systems are described. Their operational characteristics are compared using measured data gained from an extensive monitoring program. Thus long-term operational experiences such as the influence of net return temperatures are shown. (author)

High Radiation Resistance IMM Solar Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Noren

2015-01-01

Due to high launch costs, weight reduction is a key driver for the development of new solar cell technologies suitable for space applications. This project is developing a unique triple-junction inverted metamorphic multijunction (IMM) technology that enables the manufacture of very lightweight, low-cost InGaAsP-based multijunction solar cells. This IMM technology consists of indium (In) and phosphorous (P) solar cell active materials, which are designed to improve the radiation-resistant properties of the triple-junction solar cell while maintaining high efficiency. The intrinsic radiation hardness of InP materials makes them of great interest for building solar cells suitable for deployment in harsh radiation environments, such as medium Earth orbit and missions to the outer planets. NASA Glenn's recently developed epitaxial lift-off (ELO) process also will be applied to this new structure, which will enable the fabrication of the IMM structure without the substrate.

High Penetration Solar PV Deployment Sunshine State Solar Grid Initiative (SUNGRIN)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meeker, Rick [Nhu Energy, Inc., Tallahassee, FL (United States); Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States); Steurer, Mischa [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States); Faruque, MD Omar [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States); Langston, James [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States); Schoder, Karl [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States); Ravindra, Harsha [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States); Hariri, Ali [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States); Moaveni, Houtan [New York Power Authority (NYPA), New York (United States); University of Central Florida, Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL (Unitied States); Click, Dave [ESA Renewables, LLC, Sanford, FL (United States); University of Central Florida, Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL (United States); Reedy, Bob [University of Central Florida, Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL (United States)

2015-05-31

The report provides results from the Sunshine State Solar Grid Initiative (SUNGRIN) high penetration solar PV deployment project led by Florida State University’s (FSU) Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS). FSU CAPS and industry and university partners have completed a five-year effort aimed at enabling effective integration of high penetration levels of grid-connected solar PV generation. SUNGRIN has made significant contributions in the development of simulation-assisted techniques, tools, insight and understanding associated with solar PV effects on electric power system (EPS) operation and the evaluation of mitigation options for maintaining reliable operation. An important element of the project was the partnership and participation of six major Florida utilities and the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC). Utilities provided details and data associated with actual distribution circuits having high-penetration PV to use as case studies. The project also conducted foundational work supporting future investigations of effects at the transmission / bulk power system level. In the final phase of the project, four open-use models with built-in case studies were developed and released, along with synthetic solar PV data sets, and tools and techniques for model reduction and in-depth parametric studies of solar PV impact on distribution circuits. Along with models and data, at least 70 supporting MATLAB functions have been developed and made available, with complete documentation.

Functionalized Graphene Enables Highly Efficient Solar Thermal Steam Generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Junlong; Pang, Yunsong; Huang, Weixin; Shaw, Scott K; Schiffbauer, Jarrod; Pillers, Michelle Anne; Mu, Xin; Luo, Shirui; Zhang, Teng; Huang, Yajiang; Li, Guangxian; Ptasinska, Sylwia; Lieberman, Marya; Luo, Tengfei

2017-06-27

The ability to efficiently utilize solar thermal energy to enable liquid-to-vapor phase transition has great technological implications for a wide variety of applications, such as water treatment and chemical fractionation. Here, we demonstrate that functionalizing graphene using hydrophilic groups can greatly enhance the solar thermal steam generation efficiency. Our results show that specially functionalized graphene can improve the overall solar-to-vapor efficiency from 38% to 48% at one sun conditions compared to chemically reduced graphene oxide. Our experiments show that such an improvement is a surface effect mainly attributed to the more hydrophilic feature of functionalized graphene, which influences the water meniscus profile at the vapor-liquid interface due to capillary effect. This will lead to thinner water films close to the three-phase contact line, where the water surface temperature is higher since the resistance of thinner water film is smaller, leading to more efficient evaporation. This strategy of functionalizing graphene to make it more hydrophilic can be potentially integrated with the existing macroscopic heat isolation strategies to further improve the overall solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency.

Moderate solar geoengineering greatly reduces the largest changes in climate whilst modestly increasing the changes in climate over a small fraction of the Earth

Science.gov (United States)

Irvine, P. J.; Keith, D.; He, J.; Vecchi, G.; Horowitz, L. W.

2017-12-01

Whilst solar geoengineering reduces global temperature it cannot perfectly offset the climate effects of elevated CO2 concentrations. Solar geoengineering has been shown to have a greater effect on the global hydrological cycle than CO2 and substantial differences in regional precipitation relative to a scenario without elevated CO2­ concentrations have been noted. In this study we evaluate a moderate scenario of solar geoengineering, one which offsets 50% of the forcing from elevated CO2 concentrations, using a 25 Km resolution global climate model and verify these results using the Geoengineering model Intercomparison project ensemble. We calculate the fraction of regions that would be better or worse off after solar geoengineering deployment, defining those which see greater absolute change as worse off and vice versa. We find that 51% of the land area would be statistically significantly better off for precipitation, 33% for Precipitation minus evaporation (P-E), and that less than 3% would be worse off for precipitation, and 1% for P-E. We find that the fraction of the land area experiencing the largest changes in climate, defined as the upper quartile of the CO2 minus control anomaly, is greatly reduced for precipitation, P-E and 5-day maximum precipitation, and eliminated for mean and max annual temperature. The regions which are made worse off in precipitation or P-E by solar geoengineering typically saw relatively little to no CO2 induced climate change and see relatively little to moderate change in the solar geoengineering scenario. There is little overlap between the regions made worse off in terms of precipitation and P-E. In fact, whilst precipitation is reduced in almost all regions made worse off by solar geoengineering, P-E is increased in the majority of regions made worse off. Overall, we find that for each variable considered solar geoengineering greatly reduces the fraction of the world experiencing relatively large change and that those

The "FIP Effect" and the Origins of Solar Energetic Particles and of the Solar Wind

Science.gov (United States)

Reames, Donald V.

2018-03-01

We find that the element abundances in solar energetic particles (SEPs) and in the slow solar wind (SSW), relative to those in the photosphere, show different patterns as a function of the first ionization potential (FIP) of the elements. Generally, the SEP and SSW abundances reflect abundance samples of the solar corona, where low-FIP elements, ionized in the chromosphere, are more efficiently conveyed upward to the corona than high-FIP elements that are initially neutral atoms. Abundances of the elements, especially C, P, and S, show a crossover from low to high FIP at {≈} 10 eV in the SEPs but {≈} 14 eV for the solar wind. Naively, this seems to suggest cooler plasma from sunspots beneath active regions. More likely, if the ponderomotive force of Alfvén waves preferentially conveys low-FIP ions into the corona, the source plasma that eventually will be shock-accelerated as SEPs originates in magnetic structures where Alfvén waves resonate with the loop length on closed magnetic field lines. This concentrates FIP fractionation near the top of the chromosphere. Meanwhile, the source of the SSW may lie near the base of diverging open-field lines surrounding, but outside of, active regions, where such resonance does not exist, allowing fractionation throughout the chromosphere. We also find that energetic particles accelerated from the solar wind itself by shock waves at corotating interaction regions, generally beyond 1 AU, confirm the FIP pattern of the solar wind.

Xenon fractionation in porous planetesimals

Science.gov (United States)

Zahnle, Kevin; Pollack, James B.; Kasting, James F.

1990-01-01

The distinctively fractionated Xe on Mars and earth may have its root in a common source from which both planets accreted. Beginning with Ozima and Nakazawa's (1980) hypothesis that terrestrial Xe fractionation was caused by gravitational separation of adsorbed solar nebular gases inside large porous planetesimals, it is pointed out that Xe would have been trapped as the planetesimal grew and pores were squeezed shut by lithostatic pressure. It is shown that enough fractionated Xe to supply the earth could have been trapped this way. The degree of fractionation is controlled by the lithostatic pressure at the pore-closing front and so would have been roughly the same for all large planetesimals. The predicted degree of fractionation agrees well with that preserved in terrestrial and Martian Xe. Relative to Xe, this source is strongly depleted in other noble gases. In contrast to the original Ozima and Nakazawa hypothesis, the present hypothesis predicts the observed fractionation, and it allows planetary accretion to occur after the dissipation of the solar nebula.

Optimizing analysis of W-AlN cermet solar absorbing coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Qichu

2001-01-01

The layer thickness and tungsten metal volume fraction of W-AlN cermet solar selective absorbing coatings on a W, Cu or Al infrared reflector with a surface aluminium oxynitride (AlON) or Al 2 O 3 ceramic anti-reflector layer were optimized using physical modelling calculations. Due to limited published data for the refractive index of AlN, and likely oxygen contamination during reactive sputtering of AlN ceramic materials, AlON was used as the ceramic component and the published value of its refractive index was employed. The dielectric function and then the complex refractive index of W-AlON cermet materials were calculated using the Ping Sheng approximation. The downhill simplex method in multi-dimensions was used in the numerical calculation to achieve maximum photo-thermal conversion efficiency at 350 0 C under a concentration factor of 30 for a solar collector tube. Optimization calculation results show that the initial graded (ten-step layers) cermet films all converge to something close to a three-layer film structure, which consists of a low metal volume fraction cermet layer on a high metal volume fraction cermet layer on a metallic infrared reflector with a surface ceramic anti-reflection layer. The optimized three-layer solar coatings have a high solar absorptance of 0.95 for AlON and 0.96 for the Al 2 O 3 anti-reflection layer, and a low hemispherical emittance of 0.073 at 350 deg. C. For the optimized three-layer films the solar radiation is efficiently absorbed internally and by phase interference. Thermal loss is very low for optimized three-layer films due to high reflectance values in the thermal infrared wavelength range and a very sharp edge between low solar reflectance and high thermal infrared reflectance. The high metal volume fraction cermet layer has a metal-like optical behaviour in the thermal infrared wavelength range and makes the largest contribution to the increase of emittance compared with that of the metal infrared reflector

Optimizing analysis of W-AlN cermet solar absorbing coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Qichu [School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW (Australia)

2001-11-07

The layer thickness and tungsten metal volume fraction of W-AlN cermet solar selective absorbing coatings on a W, Cu or Al infrared reflector with a surface aluminium oxynitride (AlON) or Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ceramic anti-reflector layer were optimized using physical modelling calculations. Due to limited published data for the refractive index of AlN, and likely oxygen contamination during reactive sputtering of AlN ceramic materials, AlON was used as the ceramic component and the published value of its refractive index was employed. The dielectric function and then the complex refractive index of W-AlON cermet materials were calculated using the Ping Sheng approximation. The downhill simplex method in multi-dimensions was used in the numerical calculation to achieve maximum photo-thermal conversion efficiency at 350{sup 0}C under a concentration factor of 30 for a solar collector tube. Optimization calculation results show that the initial graded (ten-step layers) cermet films all converge to something close to a three-layer film structure, which consists of a low metal volume fraction cermet layer on a high metal volume fraction cermet layer on a metallic infrared reflector with a surface ceramic anti-reflection layer. The optimized three-layer solar coatings have a high solar absorptance of 0.95 for AlON and 0.96 for the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} anti-reflection layer, and a low hemispherical emittance of 0.073 at 350 deg. C. For the optimized three-layer films the solar radiation is efficiently absorbed internally and by phase interference. Thermal loss is very low for optimized three-layer films due to high reflectance values in the thermal infrared wavelength range and a very sharp edge between low solar reflectance and high thermal infrared reflectance. The high metal volume fraction cermet layer has a metal-like optical behaviour in the thermal infrared wavelength range and makes the largest contribution to the increase of emittance compared with that of the metal

Optimizing analysis of W-AlN cermet solar absorbing coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qi-Chu Zhang [University of Sydney, NSW (Australia). School of Physics

2001-11-07

The layer thickness and tungsten metal volume fraction of W-AlN cermet solar selective absorbing coatings on a W, Cu or Al infrared reflector with a surface aluminium oxynitride (AlON) or Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ceramic anti-reflector layer were optimized using physical modelling calculations. Due to limited published data for the refractive index of AlN, and likely oxygen contamination during reactive sputtering of AlN ceramic materials, AlON was used as the ceramic component and the published value of its refractive index was employed. The dielectric function and then the complex refractive index of W-AlON cermet materials were calculated using the Ping Sheng approximation. The downhill simplex method in multi-dimensions was used in the numerical calculation to achieve maximum photo-thermal conversion efficiency at 350{sup o}C under a concentration factor of 30 for a solar collector tube. Optimization calculation results show that the initial graded (ten-step layers) cermet films all converge to something close to a three-layer film structure, which consists of a low metal volume fraction cermet layer on a high metal volume fraction cermet layer on a metallic infrared reflector with a surface ceramic anti-reflection layer. The optimized three-layer solar coatings have a high solar absorptance of 0.95 for AlON and 0.96 for the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} anti-reflection layer, and a low hemispherical emittance of 0.073 at 350{sup o}C. For the optimized three-layer films the solar radiation is efficiently absorbed internally and by phase interference. Thermal loss is very low for optimized three-layer films due to high reflectance values in the thermal infrared wavelength range and a very sharp edge between low solar reflectance and high thermal infrared reflectance. The high metal volume fraction cermet layer has a metal-like optical behaviour in the thermal infrared wavelength range and makes the largest contribution to the increase of emittance compared with that of the metal

High-performance flat-panel solar thermoelectric generators with high thermal concentration

Science.gov (United States)

Kraemer, Daniel; Poudel, Bed; Feng, Hsien-Ping; Caylor, J. Christopher; Yu, Bo; Yan, Xiao; Ma, Yi; Wang, Xiaowei; Wang, Dezhi; Muto, Andrew; McEnaney, Kenneth; Chiesa, Matteo; Ren, Zhifeng; Chen, Gang

2011-07-01

The conversion of sunlight into electricity has been dominated by photovoltaic and solar thermal power generation. Photovoltaic cells are deployed widely, mostly as flat panels, whereas solar thermal electricity generation relying on optical concentrators and mechanical heat engines is only seen in large-scale power plants. Here we demonstrate a promising flat-panel solar thermal to electric power conversion technology based on the Seebeck effect and high thermal concentration, thus enabling wider applications. The developed solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) achieved a peak efficiency of 4.6% under AM1.5G (1 kW m-2) conditions. The efficiency is 7-8 times higher than the previously reported best value for a flat-panel STEG, and is enabled by the use of high-performance nanostructured thermoelectric materials and spectrally-selective solar absorbers in an innovative design that exploits high thermal concentration in an evacuated environment. Our work opens up a promising new approach which has the potential to achieve cost-effective conversion of solar energy into electricity.

High-performance flat-panel solar thermoelectric generators with high thermal concentration.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraemer, Daniel; Poudel, Bed; Feng, Hsien-Ping; Caylor, J Christopher; Yu, Bo; Yan, Xiao; Ma, Yi; Wang, Xiaowei; Wang, Dezhi; Muto, Andrew; McEnaney, Kenneth; Chiesa, Matteo; Ren, Zhifeng; Chen, Gang

2011-05-01

The conversion of sunlight into electricity has been dominated by photovoltaic and solar thermal power generation. Photovoltaic cells are deployed widely, mostly as flat panels, whereas solar thermal electricity generation relying on optical concentrators and mechanical heat engines is only seen in large-scale power plants. Here we demonstrate a promising flat-panel solar thermal to electric power conversion technology based on the Seebeck effect and high thermal concentration, thus enabling wider applications. The developed solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) achieved a peak efficiency of 4.6% under AM1.5G (1 kW m(-2)) conditions. The efficiency is 7-8 times higher than the previously reported best value for a flat-panel STEG, and is enabled by the use of high-performance nanostructured thermoelectric materials and spectrally-selective solar absorbers in an innovative design that exploits high thermal concentration in an evacuated environment. Our work opens up a promising new approach which has the potential to achieve cost-effective conversion of solar energy into electricity. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved

Solar Adaptive Optics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas R. Rimmele

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Adaptive optics (AO has become an indispensable tool at ground-based solar telescopes. AO enables the ground-based observer to overcome the adverse effects of atmospheric seeing and obtain diffraction limited observations. Over the last decade adaptive optics systems have been deployed at major ground-based solar telescopes and revitalized ground-based solar astronomy. The relatively small aperture of solar telescopes and the bright source make solar AO possible for visible wavelengths where the majority of solar observations are still performed. Solar AO systems enable diffraction limited observations of the Sun for a significant fraction of the available observing time at ground-based solar telescopes, which often have a larger aperture than equivalent space based observatories, such as HINODE. New ground breaking scientific results have been achieved with solar adaptive optics and this trend continues. New large aperture telescopes are currently being deployed or are under construction. With the aid of solar AO these telescopes will obtain observations of the highly structured and dynamic solar atmosphere with unprecedented resolution. This paper reviews solar adaptive optics techniques and summarizes the recent progress in the field of solar adaptive optics. An outlook to future solar AO developments, including a discussion of Multi-Conjugate AO (MCAO and Ground-Layer AO (GLAO will be given.

Multi-wavelength imaging of solar plasma. High-beta disruption model of solar flares

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibasaki, Kiyoto

2007-01-01

Solar atmosphere is filled with plasma and magnetic field. Activities in the atmosphere are due to plasma instabilities in the magnetic field. To understand the physical mechanisms of activities / instabilities, it is necessary to know the physical conditions of magnetized plasma, such as temperature, density, magnetic field, and their spatial structures and temporal developments. Multi-wavelength imaging is essential for this purpose. Imaging observations of the Sun at microwave, X-ray, EUV and optical ranges are routinely going on. Due to free exchange of original data among solar physics and related field communities, we can easily combine images covering wide range of spectrum. Even under such circumstances, we still do not understand the cause of activities in the solar atmosphere well. The current standard model of solar activities is based on magnetic reconnection: release of stored magnetic energy by reconnection is the cause of solar activities on the Sun such as solar flares. However, recent X-ray, EUV and microwave observations with high spatial and temporal resolution show that dense plasma is involved in activities from the beginning. Based on these observations, I propose a high-beta model of solar activities, which is very similar to high-beta disruptions in magnetically confined fusion experiments. (author)

High-flux solar concentration with imaging designs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feuermann, D. [Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research; Gordon, J.M. [Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Ries, H. [Ries and Partners, Munich (Germany)

1999-02-01

Most large solar concentrators designed for high flux concentration at high collection efficiency are based on imaging primary mirrors and nonimaging secondary concentrators. In this paper, we offer an alternative purely imaging two-stage solar concentrator that can attain high flux concentration at high collection efficiency. Possible practical virtues include: (1) an inherent large gap between absorber and secondary mirror; (2) a restricted angular range on the absorber; and (3) an upward-facing receiver where collected energy can be extracted via the (shaded) apex of the parabola. We use efficiency-concentration plots to characterize the solar concentrators considered, and to evaluate the potential improvements with secondary concentrators. (author)

Improved high temperature solar absorbers for use in Concentrating Solar Power central receiver applications.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stechel, Ellen Beth; Ambrosini, Andrea; Hall, Aaron Christopher; Lambert, Timothy L.; Staiger, Chad Lynn; Bencomo, Marlene

2010-09-01

Concentrating solar power (CSP) systems use solar absorbers to convert the heat from sunlight to electric power. Increased operating temperatures are necessary to lower the cost of solar-generated electricity by improving efficiencies and reducing thermal energy storage costs. Durable new materials are needed to cope with operating temperatures >600 C. The current coating technology (Pyromark High Temperature paint) has a solar absorptance in excess of 0.95 but a thermal emittance greater than 0.8, which results in large thermal losses at high temperatures. In addition, because solar receivers operate in air, these coatings have long term stability issues that add to the operating costs of CSP facilities. Ideal absorbers must have high solar absorptance (>0.95) and low thermal emittance (<0.05) in the IR region, be stable in air, and be low-cost and readily manufacturable. We propose to utilize solution-based synthesis techniques to prepare intrinsic absorbers for use in central receiver applications.

High efficiency, long life terrestrial solar panel

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, T.; Khemthong, S.; Ling, R.; Olah, S.

1977-01-01

The design of a high efficiency, long life terrestrial module was completed. It utilized 256 rectangular, high efficiency solar cells to achieve high packing density and electrical output. Tooling for the fabrication of solar cells was in house and evaluation of the cell performance was begun. Based on the power output analysis, the goal of a 13% efficiency module was achievable.

Applications of nonimaging optics for very high solar concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Gallagher, J.; Winston, R.

1997-01-01

Using the principles and techniques of nonimaging optics, solar concentrations that approach the theoretical maximum can be achieved. This has applications in solar energy collection wherever concentration is desired. In this paper, we survey recent progress in attaining and using high and ultrahigh solar fluxes. We review a number of potential applications for highly concentrated solar energy and the current status of the associated technology. By making possible new and unique applications for intense solar flux, these techniques have opened a whole new frontier for research and development of potentially economic uses of solar energy

High Time-Resolved Kinetic Temperatures of Solar Wind Minor Ions Measured with SOHO/CELIAS/CTOF

Science.gov (United States)

Janitzek, N. P.; Berger, L.; Drews, C.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

2017-12-01

Solar wind heavy ions with an atomic number Z > 2 are referred to as minor ions since they represent a fraction of less than one percent of all solar wind ions. They can be therefore regarded as test particles, only reacting to but not driving the dynamics of the solar wind plasma, which makes them a unique diagnostic tool for plasma wave phenomena both in the solar atmosphere and the extended heliosphere. In the past, several studies have investigated the kinetic temperatures of minor ions, but due to low counting statistics these studies are based on ion velocity distribution functions (VDFs) recorded over time periods of several hours. The Charge Time-Of-Flight (CTOF) mass spectrometer as part of the Charge, ELement and Isotope Analysis System (CELIAS) onboard the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) provides solar wind heavy ion 1D radial VDFs with excellent charge state separation, an unprecedented cadence of 5 minutes and very high counting statistics, exceeding similar state-of-the-art instruments by a factor of ten. In our study, based on CTOF measurements at Langrangian point L1 between DOY 150 and DOY 220 in 1996, we investigate systematically the influence of the VDF time resolution on the derived kinetic temperatures for solar wind silicon and iron ions. The selected ion set spans a wide range of mass-per-charge from 3 amu/e heavy ions with ion-cyclotron waves.

Highly efficient light management for perovskite solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dong-Lin; Cui, Hui-Juan; Hou, Guo-Jiao; Zhu, Zhen-Gang; Yan, Qing-Bo; Su, Gang

2016-01-06

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells have enormous potential to impact the existing photovoltaic industry. As realizing a higher conversion efficiency of the solar cell is still the most crucial task, a great number of schemes were proposed to minimize the carrier loss by optimizing the electrical properties of the perovskite solar cells. Here, we focus on another significant aspect that is to minimize the light loss by optimizing the light management to gain a high efficiency for perovskite solar cells. In our scheme, the slotted and inverted prism structured SiO2 layers are adopted to trap more light into the solar cells, and a better transparent conducting oxide layer is employed to reduce the parasitic absorption. For such an implementation, the efficiency and the serviceable angle of the perovskite solar cell can be promoted impressively. This proposal would shed new light on developing the high-performance perovskite solar cells.

Solar Adaptive Optics.

Science.gov (United States)

Rimmele, Thomas R; Marino, Jose

Adaptive optics (AO) has become an indispensable tool at ground-based solar telescopes. AO enables the ground-based observer to overcome the adverse effects of atmospheric seeing and obtain diffraction limited observations. Over the last decade adaptive optics systems have been deployed at major ground-based solar telescopes and revitalized ground-based solar astronomy. The relatively small aperture of solar telescopes and the bright source make solar AO possible for visible wavelengths where the majority of solar observations are still performed. Solar AO systems enable diffraction limited observations of the Sun for a significant fraction of the available observing time at ground-based solar telescopes, which often have a larger aperture than equivalent space based observatories, such as HINODE. New ground breaking scientific results have been achieved with solar adaptive optics and this trend continues. New large aperture telescopes are currently being deployed or are under construction. With the aid of solar AO these telescopes will obtain observations of the highly structured and dynamic solar atmosphere with unprecedented resolution. This paper reviews solar adaptive optics techniques and summarizes the recent progress in the field of solar adaptive optics. An outlook to future solar AO developments, including a discussion of Multi-Conjugate AO (MCAO) and Ground-Layer AO (GLAO) will be given. Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.12942/lrsp-2011-2.

The CRRES high efficiency solar panel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trumble, T.M.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on the High Efficiency Solar Panel (HESP) experiments which is to provide both engineering and scientific information concerning the effects of space radiation on advanced gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells. The HESP experiment consists of an ambient panel, and annealing panel and a programmable load. This experiment, in conjunction with the radiation measurement experiments abroad the CREES, provides the first opportunity to simultaneously measure the trapped radiation belts and the results of radiation damage to solar cells. The engineering information will result in a design guide for selecting the optimum solar array characteristics for different orbits and different lifetimes. The scientific information will provide both correlation of laboratory damage effects to space damage effects and a better model for predicting effective solar cell panel lifetimes

High performance W-AIN cermet solar coatings designed by modelling calculations and deposited by DC magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qi-Chu Zhang [The University of Sydney (Australia). School of Physics; Shen, Y.G. [City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong). Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management

2004-01-25

High solar performance W-AIN cermet solar coatings were designed using a numerical computer model and deposited experimentally. In the numerical calculations aluminium oxynitride (AlON) was used as ceramic component. The dielectric functions and then complex refractive index of W-AlON cermet materials were calculated using the Sheng's approximation. The layer thickness and W metal volume fraction were optimised to achieve maximum photo-thermal conversion efficiency for W-AlON cermet solar coatings on an Al reflector with a surface AlON ceramic anti-reflection layer. Optimisation calculations show that the W-AlON cermet solar coatings with two and three cermet layers have nearly identical solar absorptance, emittance and photo-thermal conversion efficiency that are much better than those for films with one cermet layer. The optimised calculated AlON/W-AlON/Al solar coating film with two cermet layers has a high solar absorptance of 0.953 and a low hemispherical emittance of 0.051 at 80{sup o}C for a concentration factor of 2. The AlN/W-AlN/Al solar selective coatings with two cermet layers were deposited using two metal target direct current magnetron sputtering technology. During the deposition of W-AlN cermet layer, both Al and W targets were run simultaneously in a gas mixture of argon and nitrogen. By substrate rotation a multi-sub-layer system consisting of alternating AlN ceramic and W metallic sub-layers was deposited that can be considered as a macro-homogeneous W-AlN cermet layer. A solar absorptance of 0.955 and nearly normal emittance of 0.056 at 80{sup o}C have been achieved for deposited W-AlN cermet solar coatings. (author)

Theoretical modelling of solar dish concentrator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaaseen Rafeeu; Mohd Zainal Abidin Abdul Kadir; Senan Mohamed Abdulla; Nor Mariah Adam

2009-01-01

Full text: Concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies could be one of the major contributor to worlds future energy needs and which would be cheap and clean sources of energy. This would improve energy utilization, higher conversion efficiency with reliable and affordable supply of electricity to the public. The proposed approach is using different size and depth of solar dish concentrators to improve solar fraction using the aluminium foil as reflector. In this paper, different measurement of solar concentrators is investigated and aims to aims to introducing an improved methodology for solar fraction on incoming solar energy in wet climate. (author)

High-efficient solar cells with porous silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Migunova, A.A.

2002-01-01

It has been shown that the porous silicon is multifunctional high-efficient coating on silicon solar cells, modifies its surface and combines in it self antireflection and passivation properties., The different optoelectronic effects in solar cells with porous silicon were considered. The comparative parameters of uncovered photodetectors also solar cells with porous silicon and other coatings were resulted. (author)

High-power, ultralow-mass solar arrays: FY-77 solar arrays technology readiness assessment report, volume 2

Science.gov (United States)

Costogue, E. N.; Young, L. E.; Brandhorst, H. W., Jr.

1978-01-01

Development efforts are reported in detail for: (1) a lightweight solar array system for solar electric propulsion; (2) a high efficiency thin silicon solar cell; (3) conceptual design of 200 W/kg solar arrays; (4) fluorocarbon encapsulation for silicon solar cell array; and (5) technology assessment of concentrator solar arrays.

High-Efficiency, Multijunction Solar Cells for Large-Scale Solar Electricity Generation

Science.gov (United States)

Kurtz, Sarah

2006-03-01

A solar cell with an infinite number of materials (matched to the solar spectrum) has a theoretical efficiency limit of 68%. If sunlight is concentrated, this limit increases to about 87%. These theoretical limits are calculated using basic physics and are independent of the details of the materials. In practice, the challenge of achieving high efficiency depends on identifying materials that can effectively use the solar spectrum. Impressive progress has been made with the current efficiency record being 39%. Today's solar market is also showing impressive progress, but is still hindered by high prices. One strategy for reducing cost is to use lenses or mirrors to focus the light on small solar cells. In this case, the system cost is dominated by the cost of the relatively inexpensive optics. The value of the optics increases with the efficiency of the solar cell. Thus, a concentrator system made with 35%- 40%-efficient solar cells is expected to deliver 50% more power at a similar cost when compare with a system using 25%-efficient cells. Today's markets are showing an opportunity for large concentrator systems that didn't exist 5-10 years ago. Efficiencies may soon pass 40% and ultimately may reach 50%, providing a pathway to improved performance and decreased cost. Many companies are currently investigating this technology for large-scale electricity generation. The presentation will cover the basic physics and more practical considerations to achieving high efficiency as well as describing the current status of the concentrator industry. This work has been authored by an employee of the Midwest Research Institute under Contract No. DE- AC36-99GO10337 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this work, or allow

A Short Progress Report on High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, He; He, Shengsheng; Peng, Chuangwei

2017-12-01

Faced with the increasingly serious energy and environmental crisis in the world nowadays, the development of renewable energy has attracted increasingly more attention of all countries. Solar energy as an abundant and cheap energy is one of the most promising renewable energy sources. While high-performance solar cells have been well developed in the last couple of decades, the high module cost largely hinders wide deployment of photovoltaic devices. In the last 10 years, this urgent demand for cost-effective solar cells greatly facilitates the research of solar cells. This paper reviews the recent development of cost-effective and high-efficient solar cell technologies. This report paper covers low-cost and high-efficiency perovskite solar cells. The development and the state-of-the-art results of perovskite solar cell technologies are also introduced.

The high-resolution extraterrestrial solar spectrum (QASUMEFTS determined from ground-based solar irradiance measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Gröbner

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A high-resolution extraterrestrial solar spectrum has been determined from ground-based measurements of direct solar spectral irradiance (SSI over the wavelength range from 300 to 500 nm using the Langley-plot technique. The measurements were obtained at the Izaña Atmospheric Research Centre from the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, Tenerife, Spain, during the period 12 to 24 September 2016. This solar spectrum (QASUMEFTS was combined from medium-resolution (bandpass of 0.86 nm measurements of the QASUME (Quality Assurance of Spectral Ultraviolet Measurements in Europe spectroradiometer in the wavelength range from 300 to 500 nm and high-resolution measurements (0.025 nm from a Fourier transform spectroradiometer (FTS over the wavelength range from 305 to 380 nm. The Kitt Peak solar flux atlas was used to extend this high-resolution solar spectrum to 500 nm. The expanded uncertainties of this solar spectrum are 2 % between 310 and 500 nm and 4 % at 300 nm. The comparison of this solar spectrum with solar spectra measured in space (top of the atmosphere gave very good agreements in some cases, while in some other cases discrepancies of up to 5 % were observed. The QASUMEFTS solar spectrum represents a benchmark dataset with uncertainties lower than anything previously published. The metrological traceability of the measurements to the International System of Units (SI is assured by an unbroken chain of calibrations leading to the primary spectral irradiance standard of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Germany.

Solar hybrid cooling system for high-tech offices in subtropical climate - Radiant cooling by absorption refrigeration and desiccant dehumidification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fong, K.F.; Chow, T.T.; Lee, C.K.; Lin, Z.; Chan, L.S.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A solar hybrid cooling system is proposed for high-tech offices in subtropical climate. → An integration of radiant cooling, absorption refrigeration and desiccant dehumidification. → Year-round cooling and energy performances were evaluated through dynamic simulation. → Its annual primary energy consumption was lower than conventional system up to 36.5%. → The passive chilled beams were more energy-efficient than the active chilled beams. - Abstract: A solar hybrid cooling design is proposed for high cooling load demand in hot and humid climate. For the typical building cooling load, the system can handle the zone cooling load (mainly sensible) by radiant cooling with the chilled water from absorption refrigeration, while the ventilation load (largely latent) by desiccant dehumidification. This hybrid system utilizes solar energy for driving the absorption chiller and regenerating the desiccant wheel. Since a high chilled water temperature generated from the absorption chiller is not effective to handle the required latent load, desiccant dehumidification is therefore involved. It is an integration of radiant cooling, absorption refrigeration and desiccant dehumidification, which are powered up by solar energy. In this study, the application potential of the solar hybrid cooling system was evaluated for the high-tech offices in the subtropical climate through dynamic simulation. The high-tech offices are featured with relatively high internal sensible heat gains due to the intensive office electric equipment. The key performance indicators included the solar fraction and the primary energy consumption. Comparative study was also carried out for the solar hybrid cooling system using two common types of chilled ceilings, the passive chilled beams and active chilled beams. It was found that the solar hybrid cooling system was technically feasible for the applications of relatively higher cooling load demand. The annual primary energy

Rooftop Solar Technical Potential for Low-to-Moderate Income Households in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sigrin, Benjamin O [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Mooney, Meghan E [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2018-04-17

This report presents a first-of-kind assessment of the technical potential of rooftop solar for low and moderate-income households, as well as providing insight on the distribution of solar potential by tenure, income, and other building characteristics. We find that a substantial fraction of the national rooftop solar potential is located on LMI buildings and, for all incomes, a substantial fraction on multi-family and renter-occupied buildings. We also find that rooftop solar can significantly contribute to long-term penetration targets established by the U.S. DOE, though to do so requires deployment on multi-family and renter-occupied buildings. Traditional deployment models have insufficiently enabled access to solar for these income groups and building types. Without innovation either in regulatory, market, or policy factors, a large fraction of the U.S. potential is unlikely to be addressed, as well as leading to inequalities in solar access. Ironically, potential electric bill savings from rooftop solar would have the greatest material impact on the lives of low-income households as compared to their high-income counterparts.

Effective moduli of high volume fraction particulate composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, P.; Dharan, C.K.H.

1995-01-01

Predictions using current micromechanics theories for the effective moduli of particulate-reinforced composites tend to break down at high volume fractions of the reinforcing phase. The predictions are usually well below experimentally measured values of the Young's modulus for volume fractions exceeding about 0.6. In this paper, the concept of contiguity, which is a measure of phase continuity, is applied to Mori-Tanaka micromechanics theory. It is shown that contiguity of the second phase increases with volume fraction, leading eventually to a reversal in the roles of the inclusion and matrix. In powder metallurgy practice, it is well known that at high volume fractions, sintering and consolidation of the reinforcement make it increasingly continuous and more like the matrix phase, while the former matrix tends to become more like the inclusion phase. The concept of contiguity applied to micromechanics theory results in very good agreement between the predicted Young's modulus and experimental data on tungsten carbide particulate-reinforced cobalt

A novel design for a cheap high temperature solar collector: The rotating solar boiler

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luijtelaer, van J.P.H.; Kroon, M.C.

2009-01-01

In this work a novel type of high temperature solar collector is designed: the rotating solar boiler. This rotating solar boiler consists of two concentric tubes. The inner tube, called absorber, absorbs sunlight and boils water. The outer transparent tube, called cover, is filled with air. The

CORONAL SOURCES, ELEMENTAL FRACTIONATION, AND RELEASE MECHANISMS OF HEAVY ION DROPOUTS IN THE SOLAR WIND

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weberg, Micah J. [PhD Candidate in Space Science, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2134A Space Research Building, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2143, USA. (United States); Lepri, Susan T. [Associate Professor, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2429 Space Research Building, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2143, USA. (United States); Zurbuchen, Thomas H., E-mail: mjweberg@umich.edu, E-mail: slepri@umich.edu, E-mail: thomasz@umich.edu [Professor, Space Science and Aerospace Engineering, Associate Dean for Entrepreneurship Senior Counselor of Entrepreneurship Education, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2431 Space Research Building, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2143, USA. (United States)

2015-03-10

The elemental abundances of heavy ions (masses larger than He) in the solar wind provide information about physical processes occurring in the corona. Additionally, the charge state distributions of these heavy ions are sensitive to the temperature profiles of their respective source regions in the corona. Heavy ion dropouts are a relatively new class of solar wind events identified by both elemental and ionic charge state distributions. We have shown that their origins lie in large, closed coronal loops where processes such as gravitational settling dominate and can cause a mass-dependent fractionation pattern. In this study we consider and attempt to answer three fundamental questions concerning heavy ion dropouts: (1) 'where are the source loops located in the large-scale corona?'; (2) 'how does the interplay between coronal processes influence the end elemental abundances?'; and (3) 'what are the most probable release mechanisms'? We begin by analyzing the temporal and spatial variability of heavy ion dropouts and their correlation with heliospheric plasma and magnetic structures. Next we investigate the ordering of the elements inside dropouts with respect to mass, ionic charge state, and first ionization potential. Finally, we discuss these results in the context of the prevailing solar wind theories and the processes they posit that may be responsible for the release of coronal plasma into interplanetary space.

CORONAL SOURCES, ELEMENTAL FRACTIONATION, AND RELEASE MECHANISMS OF HEAVY ION DROPOUTS IN THE SOLAR WIND

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weberg, Micah J.; Lepri, Susan T.; Zurbuchen, Thomas H.

2015-01-01

The elemental abundances of heavy ions (masses larger than He) in the solar wind provide information about physical processes occurring in the corona. Additionally, the charge state distributions of these heavy ions are sensitive to the temperature profiles of their respective source regions in the corona. Heavy ion dropouts are a relatively new class of solar wind events identified by both elemental and ionic charge state distributions. We have shown that their origins lie in large, closed coronal loops where processes such as gravitational settling dominate and can cause a mass-dependent fractionation pattern. In this study we consider and attempt to answer three fundamental questions concerning heavy ion dropouts: (1) 'where are the source loops located in the large-scale corona?'; (2) 'how does the interplay between coronal processes influence the end elemental abundances?'; and (3) 'what are the most probable release mechanisms'? We begin by analyzing the temporal and spatial variability of heavy ion dropouts and their correlation with heliospheric plasma and magnetic structures. Next we investigate the ordering of the elements inside dropouts with respect to mass, ionic charge state, and first ionization potential. Finally, we discuss these results in the context of the prevailing solar wind theories and the processes they posit that may be responsible for the release of coronal plasma into interplanetary space

Neutral escape at Mars induced by the precipitation of high-energy protons and hydrogen atoms of the solar wind origin

Science.gov (United States)

Shematovich, Valery I.

2017-04-01

One of the first surprises of the NASA MAVEN mission was the observation by the SWIA instrument of a tenuous population of protons with solar wind energies travelling anti-sunward near periapsis, at altitudes of 150-250 km (Halekas et al., 2015). While the penetration of solar wind protons to low altitude is not completely unexpected given previous Mars Express results, this population maintains exactly the same velocity as the solar wind observed. From previous studies it was known that some fraction of the solar wind can interact with the extended corona of Mars. By charge exchange with the neutral particles in this corona, some fraction of the incoming solar wind protons can gain an electron and become an energetic neutral hydrogen atom. Once neutral, these particles penetrate through the Martian induced magnetosphere with ease, with free access to the collisional atmosphere/ionosphere. The origin, kinetics and transport of the suprathermal O atoms in the transition region (from thermosphere to exosphere) of the Martian upper atmosphere due to the precipitation of the high-energy protons and hydrogen atoms are discussed. Kinetic energy distribution functions of suprathermal and superthermal (ENA) oxygen atoms formed in the Martian upper atmosphere were calculated using the kinetic Monte Carlo model (Shematovich et al., 2011, Shematovich, 2013) of the high-energy proton and hydrogen atom precipitation into the atmosphere. These functions allowed us: (a) to estimate the non-thermal escape rates of neutral oxygen from the Martian upper atmosphere, and (b) to compare with available MAVEN measurements of oxygen corona. Induced by precipitation the escape of hot oxygen atoms may become dominant under conditions of extreme solar events - solar flares and coronal mass ejections, - as it was shown by recent observations of the NASA MAVEN spacecraft (Jakosky et al., 2015). This work is supported by the RFBR project and by the Basic Research Program of the Praesidium of

High performance W-AlN cermet solar coatings designed by modelling calculations and deposited by DC magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Qi-Chu [School of Physics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Shen, Y.G. [Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

2004-01-25

High solar performance W-AlN cermet solar coatings were designed using a numerical computer model and deposited experimentally. In the numerical calculations aluminium oxynitride (AlON) was used as ceramic component. The dielectric function and then complex refractive index of W-AlON cermet materials were calculated using the Sheng's approximation. The layer thickness and W metal volume fraction were optimised to achieve maximum photo-thermal conversion efficiency for W-AlON cermet solar coatings on an Al reflector with a surface AlON ceramic anti-reflection layer. Optimisation calculations show that the W-AlON cermet solar coatings with two and three cermet layers have nearly identical solar absorptance, emittance and photo-thermal conversion efficiency that are much better than those for films with one cermet layer. The optimised calculated AlON/W-AlON/Al solar coating film with two cermet layers has a high solar absorptance of 0.953 and a low hemispherical emittance of 0.051 at 80C for a concentration factor of 2. The AlN/W-AlN/Al solar selective coatings with two cermet layers were deposited using two metal target direct current magnetron sputtering technology. During the deposition of W-AlN cermet layer, both Al and W targets were run simultaneously in a gas mixture of argon and nitrogen. By substrate rotation a multi-sub-layer system consisting of alternating AlN ceramic and W metallic sub-layers was deposited that can be considered as a macro-homogeneous W-AlN cermet layer. A solar absorptance of 0.955 and nearly normal emittance of 0.056 at 80C have been achieved for deposited W-AlN cermet solar coatings.

High efficiency double sided solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seddik, M.M.

1990-06-01

Silicon technology state of the art for single crystalline was given to be limited to less than 20% efficiency. A proposed new form of photovoltaic solar cell of high current high efficiency with double sided structures has been given. The new forms could be n ++ pn ++ or p ++ np ++ double side junctions. The idea of double sided devices could be understood as two solar cells connected back-to-back in parallel electrical connection, in which the current is doubled if the cell is illuminated from both sides by a V-shaped reflector. The cell is mounted to the reflector such that each face is inclined at an angle of 45 deg. C to each side of the reflector. The advantages of the new structure are: a) High power devices. b) Easy to fabricate. c) The cells are used vertically instead of horizontal use of regular solar cell which require large area to install. This is very important in power stations and especially for satellite installation. If the proposal is made real and proved to be experimentally feasible, it would be a new era for photovoltaic solar cells since the proposal has already been extended to even higher currents. The suggested structures could be stated as: n ++ pn ++ Vp ++ np ++ ;n ++ pn ++ Vn ++ pn ++ ORp ++ np ++ Vp ++ np ++ . These types of structures are formed in wedged shape to employ indirect illumination by either parabolic; conic or V-shaped reflectors. The advantages of these new forms are low cost; high power; less in size and space; self concentrating; ... etc. These proposals if it happens to find their ways to be achieved experimentally, I think they will offer a short path to commercial market and would have an incredible impact on solar cell technology and applications. (author). 12 refs, 5 figs

High-Temperature High-Efficiency Solar Thermoelectric Generators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baranowski, LL; Warren, EL; Toberer, ES

2014-03-01

Inspired by recent high-efficiency thermoelectric modules, we consider thermoelectrics for terrestrial applications in concentrated solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs). The STEG is modeled as two subsystems: a TEG, and a solar absorber that efficiently captures the concentrated sunlight and limits radiative losses from the system. The TEG subsystem is modeled using thermoelectric compatibility theory; this model does not constrain the material properties to be constant with temperature. Considering a three-stage TEG based on current record modules, this model suggests that 18% efficiency could be experimentally expected with a temperature gradient of 1000A degrees C to 100A degrees C. Achieving 15% overall STEG efficiency thus requires an absorber efficiency above 85%, and we consider two methods to achieve this: solar-selective absorbers and thermally insulating cavities. When the TEG and absorber subsystem models are combined, we expect that the STEG modeled here could achieve 15% efficiency with optical concentration between 250 and 300 suns.

Highly Flexible and Efficient Solar Steam Generation Device.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chaoji; Li, Yiju; Song, Jianwei; Yang, Zhi; Kuang, Yudi; Hitz, Emily; Jia, Chao; Gong, Amy; Jiang, Feng; Zhu, J Y; Yang, Bao; Xie, Jia; Hu, Liangbing

2017-08-01

Solar steam generation with subsequent steam recondensation has been regarded as one of the most promising techniques to utilize the abundant solar energy and sea water or other unpurified water through water purification, desalination, and distillation. Although tremendous efforts have been dedicated to developing high-efficiency solar steam generation devices, challenges remain in terms of the relatively low efficiency, complicated fabrications, high cost, and inability to scale up. Here, inspired by the water transpiration behavior of trees, the use of carbon nanotube (CNT)-modified flexible wood membrane (F-Wood/CNTs) is demonstrated as a flexible, portable, recyclable, and efficient solar steam generation device for low-cost and scalable solar steam generation applications. Benefitting from the unique structural merits of the F-Wood/CNTs membrane-a black CNT-coated hair-like surface with excellent light absorbability, wood matrix with low thermal conductivity, hierarchical micro- and nanochannels for water pumping and escaping, solar steam generation device based on the F-Wood/CNTs membrane demonstrates a high efficiency of 81% at 10 kW cm -2 , representing one of the highest values ever-reported. The nature-inspired design concept in this study is straightforward and easily scalable, representing one of the most promising solutions for renewable and portable solar energy generation and other related phase-change applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Review of Mid- to High-Temperature Solar Selective Absorber Materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennedy, C. E.

2002-07-01

This report describes the concentrating solar power (CSP) systems using solar absorbers to convert concentrated sunlight to thermal electric power. It is possible to achieve solar absorber surfaces for efficient photothermal conversion having high solar absorptance (a) for solar radiation and a low thermal emittance (e) at the operational temperature. A low reflectance (?'' 0) at wavelengths (?) 3 mm and a high reflectance (?'' 1) at l 3 mm characterize spectrally selective surfaces. The operational temperature ranges of these materials for solar applications can be categorized as low temperature (T< 100 C), mid-temperature (100 C< T< 400 C), and high-temperature (T> 400 C). High- and mid-temperature applications are needed for CSP applications. For CSP applications, the ideal spectrally selective surface would be low-cost and easy to manufacture, chemically and thermally stable in air at elevated operating temperatures (T= 500 C), and have a solar absorptance= 0.98 and a thermal emittance= 0.05 at 500 C.

High-efficiency silicon solar cells for low-illumination applications

OpenAIRE

Glunz, S.W.; Dicker, J.; Esterle, M.; Hermle, M.; Isenberg, J.; Kamerewerd, F.; Knobloch, J.; Kray, D.; Leimenstoll, A.; Lutz, F.; Oßwald, D.; Preu, R.; Rein, S.; Schäffer, E.; Schetter, C.

2002-01-01

At Fraunhofer ISE the fabrication of high-efficiency solar cells was extended from a laboratory scale to a small pilot-line production. Primarily, the fabricated cells are used in small high-efficiency modules integrated in prototypes of solar-powered portable electronic devices such as cellular phones, handheld computers etc. Compared to other applications of high-efficiency cells such as solar cars and planes, the illumination densities found in these mainly indoor applications are signific...

High-energy particles associated with solar flares

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakurai, K.; Klimas, A.J.

1974-05-01

High energy particles, the so-called solar cosmic rays, are often generated in association with solar flares, and then emitted into interplanetary space. These particles, consisting of electrons, protons, and other heavier nuclei, including the iron-group, are accelerated in the vicinity of the flare. By studying the temporal and spatial variation of these particles near the earth's orbit, their storage and release mechanisms in the solar corona and their propagation mechanism can be understood. The details of the nuclear composition and the rigidity spectrum for each nuclear component of the solar cosmic rays are important for investigating the acceleration mechanism in solar flares. The timing and efficiency of the acceleration process can also be investigated by using this information. These problems are described in some detail by using observational results on solar cosmic rays and associated phenomena. (U.S.)

Solar system sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Tombrello, T. A.

1982-01-01

The sites and materials involved in solar system sputtering of planetary surfaces are reviewed, together with existing models for the processes of sputtering. Attention is given to the interaction of the solar wind with planetary atmospheres in terms of the role played by the solar wind in affecting the He-4 budget in the Venus atmosphere, and the erosion and differentiation of the Mars atmosphere by solar wind sputtering. The study is extended to the production of isotopic fractionation and anomalies in interplanetary grains by irradiation, and to erosion effects on planetary satellites with frozen volatile surfaces, such as with Io, Europa, and Ganymede. Further measurements are recommended of the molecular form of the ejected material, the yields and energy spectra of the sputtered products, the iosotopic fractionation sputtering causes, and the possibility of electronic sputtering enhancement with materials such as silicates.

The north-south asymmetry of solar filaments separately at low and high latitudes in solar cycle 23

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong De-Fang; Qu Zhi-Ning; Guo Qiao-Ling

2015-01-01

We present the results of a study on the north-south asymmetry of solar filaments at low (<50°) and high (>60°) latitudes using daily filament numbers from January 1998 to November 2008 (solar cycle 23). It is found that the northern hemisphere is dominant at low latitudes for cycle 23. However, a similar asymmetry does not occur for solar filaments at high latitudes. The present study indicates that the hemispheric asymmetry of solar filaments at high latitudes in a cycle appears to have little connection with that at low latitudes. Our results support that the observed magnetic fields at high latitudes include two components: one comes from the emergence of the magnetic fields from the solar interior and the other comes from the drift of the magnetic activity at low latitudes. (research papers)

Characteristics of a High Current Helicon Ion Source With High Monatomic Fraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Hwa-Dong; Chung, Kyoung-Jae; Hwang, Yong-Seok

2006-01-01

Applications of neutron need compact and high yield neutron sources as well as very intense neutron sources from giant devices such as accelerators. Ion source based neutron sources using nuclear fusion reactions such as D(d, 3He)n, D(t, 4He)n can meet the requirements. This type of neutron generators can be simply composed of an ion source and a target. High-performance neutron generators with high yield require ion sources with high beam current, high monatomic fraction and long lifetime. Helicon ion source can meet these requirements. To make high current ion source, characteristics of helicon plasma such as high plasma density can be utilized. Moreover, efficient plasma heating with RF power lead high fraction of monatomic ion beam. Here, Characteristics of helicon plasma sources are described. Design and its performances of a helicon ion source are presented

Mass fractionation processes of transition metal isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, X. K.; Guo, Y.; Williams, R. J. P.; O'Nions, R. K.; Matthews, A.; Belshaw, N. S.; Canters, G. W.; de Waal, E. C.; Weser, U.; Burgess, B. K.; Salvato, B.

2002-06-01

Recent advances in mass spectrometry make it possible to utilise isotope variations of transition metals to address some important issues in solar system and biological sciences. Realisation of the potential offered by these new isotope systems however requires an adequate understanding of the factors controlling their isotope fractionation. Here we show the results of a broadly based study on copper and iron isotope fractionation during various inorganic and biological processes. These results demonstrate that: (1) naturally occurring inorganic processes can fractionate Fe isotope to a detectable level even at temperature ˜1000°C, which challenges the previous view that Fe isotope variations in natural system are unique biosignatures; (2) multiple-step equilibrium processes at low temperatures may cause large mass fractionation of transition metal isotopes even when the fractionation per single step is small; (3) oxidation-reduction is an importation controlling factor of isotope fractionation of transition metal elements with multiple valences, which opens a wide range of applications of these new isotope systems, ranging from metal-silicate fractionation in the solar system to uptake pathways of these elements in biological systems; (4) organisms incorporate lighter isotopes of transition metals preferentially, and transition metal isotope fractionation occurs stepwise along their pathways within biological systems during their uptake.

Solar radiation and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Onozuka, Daisuke; Hagihara, Akihito

2017-11-01

Although several studies have estimated the effects of temperature on mortality and morbidity, little is known regarding the burden of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) attributable to solar radiation. We obtained data for all cases of OHCA and meteorological data reported between 2011 and 2014 in 3 Japanese prefectures: Hokkaido, Ibaraki, and Fukuoka. We first examined the relationship between daily solar radiation and OHCA risk for each prefecture using time-varying distributed lag non-linear models and then pooled the results in a multivariate random-effects meta-analysis. The attributable fractions of OHCA were calculated for low and high solar radiation, defined as solar radiation below and above the minimum morbidity solar radiation, respectively. The minimum morbidity solar radiation was defined as the specific solar radiation associated with the lowest morbidity risk. A total of 49,892 cases of OHCA occurred during the study period. The minimum morbidity solar radiation for each prefecture was the 100th percentile (72.5 MJ/m 2 ) in Hokkaido, the 83rd percentile (59.7 MJ/m 2 ) in Ibaraki, and the 70th percentile (53.8 MJ/m 2 ) in Fukuoka. Overall, 20.00% (95% empirical confidence interval [eCI]: 10.97-27.04) of the OHCA cases were attributable to daily solar radiation. The attributable fraction for low solar radiation was 19.50% (95% eCI: 10.00-26.92), whereas that for high solar radiation was 0.50% (95% eCI: -0.07-1.01). Low solar radiation was associated with a substantial attributable risk for OHCA. Our findings suggest that public health efforts to reduce OHCA burden should consider the solar radiation level. Large prospective studies with longitudinal collection of individual data is required to more conclusively assess the impact of solar radiation on OHCA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High mortality of Red Sea zooplankton under ambient solar radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Aidaroos, Ali M; El-Sherbiny, Mohsen M O; Satheesh, Sathianeson; Mantha, Gopikrishna; Agustī, Susana; Carreja, Beatriz; Duarte, Carlos M

2014-01-01

High solar radiation along with extreme transparency leads to high penetration of solar radiation in the Red Sea, potentially harmful to biota inhabiting the upper water column, including zooplankton. Here we show, based on experimental assessments of solar radiation dose-mortality curves on eight common taxa, the mortality of zooplankton in the oligotrophic waters of the Red Sea to increase steeply with ambient levels of solar radiation in the Red Sea. Responses curves linking solar radiation doses with zooplankton mortality were evaluated by exposing organisms, enclosed in quartz bottles, allowing all the wavelengths of solar radiation to penetrate, to five different levels of ambient solar radiation (100%, 21.6%, 7.2%, 3.2% and 0% of solar radiation). The maximum mortality rates under ambient solar radiation levels averaged (±standard error of the mean, SEM) 18.4±5.8% h(-1), five-fold greater than the average mortality in the dark for the eight taxa tested. The UV-B radiation required for mortality rates to reach ½ of maximum values averaged (±SEM) 12±5.6 h(-1)% of incident UVB radiation, equivalent to the UV-B dose at 19.2±2.7 m depth in open coastal Red Sea waters. These results confirm that Red Sea zooplankton are highly vulnerable to ambient solar radiation, as a consequence of the combination of high incident radiation and high water transparency allowing deep penetration of damaging UV-B radiation. These results provide evidence of the significance of ambient solar radiation levels as a stressor of marine zooplankton communities in tropical, oligotrophic waters. Because the oligotrophic ocean extends across 70% of the ocean surface, solar radiation can be a globally-significant stressor for the ocean ecosystem, by constraining zooplankton use of the upper levels of the water column and, therefore, the efficiency of food transfer up the food web in the oligotrophic ocean.

High mortality of Red Sea zooplankton under ambient solar radiation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali M Al-Aidaroos

Full Text Available High solar radiation along with extreme transparency leads to high penetration of solar radiation in the Red Sea, potentially harmful to biota inhabiting the upper water column, including zooplankton. Here we show, based on experimental assessments of solar radiation dose-mortality curves on eight common taxa, the mortality of zooplankton in the oligotrophic waters of the Red Sea to increase steeply with ambient levels of solar radiation in the Red Sea. Responses curves linking solar radiation doses with zooplankton mortality were evaluated by exposing organisms, enclosed in quartz bottles, allowing all the wavelengths of solar radiation to penetrate, to five different levels of ambient solar radiation (100%, 21.6%, 7.2%, 3.2% and 0% of solar radiation. The maximum mortality rates under ambient solar radiation levels averaged (±standard error of the mean, SEM 18.4±5.8% h(-1, five-fold greater than the average mortality in the dark for the eight taxa tested. The UV-B radiation required for mortality rates to reach ½ of maximum values averaged (±SEM 12±5.6 h(-1% of incident UVB radiation, equivalent to the UV-B dose at 19.2±2.7 m depth in open coastal Red Sea waters. These results confirm that Red Sea zooplankton are highly vulnerable to ambient solar radiation, as a consequence of the combination of high incident radiation and high water transparency allowing deep penetration of damaging UV-B radiation. These results provide evidence of the significance of ambient solar radiation levels as a stressor of marine zooplankton communities in tropical, oligotrophic waters. Because the oligotrophic ocean extends across 70% of the ocean surface, solar radiation can be a globally-significant stressor for the ocean ecosystem, by constraining zooplankton use of the upper levels of the water column and, therefore, the efficiency of food transfer up the food web in the oligotrophic ocean.

Fabrication of highly transparent diamond-like carbon anti-reflecting coating for Si solar cell application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banerjee, Amit, E-mail: erdd@iacs.res.in; Das, Debajyoti, E-mail: erdd@iacs.res.in [Nano-Science Group, Energy Research Unit, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata-700032 (India)

2014-04-24

ARC grade highly transparent unhydrogenated diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were produced, directly from a-C target, using RF magnetron sputtering deposition technique, for optoelectronic applications. Optical band gap, transmittance, reflectance, sp{sup 3} fraction, I{sub D}/I{sub G}, density, and refractive index of the films have been estimated with the help of optical tools like Uv-vis spectrophotometer, ellipsometer and micro-Raman. Optimum ARC-qualities have been identified in low-temperature grown DLC films at an Ar pressure of 4 mTorr in the reactor, accomplishing its key requirements for use in silicon solar cells.

Serially Connected Micro Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells for Compact High-Voltage Sources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiyoon Nam

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We demonstrate a compact amorphous silicon (a-Si solar module to be used as high-voltage power supply. In comparison with the organic solar module, the main advantages of the a-Si solar module are its compatibility with photolithography techniques and relatively high power conversion efficiency. The open circuit voltage of a-Si solar cells can be easily controlled by serially interconnecting a-Si solar cells. Moreover, the a-Si solar module can be easily patterned by photolithography in any desired shapes with high areal densities. Using the photolithographic technique, we fabricate a compact a-Si solar module with noticeable photovoltaic characteristics as compared with the reported values for high-voltage power supplies.

Experimental Investigation of a Solar Greenhouse Heating System Equipped with a Parabolic Trough Solar Concentrator and a Double-Purpose Flat Plate Solar Collector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Jafari

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction Greenhouses provide a suitable environment in which all the parameters required for growing the plants can be controlled throughout the year. Greenhouse heating is one of the most important issues in productivity of a greenhouse. In many countries, heating costs in the greenhouses are very high, having almost 60-80% of the total production costs. In recent years, several studies have attempted to reduce the heating costs of the greenhouses by applying more energy efficient equipment and using the renewable energy sources as alternatives or supplementary to the fossil fuels. In the present study a novel solar greenhouse heating system equipped with a parabolic trough solar concentrator (PTC and a flat-plate solar collector has been developed. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate the performance of the proposed heating system at different working conditions. Materials and Methods The presented solar greenhouse heating system was comprised of a parabolic trough solar concentrator (PTC, a heat storage tank, a pump and a flat plate solar collector. The PTC was constructed from a polished stainless steel sheet (as the reflector and a vacuum tube receiver. The PTC was connected to the tank by using insulated tubes and a water pump was utilized to circulate the working fluid trough the PTC and the heat exchanger installed between walls of the tank. The uncovered solar collector was located inside the greenhouse. During the sunshine time, a fraction of the total solar radiation received inside the greenhouse is absorbed by the solar collector. This rises the temperature of the working fluid inside the collector which led to density reduction and natural flow of the fluid. In other words, the collector works as a natural flow flat plate solar collector during the sunshine time. At night, when the greenhouse temperature is lower than tank temperature, the fluid flows in a reverse direction through the solar collector and the

Image Quality in High-resolution and High-cadence Solar Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Denker, C.; Dineva, E.; Balthasar, H.; Verma, M.; Kuckein, C.; Diercke, A.; González Manrique, S. J.

2018-03-01

Broad-band imaging and even imaging with a moderate bandpass (about 1 nm) provides a photon-rich environment, where frame selection (lucky imaging) becomes a helpful tool in image restoration, allowing us to perform a cost-benefit analysis on how to design observing sequences for imaging with high spatial resolution in combination with real-time correction provided by an adaptive optics (AO) system. This study presents high-cadence (160 Hz) G-band and blue continuum image sequences obtained with the High-resolution Fast Imager (HiFI) at the 1.5-meter GREGOR solar telescope, where the speckle-masking technique is used to restore images with nearly diffraction-limited resolution. The HiFI employs two synchronized large-format and high-cadence sCMOS detectors. The median filter gradient similarity (MFGS) image-quality metric is applied, among others, to AO-corrected image sequences of a pore and a small sunspot observed on 2017 June 4 and 5. A small region of interest, which was selected for fast-imaging performance, covered these contrast-rich features and their neighborhood, which were part of Active Region NOAA 12661. Modifications of the MFGS algorithm uncover the field- and structure-dependency of this image-quality metric. However, MFGS still remains a good choice for determining image quality without a priori knowledge, which is an important characteristic when classifying the huge number of high-resolution images contained in data archives. In addition, this investigation demonstrates that a fast cadence and millisecond exposure times are still insufficient to reach the coherence time of daytime seeing. Nonetheless, the analysis shows that data acquisition rates exceeding 50 Hz are required to capture a substantial fraction of the best seeing moments, significantly boosting the performance of post-facto image restoration.

Two-dimensional simulation of GaAsSb/GaAs quantum dot solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Kunrugsa, Maetee

2018-06-01

Two-dimensional (2D) simulation of GaAsSb/GaAs quantum dot (QD) solar cells is presented. The effects of As mole fraction in GaAsSb QDs on the performance of the solar cell are investigated. The solar cell is designed as a p-i-n GaAs structure where a single layer of GaAsSb QDs is introduced into the intrinsic region. The current density–voltage characteristics of QD solar cells are derived from Poisson’s equation, continuity equations, and the drift-diffusion transport equations, which are numerically solved by a finite element method. Furthermore, the transition energy of a single GaAsSb QD and its corresponding wavelength for each As mole fraction are calculated by a six-band k · p model to validate the position of the absorption edge in the external quantum efficiency curve. A GaAsSb/GaAs QD solar cell with an As mole fraction of 0.4 provides the best power conversion efficiency. The overlap between electron and hole wave functions becomes larger as the As mole fraction increases, leading to a higher optical absorption probability which is confirmed by the enhanced photogeneration rates within and around the QDs. However, further increasing the As mole fraction results in a reduction in the efficiency because the absorption edge moves towards shorter wavelengths, lowering the short-circuit current density. The influences of the QD size and density on the efficiency are also examined. For the GaAsSb/GaAs QD solar cell with an As mole fraction of 0.4, the efficiency can be improved to 26.2% by utilizing the optimum QD size and density. A decrease in the efficiency is observed at high QD densities, which is attributed to the increased carrier recombination and strain-modified band structures affecting the absorption edges.

Modelling of diffuse solar fraction with multiple predictors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ridley, Barbara; Boland, John [Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Lauret, Philippe [Laboratoire de Physique du Batiment et des Systemes, University of La Reunion, Reunion (France)

2010-02-15

For some locations both global and diffuse solar radiation are measured. However, for many locations, only global radiation is measured, or inferred from satellite data. For modelling solar energy applications, the amount of radiation on a tilted surface is needed. Since only the direct component on a tilted surface can be calculated from direct on some other plane using trigonometry, we need to have diffuse radiation on the horizontal plane available. There are regression relationships for estimating the diffuse on a tilted surface from diffuse on the horizontal. Models for estimating the diffuse on the horizontal from horizontal global that have been developed in Europe or North America have proved to be inadequate for Australia. Boland et al. developed a validated model for Australian conditions. Boland et al. detailed our recent advances in developing the theoretical framework for the use of the logistic function instead of piecewise linear or simple nonlinear functions and was the first step in identifying the means for developing a generic model for estimating diffuse from global and other predictors. We have developed a multiple predictor model, which is much simpler than previous models, and uses hourly clearness index, daily clearness index, solar altitude, apparent solar time and a measure of persistence of global radiation level as predictors. This model performs marginally better than currently used models for locations in the Northern Hemisphere and substantially better for Southern Hemisphere locations. We suggest it can be used as a universal model. (author)

Education effect of solar car for technical high school student; Kogyo kokosei ni taisuru solar car no kyoiku koka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inoue, T.

1998-09-30

The solar car race which technical high school students can join in was determined to be held at Ogata village, Akita prefecture. To join in the solar bicycle race, the author working in Ofuna technical high school called on 3 schools of Yokosuka, Fujisawa and Kanagawa technical high schools which joined in World Solar-Car Rally in Akita (WSR) in 1997, before fabrication of a racing bicycle. This paper describes the survey results at the above technical high schools, and the spirit as the teacher of Ofuna technical high school on joining in the race and fabrication of the solar bicycle, and the past, current and future situations. Club activities of high school students incline too toward sports such as soccer, baseball, volleyball and rugby, and are apt to keep honest cultural events and technical events at a distance. The author says that the challenge spirit to the solar car race using environment-friendly solar energy by both dedicated teachers and students of technical high schools summoned up the author`s courage. 15 figs.

Sub-hourly impacts of high solar penetrations in the Western United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lew, Debra; Brinkman, Greg; Florita, Anthony; Heaney, Michael; Hodge, Bri-Mathias; Hummon, Marissa; Ibanez, Eduardo [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); King, Jack [RePPAE, Wexford, PA (United States)

2012-07-01

Until recently, it has been difficult to study the impacts of significant penetrations of hypothetical, utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plants over large geographic regions. This was because of the lack of credible data to simulate the output of these plants with appropriate spatial and temporal correlation, especially on a sub-hourly basis. In the Western Wind and Solar Integration Study Phase 2 (WWSIS2), we used new technigues to synthesize sub-hourly high-resolution solar output for PV rooftops, utility-scale PV, and concentrating solar power (CSP). This allowed us to examine implications of 25 % solar (60/40 split of PV and CSP) and 8 % wind. In this paper, we present results of analysis on the sub-hourly impacts of high solar penetrations. Extreme event analysis showed that most of the large ramps were because of sunrise and sunset events, which have a significant predictability component. Variability in general was much higher with high penetrations of solar than with high penetrations of wind. Reserve methodologies that had already been developed for wind were therefore modified to take into account the predictability component of solar variability. Significantly less transmission was required for high solar penetrations than wind and significantly less curtailment occurred in the high solar cases. (orig.)

High resolution solar observations from first principles to applications

Science.gov (United States)

Verdoni, Angelo P.

2009-10-01

The expression "high-resolution observations" in Solar Physics refers to the spatial, temporal and spectral domains in their entirety. High-resolution observations of solar fine structure are a necessity to answer many of the intriguing questions related to solar activity. However, a researcher building instruments for high-resolution observations has to cope with the fact that these three domains often have diametrically opposed boundary conditions. Many factors have to be considered in the design of a successful instrument. Modern post-focus instruments are more closely linked with the solar telescopes that they serve than in past. In principle, the quest for high-resolution observations already starts with the selection of the observatory site. The site survey of the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) under the stewardship of the National Solar Observatory (NSO) has identified Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) as one of the best sites for solar observations. In a first step, the seeing characteristics at BBSO based on the data collected for the ATST site survey are described. The analysis will aid in the scheduling of high-resolution observations at BBSO as well as provide useful information concerning the design and implementation of a thermal control system for the New Solar Telescope (NST). NST is an off-axis open-structure Gregorian-style telescope with a 1.6 m aperture. NST will be housed in a newly constructed 5/8-sphere ventilated dome. With optics exposed to the surrounding air, NST's open-structure design makes it particularly vulnerable to the effects of enclosure-related seeing. In an effort to mitigate these effects, the initial design of a thermal control system for the NST dome is presented. The goal is to remediate thermal related seeing effects present within the dome interior. The THermal Control System (THCS) is an essential component for the open-telescope design of NST to work. Following these tasks, a calibration routine for the

A hybrid solar and chemical looping combustion system for solar thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jafarian, Mehdi; Arjomandi, Maziar; Nathan, Graham J.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A novel solar–CLC hybrid system is proposed which integrates a CLC with solar thermal energy. ► The oxygen carrier particles are used as storage medium for thermal energy storage. ► A solar cavity reactor is proposed for fuel reactor. ► The absorbed solar energy is stored in the particles to produce a base heat load. -- Abstract: A novel hybrid of a solar thermal energy and a chemical looping combustion (CLC) system is proposed here, which employs the oxygen carrier particles in a CLC system to provide diurnal thermal energy storage for concentrated solar thermal energy. In taking advantage of the chemical and sensible energy storage systems that are an inherent part of a CLC system, this hybrid offers potential to achieve cost effective, base load power generation for solar energy. In the proposed system, three reservoirs have been added to a conventional CLC system to allow storage of the oxygen carrier particles, while a cavity solar receiver has been chosen for the fuel reactor. The performance of the system is evaluated using ASPEN PLUS software, with the model being validated using independent simulation result reported previously. Operating temperature, solar efficiency, solar fraction, exergy efficiency and the fraction of the solar thermal energy stored for a based load power generation application are reported.

High temperature solar thermal technology: The North Africa Market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-12-01

High temperature solar thermal (HTST) technology offers an attractive option for both industrialized and non-industrialized countries to generate electricity and industrial process steam. The purpose of this report is to assess the potential market for solar thermal applications in the North African countries of Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. North Africa was selected because of its outstanding solar resource base and the variety of applications to be found there. Diminishing oil and gas resources, coupled with expanding energy needs, opens a large potential market for the US industry. The US high temperature solar trough industry has little competition globally and could build a large market in these areas. The US is already familiar with certain solar markets in North Africa due to the supplying of substantial quantities of US-manufactured flat plate collectors to this region.

Highly efficient solar-pumped Nd:YAG laser.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Dawei; Almeida, Joana

2011-12-19

The recent progress in solar-pumped laser with Fresnel lens and Cr:Nd:YAG ceramic medium has revitalized solar laser researches, revealing a promising future for renewable reduction of magnesium from magnesium oxide. Here we show a big advance in solar laser collection efficiency by utilizing an economical Fresnel lens and a most widely used Nd:YAG single-crystal rod. The incoming solar radiation from the sun is focused by a 0.9 m diameter Fresnel lens. A dielectric totally internally reflecting secondary concentrator is employed to couple the concentrated solar radiation from the focal zone to a 4 mm diameter Nd:YAG rod within a conical pumping cavity. 12.3 W cw laser power is produced, corresponding to 19.3 W/m(2) collection efficiency, which is 2.9 times larger than the previous results with Nd:YAG single-crystal medium. Record-high slope efficiency of 3.9% is also registered. Laser beam quality is considerably improved by pumping a 3 mm diameter Nd:YAG rod.

Fractionation of fecal neutral steroids by high performance liquid chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, E.M.; Kloss, C.A.; Weintraub, S.T.; Mott, G.E.

1985-01-01

Fecal neutral steroids were fractionated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) into three major fractions: 5 beta-H, 3-keto steroids; 5 beta-H, 3 beta-hydroxy steroids; and 5 alpha-H and delta 5-3 beta-hydroxy steroids. This separation was achieved in about 10 minutes, with greater than 97% recovery of standards in each fraction. Gas-liquid chromatographic quantitation of fecal steroids fractionated by either HPLC or thin-layer chromatography gave nearly identical results. A method using both C18 reverse phase and silica HPLC to purify radiolabeled sterols is also described

Process development for high-efficiency silicon solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gee, J.M.; Basore, P.A.; Buck, M.E.; Ruby, D.S.; Schubert, W.K.; Silva, B.L.; Tingley, J.W.

1991-12-31

Fabrication of high-efficiency silicon solar cells in an industrial environment requires a different optimization than in a laboratory environment. Strategies are presented for process development of high-efficiency silicon solar cells, with a goal of simplifying technology transfer into an industrial setting. The strategies emphasize the use of statistical experimental design for process optimization, and the use of baseline processes and cells for process monitoring and quality control. 8 refs.

High Efficiency Nanostructured III-V Photovoltaics for Solar Concentrator Application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hubbard, Seth

2012-09-12

The High Efficiency Nanostructured III-V Photovoltaics for Solar Concentrators project seeks to provide new photovoltaic cells for Concentrator Photovoltaics (CPV) Systems with higher cell efficiency, more favorable temperature coefficients and less sensitivity to changes in spectral distribution. The main objective of this project is to provide high efficiency III-V solar cells that will reduce the overall cost per Watt for power generation using CPV systems.This work is focused both on a potential near term application, namely the use of indium arsenide (InAs) QDs to spectrally "tune" the middle (GaAs) cell of a SOA triple junction device to a more favorable effective bandgap, as well as the long term goal of demonstrating intermediate band solar cell effects. The QDs are confined within a high electric field i-region of a standard GaAs solar cell. The extended absorption spectrum (and thus enhanced short circuit current) of the QD solar cell results from the increase in the sub GaAs bandgap spectral response that is achievable as quantum dot layers are introduced into the i-region. We have grown InAs quantum dots by OMVPE technique and optimized the QD growth conditions. Arrays of up to 40 layers of strain balanced quantum dots have been experimentally demonstrated with good material quality, low residual stain and high PL intensity. Quantum dot enhanced solar cells were grown and tested under simulated one sun AM1.5 conditions. Concentrator solar cells have been grown and fabricated with 5-40 layers of QDs. Testing of these devices show the QD cells have improved efficiency compared to baseline devices without QDs. Device modeling and measurement of thermal properties were performed using Crosslight APSYS. Improvements in a triple junction solar cell with the insertion of QDs into the middle current limiting junction was shown to be as high as 29% under one sun illumination for a 10 layer stack QD enhanced triple junction solar cell. QD devices have strong

Design of solar systems in high-rise buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Kolosov, Alexander; Chudinov, Dmitry; Yaremenko, Sergey

2018-03-01

Nowadays, the renovation program is being implemented in the megapolises of Russia. Innovative high-rise buildings are built instead of morally and physically obsolete houses, where non-traditional renewable energy sources are used to the fullest extent, under the effect of which they are located. The possibility to use solar systems with variation of their design parameters is considered. It is established that solar systems have high technical potential. The share of heat load, that is provided by using solar energy, varies from 4 to 84% depending on the time of the year. Economic indicators restrain the use of such panels. The payback period is about 8 years at the current cost for thermal energy.

Examination of evaporative fraction diurnal behaviour using a soil-vegetation model coupled with a mixed-layer model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-P. Lhomme

1999-01-01

Full Text Available In many experimental conditions, the evaporative fraction, defined as the ratio between evaporation and available energy, has been found stable during daylight hours. This constancy is investigated over fully covering vegetation by means of a land surface scheme coupled with a mixed-layer model, which accounts for entrainment of overlying air. The evaporation rate follows the Penman-Monteith equation and the surface resistance is given by a Jarvis type parameterization involving solar radiation, saturation deficit and leaf water potential. The diurnal course of the evaporative fraction is examined, together with the influence of environmental factors (soil water availability, solar radiation input, wind velocity, saturation deficit above the well-mixed layer. In conditions of fair weather, the curves representing the diurnal course of the evaporative fraction have a typical concave-up shape. Around midday (solar time these curves appear as relatively constant, but always lower that the daytime mean value. Evaporative fraction decreases when soil water decreases or when solar energy increases. An increment of saturation deficit above the mixed-layer provokes only a slight increase of evaporative fraction, and wind velocity has almost no effect. The possibility of estimation daytime evaporation from daytime available energy multiplied by the evaporative fraction at a single time of the day is also investigated. It appears that it is possible to obtain fairly good estimates of daytime evaporation by choosing adequately the time of the measurement of the evaporative fraction. The central hours of the day, and preferably about 3 hr before or after noon, are the most appropriate to provide good estimates. The estimation appears also to be much better when soil water availability (or evaporation is high than when it is low.

Magic Doping Fractions in High-Temperature Superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Komiya, Seiki; /CRIEPI, Tokyo; Chen, Han-Dong; Zhang, Shou-Cheng; /Stanford U., Phys. Dept.; Ando, Yoichi; /CRIEPI, Tokyo

2010-01-15

We report hole-doping dependence of the in-plane resistivity {rho}{sub ab} in a cuprate superconductor La{sub 2-x}Sr{sub x}CuO{sub 4}, carefully examined using a series of high-quality single crystals. Our detailed measurements find a tendency towards charge ordering at particular rational hole doping fractions of 1/16, 3/32, 1/8, and 3/16. This observation appears to suggest a specific form of charge order and is most consistent with the recent theoretical prediction of the checkerboard-type ordering of the Cooper pairs at rational doping fractions x = (2m + 1)/2{sup n}, with integers m and n.

Study on photoelectric parameter measurement method of high capacitance solar cell

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Junchao; Xiong, Limin; Meng, Haifeng; He, Yingwei; Cai, Chuan; Zhang, Bifeng; Li, Xiaohui; Wang, Changshi

2018-01-01

The high efficiency solar cells usually have high capacitance characteristic, so the measurement of their photoelectric performance usually requires long pulse width and long sweep time. The effects of irradiance non-uniformity, probe shielding and spectral mismatch on the IV curve measurement are analyzed experimentally. A compensation method for irradiance loss caused by probe shielding is proposed, and the accurate measurement of the irradiance intensity in the IV curve measurement process of solar cell is realized. Based on the characteristics that the open circuit voltage of solar cell is sensitive to the junction temperature, an accurate measurement method of the temperature of solar cell under continuous irradiation condition is proposed. Finally, a measurement method with the characteristic of high accuracy and wide application range for high capacitance solar cell is presented.

Using the ionospheric response to the solar eclipse on 20 March 2015 to detect spatial structure in the solar corona

Science.gov (United States)

Bradford, J.; Bell, S. A.; Wilkinson, J.; Smith, D.; Tudor, S.

2016-01-01

The total solar eclipse that occurred over the Arctic region on 20 March 2015 was seen as a partial eclipse over much of Europe. Observations of this eclipse were used to investigate the high time resolution (1 min) decay and recovery of the Earth’s ionospheric E-region above the ionospheric monitoring station in Chilton, UK. At the altitude of this region (100 km), the maximum phase of the eclipse was 88.88% obscuration of the photosphere occurring at 9:29:41.5 UT. In comparison, the ionospheric response revealed a maximum obscuration of 66% (leaving a fraction, Φ, of uneclipsed radiation of 34±4%) occurring at 9:29 UT. The eclipse was re-created using data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory to estimate the fraction of radiation incident on the Earth’s atmosphere throughout the eclipse from nine different emission wavelengths in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and X-ray spectrum. These emissions, having varying spatial distributions, were each obscured differently during the eclipse. Those wavelengths associated with coronal emissions (94, 211 and 335 Å) most closely reproduced the time varying fraction of unobscured radiation observed in the ionosphere. These results could enable historic ionospheric eclipse measurements to be interpreted in terms of the distribution of EUV and X-ray emissions on the solar disc. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Atmospheric effects of solar eclipses stimulated by the 2015 UK eclipse’. PMID:27550766

A Solar Volumetric Receiver: Influence of Absorbing Cells Configuration on Device Thermal Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Yilbas, B. S.; Shuja, S. Z.

2017-01-01

Thermal performance of a solar volumetric receiver incorporating the different cell geometric configurations is investigated. Triangular, hexagonal, and rectangular absorbing cells are incorporated in the analysis. The fluid volume fraction, which is the ratio of the volume of the working fluid over the total volume of solar volumetric receiver, is introduced to assess the effect of cell size on the heat transfer rates in the receiver. In this case, reducing the fluid volume fraction corresponds to increasing cell size in the receiver. SiC is considered as the cell material, and air is used as the working fluid in the receiver. The Lambert's Beer law is incorporated to account for the solar absorption in the receiver. A finite element method is used to solve the governing equation of flow and heat transfer. It is found that the fluid volume fraction has significant effect on the flow field in the solar volumetric receiver, which also modifies thermal field in the working fluid. The triangular absorbing cell gives rise to improved effectiveness of the receiver and then follows the hexagonal and rectangular cells. The second law efficiency of the receiver remains high when hexagonal cells are used. This occurs for the fluid volume fraction ratio of 0.5.

Thermal properties of carbon black aqueous nanofluids for solar absorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han Dongxiao

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this article, carbon black nanofluids were prepared by dispersing the pretreated carbon black powder into distilled water. The size and morphology of the nanoparticles were explored. The photothermal properties, optical properties, rheological behaviors, and thermal conductivities of the nanofluids were also investigated. The results showed that the nanofluids of high-volume fraction had better photothermal properties. Both carbon black powder and nanofluids had good absorption in the whole wavelength ranging from 200 to 2,500 nm. The nanofluids exhibited a shear thinning behavior. The shear viscosity increased with the increasing volume fraction and decreased with the increasing temperature at the same shear rate. The thermal conductivity of carbon black nanofluids increased with the increase of volume fraction and temperature. Carbon black nanofluids had good absorption ability of solar energy and can effectively enhance the solar absorption efficiency.

Allocating resources and products in multi-hybrid multi-cogeneration: What fractions of heat and power are renewable in hybrid fossil-solar CHP?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beretta, Gian Paolo; Iora, Paolo; Ghoniem, Ahmed F.

2014-01-01

A general method for the allocation of resources and products in multi-resource/multi-product facilities is developed with particular reference to the important two-resource/two-product case of hybrid fossil and solar/heat and power cogeneration. For a realistic case study, we show how the method allows to assess what fractions of the power and heat should be considered as produced from the solar resource and hence identified as renewable. In the present scenario where the hybridization of fossil power plants by solar-integration is gaining increasing attention, such assessment is of great importance in the fair and balanced development of local energy policies based on granting incentives to renewables resources. The paper extends to the case of two-resource/two-product hybrid cogeneration, as well as to general multi-resource/multi-generation, three of the allocation methods already available for single-resource/two-product cogeneration and for two-resource/single-product hybrid facilities, namely, the ExRR (Exergy-based Reversible-Reference) method, the SRSPR (Single Resource Separate Production Reference) method, and the STALPR (Self-Tuned-Average-Local-Productions-Reference) method. For the case study considered we show that, unless the SRSPR reference efficiencies are constantly updated, the differences between the STALPR and SRSPR methods become important as hybrid and cogeneration plants take up large shares of the local energy production portfolio. - Highlights: • How much of the heat and power in hybrid solar-fossil cogeneration are renewable? • We define and compare three allocation methods for hybrid cogeneration. • Classical and exergy allocation are based on prescribed reference efficiencies. • Adaptive allocation is based on the actual average efficiencies in the local area. • Differences among methods grow as hybrid CHP (heat and power cogeneration) gains large market fractions

Affordable High Performance Electromagnetically Clean Solar Arrays, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We propose an Electromagnetically Clean Solar Array (ECSA) with enhanced performance, in Watts/kg and Watts/m2, using flight proven, high efficiency solar cells. For...

The effects of high perioperative inspiratory oxygen fraction for adult surgical patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wetterslev, Jørn; Meyhoff, Christian S; Jørgensen, Lars N

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Available evidence on the effects of a high fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) of 60% to 90% compared with a routine fraction of inspired oxygen of 30% to 40%, during anaesthesia and surgery, on mortality and surgical site infection has been inconclusive. Previous trials and meta......-analyses have led to different conclusions on whether a high fraction of supplemental inspired oxygen during anaesthesia may decrease or increase mortality and surgical site infections in surgical patients. OBJECTIVES: To assess the benefits and harms of an FIO2 equal to or greater than 60% compared...... and reran the searches in March 2015. We will consider two studies of interest when we update the review. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized clinical trials that compared a high fraction of inspired oxygen with a routine fraction of inspired oxygen during anaesthesia, surgery and recovery...

Why is solar cycle 24 an inefficient producer of high-energy particle events?

Science.gov (United States)

Vainio, Rami; Raukunen, Osku; Tylka, Allan J.; Dietrich, William F.; Afanasiev, Alexandr

2017-08-01

Aims: The aim of the study is to investigate the reason for the low productivity of high-energy SEPs in the present solar cycle. Methods: We employ scaling laws derived from diffusive shock acceleration theory and simulation studies including proton-generated upstream Alfvén waves to find out how the changes observed in the long-term average properties of the erupting and ambient coronal and/or solar wind plasma would affect the ability of shocks to accelerate particles to the highest energies. Results: Provided that self-generated turbulence dominates particle transport around coronal shocks, it is found that the most crucial factors controlling the diffusive shock acceleration process are the number density of seed particles and the plasma density of the ambient medium. Assuming that suprathermal populations provide a fraction of the particles injected to shock acceleration in the corona, we show that the lack of most energetic particle events as well as the lack of low charge-to-mass ratio ion species in the present cycle can be understood as a result of the reduction of average coronal plasma and suprathermal densities in the present cycle over the previous one.

Review of status developments of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jingjing; Yao, Yao; Xiao, Shaoqing; Gu, Xiaofeng

2018-03-01

In order to further improve cell efficiency and reduce cost in achieving grid parity, a large number of PV manufacturing companies, universities and research institutes have been devoted to a variety of low-cost and high-efficiency crystalline Si solar cells. In this article, the cell structures, characteristics and efficiency progresses of several types of high-efficiency crystalline Si solar cells that have been in small scale production or are promising in mass production are presented, including passivated emitter rear cell, tunnel oxide passivated contact solar cell, interdigitated back contact cell, heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer cell, and heterojunction solar cells with interdigitated back contacts. Both the industrialization status and future development trend of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells are also pinpointed.

Observations of Carbon Isotopic Fractionation in Interstellar Formaldehyde

Science.gov (United States)

Wirstrom, E. S.; Charnley, S. B.; Geppert, W. D.; Persson, C. M.

2012-01-01

Primitive Solar System materials (e.g. chondrites. IDPs, the Stardust sample) show large variations in isotopic composition of the major volatiles (H, C, N, and O ) even within samples, witnessing to various degrees of processing in the protosolar nebula. For ex ample. the very pronounced D enhancements observed in IDPs [I] . are only generated in the cold. dense component of the interstellar medium (ISM), or protoplanetary disks, through ion-molecule reactions in the presence of interstellar dust. If this isotopic anomaly has an interstellar origin, this leaves open the possibility for preservation of other isotopic signatures throughout the form ation of the Solar System. The most common form of carbon in the ISM is CO molecules, and there are two potential sources of C-13 fractionation in this reservoir: low temperature chemistry and selective photodissociation. While gas-phase chemistry in cold interstellar clouds preferentially incorporates C-13 into CO [2], the effect of self-shielding in the presence of UV radiation instead leads to a relative enhancement of the more abundant isotopologue, 12CO. Solar System organic material exhibit rather small fluctuations in delta C-13 as compared to delta N-15 and delta D [3][1], the reason for which is still unclear. However, the fact that both C-13 depleted and enhanced material exists could indicate an interstellar origin where the two fractionation processes have both played a part. Formaldehyde (H2CO) is observed in the gas-phase in a wide range of interstellar environments, as well as in cometary comae. It is proposed as an important reactant in the formation of more complex organic molecules in the heated environments around young stars, and formaldehyde polymers have been suggested as the common origin of chondritic insoluable organic matter (IOM) and cometary refractory organic solids [4]. The relatively high gas-phase abundance of H2CO observed in molecular clouds (10(exp- 9) - 10(exp- 8) relative to H2) makes

High-speed solar wind flow parameters at 1 AU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feldman, W.C.; Asbridge, J.R.; Bame, S.J.; Gosling, J.T.

1976-01-01

To develop a set of constraints for theories of solar wind high-speed streams, a detailed study was made of the fastest streams observed at 1 AU during the time period spanning March 1971 through July 1974. Streams were accepted for study only if (1) the maximum speed exceeded 650 km s -1 ; (2) effects of stream-stream dynamical interaction on the flow parameters could be safely separated from the intrinsic characteristics of the high-speed regions; (3) the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the stream when mapped back to 20 solar radii by using a constant speed approximation was greater than 45degree in Carrington longitude; and (4) there were no obvious solar-activity-induced contaminating effects. Nineteen streams during this time interval satisfied these criteria. Average parameters at 1 AU for those portions of these streams above V=650 km s -1 are given.Not only is it not presently known why electrons are significantly cooler than the protons within high-speed regions, but also observed particle fluxes and convected energy fluxes for speed greater than 650 km s -1 are substantially larger than those values predicted by any of the existing theories of solar wind high-speed streams. More work is therefore needed in refining present solar wind models to see whether suitable modifications and/or combinations of existing theories based on reasonable coronal conditions can accommodate the above high-speed flow parameters

Experimental study on capacitance void fraction meters for high temperature and high pressure conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Hironori; Mitsutake, Toru; Shibata, Mitsuhiko; Takase, Kazuyuki

2010-01-01

The electro-void fraction meter (Capacitance type meter) was applied to higher pressure conditions of 18 MPa than BWR operating conditions of 7 MPa. The void fraction measurement system has been developed including the electrodes of void fraction measurement, instrumentation cables with mineral insulation and simplified electric circuit to provide good signal-to-noise ratio. It satisfied the performance of thermal and pressure resistance and electric insulating capacity. Calibration function for high temperature and high pressure conditions was confirmed through calibration test with 37-rod bundle against datum 19-rod bundle by the quick-shut valve method respectively under 2 MPa conditions. It was confirmed that the measured data were consistent with those measured by the quick-shut valve method. (author)

Characterization of selective solar absorber under high vacuum.

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, Roberto; Monti, Matteo; di Giamberardino, Francesco; Palmieri, Vittorio G

2018-05-14

Total absorption and emission coefficients of selective solar absorbers are measured under high vacuum conditions from room temperature up to stagnation temperature. The sample under investigation is illuminated under vacuum @1000W/m 2 and the sample temperature is recorded during heat up, equilibrium and cool down. During stagnation, the absorber temperature exceeds 300°C without concentration. Data analysis allows evaluating the solar absorptance and thermal emittance at different temperatures. These in turn are useful to predict evacuated solar panel performances at operating conditions.

Short-term irradiation of the glioblastoma with high-dosed fractions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinkelbein, W.; Bruggmoser, G.; Schmidt, M.; Wannenmacher, M.

1984-01-01

Compared to surgery alone, postoperative radiotherapy leads with glioblastomas (grade IV gliomas) to a significant improvement of the therapeutic results. The prolongation of survival time, however, is to a large extent compensated by the therapy itself (it normally implicates hospitalisation). Therefore, we tested the efficiency of rapid course irradiation with high fractions. 70 patients were treated daily with individual fractions of 3.5 Gy, 4 to 6 fractions per week. The entire dose amounted to 31.5 to 38.5 Gy. The average survival time was 33.5 weeks corresponding to the survival time known from the combined surgical and radiotherapeutical treatment of glioblastomas. An effective increase in therapy-free survival time seems possible, especially when the entire focal dose does not exceed 35 Gy. It is remarkable that the patients with the maximum exposure did not have the longest survival times and rates. Living conditions for the patients were similar to those with conventional fractioning, or even better. Rapid course irradiation with high fractions and a limited total dose (35 Gy) presently is - apart from the accelerated superfractioning - a successful measure to prolong the therapyfree survival time for patients with grade IV gliomas. (orig.) [de

Simple processing of high efficiency silicon solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamammu, I.M.; Ibrahim, K.

2006-01-01

Cost effective photovoltaic devices have been an area research since the development of the first solar cells, as cost is the major factor in their usage. Silicon solar cells have the biggest share in the photovoltaic market, though silicon os not the optimal material for solar cells. This work introduces a simplified approach for high efficiency silicon solar cell processing, by minimizing the processing steps and thereby reducing cost. The suggested procedure might also allow for the usage of lower quality materials compared to the one used today. The main features of the present work fall into: simplifying the diffusion process, edge shunt isolation and using acidic texturing instead of the standard alkaline processing. Solar cells of 17% efficiency have been produced using this procedure. Investigations on the possibility of improving the efficiency and using less quality material are still underway

Observations of Isotope Fractionation in Prestellar Cores: Interstellar Origin of Meteoritic Hot Spot?

Science.gov (United States)

Milam, S. N.; Charnley, S. B.

2011-01-01

Isotopically fractionated material is found in many solar system objects, including meteorites and comets. It is thought, in some cases, to trace interstellar material that was incorporated into the solar system without undergoing significant processing. Here, we show the results of models and observations of the nitrogen and carbon fractionation in proto-stellar cores.

Solar-assisted absorption air-conditioning systems in buildings: Control strategies and operational modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirazi, Ali; Pintaldi, Sergio; White, Stephen D.; Morrison, Graham L.; Rosengarten, Gary; Taylor, Robert A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A simulation model of a solar driven absorption chiller is developed in detail. • Three control strategies were proposed in the solar loop of the plant. • Series and parallel auxiliary heater arrangements were investigated. • The results showed the auxiliary-heater in parallel outperformed the series one. • Solar fraction can be increased by 20% by implementing the proposed configuration. - Abstract: Solar-assisted cooling technology has enormous potential for air-conditioning applications since both solar energy supply and cooling energy demand are well correlated. Unfortunately, market uptake of solar cooling technologies has been slow due to the high capital cost and limited design/operational experience. In the present work, different designs and operational modes for solar heating and cooling (SHC) absorption chiller systems are investigated and compared in order to identify the preferred design strategies for these systems. Three control scenarios are proposed for the solar collector loop. The first uses a constant flow pump, while the second and third control schemes employ a variable speed pump, where the solar collector (SC) set-point temperature could be either fixed or adjusted to the required demand. Series and parallel arrangements, between the auxiliary heater and the storage tank, have been examined in detail from an energy efficiency perspective. A simulation model for different system layouts is developed in the transient system simulation environment (TRNSYS, Version 17). Simulation results revealed that the total solar fraction of the plant is increased by up to 11% when a variable speed solar loop pump is used to achieve a collector set-point temperature adjusted according to the building load demand. Another significant finding of this study is that a parallel configuration for the auxiliary heater out-performs a conventional series configuration. The yearly performance of an auxiliary heater in parallel with the storage

High-throughput fractionation of human plasma for fast enrichment of low- and high-abundance proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Breen, Lucas; Cao, Lulu; Eom, Kirsten; Srajer Gajdosik, Martina; Camara, Lila; Giacometti, Jasminka; Dupuy, Damian E; Josic, Djuro

2012-05-01

Fast, cost-effective and reproducible isolation of IgM from plasma is invaluable to the study of IgM and subsequent understanding of the human immune system. Additionally, vast amounts of information regarding human physiology and disease can be derived from analysis of the low abundance proteome of the plasma. In this study, methods were optimized for both the high-throughput isolation of IgM from human plasma, and the high-throughput isolation and fractionation of low abundance plasma proteins. To optimize the chromatographic isolation of IgM from human plasma, many variables were examined including chromatography resin, mobile phases, and order of chromatographic separations. Purification of IgM was achieved most successfully through isolation of immunoglobulin from human plasma using Protein A chromatography with a specific resin followed by subsequent fractionation using QA strong anion exchange chromatography. Through these optimization experiments, an additional method was established to prepare plasma for analysis of low abundance proteins. This method involved chromatographic depletion of high-abundance plasma proteins and reduction of plasma proteome complexity through further chromatographic fractionation. Purification of IgM was achieved with high purity as confirmed by SDS-PAGE and IgM-specific immunoblot. Isolation and fractionation of low abundance protein was also performed successfully, as confirmed by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry analysis followed by label-free quantitative spectral analysis. The level of purity of the isolated IgM allows for further IgM-specific analysis of plasma samples. The developed fractionation scheme can be used for high throughput screening of human plasma in order to identify low and high abundance proteins as potential prognostic and diagnostic disease biomarkers.

Adaptive sensor-based ultra-high accuracy solar concentrator tracker

Science.gov (United States)

Brinkley, Jordyn; Hassanzadeh, Ali

2017-09-01

Conventional solar trackers use information of the sun's position, either by direct sensing or by GPS. Our method uses the shading of the receiver. This, coupled with nonimaging optics design allows us to achieve ultra-high concentration. Incorporating a sensor based shadow tracking method with a two stage concentration solar hybrid parabolic trough allows the system to maintain high concentration with acute accuracy.

Solar-energy heats a transportation test center--Pueblo, Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

1981-01-01

Petroleum-base, thermal energy transport fluid circulating through 583 square feet of flat-plate solar collectors accumulates majority of energy for space heating and domestic hot-water of large Test Center. Report describes operation, maintenance, and performance of system which is suitable for warehouses and similar buildings. For test period from February 1979 to January 1980, solar-heating fraction was 31 percent, solar hot-water fraction 79 percent.

Validated TRNSYS Model for Solar Assisted Space Heating System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdalla, Nedal

2014-01-01

The present study involves a validated TRNSYS model for solar assisted space heating system as applied to a residential building in Jordan using new detailed radiation models of the TRNSYS 17.1 and geometric building model Trnsys3d for the Google SketchUp 3D drawing program. The annual heating load for a building (Solar House) which is located at the Royal ScientiFIc Society (RS5) in Jordan is estimated under climatological conditions of Amman. The aim of this Paper is to compare measured thermal performance of the Solar House with that modeled using TRNSYS. The results showed that the annual measured space heating load for the building was 6,188 kWh while the heati.ng load for the modeled building was 6,391 kWh. Moreover, the measured solar fraction for the solar system was 50% while the modeled solar fraction was 55%. A comparison of modeled and measured data resulted in percentage mean absolute errors for solar energy for space heating, auxiliary heating and solar fraction of 13%, 7% and 10%, respectively. The validated model will be useful for long-term performance simulation under different weather and operating conditions.(author)

High-efficiency concentrator silicon solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinton, R.A.; Cuevas, A.; King, R.R.; Swanson, R.M. (Stanford Univ., CA (USA). Solid-State Electronics Lab.)

1990-11-01

This report presents results from extensive process development in high-efficiency Si solar cells. An advanced design for a 1.56-cm{sup 2} cell with front grids achieved 26% efficiency at 90 suns. This is especially significant since this cell does not require a prismatic cover glass. New designs for simplified backside-contact solar cells were advanced from a status of near-nonfunctionality to demonstrated 21--22% for one-sun cells in sizes up to 37.5 cm{sup 2}. An efficiency of 26% was achieved for similar 0.64-cm{sup 2} concentrator cells at 150 suns. More fundamental work on dopant-diffused regions is also presented here. The recombination vs. various process and physical parameters was studied in detail for boron and phosphorous diffusions. Emitter-design studies based solidly upon these new data indicate the performance vs design parameters for a variety of the cases of most interest to solar cell designers. Extractions of p-type bandgap narrowing and the surface recombination for p- and n-type regions from these studies have a generality that extends beyond solar cells into basic device modeling. 68 refs., 50 figs.

Void Fraction Measurement in Subcooled-Boiling Flow Using High-Frame-Rate Neutron Radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kureta, Masatoshi; Akimoto, Hajime; Hibiki, Takashi; Mishima, Kaichiro

2001-01-01

A high-frame-rate neutron radiography (NR) technique was applied to measure the void fraction distribution in forced-convective subcooled-boiling flow. The focus was experimental technique and error estimation of the high-frame-rate NR. The results of void fraction measurement in the boiling flow were described. Measurement errors on instantaneous and time-averaged void fractions were evaluated experimentally and analytically. Measurement errors were within 18 and 2% for instantaneous void fraction (measurement time is 0.89 ms), and time-averaged void fraction, respectively. The void fraction distribution of subcooled boiling was measured using atmospheric-pressure water in rectangular channels with channel width 30 mm, heated length 100 mm, channel gap 3 and 5 mm, inlet water subcooling from 10 to 30 K, and mass velocity ranging from 240 to 2000 kg/(m 2 .s). One side of the channel was heated homogeneously. Instantaneous void fraction and time-averaged void fraction distribution were measured parametrically. The effects of flow parameters on void fraction were investigated

Optical performance evaluation of a solar furnace by measuring the highly concentrated solar flux

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hyunjin; Chai, Kwankyo; Kim, Jongkyu; Lee, Sangnam; Yoon, Hwanki; Yu, Changkyun; Kang, Yongheack

2014-01-01

We evaluated optical performance of a solar furnace in the KIER (Korea Institute of Energy Research) by measuring the highly concentrated solar flux with the flux mapping method. We presented and analyzed optical performance in terms of concentrated solar flux distribution and power distribution. We investigated concentration ratio, stagnation temperature, total power, and concentration accuracy with help of a modeling code based on the ray tracing method and thereby compared with other solar furnaces. We also discussed flux changes by shutter opening angles and by position adjustment of reflector facets. In the course of flux analysis, we provided a better understanding of reference flux measurement for calibration, reflectivity measurement with a portable reflectometer, shadowing area consideration for effective irradiation, as well as accuracy and repeatability of flux measurements. The results in the present study will help proper utilization of a solar furnace by facilitating comparison between flux measurements at different conditions and flux estimation during operation

Highly doped layer for tunnel junctions in solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Fetzer, Christopher M.

2017-08-01

A highly doped layer for interconnecting tunnel junctions in multijunction solar cells is presented. The highly doped layer is a delta doped layer in one or both layers of a tunnel diode junction used to connect two or more p-on-n or n-on-p solar cells in a multijunction solar cell. A delta doped layer is made by interrupting the epitaxial growth of one of the layers of the tunnel diode, depositing a delta dopant at a concentration substantially greater than the concentration used in growing the layer of the tunnel diode, and then continuing to epitaxially grow the remaining tunnel diode.

Solar energy system performance evaluation report for IBM System 4 at Clinton, Mississippi

Science.gov (United States)

1980-07-01

The IBM System 4 Solar Energy System is described and evaluated. The system was designed to provide 35 percent of the space heating and 63 percent of the domestic hot water preheating for a single family residence located within the United States. The system consists of 259 square feet of flat plate air collectors, a rock thermal storage containing 5 1/2 ton of rock, heat exchangers, blowers, a 52 gallon preheat tank, controls, and associated plumbing. In general, the performance of the system did not meet design expectations, since the overall design solar fraction was 48 percent and the measured value was 32 percent. Although the measured space heating solar fraction at 32 percent did agree favorably with the design space heating solar fraction at 35 percent, the hot water measured solar fraction at 33 percent did not agree favorably with the design hot water solar fraction of 63 percent. In particular collector array air leakage, dust covered collectors, abnormal hot water demand, and the preheat tank by pass valve problem are main reasons for the lower performance.

Solar combisystems with forecast control to increase the solar fraction and lower the auxiliary energy cost

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Perers, Bengt; Furbo, Simon; Fan, Jianhua

2011-01-01

Solar Combi systems still need quite a lot of auxiliary energy especially in small systems without seasonal storage possibilities. The control of the auxiliary energy input both in time and power is important to utilize as much as possible of the solar energy available from the collectors and also...... energy sources. It can be either direct electric heating elements or a heat pump upgrading ambient energy in the air, ground, solar collector or waste heat from the house. The paper describes system modeling and simulation results. Advanced laboratory experiments are also starting now with three...

High-latitude Conic Current Sheets in the Solar Wind

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khabarova, Olga V.; Obridko, Vladimir N.; Kharshiladze, Alexander F. [Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IZMIRAN), Moscow (Russian Federation); Malova, Helmi V. [Scobeltsyn Nuclear Physics Institute of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation); Kislov, Roman A.; Zelenyi, Lev M. [Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN), Warsaw (Poland); Tokumaru, Munetoshi; Fujiki, Ken’ichi [Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University (Japan); Sokół, Justyna M.; Grzedzielski, Stan [Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK), Warsaw (Poland)

2017-02-10

We provide observational evidence for the existence of large-scale cylindrical (or conic-like) current sheets (CCSs) at high heliolatitudes. Long-lived CCSs were detected by Ulysses during its passages over the South Solar Pole in 1994 and 2007. The characteristic scale of these tornado-like structures is several times less than a typical width of coronal holes within which the CCSs are observed. CCS crossings are characterized by a dramatic decrease in the solar wind speed and plasma beta typical for predicted profiles of CCSs. Ulysses crossed the same CCS at different heliolatitudes at 2–3 au several times in 1994, as the CCS was declined from the rotation axis and corotated with the Sun. In 2007, a CCS was detected directly over the South Pole, and its structure was strongly highlighted by the interaction with comet McNaught. Restorations of solar coronal magnetic field lines reveal the occurrence of conic-like magnetic separators over the solar poles in both 1994 and 2007. Such separators exist only during solar minima. Interplanetary scintillation data analysis confirms the presence of long-lived low-speed regions surrounded by the typical polar high-speed solar wind in solar minima. Energetic particle flux enhancements up to several MeV/ nuc are observed at edges of the CCSs. We built simple MHD models of a CCS to illustrate its key features. The CCSs may be formed as a result of nonaxiality of the solar rotation axis and magnetic axis, as predicted by the Fisk–Parker hybrid heliospheric magnetic field model in the modification of Burger and coworkers.

Development of large area, high efficiency amorphous silicon solar cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, K.S.; Kim, S.; Kim, D.W. [Yu Kong Taedok Institute of Technology (Korea, Republic of)

1996-02-01

The objective of the research is to develop the mass-production technologies of high efficiency amorphous silicon solar cells in order to reduce the costs of solar cells and dissemination of solar cells. Amorphous silicon solar cell is the most promising option of thin film solar cells which are relatively easy to reduce the costs. The final goal of the research is to develop amorphous silicon solar cells having the efficiency of 10%, the ratio of light-induced degradation 15% in the area of 1200 cm{sup 2} and test the cells in the form of 2 Kw grid-connected photovoltaic system. (author) 35 refs., 8 tabs., 67 figs.

About the standard solar model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cahen, S.

1986-07-01

A discussion of the still controversial solar helium content is presented, based on a comparison of recent standard solar models. Our last model yields an helium mass fraction ∼0.276, 6.4 SNU on 37 Cl and 126 SNU on 71 Ga

Chemical and nutritional characteristics of high-fibre rye milling fractions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kołodziejczyk, Piotr; Makowska, Agnieszka; Pospieszna, Barbara; Michniewicz, Jan; Paschke, Hanna

2018-01-01

Many studies have demonstrated the potential health benefits of consuming more high-fibre cereal-based food products. Therefore, there is a need to discover new ways to improve the overall nutritional balance of refined cereal products and focus on increasing their dietary fibre content, at the expense of readily digestible carbohydrates. Lab-scale milling and sieving of whole rye grain was used to obtain two fractions rich in dietary fibre. The fractions were analysed and compared, in terms of microstructure, chemical com- position and nutritional quality. The two fractions significantly obtained differed in their particle size and contents of minerals, available saccharides, and nutritional fractions of starch and dietary fibre and its major components. The total dietary fibre concentrations in the coarse and fine fractions were 50.0 and 36.0 g/100 g, respectively, i.e. three and 2.2 times higher than that of wholegrain rye flour. Both fractions also differed in their relative proportions of major fibre components. In the fine fraction, the levels of soluble fibre, as well as soluble arabinoxylans and fructans, were significantly higher than those in the coarse fraction. It was shown that the application of a simple dry-fractionation method to wholemeal rye flour allows the preparation of two rye products which can serve as concentrated sources of dietary fibre low in available saccharides.

Metamaterial Receivers for High Efficiency Concentrated Solar Energy Conversion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yellowhair, Julius E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Concentrating Solar Technologies Dept.; Kwon, Hoyeong [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Alu, Andrea [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Jarecki, Robert L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Concentrating Solar Technologies Dept.; Shinde, Subhash L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Concentrating Solar Technologies Dept.

2016-09-01

Operation of concentrated solar power receivers at higher temperatures (>700°C) would enable supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) power cycles for improved power cycle efficiencies (>50%) and cost-effective solar thermal power. Unfortunately, radiative losses at higher temperatures in conventional receivers can negatively impact the system efficiency gains. One approach to improve receiver thermal efficiency is to utilize selective coatings that enhance absorption across the visible solar spectrum while minimizing emission in the infrared to reduce radiative losses. Existing coatings, however, tend to degrade rapidly at elevated temperatures. In this report, we report on the initial designs and fabrication of spectrally selective metamaterial-based absorbers for high-temperature, high-thermal flux environments important for solarized sCO₂ power cycles. Metamaterials are structured media whose optical properties are determined by sub-wavelength structural features instead of bulk material properties, providing unique solutions by decoupling the optical absorption spectrum from thermal stability requirements. The key enabling innovative concept proposed is the use of structured surfaces with spectral responses that can be tailored to optimize the absorption and retention of solar energy for a given temperature range. In this initial study through the Academic Alliance partnership with University of Texas at Austin, we use Tungsten for its stability in expected harsh environments, compatibility with microfabrication techniques, and required optical performance. Our goal is to tailor the optical properties for high (near unity) absorptivity across the majority of the solar spectrum and over a broad range of incidence angles, and at the same time achieve negligible absorptivity in the near infrared to optimize the energy absorbed and retained. To this goal, we apply the recently developed concept of plasmonic Brewster angle to suitably designed

Design of direct solar PV driven air conditioner

KAUST Repository

Huang, Bin-Juine

2015-12-05

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Solar air conditioning system directly driven by stand-alone solar PV is studied. The air conditioning system will suffer from loss of power if the solar PV power generation is not high enough. It requires a proper system design to match the power consumption of air conditioning system with a proper PV size. Six solar air conditioners with different sizes of PV panel and air conditioners were built and tested outdoors to experimentally investigate the running probabilities of air conditioning at various solar irradiations. It is shown that the instantaneous operation probability (OPB) and the runtime fraction (RF) of the air conditioner are mainly affected by the design parameter rpL (ratio of maximum PV power to load power). The measured OPB is found to be greater than 0.98 at instantaneous solar irradiation IT > 600 W m-2 if rpL > 1.71 RF approaches 1.0 (the air conditioner is run in 100% with solar power) at daily-total solar radiation higher than 13 MJ m-2 day-1, if rpL > 3.

A Test of the Active-Day Fraction Method of Sunspot Group Number Calibration: Dependence on the Level of Solar Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Willamo, T.; Usoskin, I. G.; Kovaltsov, G. A.

2018-04-01

The method of active-day fraction (ADF) was proposed recently to calibrate different solar observers to standard observational conditions. The result of the calibration may depend on the overall level of solar activity during the observational period. This dependency is studied quantitatively using data of the Royal Greenwich Observatory by formally calibrating synthetic pseudo-observers to the full reference dataset. It is shown that the sunspot group number is precisely estimated by the ADF method for periods of moderate activity, may be slightly underestimated by 0.5 - 1.5 groups ({≤} 10%) for strong and very strong activity, and is strongly overestimated by up to 2.5 groups ({≤} 30%) for weak-to-moderate activity. The ADF method becomes inapplicable for the periods of grand minima of activity. In general, the ADF method tends to overestimate the overall level of activity and to reduce the long-term trends.

High-Energy Solar Particle Events in Cycle 24

Science.gov (United States)

Gopalswamy, N.; Makela, P.; Yashiro, S.; Xie, H.; Akiyama, S.; Thakur, N.

2015-01-01

The Sun is already in the declining phase of cycle 24, but the paucity of high-energy solar energetic particle (SEP) events continues with only two ground level enhancement (GLE) events as of March 31, 2015. In an attempt to understand this, we considered all the large SEP events of cycle 24 that occurred until the end of 2014. We compared the properties of the associated CMEs with those in cycle 23. We found that the CME speeds in the sky plane were similar, but almost all those cycle-24 CMEs were halos. A significant fraction of (16%) of the frontside SEP events were associated with eruptive prominence events. CMEs associated with filament eruption events accelerate slowly and attain peak speeds beyond the typical GLE release heights. When we considered only western hemispheric events that had good connectivity to the CME nose, there were only 8 events that could be considered as GLE candidates. One turned out to be the first GLE event of cycle 24 (2012 May 17). In two events, the CMEs were very fast (>2000 km/s) but they were launched into a tenuous medium (high Alfven speed). In the remaining five events, the speeds were well below the typical GLE CME speed (2000 km/s). Furthermore, the CMEs attained their peak speeds beyond the typical heights where GLE particles are released. We conclude that several factors contribute to the low rate of high-energy SEP events in cycle 24: (i) reduced efficiency of shock acceleration (weak heliospheric magnetic field), (ii) poor latitudinal and longitudinal connectivity), and (iii) variation in local ambient conditions (e.g., high Alfven speed).

Ulysses solar wind plasma observations at high southerly latitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, J L; Bame, S J; Feldman, W C; Gosling, J T; Hammond, C M; McComas, D J; Goldstein, B E; Neugebauer, M; Scime, E E; Suess, S T

1995-05-19

Solar wind plasma observations made by the Ulysses spacecraft through -80.2 degrees solar latitude and continuing equatorward to -40.1 degrees are summarized. Recurrent high-speed streams and corotating interaction regions dominated at middle latitudes. The speed of the solar wind was typically 700 to 800 kilometers per second poleward of -35 degrees . Corotating reverse shocks persisted farther south than did forward shocks because of the tilt of the heliomagnetic streamer belt. Sporadic coronal mass ejections were seen as far south as -60.5 degrees . Proton temperature was higher and the electron strahl was broader at higher latitudes. The high-latitude wind contained compressional, pressure-balanced, and Alfvénic structures.

UltraSail CubeSat Solar Sail Flight Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, David; Burton, Rodney; Coverstone, Victoria; Swenson, Gary

2013-01-01

UltraSail is a next-generation, highrisk, high-payoff sail system for the launch, deployment, stabilization, and control of very large (km2 class) solar sails enabling high payload mass fractions for interplanetary and deep space spacecraft. UltraSail is a non-traditional approach to propulsion technology achieved by combining propulsion and control systems developed for formation- flying microsatellites with an innovative solar sail architecture to achieve controllable sail areas approaching 1 km2, sail subsystem area densities approaching 1 g/m2, and thrust levels many times those of ion thrusters used for comparable deep space missions. UltraSail can achieve outer planetary rendezvous, a deep-space capability now reserved for high-mass nuclear and chemical systems. There is a twofold rationale behind the UltraSail concept for advanced solar sail systems. The first is that sail-andboom systems are inherently size-limited. The boom mass must be kept small, and column buckling limits the boom length to a few hundred meters. By eliminating the boom, UltraSail not only offers larger sail area, but also lower areal density, allowing larger payloads and shorter mission transit times. The second rationale for UltraSail is that sail films present deployment handling difficulties as the film thickness approaches one micrometer. The square sail requires that the film be folded in two directions for launch, and similarly unfolded for deployment. The film is stressed at the intersection of two folds, and this stress varies inversely with the film thickness. This stress can cause the film to yield, forming a permanent crease, or worse, to perforate. By rolling the film as UltraSail does, creases are prevented. Because the film is so thin, the roll thickness is small. Dynamic structural analysis of UltraSail coupled with dynamic control analysis shows that the system can be designed to eliminate longitudinal torsional waves created while controlling the pitch of the blades

High performance a-Si solar cells and new fabrication methods for a-Si solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Nakano, S.; Kuwano, Y.; Ohnishi, M.

1986-12-01

The super chamber, a separated UHV reaction-chamber system has been developed. A conversion efficiency of 11.7% was obtained for an a-Si solar cell using a high-quality i-layer deposited by the super chamber, and a p-layer fabricated by a photo-CVD method. As a new material, amorphous superlattice-structure films were fabricated by the photo-CVD method for the first time. Superlattice structure p-layer a-Si solar cells were fabricated, and a conversion efficiency of 10.5% was obtained. For the fabrication of integrated type a-Si solar cell modules, a laser pattering method was investigated. A thermal analysis of the multilayer structure was done. It was confirmed that selective scribing for a-Si, TCO and metal film is possible by controlling the laser power density. Recently developed a-Si solar power generation systems and a-Si solar cell roofing tiles are also described.

High-cadence Imaging and Imaging Spectroscopy at the GREGOR Solar Telescope—A Collaborative Research Environment for High-resolution Solar Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Denker, Carsten; Kuckein, Christoph; Verma, Meetu; González Manrique, Sergio J.; Diercke, Andrea; Enke, Harry; Klar, Jochen; Balthasar, Horst; Louis, Rohan E.; Dineva, Ekaterina

2018-05-01

In high-resolution solar physics, the volume and complexity of photometric, spectroscopic, and polarimetric ground-based data significantly increased in the last decade, reaching data acquisition rates of terabytes per hour. This is driven by the desire to capture fast processes on the Sun and the necessity for short exposure times “freezing” the atmospheric seeing, thus enabling ex post facto image restoration. Consequently, large-format and high-cadence detectors are nowadays used in solar observations to facilitate image restoration. Based on our experience during the “early science” phase with the 1.5 m GREGOR solar telescope (2014–2015) and the subsequent transition to routine observations in 2016, we describe data collection and data management tailored toward image restoration and imaging spectroscopy. We outline our approaches regarding data processing, analysis, and archiving for two of GREGOR’s post-focus instruments (see http://gregor.aip.de), i.e., the GREGOR Fabry–Pérot Interferometer (GFPI) and the newly installed High-Resolution Fast Imager (HiFI). The heterogeneous and complex nature of multidimensional data arising from high-resolution solar observations provides an intriguing but also a challenging example for “big data” in astronomy. The big data challenge has two aspects: (1) establishing a workflow for publishing the data for the whole community and beyond and (2) creating a collaborative research environment (CRE), where computationally intense data and postprocessing tools are colocated and collaborative work is enabled for scientists of multiple institutes. This requires either collaboration with a data center or frameworks and databases capable of dealing with huge data sets based on virtual observatory (VO) and other community standards and procedures.

Solar Energy Education. Renewable energy activities for junior high/middle school science

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1985-01-01

Some basic topics on the subject of solar energy are outlined in the form of a teaching manual. The manual is geared toward junior high or middle school science students. Topics include solar collectors, solar water heating, solar radiation, insulation, heat storage, and desalination. Instructions for the construction of apparatus to demonstrate the solar energy topics are provided. (BCS)

CONDITIONED ANALYSIS OF HIGH-LATITUDE SOLAR WIND INTERMITTENCY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Amicis, R.; Consolini, G.; Bavassano, B.; Bruno, R.

2012-01-01

The solar wind is a turbulent medium displaying intermittency. Its intermittent features have been widely documented and studied, showing how the intermittent character is different in fast and slow wind. In this paper, a statistical conditioned analysis of the solar wind intermittency for a period of high-latitude fast solar wind is presented. In particular, the intermittent features are investigated as a function of the Alfvénic degree of fluctuations at a given scale. The results show that the main contribution to solar wind intermittency is due to non-Alfvénic structures, while Alfvénic increments are found to be characterized by a smaller level of intermittency than the previous ones. Furthermore, the lifetime statistics of Alfvénic periods are discussed in terms of a multiscale texture of randomly oriented flux tubes.

High-Temperature-Short-Time Annealing Process for High-Performance Large-Area Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Minjin; Kim, Gi-Hwan; Oh, Kyoung Suk; Jo, Yimhyun; Yoon, Hyun; Kim, Ka-Hyun; Lee, Heon; Kim, Jin Young; Kim, Dong Suk

2017-06-27

Organic-inorganic hybrid metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are attracting tremendous research interest due to their high solar-to-electric power conversion efficiency with a high possibility of cost-effective fabrication and certified power conversion efficiency now exceeding 22%. Although many effective methods for their application have been developed over the past decade, their practical transition to large-size devices has been restricted by difficulties in achieving high performance. Here we report on the development of a simple and cost-effective production method with high-temperature and short-time annealing processing to obtain uniform, smooth, and large-size grain domains of perovskite films over large areas. With high-temperature short-time annealing at 400 °C for 4 s, the perovskite film with an average domain size of 1 μm was obtained, which resulted in fast solvent evaporation. Solar cells fabricated using this processing technique had a maximum power conversion efficiency exceeding 20% over a 0.1 cm 2 active area and 18% over a 1 cm 2 active area. We believe our approach will enable the realization of highly efficient large-area PCSs for practical development with a very simple and short-time procedure. This simple method should lead the field toward the fabrication of uniform large-scale perovskite films, which are necessary for the production of high-efficiency solar cells that may also be applicable to several other material systems for more widespread practical deployment.

Diffuse solar radiation estimation models for Turkey's big cities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ulgen, Koray; Hepbasli, Arif

2009-01-01

A reasonably accurate knowledge of the availability of the solar resource at any place is required by solar engineers, architects, agriculturists, and hydrologists in many applications of solar energy such as solar furnaces, concentrating collectors, and interior illumination of buildings. For this purpose, in the past, various empirical models (or correlations) have been developed in order to estimate the solar radiation around the world. This study deals with diffuse solar radiation estimation models along with statistical test methods used to statistically evaluate their performance. Models used to predict monthly average daily values of diffuse solar radiation are classified in four groups as follows: (i) From the diffuse fraction or cloudness index, function of the clearness index, (ii) From the diffuse fraction or cloudness index, function of the relative sunshine duration or sunshine fraction, (iii) From the diffuse coefficient, function of the clearness index, and (iv) From the diffuse coefficient, function of the relative sunshine duration or sunshine fraction. Empirical correlations are also developed to establish a relationship between the monthly average daily diffuse fraction or cloudness index (K d ) and monthly average daily diffuse coefficient (K dd ) with the monthly average daily clearness index (K T ) and monthly average daily sunshine fraction (S/S o ) for the three big cities by population in Turkey (Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir). Although the global solar radiation on a horizontal surface and sunshine duration has been measured by the Turkish State Meteorological Service (STMS) over all country since 1964, the diffuse solar radiation has not been measured. The eight new models for estimating the monthly average daily diffuse solar radiation on a horizontal surface in three big cites are validated, and thus, the most accurate model is selected for guiding future projects. The new models are then compared with the 32 models available in the

Results from the high efficiency solar panel experiment flown on CRRES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ray, K.P.; Mullen, E.G.; Trumble, T.M.

1993-01-01

This paper presents results from the High Efficiency Solar Panel Experiment (HESP) flown on the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES). The on-orbit solar cell degradation is correlated with the proton and electron environments. Comparisons between gallium arsenide germanium (GaAs/Ge) and silicon (Si) solar cells are presented, and results from three different annealing methods of like GaAs solar cells are compared

Passivated emitters in silicon solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, R.R.; Gruenbaum, P.E.; Sinton, R.A.; Swanson, R.M.

1990-01-01

In high-efficiency silicon solar cells with low metal contact coverage fractions and high bulk lifetimes, cell performance is often dominated by recombination in the oxide-passivated diffusions on the cell surface. Measurements of the emitter saturation current density, J o , of oxide-passivated, boron and phosphorus diffusions are presented, and from these measurements, the dependence of surface recombination velocity on dopant concentration was extracted. The lowest observed values of J o which are stable under UV light are given for both boron- and phosphorus-doped, oxide-passivated diffusions, for both textured and untextured surfaces. Contour plots which incorporate the above data have been applied to two types of backside-contact solar cells with large area (37.5 cm 2 ) and one-sun efficiencies up to 22.7%

Thermo-economic Optimization of Solar Assisted Heating and Cooling (SAHC System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ghafoor

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The energy demand for cooling is continuously increasing due to growing thermal loads, changing architectural modes of building, and especially due to occupants indoor comfort requirements resulting higher electricity demand notably during peak load hours. This increasing electricity demand is resulting higher primary energy consumption and emission of green house gases (GHG due to electricity generation from fossil fuels. An exciting alternative to reduce the peak electricity consumption is the possible utilization of solar heat to run thermally driven cooling machines instead of vapor compression machines utilizing high amount of electricity. In order to widen the use of solar collectors, they should also be used to contribute for sanitary hot water production and space heating. Pakistan lying on solar belt has a huge potential to utilize solar thermal heat for heating and cooling requirement because cooling is dominant throughout the year and the enormous amount of radiation availability provides an opportunity to use it for solar thermal driven cooling systems. The sensitivity analysis of solar assisted heating and cooling system has been carried out under climatic conditions of Faisalabad (Pakistan and its economic feasibility has been calculated using maximization of NPV. Both storage size and collector area has been optimized using different economic boundary conditions. Results show that optimum area of collector lies between 0.26m2 to 0.36m2 of collector area per m2 of conditioned area for ieff values of 4.5% to 0.5%. The optimum area of collector increases by decreasing effective interest rate resulting higher solar fraction. The NPV was found to be negative for all ieff values which shows that some incentives/subsidies are needed to be provided to make the system cost beneficial. Results also show that solar fraction space heating varies between 87 and 100% during heating season and solar fraction cooling between 55 and 100% during

Technology of solar cells of CuInSe-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordillo, Gerardo; Rodriguez, Jairo A

1993-01-01

The energetic problem in the World is at the present time one of the topics of more interest; for that reason the study of the transformation of the solar energy in electric power, using photovoltaic devices, it is a field of great priority in the investigation. The direct conversion of the solar energy in electric power, using solar cells, it represents an interesting alternative to replace a fraction of the energy deficit that will present as consequence of the limited reservations of hydrocarbons. At the present time they are had in experimentation plants lots of megawatts based on cells of silicon mono-crystalline. The solar cell technologically more developed it is that of silicon mono-crystalline; however their production cost is too high and difficultly it could compete economically with the traditional forms of generating energy; for this reason they are becoming big efforts and economic investments to develop solar cells of high efficiency and stability with base in thin movies whose production costs are much lower compared with those of cells of crystalline silicon

High resolution solar observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Title, A.

1985-01-01

Currently there is a world-wide effort to develop optical technology required for large diffraction limited telescopes that must operate with high optical fluxes. These developments can be used to significantly improve high resolution solar telescopes both on the ground and in space. When looking at the problem of high resolution observations it is essential to keep in mind that a diffraction limited telescope is an interferometer. Even a 30 cm aperture telescope, which is small for high resolution observations, is a big interferometer. Meter class and above diffraction limited telescopes can be expected to be very unforgiving of inattention to details. Unfortunately, even when an earth based telescope has perfect optics there are still problems with the quality of its optical path. The optical path includes not only the interior of the telescope, but also the immediate interface between the telescope and the atmosphere, and finally the atmosphere itself

Superlattice photonic crystal as broadband solar absorber for high temperature operation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rinnerbauer, Veronika; Shen, Yichen; Joannopoulos, John D; Soljačić, Marin; Schäffler, Friedrich; Celanovic, Ivan

2014-12-15

A high performance solar absorber using a 2D tantalum superlattice photonic crystal (PhC) is proposed and its design is optimized for high-temperature energy conversion. In contrast to the simple lattice PhC, which is limited by diffraction in the short wavelength range, the superlattice PhC achieves solar absorption over broadband spectral range due to the contribution from two superposed lattices with different cavity radii. The superlattice PhC geometry is tailored to achieve maximum thermal transfer efficiency for a low concentration system of 250 suns at 1500 K reaching 85.0% solar absorptivity. In the high concentration case of 1000 suns, the superlattice PhC absorber achieves a solar absorptivity of 96.2% and a thermal transfer efficiency of 82.9% at 1500 K, amounting to an improvement of 10% and 5%, respectively, versus the simple square lattice PhC absorber. In addition, the performance of the superlattice PhC absorber is studied in a solar thermophotovoltaic system which is optimized to minimize absorber re-emission by reducing the absorber-to-emitter area ratio and using a highly reflective silver aperture.

Radiation hardened high efficiency silicon space solar cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garboushian, V.; Yoon, S.; Turner, J.

1993-01-01

A silicon solar cell with AMO 19% Beginning of Life (BOL) efficiency is reported. The cell has demonstrated equal or better radiation resistance when compared to conventional silicon space solar cells. Conventional silicon space solar cell performance is generally ∼ 14% at BOL. The Radiation Hardened High Efficiency Silicon (RHHES) cell is thinned for high specific power (watts/kilogram). The RHHES space cell provides compatibility with automatic surface mounting technology. The cells can be easily combined to provide desired power levels and voltages. The RHHES space cell is more resistant to mechanical damage due to micrometeorites. Micro-meteorites which impinge upon conventional cells can crack the cell which, in turn, may cause string failure. The RHHES, operating in the same environment, can continue to function with a similar crack. The RHHES cell allows for very efficient thermal management which is essential for space cells generating higher specific power levels. The cell eliminates the need for electrical insulation layers which would otherwise increase the thermal resistance for conventional space panels. The RHHES cell can be applied to a space concentrator panel system without abandoning any of the attributes discussed. The power handling capability of the RHHES cell is approximately five times more than conventional space concentrator solar cells

Low or High Fractionation Dose {beta}-Radiotherapy for Pterygium? A Randomized Clinical Trial

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Viani, Gustavo Arruda, E-mail: gusviani@gmail.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, Marilia Medicine School, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); De Fendi, Ligia Issa; Fonseca, Ellen Carrara [Department of Ophthalmology, Marilia Medicine School, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Stefano, Eduardo Jose [Department of Radiation Oncology, Marilia Medicine School, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2012-02-01

Purpose: Postoperative adjuvant treatment using {beta}-radiotherapy (RT) is a proven technique for reducing the recurrence of pterygium. A randomized trial was conducted to determine whether a low fractionation dose of 2 Gy within 10 fractions would provide local control similar to that after a high fractionation dose of 5 Gy within 7 fractions for surgically resected pterygium. Methods: A randomized trial was conducted in 200 patients (216 pterygia) between February 2006 and July 2007. Only patients with fresh pterygium resected using a bare sclera method and given RT within 3 days were included. Postoperative RT was delivered using a strontium-90 eye applicator. The pterygia were randomly treated using either 5 Gy within 7 fractions (Group 1) or 2 Gy within 10 fractions (Group 2). The local control rate was calculated from the date of surgery. Results: Of the 216 pterygia included, 112 were allocated to Group 1 and 104 to Group 2. The 3-year local control rate for Groups 1 and 2 was 93.8% and 92.3%, respectively (p = .616). A statistically significant difference for cosmetic effect (p = .034), photophobia (p = .02), irritation (p = .001), and scleromalacia (p = .017) was noted in favor of Group 2. Conclusions: No better local control rate for postoperative pterygium was obtained using high-dose fractionation vs. low-dose fractionation. However, a low-dose fractionation schedule produced better cosmetic effects and resulted in fewer symptoms than high-dose fractionation. Moreover, pterygia can be safely treated in terms of local recurrence using RT schedules with a biologic effective dose of 24-52.5 Gy{sub 10.}.

Integrated photoelectrochemical energy storage: solar hydrogen generation and supercapacitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Xinhui; Luo, Jingshan; Zeng, Zhiyuan; Guan, Cao; Zhang, Yongqi; Tu, Jiangping; Zhang, Hua; Fan, Hong Jin

2012-01-01

Current solar energy harvest and storage are so far realized by independent technologies (such as solar cell and batteries), by which only a fraction of solar energy is utilized. It is highly desirable to improve the utilization efficiency of solar energy. Here, we construct an integrated photoelectrochemical device with simultaneous supercapacitor and hydrogen evolution functions based on TiO(2)/transition metal hydroxides/oxides core/shell nanorod arrays. The feasibility of solar-driven pseudocapacitance is clearly demonstrated, and the charge/discharge is indicated by reversible color changes (photochromism). In such an integrated device, the photogenerated electrons are utilized for H(2) generation and holes for pseudocapacitive charging, so that both the reductive and oxidative energies are captured and converted. Specific capacitances of 482 F g(-1) at 0.5 A g(-1) and 287 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1) are obtained with TiO(2)/Ni(OH)(2) nanorod arrays. This study provides a new research strategy for integrated pseudocapacitor and solar energy application.

High-energy solar flare observations at the Y2K maximum

Science.gov (United States)

Emslie, A. Gordon

2000-04-01

Solar flares afford an opportunity to observe processes associated with the acceleration and propagation of high-energy particles at a level of detail not accessible in any other astrophysical source. I will review some key results from previous high-energy solar flare observations, including those from the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory, and the problems that they pose for our understanding of energy release and particle acceleration processes in the astrophysical environment. I will then discuss a program of high-energy observations to be carried out during the upcoming 2000-2001 solar maximum that is aimed at addressing and resolving these issues. A key element in this observational program is the High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI) spacecraft, which will provide imaging spectroscopic observations with spatial, temporal, and energy resolutions commensurate with the physical processes believed to be operating, and will in addition provide the first true gamma-ray spectroscopy of an astrophysical source. .

Solar-generated steam for oil recovery: Reservoir simulation, economic analysis, and life cycle assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandler, Joel; Fowler, Garrett; Cheng, Kris; Kovscek, Anthony R.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Integrated assessment of solar thermal enhanced oil recovery (TEOR). • Analyses of reservoir performance, economics, and life cycle factors. • High solar fraction scenarios show economic viability for TEOR. • Continuous variable-rate steam injection meets the benchmarks set by conventional steam flood. - Abstract: The viability of solar thermal steam generation for thermal enhanced oil recovery (TEOR) in heavy-oil sands was evaluated using San Joaquin Valley, CA data. The effectiveness of solar TEOR was quantified through reservoir simulation, economic analysis, and life-cycle assessment. Reservoir simulations with continuous but variable rate steam injection were compared with a base-case Tulare Sand steamflood project. For equivalent average injection rates, comparable breakthrough times and recovery factors of 65% of the original oil in place were predicted, in agreement with simulations in the literature. Daily cyclic fluctuations in steam injection rate do not greatly impact recovery. Oil production rates do, however, show seasonal variation. Economic viability was established using historical prices and injection/production volumes from the Kern River oil field. For comparison, this model assumes that present day steam generation technologies were implemented at TEOR startup in 1980. All natural gas cogeneration and 100% solar fraction scenarios had the largest and nearly equal net present values (NPV) of $12.54 B and $12.55 B, respectively. Solar fraction refers to the steam provided by solar steam generation. Given its large capital cost, the 100% solar case shows the greatest sensitivity to discount rate and no sensitivity to natural gas price. Because there are very little emissions associated with day-to-day operations from the solar thermal system, life-cycle emissions are significantly lower than conventional systems even when the embodied energy of the structure is considered. We estimate that less than 1 g of CO 2 /MJ of refined

Corrugation Architecture Enabled Ultraflexible Wafer-Scale High-Efficiency Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Cell

KAUST Repository

Bahabry, Rabab R.

2018-01-02

Advanced classes of modern application require new generation of versatile solar cells showcasing extreme mechanical resilience, large-scale, low cost, and excellent power conversion efficiency. Conventional crystalline silicon-based solar cells offer one of the most highly efficient power sources, but a key challenge remains to attain mechanical resilience while preserving electrical performance. A complementary metal oxide semiconductor-based integration strategy where corrugation architecture enables ultraflexible and low-cost solar cell modules from bulk monocrystalline large-scale (127 × 127 cm) silicon solar wafers with a 17% power conversion efficiency. This periodic corrugated array benefits from an interchangeable solar cell segmentation scheme which preserves the active silicon thickness of 240 μm and achieves flexibility via interdigitated back contacts. These cells can reversibly withstand high mechanical stress and can be deformed to zigzag and bifacial modules. These corrugation silicon-based solar cells offer ultraflexibility with high stability over 1000 bending cycles including convex and concave bending to broaden the application spectrum. Finally, the smallest bending radius of curvature lower than 140 μm of the back contacts is shown that carries the solar cells segments.

Corrugation Architecture Enabled Ultraflexible Wafer-Scale High-Efficiency Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Cell

KAUST Repository

Bahabry, Rabab R.; Kutbee, Arwa T.; Khan, Sherjeel M.; Sepulveda, Adrian C.; Wicaksono, Irmandy; Nour, Maha A.; Wehbe, Nimer; Almislem, Amani Saleh Saad; Ghoneim, Mohamed T.; Sevilla, Galo T.; Syed, Ahad; Shaikh, Sohail F.; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2018-01-01

Advanced classes of modern application require new generation of versatile solar cells showcasing extreme mechanical resilience, large-scale, low cost, and excellent power conversion efficiency. Conventional crystalline silicon-based solar cells offer one of the most highly efficient power sources, but a key challenge remains to attain mechanical resilience while preserving electrical performance. A complementary metal oxide semiconductor-based integration strategy where corrugation architecture enables ultraflexible and low-cost solar cell modules from bulk monocrystalline large-scale (127 × 127 cm) silicon solar wafers with a 17% power conversion efficiency. This periodic corrugated array benefits from an interchangeable solar cell segmentation scheme which preserves the active silicon thickness of 240 μm and achieves flexibility via interdigitated back contacts. These cells can reversibly withstand high mechanical stress and can be deformed to zigzag and bifacial modules. These corrugation silicon-based solar cells offer ultraflexibility with high stability over 1000 bending cycles including convex and concave bending to broaden the application spectrum. Finally, the smallest bending radius of curvature lower than 140 μm of the back contacts is shown that carries the solar cells segments.

Economic analyses of central solar heating systems with seasonal storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lund, P D; Keinonen, R.S.

1986-10-01

Economic optimization of large active community solar heating systems with annual thermal storage is discussed. The economic evaluation is based on a thermal performance simulation model employing one hour time steps and on detailed up-date data. Different system configurations and sub-system sizes have been considered. For Northern European weather conditions (60/sup 0/N) and with at least 400-500 residential units, the life-cycle cost of delivered solar heat was 6.5-7.5 c/kWh for 50% fraction of non-purchased energy. For a solar fraction of 70%, the solar energy price would be 8 c/kWh.

Theoretical variations of the thermal performance of different solar collectors and solar combi systems as function of the varying yearly weather conditions in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Elsa; Furbo, Simon

2009-01-01

The thermal performances of solar collectors and solar combi systems with different solar fractions are studied under the influence of the Danish Design Reference Year, DRY data file, and measured weather data from a solar radiation measurement station situated at the Technical University of Denm...

In the world of solar technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomson, T.

1993-01-01

The paper gives a short survey of the development of solar electrical and thermal technologies. The thermal solar technology is also applicable in Estonia with the view of using our local industrial potential. The theoretical solar resource in Estonia is 977 kWh/m 2 per year, which will make it possible to build (central) heating systems with partial solar fraction by using the method of seasonal storage. The technological solar resource can be improved by using an inter medial storage and heat pump between the solar collector and the main storage in the process of charging. (author). fig., 2 refs

On krypton isotopic abundances in the sun and in the solar wind

Science.gov (United States)

Marti, K.

1980-01-01

The Kr isotopic systematics in the meteorite Pesyanoe which is known to contain solar-type gases, are reported. Discrepancies in the isotopic data of fractions released at stepwise increasing temperatures cannot be reconciled with spallation Kr components, although spallation effects are significant. Fractionation mechanisms on the parent body and in the solar wind source region are considered and the implications for solar abundances discussed.

Improved Modeling Tools Development for High Penetration Solar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Washom, Byron [Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States); Meagher, Kevin [Power Analytics Corporation, San Diego, CA (United States)

2014-12-11

One of the significant objectives of the High Penetration solar research is to help the DOE understand, anticipate, and minimize grid operation impacts as more solar resources are added to the electric power system. For Task 2.2, an effective, reliable approach to predicting solar energy availability for energy generation forecasts using the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Sky Imager technology has been demonstrated. Granular cloud and ramp forecasts for the next 5 to 20 minutes over an area of 10 square miles were developed. Sky images taken every 30 seconds are processed to determine cloud locations and cloud motion vectors yielding future cloud shadow locations respective to distributed generation or utility solar power plants in the area. The performance of the method depends on cloud characteristics. On days with more advective cloud conditions, the developed method outperforms persistence forecasts by up to 30% (based on mean absolute error). On days with dynamic conditions, the method performs worse than persistence. Sky Imagers hold promise for ramp forecasting and ramp mitigation in conjunction with inverter controls and energy storage. The pre-commercial Sky Imager solar forecasting algorithm was documented with licensing information and was a Sunshot website highlight.

High Voltage Solar Concentrator Experiment with Implications for Future Space Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Mehdi, Ishaque S.; George, Patrick J.; O'Neill, Mark; Matson, Robert; Brockschmidt, Arthur

2004-01-01

This paper describes the design, development, fabrication, and test of a high performance, high voltage solar concentrator array. This assembly is believed to be the first ever terrestrial triple-junction-cell solar array rated at over 1 kW. The concentrator provides over 200 W/square meter power output at a nominal 600 Vdc while operating under terrestrial sunlight. Space-quality materials and fabrication techniques were used for the array, and the 3005 meter elevation installation below the Tropic of Cancer allowed testing as close as possible to space deployment without an actual launch. The array includes two concentrator modules, each with a 3 square meter aperture area. Each concentrator module uses a linear Fresnel lens to focus sunlight onto a photovoltaic receiver that uses 240 series-connected triple-junction solar cells. Operation of the two receivers in series can provide 1200 Vdc which would be adequate for the 'direct drive' of some ion engines or microwave transmitters in space. Lens aperture width is 84 cm and the cell active width is 3.2 cm, corresponding to a geometric concentration ratio of 26X. The evaluation includes the concentrator modules, the solar cells, and the materials and techniques used to attach the solar cells to the receiver heat sink. For terrestrial applications, a finned aluminum extrusion was used for the heat sink for the solar cells, maintaining a low cell temperature so that solar cell efficiency remains high.

Solar-thermal conversion and thermal energy storage of graphene foam-based composite

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Lianbin

2016-07-11

Among various utilizations of solar energy, solar-thermal conversion has recently gained renewed research interest due to its extremely high energy efficiency. However, one limiting factor common to all solar-based energy conversion technologies is the intermittent nature of solar irradiation, which makes them unable to stand-alone to satisfy continuous energy need. Herein, we report a three-dimensional (3D) graphene foam and phase change material (PCM) composite for the seamlessly combined solar-thermal conversion and thermal storage for sustained energy release. The composite is obtained by infiltrating the 3D graphene foam with a commonly used PCM, paraffin wax. The high macroporosity and low density of the graphene foam allow for high weight fraction of the PCM to be incorporated, which enhances heat storage capacity of the composite. The interconnected graphene sheets in the composite provide (1) the solar-thermal conversion capability, (2) high thermal conductivity and (3) form stability of the composite. Under light irradiation, the composite effectively collects and converts the light energy into thermal energy, and the converted thermal energy is stored in the PCM and released in an elongated period of time for sustained utilization. This study provides a promising route for sustainable utilization of solar energy.

Solar-thermal conversion and thermal energy storage of graphene foam-based composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lianbin; Li, Renyuan; Tang, Bo; Wang, Peng

2016-08-14

Among various utilizations of solar energy, solar-thermal conversion has recently gained renewed research interest due to its extremely high energy efficiency. However, one limiting factor common to all solar-based energy conversion technologies is the intermittent nature of solar irradiation, which makes them unable to stand-alone to satisfy the continuous energy need. Herein, we report a three-dimensional (3D) graphene foam and phase change material (PCM) composite for the seamlessly combined solar-thermal conversion and thermal storage for sustained energy release. The composite is obtained by infiltrating the 3D graphene foam with a commonly used PCM, paraffin wax. The high macroporosity and low density of the graphene foam allow for high weight fraction of the PCM to be incorporated, which enhances the heat storage capacity of the composite. The interconnected graphene sheets in the composite provide (1) the solar-thermal conversion capability, (2) high thermal conductivity and (3) form stability of the composite. Under light irradiation, the composite effectively collects and converts the light energy into thermal energy, and the converted thermal energy is stored in the PCM and released in an elongated period of time for sustained utilization. This study provides a promising route for sustainable utilization of solar energy.

Bias-dependent high saturation solar LBIC scanning of solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vorster, F.J.; van Dyk, E.E. [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa)

2007-06-15

A light beam-induced current measurement system that uses concentrated solar radiation as a beam probe to map spatially distributed defects on a solar cell has been developed and tested [F.J. Vorster, E.E. van Dyk, Rev. Sci. Instrum., submitted for review]. The induced current response from a flat plate EFG Si solar cell was mapped as a function of surface position and cell bias by using a solar light beam induced current (S-LBIC) mapping system while at the same time dynamically biasing the whole cell with an external voltage. This paper examines the issues relating to transient capacitive effects as well as the electrical behaviour of typical solar cell defect mechanisms under spot illumination. By examining the bias dependence of the S-LBIC maps, various defect mechanisms of photovoltaic (PV) cells under concentrated solar irradiance may be identified. The techniques employed to interpret the spatially distributed IV curves as well as initial results are discussed. (author)

Selectively coated high efficiency glazing for solar-thermal flat-plate collectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrmann, N.; Reineke-Koch, R.

2012-01-01

In order to increase the efficiency of solar-thermal flat-plate collectors at temperatures above 100 °C or with low solar irradiation, we implement a double glazing with a low-emitting (low-e) coating on the inner pane to improve the insulation of the transparent cover. Since commercially available low-e glazing provides only insufficient solar transmittance for the application in thermal flat-plate collectors we are developing a sputter-deposited low e-coating system based on transparent conductive oxides which provides a high solar transmittance of 85% due to additional antireflective coatings and the use of low-iron glass substrates. Durability tests of the developed coating system show that our low e-coating system is well suitable even at high temperatures, humidity and condensation.

Assessment of high penetration of solar photovoltaics in Wisconsin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, Kevin S.; Klein, Sanford A.; Reindl, Douglas T.

2010-01-01

This paper provides an assessment of the large-scale implementation of distributed solar photovoltaics in Wisconsin with regard to its interaction with the utility grid, economics of varying levels of high penetration, and displaced emissions. These assessment factors are quantified using simulations with measured hourly solar radiation and weather data from the National Solar Radiation Database as primary inputs. Hourly utility load data for each electric utility in Wisconsin for a complete year were used in combination with the simulated PV output to quantify the impacts of high penetration of distributed PV on the aggregate Wisconsin electric utility load. As the penetration rate of distributed PV systems increases, both economic and environmental benefits experience diminishing returns. At penetration rates exceeding 15-20% of the aggregate utility load peak, less of the PV-energy is utilized and the contribution of the aggregate electricity generated from PV approaches a practical limit. The limit is not affected by costs, but rather by the time-distribution of available solar radiation and mismatch with the coincidence of aggregate utility electrical loads. The unsubsidized levelized cost of electricity from PV is more than four times greater than the current market price for electricity, based on time-of-use rates, in Wisconsin. At the present time, the investment in solar PV as a cost-effective means to reduce emissions from traditional electricity generation sources is not justified. (author)

Void fraction measurement system for high temperature flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teyssedou, A; Aube, F; Champagne, P [Montreal Univ., PQ (Canada). Institut de Genie Energetique

1992-05-01

A {gamma}-ray absorption technique has been developed for measuring the axial distribution of the void fraction for high-temperature and high-pressure two-phase flows. The system is mounted on a moving platform driven by a high-power stepping motor. A personal computer (IBM AT) connected to a data acquisition system is used to control the displacement of the {gamma} source and detector, and to read the response of the detector. All the measurement procedures are carried out automatically by dedicated software developed for this purpose. (Author).

Solar Special

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Roekel, A.; Osborne, J.; Schroeter, S.; De Jong, R.; De Saint Jacob, Y.

2009-01-01

Solar power is growing much faster than most policymakers and analysts realise. As costs come down and feed-in tariffs go up across Europe, a number of countries have started in pursuit of market leader Germany. But in Germany criticism is growing of the multi-billion-euro support schemes that keep the solar industry booming. In this section of the magazine several articles are dedicated to developments in solar energy in Europe. The first article is an overview story on the strong growing global market for solar cells, mainly thanks to subsidy schemes. The second article is on the position of foreign companies in the solar market in Italy. Article number three is dedicated to the conditions for solar technology companies to establish themselves in the German state of Saxony. Also the fifth article deals with the development of solar cells in Saxony: scientists, plant manufacturers and module producers in Saxony are working on new technologies that can be used to produce solar electricity cost-effectively. The goal is to bring the price down to match that of conventionally generated electricity within the next few years. The sixth article deals with the the solar power market in Belgium, which may be overheated or 'oversubsidized'. Article seven is on France, which used to be a pioneer in solar technology, but now produces only a fraction of the solar output of market leader Germany. However, new attractive feed-in-tariffs are changing the solar landscape drastically

Isotope Fractionation Studies in Prestellar Cores: The Case of Nitrogen

Science.gov (United States)

Milam, Stefanie N.; Charnley, Steven B.

2011-01-01

Isotopically fractionated material is found in many solar system objects, including meteorites and comets. It is considered, in some cases, to trace interstellar material that was incorporated into the solar system without undergoing significant processing, thus preserving the fractionation. In interstellar molecular clouds, ion-molecule chemistry continually cycles nitrogen between the two main reservoirs - N and N2 - leading to only minor N-15 enrichments. Charnley and Rodgers showed that depletion of CO removes oxygen from the gas and weakens this cycle such that significant N-15 fractionation can occur for N2 and other N-bearing species in such cores. Observations are being conducted at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths employing various facilities in order to both spatially and spectrally, resolve emission from these cores. A preliminary study to obtain the N-14/N-15 ratio in nitriles (HCN and HNC) was conducted at the Arizona Radio Observatory's 12m telescope on Kitt Peak, AZ. Spectra were obtained at high resolution (0.08 km/s) in order to resolve dynamic properties of each source as well as to resolve hyperfine structure present in certain isotopologues. This study included four dark cloud cores, observed to have varying levels of molecular depletion: L1521E, L1498, L1544, and L1521F. Previous studies of the N-14/N-15 ratio towards LI544 were obtained with N2H+ and NIH3, yielding ratios of 446 and >700, respectively. The discrepancy observed in these two measurements suggests a strong chemical dependence on the fractionation of nitrogen. Ratios (C,N, and D) obtained from isotopologues for a particular molecule are likely tracing the same chemical heritage and are directly comparable within a given source. Results and comparisons between the protostellar evolutionary state and isomer isotope fractionation as well as between other N-bearing species will be presented.

Photo-degradation of high efficiency fullerene-free polymer solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Upama, Mushfika Baishakhi; Wright, Matthew; Mahmud, Md Arafat; Elumalai, Naveen Kumar; Mahboubi Soufiani, Arman; Wang, Dian; Xu, Cheng; Uddin, Ashraf

2017-12-07

Polymer solar cells are a promising technology for the commercialization of low cost, large scale organic solar cells. With the evolution of high efficiency (>13%) non-fullerene polymer solar cells, the stability of the cells has become a crucial parameter to be considered. Among the several degradation mechanisms of polymer solar cells, burn-in photo-degradation is relatively less studied. Herein, we present the first systematic study of photo-degradation of novel PBDB-T:ITIC fullerene-free polymer solar cells. The thermally treated and as-prepared PBDB-T:ITIC solar cells were exposed to continuous 1 sun illumination for 5 hours. The aged devices exhibited rapid losses in the short-circuit current density and fill factor. The severe short-circuit current and fill factor burn in losses were attributed to trap mediated charge recombination, as evidenced by an increase in Urbach energy for aged devices.

Solar Flares Observed with the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI)

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, Gordon D.

2004-01-01

Solar flares are impressive examples of explosive energy release in unconfined, magnetized plasma. It is generally believed that the flare energy is derived from the coronal magnetic field. However, we have not been able to establish the specific energy release mechanism(s) or the relative partitioning of the released energy between heating, particle acceleration (electrons and ions), and mass motions. NASA's RHESSI Mission was designed to study the acceleration and evolution of electrons and ions in flares by observing the X-ray and gamma-ray emissions these energetic particles produce. This is accomplished through the combination of high-resolution spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging, including the first images of flares in gamma rays. RHESSI has observed over 12,000 solar flares since its launch on February 5, 2002. I will demonstrate how we use the RHESSI spectra to deduce physical properties of accelerated electrons and hot plasma in flares. Using images to estimate volumes, w e typically find that the total energy in accelerated electrons is comparable to that in the thermal plasma. I will also present flare observations that provide strong support for the presence of magnetic reconnection in a large-scale, vertical current sheet in the solar corona. RHESSI observations such as these are allowing us to probe more deeply into the physics of solar flares.

Early Solar System Alkali Fractionation Events Recorded by K-Ca Isotopes in the Yamato-74442 LL-Chondritic Breccia

Science.gov (United States)

Tatsunori, T.; Misawa, K.; Okano, O.; Shih, C.-Y.; Nyquist, L. E.; Simon, J. I.; Tappa, M. J.; Yoneda, S.

2015-01-01

Radiogenic ingrowth of Ca-40 due to decay of K-40 occurred early in the solar system history causing the Ca-40 abundance to vary within different early-former reservoirs. Marshall and DePaolo ] demonstrated that the K-40/Ca-40 decay system could be a useful radiogenic tracer for studies of terrestrial rocks. Shih et al. [3,4] determined 40K/40Ca ages of lunar granitic rock fragments and discussed the chemical characteristics of their source materials. Recently, Yokoyama et al. [5] showed the application of the K-40/Ca-40 chronometer for high K/Ca materials in ordinary chondrites (OCs). High-precision calcium isotopic data are needed to constrain mixing processes among early solar system materials and the time of planetesimal formation. To better constrain the solar system calcium isotopic compositions among astromaterials, we have determined the calcium isotopic compositions of OCs and an angrite. We further estimated a source K/Ca ratio for alkali-rich fragments in a chondritic breccia using the estimated solar system initial Ca-40/Ca-44.

Solar Storage Tank Insulation Influence on the Solar Systems Efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Negoitescu Arina

2012-09-01

Full Text Available For the storage tank of a solar system for domestic hot water production was analyzed the insulation thickness and material influence. To this end, it was considered a private house, occupied by 3 persons, located in zone I of thermal radiation, for which has been simulated the domestic hot water production process. The tank outlet hot water temperature was considered of 45°C. For simulation purposes, as insulation materials for the storage tank were taking into account glass wool and polyurethane with various thicknesses. Finally, was carried out the comparative analysis of two types of tanks, in terms of the insulation thickness influence on the solar fraction, annual solar contribution and solar annual productivity. It resulted that polyurethane is the most advantageous from all points of view.

High efficiency thin-film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schock, Hans-Werner [Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (Germany). Solar Energy

2012-11-01

Production of photovoltaics is growing worldwide on a gigawatt scale. Among the thin film technologies, Cu(In,Ga)S,Se{sub 2} (CIS or CIGS) based solar cells have been the focus of more and more attention. This paper aims to analyze the success of CIGS based solar cells and the potential of this technology for future photovoltaics large-scale production. Specific material properties make CIS unique and allow the preparation of the material with a wide range of processing options. The huge potential lies in the possibility to take advantage of modern thin film processing equipment and combine it with very high efficiencies beyond 20% already achieved on the laboratory scale. A sustainable development of this technology could be realized by modifying the materials and replacing indium by abundant elements. (orig.)

An efficient algorithm for some highly nonlinear fractional PDEs in mathematical physics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamshad Ahmad

Full Text Available In this paper, a fractional complex transform (FCT is used to convert the given fractional partial differential equations (FPDEs into corresponding partial differential equations (PDEs and subsequently Reduced Differential Transform Method (RDTM is applied on the transformed system of linear and nonlinear time-fractional PDEs. The results so obtained are re-stated by making use of inverse transformation which yields it in terms of original variables. It is observed that the proposed algorithm is highly efficient and appropriate for fractional PDEs and hence can be extended to other complex problems of diversified nonlinear nature.

Validation of the solar heating and cooling high speed performance (HISPER) computer code

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, D. B.

1980-01-01

Developed to give a quick and accurate predictions HISPER, a simplification of the TRNSYS program, achieves its computational speed by not simulating detailed system operations or performing detailed load computations. In order to validate the HISPER computer for air systems the simulation was compared to the actual performance of an operational test site. Solar insolation, ambient temperature, water usage rate, and water main temperatures from the data tapes for an office building in Huntsville, Alabama were used as input. The HISPER program was found to predict the heating loads and solar fraction of the loads with errors of less than ten percent. Good correlation was found on both a seasonal basis and a monthly basis. Several parameters (such as infiltration rate and the outside ambient temperature above which heating is not required) were found to require careful selection for accurate simulation.

High efficiency thin-film solar cells for space applications: challenges and opportunities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leest, R.H. van

2017-01-01

In theory high efficiency thin-film III-V solar cells obtained by the epitaxial lift-off (ELO) technique offer excellent characteristics for application in space solar panels. The thesis describes several studies that investigate the space compatibility of the thin-film solar cell design developed

High Efficiency Multijunction Solar Cells with Finely-Tuned Quantum Wells

Science.gov (United States)

Varonides, Argyrios C.

The field of high efficiency (inorganic) photovoltaics (PV) is rapidly maturing in both efficiency goals and cover all cost reduction of fabrication. On one hand, know-how from space industry in new solar cell design configurations and on the other, fabrication cost reduction challenges for terrestrial uses of solar energy, have paved the way to a new generation of PV devices, capable of capturing most of the solar spectrum. For quite a while now, the goal of inorganic solar cell design has been the total (if possible) capture-absorption of the solar spectrum from a single solar cell, designed in such a way that a multiple of incident wavelengths could be simultaneously absorbed. Multi-absorption in device physics indicates parallel existence of different materials that absorb solar photons of different energies. Bulk solid state devices absorb at specific energy thresholds, depending on their respective energy gap (EG). More than one energy gaps would on principle offer new ways of photon absorption: if such a structure could be fabricated, two or more groups of photons could be absorbed simultaneously. The point became then what lattice-matched semiconductor materials could offer such multiple levels of absorption without much recombination losses. It was soon realized that such layer multiplicity combined with quantum size effects could lead to higher efficiency collection of photo-excited carriers. At the moment, the main reason that slows down quantum effect solar cell production is high fabrication cost, since it involves primarily expensive methods of multilayer growth. Existing multi-layer cells are fabricated in the bulk, with three (mostly) layers of lattice-matched and non-lattice-matched (pseudo-morphic) semiconductor materials (GaInP/InGaN etc), where photo-carrier collection occurs in the bulk of the base (coming from the emitter which lies right under the window layer). These carriers are given excess to conduction via tunnel junction (grown between

Towards Building Reliable, High-Accuracy Solar Irradiance Database For Arid Climates

Science.gov (United States)

Munawwar, S.; Ghedira, H.

2012-12-01

Middle East's growing interest in renewable energy has led to increased activity in solar technology development with the recent commissioning of several utility-scale solar power projects and many other commercial installations across the Arabian Peninsula. The region, lying in a virtually rainless sunny belt with a typical daily average solar radiation exceeding 6 kWh/m2, is also one of the most promising candidates for solar energy deployment. However, it is not the availability of resource, but its characterization and reasonably accurate assessment that determines the application potential. Solar irradiance, magnitude and variability inclusive, is the key input in assessing the economic feasibility of a solar system. The accuracy of such data is of critical importance for realistic on-site performance estimates. This contribution aims to identify the key stages in developing a robust solar database for desert climate by focusing on the challenges that an arid environment presents to parameterization of solar irradiance attenuating factors. Adjustments are proposed based on the currently available resource assessment tools to produce high quality data for assessing bankability. Establishing and maintaining ground solar irradiance measurements is an expensive affair and fairly limited in time (recently operational) and space (fewer sites) in the Gulf region. Developers within solar technology industry, therefore, rely on solar radiation models and satellite-derived data for prompt resource assessment needs. It is imperative that such estimation tools are as accurate as possible. While purely empirical models have been widely researched and validated in the Arabian Peninsula's solar modeling history, they are known to be intrinsically site-specific. A primal step to modeling is an in-depth understanding of the region's climate, identifying the key players attenuating radiation and their appropriate characterization to determine solar irradiance. Physical approach

Justification for inter-fraction correction of catheter movement in fractionated high dose-rate brachytherapy treatment of prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simnor, Tania; Li, Sonia; Lowe, Gerry; Ostler, Peter; Bryant, Linda; Chapman, Caroline; Inchley, Dave; Hoskin, Peter J.

2009-01-01

Background and purpose: Fractionated high dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer relies on reproducible catheter positions for each fraction to ensure adequate tumour coverage while minimising dose to normal tissues. Peri-prostatic oedema may cause caudal displacement of the catheters relative to the prostate gland between fractions. This can be corrected for by changing source dwell positions or by physical re-advancement of catheters before treatment. Materials and methods: Data for 20 consecutive monotherapy patients receiving three HDR fractions of 10.5 Gy per fraction over 2 days were analysed retrospectively. Pre-treatment CT scans were used to assess the effect of catheter movement between fractions on implant quality, with and without movement correction. Implant quality was evaluated using dosimetric parameters. Results: Compared to the first fraction (f1) the mean inter-fraction caudal movement relative to the prostate base was 7.9 mm (f2) (range 0-21 mm) and 3.9 mm (f3) (range 0-25.5 mm). PTV D90% was reduced without movement correction by a mean of 27.8% (f2) and 32.3% (f3), compared with 5.3% and 5.1%, respectively, with catheter movement correction. Dose to 2 cc of the rectum increased by a mean of 0.69 (f2) and 0.76 Gy (f3) compared with an increase of 0.03 and 0.04 Gy, respectively, with correction. The urethra V12 also increased by a mean of 0.36 (f2) and 0.39 Gy (f3) compared with 0.06 and 0.16 Gy, respectively, with correction. Conclusions: Inter-fraction correction for catheter movement using pre-treatment imaging is critical to maintain the quality of an implant. Without movement correction there is significant risk of tumour under-dosage and normal tissue over-dosage. The findings of this study justify additional imaging between fractions in order to carry out correction.

The separation of ore from cooke into high- and low-grade fractions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guest, R.N.

1984-01-01

The separation of the ore by sizing alone was not very successful, and the recovery of uranium to the high-grade fraction did not exceed 73 per cent. The use of a combination of size and gravity separation was attempted, and the tailing from the gravity circuit contained 33,9 per cent of the uranium at a grade of 60g/t. The circuit recommended includes autogenous grinding to liberate part of the ore matrix containing the values into the fine fraction. This should be followed by heavy-medium separation for the recovery of the high-grade portion of the coarse fraction. The size at which this heavy-medium separation is carried out should be determined

Azobenzene-functionalized carbon nanotubes as high-energy density solar thermal fuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolpak, Alexie M; Grossman, Jeffrey C

2011-08-10

Solar thermal fuels, which reversibly store solar energy in molecular bonds, are a tantalizing prospect for clean, renewable, and transportable energy conversion/storage. However, large-scale adoption requires enhanced energy storage capacity and thermal stability. Here we present a novel solar thermal fuel, composed of azobenzene-functionalized carbon nanotubes, with the volumetric energy density of Li-ion batteries. Our work also demonstrates that the inclusion of nanoscale templates is an effective strategy for design of highly cyclable, thermally stable, and energy-dense solar thermal fuels.

The solar ultraviolet B radiation protection provided by shading devices with regard to its diffuse component.

Science.gov (United States)

Kudish, Avraham I; Harari, Marco; Evseev, Efim G

2011-10-01

The composition of the incident solar global ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation with regard to its beam and diffuse radiation fractions is highly relevant with regard to outdoor sun protection. This is especially true with respect to sun protection during leisure-time outdoor sun exposure at the shore and pools, where people tend to escape the sun under shade trees or different types of shading devices, e.g., umbrellas, overhangs, etc., believing they offer protection from the erythemal solar radiation. The degree of sun protection offered by such devices is directly related to the composition of the solar global UVB radiation, i.e., its beam and diffuse fractions. The composition of the incident solar global UVB radiation can be determined by measuring the global UVB (using Solar Light Co. Inc., Model 501A UV-Biometer) and either of its components. The beam component of the UVB radiation was determined by measuring the normal incidence beam radiation using a prototype, tracking instrument consisting of a Solar Light Co. Inc. Model 501A UV-Biometer mounted on an Eppley Solar Tracker Model St-1. The horizontal beam component of the global UVB radiation was calculated from the measured normal incidence using a simple geometric correlation and the diffuse component is determined as the difference between global and horizontal beam radiations. Horizontal and vertical surfaces positioned under a horizontal overhang/sunshade or an umbrella are not fully protected from exposure to solar global UVB radiation. They can receive a significant fraction of the UVB radiation, depending on their location beneath the shading device, the umbrella radius and the albedo (reflectance) of the surrounding ground surface in the case of a vertical surface. Shading devices such as an umbrella or horizontal overhang/shade provide relief from the solar global radiation and do block the solar global UVB radiation to some extent; nevertheless, a significant fraction of the solar global UVB

Fabrication of high efficacy selective solar absorbers

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Tile, N

2012-03-01

Full Text Available High efficiency tandem selective solar absorber materials of carbon in nickel oxide (C-NiO) composite were fabricated on an aluminium substrate using a simple and cost effective sol-gel process. The process involved preparation of carbon and nickel...

Development of high-performance solar LED lighting system

KAUST Repository

Huang, B.J.; Wu, M.S.; Hsu, P.C.; Chen, J.W.; Chen, K.Y.

2010-01-01

The present study developed a high-performance charge/discharge controller for stand-alone solar LED lighting system by incorporating an nMPPO system design, a PWM battery charge control, and a PWM battery discharge control to directly drive the LED. The MPPT controller can then be removed from the stand-alone solar system and the charged capacity of the battery increases 9.7%. For LED driven by PWM current directly from battery, a reliability test for the light decay of LED lamps was performed continuously for 13,200 h. It has shown that the light decay of PWM-driven LED is the same as that of constant-current driven LED. The switching energy loss of the MOSFET in the PWM battery discharge control is less than 1%. Three solar-powered LED lighting systems (18 W, 100 W and 150 W LED) were designed and built. The long-term outdoor field test results have shown that the system performance is satisfactory with the control system developed in the present study. The loss of load probability for the 18 W solar LED system is 14.1% in winter and zero in summer. For the 100 W solar LED system, the loss of load probability is 3.6% in spring. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of high-performance solar LED lighting system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, B.J.; Wu, M.S.; Hsu, P.C.; Chen, J.W.; Chen, K.Y.

2010-01-01

The present study developed a high-performance charge/discharge controller for stand-alone solar LED lighting system by incorporating an nMPPO system design, a PWM battery charge control, and a PWM battery discharge control to directly drive the LED. The MPPT controller can then be removed from the stand-alone solar system and the charged capacity of the battery increases 9.7%. For LED driven by PWM current directly from battery, a reliability test for the light decay of LED lamps was performed continuously for 13,200 h. It has shown that the light decay of PWM-driven LED is the same as that of constant-current driven LED. The switching energy loss of the MOSFET in the PWM battery discharge control is less than 1%. Three solar-powered LED lighting systems (18 W, 100 W and 150 W LED) were designed and built. The long-term outdoor field test results have shown that the system performance is satisfactory with the control system developed in the present study. The loss of load probability for the 18 W solar LED system is 14.1% in winter and zero in summer. For the 100 W solar LED system, the loss of load probability is 3.6% in spring.

Development of high-performance solar LED lighting system

KAUST Repository

Huang, B.J.

2010-08-01

The present study developed a high-performance charge/discharge controller for stand-alone solar LED lighting system by incorporating an nMPPO system design, a PWM battery charge control, and a PWM battery discharge control to directly drive the LED. The MPPT controller can then be removed from the stand-alone solar system and the charged capacity of the battery increases 9.7%. For LED driven by PWM current directly from battery, a reliability test for the light decay of LED lamps was performed continuously for 13,200 h. It has shown that the light decay of PWM-driven LED is the same as that of constant-current driven LED. The switching energy loss of the MOSFET in the PWM battery discharge control is less than 1%. Three solar-powered LED lighting systems (18 W, 100 W and 150 W LED) were designed and built. The long-term outdoor field test results have shown that the system performance is satisfactory with the control system developed in the present study. The loss of load probability for the 18 W solar LED system is 14.1% in winter and zero in summer. For the 100 W solar LED system, the loss of load probability is 3.6% in spring. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Macroporous Double-Network Hydrogel for High-Efficiency Solar Steam Generation Under 1 sun Illumination.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Xiangyu; Zhang, Yue; Guo, Qiuquan; Cai, Xiaobing; Xiao, Junfeng; Ding, Zhifeng; Yang, Jun

2018-04-04

Solar steam generation is one of the most promising solar-energy-harvesting technologies to address the issue of water shortage. Despite intensive efforts to develop high-efficiency solar steam generation devices, challenges remain in terms of the relatively low solar thermal efficiency, complicated fabrications, high cost, and difficulty in scaling up. Herein, a double-network hydrogel with a porous structure (p-PEGDA-PANi) is demonstrated for the first time as a flexible, recyclable, and efficient photothermal platform for low-cost and scalable solar steam generation. As a novel photothermal platform, the p-PEGDA-PANi involves all necessary properties of efficient broadband solar absorption, exceptional hydrophilicity, low heat conductivity, and porous structure for high-efficiency solar steam generation. As a result, the hydrogel-based solar steam generator exhibits a maximum solar thermal efficiency of 91.5% with an evaporation rate of 1.40 kg m -2 h -1 under 1 sun illumination, which is comparable to state-of-the-art solar steam generation devices. Furthermore, the good durability and environmental stability of the p-PEGDA-PANi hydrogel enables a convenient recycling and reusing process toward real-life applications. The present research not only provides a novel photothermal platform for solar energy harvest but also opens a new avenue for the application of the hydrogel materials in solar steam generation.

Lightweight, Mesoporous, and Highly Absorptive All-Nanofiber Aerogel for Efficient Solar Steam Generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Feng; Liu, He; Li, Yiju; Kuang, Yudi; Xu, Xu; Chen, Chaoji; Huang, Hao; Jia, Chao; Zhao, Xinpeng; Hitz, Emily; Zhou, Yubing; Yang, Ronggui; Cui, Lifeng; Hu, Liangbing

2018-01-10

The global fresh water shortage has driven enormous endeavors in seawater desalination and wastewater purification; among these, solar steam generation is effective in extracting fresh water by efficient utilization of naturally abundant solar energy. For solar steam generation, the primary focus is to design new materials that are biodegradable, sustainable, of low cost, and have high solar steam generation efficiency. Here, we designed a bilayer aerogel structure employing naturally abundant cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) as basic building blocks to achieve sustainability and biodegradability as well as employing a carbon nanotube (CNT) layer for efficient solar utilization with over 97.5% of light absorbance from 300 to 1200 nm wavelength. The ultralow density (0.0096 g/cm 3 ) of the aerogel ensures that minimal material is required, reducing the production cost while at the same time satisfying the water transport and thermal-insulation requirements due to its highly porous structure (99.4% porosity). Owing to its rationally designed structure and thermal-regulation performance, the bilayer CNF-CNT aerogel exhibits a high solar-energy conversion efficiency of 76.3% and 1.11 kg m -2 h -1 at 1 kW m -2 (1 Sun) solar irradiation, comparable or even higher than most of the reported solar steam generation devices. Therefore, the all-nanofiber aerogel presents a new route for designing biodegradable, sustainable, and scalable solar steam generation devices with superb performance.

Impact of leakage delay on bifurcation in high-order fractional BAM neural networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chengdai; Cao, Jinde

2018-02-01

The effects of leakage delay on the dynamics of neural networks with integer-order have lately been received considerable attention. It has been confirmed that fractional neural networks more appropriately uncover the dynamical properties of neural networks, but the results of fractional neural networks with leakage delay are relatively few. This paper primarily concentrates on the issue of bifurcation for high-order fractional bidirectional associative memory(BAM) neural networks involving leakage delay. The first attempt is made to tackle the stability and bifurcation of high-order fractional BAM neural networks with time delay in leakage terms in this paper. The conditions for the appearance of bifurcation for the proposed systems with leakage delay are firstly established by adopting time delay as a bifurcation parameter. Then, the bifurcation criteria of such system without leakage delay are successfully acquired. Comparative analysis wondrously detects that the stability performance of the proposed high-order fractional neural networks is critically weakened by leakage delay, they cannot be overlooked. Numerical examples are ultimately exhibited to attest the efficiency of the theoretical results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MEPSOCON project: Calibration of Radiometers for High Solar Irradiance; Proyecto MEPSOCON: Calibracion de Radiometros de Alta Irradiancia Solar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ballestrin, J.; Rodriguez-Alonso, M.

2006-07-01

The development of central receiver solar plants is a currently emerging field into renewable energies. For several years various receiver prototypes have been evaluated at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA). The measurement of the incident solar power on the receiver aperture is fundamental to the estimation of its efficiency. Many factors interfere with this measurement and consequently accuracy is very low. This uncertainty is transmitted to the design of the final solar plant and thereby to its price. The sensors used for this measurement are of small size in comparison with the receiver apertures, therefore different systems are necessary to obtain the incident solar power on the receiver aperture from the individual radiometer measurements. This report presents calibration procedures for the sensor used on the measurement of high solar irradiance and the analysis of the different factors affecting the incident power measurement to significantly reduce its uncertainty. (Author) 16 refs.

Proceedings of the Flat-Plate Solar Array Project Workshop on Crystal Gowth for High-Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Dumas, K. A. (Editor)

1985-01-01

A Workshop on Crystal Growth for High-Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells was held December 3 and 4, 1984, in San Diego, California. The Workshop offered a day and a half of technical presentations and discussions and an afternoon session that involved a panel discussion and general discussion of areas of research that are necessary to the development of materials for high-efficiency solar cells. Topics included the theoretical and experimental aspects of growing high-quality silicon crystals, the effects of growth-process-related defects on photovoltaic devices, and the suitability of various growth technologies as cost-effective processes. Fifteen invited papers were presented, with a discussion period following each presentation. The meeting was organized by the Flat-Plate Solar Array Project of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. These Proceedings are a record of the presentations and discussions, edited for clarity and continuity.

Design of DSP-based high-power digital solar array simulator

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; Liu, Zhilong; Tong, Weichao; Feng, Jian; Ji, Yibo

2013-12-01

To satisfy rigid performance specifications, a feedback control was presented for zoom optical lens plants. With the increasing of global energy consumption, research of the photovoltaic(PV) systems get more and more attention. Research of the digital high-power solar array simulator provides technical support for high-power grid-connected PV systems research.This paper introduces a design scheme of the high-power digital solar array simulator based on TMS320F28335. A DC-DC full-bridge topology was used in the system's main circuit. The switching frequency of IGBT is 25kHz.Maximum output voltage is 900V. Maximum output current is 20A. Simulator can be pre-stored solar panel IV curves.The curve is composed of 128 discrete points .When the system was running, the main circuit voltage and current values was feedback to the DSP by the voltage and current sensors in real-time. Through incremental PI,DSP control the simulator in the closed-loop control system. Experimental data show that Simulator output voltage and current follow a preset solar panels IV curve. In connection with the formation of high-power inverter, the system becomes gridconnected PV system. The inverter can find the simulator's maximum power point and the output power can be stabilized at the maximum power point (MPP).

Hardened Solar Array High Temperature Adhesive.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-04-01

SHERWOOO. D SASIU.IS F3361S-0-C-201S UNCLASSI ED 1AC-SCG-IOOIIR AFVAL-TR-OL-201? NLm,,hinii EhhhEE11I1 AFWAL-TR-81- 2017 i : HARDENED SOLAR ARRAY D HIGH...Tg and as a consequence forms a film on the container and also precipitates as tacky waxlike particles, rather than the desired flocullated

Solar wind fluctuations at large scale: A comparison between low and high solar activity conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bavassano, B.; Bruno, R.

1991-01-01

The influence of the Sun's activity cycle on the solar wind fluctuations at time scales from 1 hour to 3 days in the inner heliosphere (0.3 to 1 AU) is investigated. Hourly averages of plasma and magnetic field data by Helios spacecraft are used. Since fluctuations behave quite differently with changing scale, the analysis is performed separately for two different ranges in time scale. Between 1 and 6 hours Alfvenic fluctuations and pressure-balanced structures are extensively observed. At low solar activity and close to 0.3 AU, Alfvenic fluctuations are more frequent than pressure-balanced structures. This predominance, however, weakens for rising solar activity and radial distance, to the point that a role exchange, in terms of occurrence rate, is found at the maximum of the cycle close to 1 AU. On the other hand, in all cases Alfvenic fluctuations have a larger amplitude than pressure-balanced structures. On the whole, the Alfvenic contribution to the solar wind energy spectrum comes out to be dominant at all solar activity conditions. At scales from 0.5 to 3 days the most important feature is the growth, as the solar wind expansion develops, of strong positive correlations between magnetic and thermal pressures. These structures are progressively built up by the interaction between different wind flows. This effect is more pronounced at low than at high activity. Our findings support the conclusion that the solar cycle evolution of the large-scale velocity pattern is the factor governing the observed variations

Integrated photoelectrochemical energy storage: solar hydrogen generation and supercapacitor

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Xinhui; Luo, Jingshan; Zeng, Zhiyuan; Guan, Cao; Zhang, Yongqi; Tu, Jiangping; Zhang, Hua; Fan, Hong Jin

2012-01-01

Current solar energy harvest and storage are so far realized by independent technologies (such as solar cell and batteries), by which only a fraction of solar energy is utilized. It is highly desirable to improve the utilization efficiency of solar energy. Here, we construct an integrated photoelectrochemical device with simultaneous supercapacitor and hydrogen evolution functions based on TiO2/transition metal hydroxides/oxides core/shell nanorod arrays. The feasibility of solar-driven pseudocapacitance is clearly demonstrated, and the charge/discharge is indicated by reversible color changes (photochromism). In such an integrated device, the photogenerated electrons are utilized for H2 generation and holes for pseudocapacitive charging, so that both the reductive and oxidative energies are captured and converted. Specific capacitances of 482 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and 287 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 are obtained with TiO2/Ni(OH)2 nanorod arrays. This study provides a new research strategy for integrated pseudocapacitor and solar energy application. PMID:23248745

Experimental Study of Arcing on High-voltage Solar Arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Vayner, Boris; Galofaro, Joel; Ferguson, Dale

2005-01-01

The main obstacle to the implementation of a high-voltage solar array in space is arcing on the conductor-dielectric junctions exposed to the surrounding plasma. One obvious solution to this problem would be the installation of fully encapsulated solar arrays which were not having exposed conductors at all. However, there are many technological difficulties that must be overcome before the employment of fully encapsulated arrays will turn into reality. An alternative solution to raise arc threshold by modifications of conventionally designed solar arrays looks more appealing, at least in the nearest future. A comprehensive study of arc inception mechanism [1-4] suggests that such modifications can be done in the following directions: i) to insulate conductor-dielectric junction from a plasma environment (wrapthrough interconnects); ii) to change a coverglass geometry (overhang); iii) to increase a coverglass thickness; iiii) to outgas areas of conductor-dielectric junctions. The operation of high-voltage array in LEO produces also the parasitic current power drain on the electrical system. Moreover, the current collected from space plasma by solar arrays determines the spacecraft floating potential that is very important for the design of spacecraft and its scientific apparatus. In order to verify the validity of suggested modifications and to measure current collection five different solar array samples have been tested in large vacuum chamber. Each sample (36 silicon based cells) consists of three strings containing 12 cells connected in series. Thus, arc rate and current collection can be measured on every string independently, or on a whole sample when strings are connected in parallel. The heater installed in the chamber provides the possibility to test samples under temperature as high as 80 C that simulates the LEO operational temperature. The experimental setup is described below.

High Performance Flat Plate Solar Thermal Collector Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rockenbaugh, Caleb [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dean, Jesse [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lovullo, David [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lisell, Lars [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Barker, Greg [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hanckock, Ed [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Norton, Paul [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-09-01

This report was prepared for the General Services Administration by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The Honeycomb Solar Thermal Collector (HSTC) is a flat plate solar thermal collector that shows promising high efficiencies over a wide range of climate zones. The technical objectives of this study are to: 1) verify collector performance, 2) compare that performance to other market-available collectors, 3) verify overheat protection, and 4) analyze the economic performance of the HSTC both at the demonstration sites and across a matrix of climate zones and utility markets.

High-flux solar photon processes: Opportunities for applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steinfeld, J.I.; Coy, S.L.; Herzog, H.; Shorter, J.A.; Schlamp, M.; Tester, J.W.; Peters, W.A. [Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States)

1992-06-01

The overall goal of this study was to identify new high-flux solar photon (HFSP) processes that show promise of being feasible and in the national interest. Electric power generation and hazardous waste destruction were excluded from this study at sponsor request. Our overall conclusion is that there is promise for new applications of concentrated solar photons, especially in certain aspects of materials processing and premium materials synthesis. Evaluation of the full potential of these and other possible applications, including opportunities for commercialization, requires further research and testing. 100 refs.

Off-Line High-pH Reversed-Phase Fractionation for In-Depth Phosphoproteomics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Batth, Tanveer S; Francavilla, Chiara; Olsen, Jesper V

2014-01-01

thousands of phosphorylation sites. However, in-depth phosphoproteomics often require off-line enrichment and fractionation techniques. In this study, we provide a detailed analysis of the physicochemical characteristics of phosphopeptides, which have been fractionated by off-line high-pH chromatography (Hp...... phosphorylated peptides over that with SCX. Further optimizations in the pooling and concatenation strategy increased the total number of multiphosphorylated peptides detected after HpH fractionation. In conclusion, we provide a basic framework and resource for performing in-depth phosphoproteome studies...

Solar Cell Short Circuit Current Errors and Uncertainties During High Altitude Calibrations

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, David D.

2012-01-01

High altitude balloon based facilities can make solar cell calibration measurements above 99.5% of the atmosphere to use for adjusting laboratory solar simulators. While close to on-orbit illumination, the small attenuation to the spectra may result in under measurements of solar cell parameters. Variations of stratospheric weather, may produce flight-to-flight measurement variations. To support the NSCAP effort, this work quantifies some of the effects on solar cell short circuit current (Isc) measurements on triple junction sub-cells. This work looks at several types of high altitude methods, direct high altitude meas urements near 120 kft, and lower stratospheric Langley plots from aircraft. It also looks at Langley extrapolation from altitudes above most of the ozone, for potential small balloon payloads. A convolution of the sub-cell spectral response with the standard solar spectrum modified by several absorption processes is used to determine the relative change from AMO, lscllsc(AMO). Rayleigh scattering, molecular scatterin g from uniformly mixed gases, Ozone, and water vapor, are included in this analysis. A range of atmosph eric pressures are examined, from 0. 05 to 0.25 Atm to cover the range of atmospheric altitudes where solar cell calibrations a reperformed. Generally these errors and uncertainties are less than 0.2%

7Be(p, γ)8B and the high-energy solar neutrino flux

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Csoto, A.

1997-01-01

Despite thirty years of extensive experimental and theoretical work, the predicted solar neutrino flux is still in sharp disagreement with measurements. The solar neutrino measurements strongly suggest that the problem cannot be solved within the standard electroweak and astrophysical theories. Thus, the solar neutrino problem constitutes the strongest evidence for physics beyond the Standard Model. Whatever the solution of the solar neutrino problem turns out to be, it is of paramount importance that the input parameters of the underlying electroweak and solar theories rest upon solid ground. The most uncertain nuclear input parameter in standard solar models is the low-energy 7 Be(p, γ) 8 B radiative capture cross section. This reaction produces 8 B in the Sun, whose β + decay is the main source of the high-energy solar neutrinos. Here, the importance of the 7 Be(p, γ) 8 B reaction in predicting the high energy solar neutrino flux is discussed. The author presents a microscopic eight-body model and a potential model for the calculation of the 7 Be(p, γ) 8 B cross section

Efficacy and toxicity of conventionally fractionated pelvic radiation with a hypo fractionated simultaneous versus conventionally fractionated sequential boost for patients with high-risk prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, Andrew M.; Jacob, Rojymon; Dobelbower, Michael C.; Kim, Robert Y.; Fiveash, John B.

2013-01-01

Purpose: To determine if high-risk prostate cancer responds differently to hypo fractionation. Material and methods: One hundred and fifty-seven men with NCCN high-risk (T3, PSA 20, or Gleason 8) clinically localized prostate cancer treated between 1998 and 2010 met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. Eighty-two were treated with conventional WPRT with a conventionally fractionated sequential boost to the prostate (cRT), with the prostate receiving 75-77 Gy in 1.8 - 2.0 Gy fractions. Seventy-five were treated with pelvic IMRT with a hypo fractionated simultaneous boost to the prostate (hRT), with the prostate receiving 70 Gy in 2.5 Gy fractions. The dose to the pelvic lymph nodes was 45 Gy in the cRT group and 50.4 Gy in the hRT group, both at 1.8 Gy per fraction. Ninety-two percent received neoadjuvant hormonal ablation therapy, typically beginning two months prior to the start of RT. Results: Median follow-up was 6.5 years for men receiving cRT and 3.7 years for those receiving hRT. The actuarial rate of biochemical control at four years was 88% for cRT and 94% for hRT (p=0.82). The rates of early rectal and urinary grade ≥2 toxicities were 35% (29 of 82) and 49% (40 of 82) for the cRT group and 36% (27 of 75) and 44% (33 of 75) for the hRT group. The actuarial rate of late grade 2 rectal toxicity at four years was 25% for the cRT group and 13% for the hRT group (p=0.037). The rate of late grade 3 rectal complications was 4% (3 of 82) for patients receiving cRT and 1% (1 of 75) for patients receiving hRT. Conclusion: Initial follow-up indicates equivalent biochemical control between regimens. Patients receiving hRT experienced fewer late rectal complications

Telescoping Solar Array Concept for Achieving High Packaging Efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Mikulas, Martin; Pappa, Richard; Warren, Jay; Rose, Geoff

2015-01-01

Lightweight, high-efficiency solar arrays are required for future deep space missions using high-power Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP). Structural performance metrics for state-of-the art 30-50 kW flexible blanket arrays recently demonstrated in ground tests are approximately 40 kW/cu m packaging efficiency, 150 W/kg specific power, 0.1 Hz deployed stiffness, and 0.2 g deployed strength. Much larger arrays with up to a megawatt or more of power and improved packaging and specific power are of interest to mission planners for minimizing launch and life cycle costs of Mars exploration. A new concept referred to as the Compact Telescoping Array (CTA) with 60 kW/cu m packaging efficiency at 1 MW of power is described herein. Performance metrics as a function of array size and corresponding power level are derived analytically and validated by finite element analysis. Feasible CTA packaging and deployment approaches are also described. The CTA was developed, in part, to serve as a NASA reference solar array concept against which other proposed designs of 50-1000 kW arrays for future high-power SEP missions could be compared.

Neutrino fluxes produced by high energy solar flare particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolomeets, E.V.; Shmonin, V.L.

1975-01-01

In this work the calculated differential energy spectra of neutrinos poduced by high energy protons accelerated during 'small' solar flares are presented. The muon flux produced by neutrino interactions with the matter at large depths under the ground is calculated. The obtained flux of muons for the total number of solar flare accelerated protons of 10 28 - 10 32 is within 10 9 - 10 13 particles/cm 2 X s x ster. (orig.) [de

Nitrogen fractionation in high-mass star-forming cores across the Galaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Colzi, L.; Fontani, F.; Rivilla, V. M.; Sánchez-Monge, A.; Testi, L.; Beltrán, M. T.; Caselli, P.

2018-04-01

The fractionation of nitrogen (N) in star-forming regions is a poorly understood process. To put more stringent observational constraints on the N-fractionation, we have observed with the IRAM-30m telescope a large sample of 66 cores in massive star-forming regions. We targeted the (1-0) rotational transition of HN13C, HC15N, H13CN and HC15N, and derived the 14N/15N ratio for both HCN and HNC. We have completed this sample with that already observed by Colzi et al. (2018), and thus analysed a total sample of 87 sources. The 14N/15N ratios are distributed around the Proto-Solar Nebula value with a lower limit near the terrestrial atmosphere value (˜272). We have also derived the 14N/15N ratio as a function of the Galactocentric distance and deduced a linear trend based on unprecedented statistics. The Galactocentric dependences that we have found are consistent, in the slope, with past works but we have found a new local 14N/15N value of ˜400, i.e. closer to the Prosolar Nebula value. A second analysis was done, and a parabolic Galactocentric trend was found. Comparison with Galactic chemical evolution models shows that the slope until 8 kpc is consistent with the linear analysis, while the flattening trend above 8 kpc is well reproduced by the parabolic analysis.

A dynamic model of an innovative high-temperature solar heating and cooling system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Buonomano Annamaria

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper a new simulation model of a novel solar heating and cooling system based on innovative high temperature flat plate evacuated solar thermal collector is presented. The system configuration includes: flat-plate evacuated solar collectors, a double-stage LiBr-H2O absorption chiller, gas-fired auxiliary heater, a closed loop cooling tower, pumps, heat exchangers, storage tanks, valves, mixers and controllers. The novelty of this study lies in the utilization of flat-plate stationary solar collectors, manufactured by TVP Solar, rather than concentrating ones (typically adopted for driving double-stage absorption chillers. Such devices show ultra-high thermal efficiencies, even at very high (about 200°C operating temperatures, thanks to the high vacuum insulation. Aim of the paper is to analyse the energy and economic feasibility of such novel technology, by including it in a prototypal solar heating and cooling system. For this purpose, the solar heating and cooling system design and performance were analysed by means of a purposely developed dynamic simulation model, implemented in TRNSYS. A suitable case study is also presented. Here, the simulated plant is conceived for the space heating and cooling and the domestic hot water production of a small building, whose energy needs are fulfilled through a real installation (settled also for experimental purposes built up close to Naples (South Italy. Simulation results show that the investigated system is able to reach high thermal efficiencies and very good energy performance. Finally, the economic analysis shows results comparable to those achieved through similar renewable energy systems.

Origin of solar radio waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olmr, J.

1977-01-01

Solar radiowave radiation amounts to about 10 -7 of the total solar radiation. The solar atmosphere emits radiation of different wavelengths from a fraction of nanometer to kilometer waves. The solar radiowaves are of thermal origin and except for neutral hydrogen emission and solid body radio emission their emission always results from free electrons. The radiowave radiation active components were classified in several types, such as noise storms, flashes, flares, continuum, and flashes lasting for several minutes. The respective types are discussed and their origins shown. The mechanisms are described permitting the formation of radio waves of nonthermal origin, i.e., plasma oscillations, gyromagnetic emission, synchrotron and Cherenkov radiations. (J.P.)

Perovskite Solar Cells for High-Efficiency Tandems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McGehee, Michael [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Buonassisi, Tonio [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

2017-09-30

The first monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem was made with a diffused silicon p-n junction, a tunnel junction made of n⁺⁺ hydrogenated amorphous silicon, a titania electron transport layer, a methylammonium lead iodide absorber, and a Spiro-OMeTAD hole transport layer (HTL). The power conversion efficiency (PCE) was only 13.7% due to excessive parasitic absorption of light in the HTL, limiting the matched current density to 11.5 mA/cm². Werner et al.¹⁵ raised the PCE to a record 21.2% by switching to a silicon heterojunction bottom cell and carefully tuning layer thicknesses to achieve lower optical loss and a higher current density of 15.9 mA/cm². It is clear from these reports that minimizing parasitic absorption in the window layers is crucial to achieving higher current densities and efficiencies in monolithic tandems. To this end, the window layers through which light first passes before entering the perovskite and silicon absorber materials must be highly transparent. The front electrode must also be conductive to carry current laterally across the top of the device. Indium tin oxide (ITO) is widely utilized as a transparent electrode in optoelectronic devices such as flat-panel displays, smart windows, organic light-emitting diodes, and solar cells due to its high conductivity and broadband transparency. ITO is typically deposited through magnetron sputtering; however, the high kinetic energy of sputtered particles can damage underlying layers. In perovskite solar cells, a sputter buffer layer is required to protect the perovskite and organic carrier extraction layers from damage during sputter deposition. The ideal buffer layer should also be energetically well aligned so as to act as a carrier-selective contact, have a wide bandgap to enable high optical transmission, and have no reaction with the halides in the perovskite. Additionally, this buffer layer should act as a diffusion barrier layer to prevent both

Contribution of Nanostructures in High Performance Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Aly, Abouelmaaty M.; Ebrahim, Essamudin A.; Sweelem, Emad

2017-11-01

Nanotechnology has great contributions in various fields, especially in solar energy conversion through solar cells (SCs). Nanostructured SCs can provide high performance with lower fabrication costs. The transition from fossil fuel energy to renewable sustainable energy represents a major technological challenge for the world. In the last years, the industry of SCs has grown rapidly due to strong attention in renewable energy in order to handle the problem of global climate change that is now believed to occur due to use of the fossil fuels. Cost is an influential factor in the eventual success of any solar technology, since inexpensive SCs are needed to produce electricity, especially for rural areas and for third world countries. Therefore, new developments in nanotechnology may open the door for the production of inexpensive and more efficient SCs by reducing the manufacturing costs of SCs. Utilizing nanotechnology in cheaper SCs will help maintain the environment. This article covers a review of the progress that has been made to-date to enhance efficiencies of various nanostructures used in SCs, including utilizations of all the wavelengths present in of the solar spectrum.

Seismological measurement of solar helium abundance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vorontsov, S.V.; Pamyatnykh, A.A.

1991-01-01

The internal structure and evolution of the Sun depends on its chemical composition, particularly the helium abundance. In addition, the helium abundance in the solar envelope is thought to represent the protosolar value, making it a datum of cosmological significance. Spectroscopic measurements of the helium abundance are uncertain, and the most reliable estimates until now have come from the calibration of solar evolutionary models. The frequencies of solar acoustic oscillations are sensitive, however, to the behaviour of the speed of sound in the Sun's helium ionization zone, which allows a helioseismological determination of the helium abundance. Sound-speed inversion of helioseismological data can be used for this purpose, but precise frequency measurements of high-degree oscillation modes are needed. Here we describe a new approach based on an analysis of the phase shift of acoustic waves of intermediate-degree modes. From the accurate intermediate-mode data now available, we obtain a helium mass fraction Y=0.25±0.01 in the solar convection zone, significantly smaller than the value Y=0.27-0.29 predicted by recent solar evolutionary models. The discrepancy indicates either that initial helium abundance was reduced in the envelope by downward diffusion or that the protosolar value was lower than currently accepted. (author)

The high intensity solar cell: Key to low cost photovoltaic power

Science.gov (United States)

Sater, B. L.; Goradia, C.

1975-01-01

The design considerations and performance characteristics of the 'high intensity' (HI) solar cell are presented. A high intensity solar system was analyzed to determine its cost effectiveness and to assess the benefits of further improving HI cell efficiency. It is shown that residential sized systems can be produced at less than $1000/kW peak electric power. Due to their superior high intensity performance characteristics compared to the conventional and VMJ cells, HI cells and light concentrators may be the key to low cost photovoltaic power.

Xenon Fractionation and Archean Hydrogen Escape

Science.gov (United States)

Zahnle, K. J.

2015-01-01

Xenon is the heaviest gas found in significant quantities in natural planetary atmospheres. It would seem the least likely to escape. Yet there is more evidence for xenon escape from Earth than for any element other than helium and perhaps neon. The most straightforward evidence is that most of the radiogenic Xe from the decay of (129)I (half-life 15.7 Myr) and (244)Pu (half-life 81 Myr) that is Earth's birthright is missing. The missing xenon is often attributed to the impact erosion of early atmospheres of Earth and its ancestors. It is obvious that if most of the radiogenic xenon were driven off by impacts, most of the rest of the atmophiles fared the same fate. The other line of evidence is in the nonradiogenic isotopes of xenon and its silent partner, krypton. Atmospheric xenon is strongly mass fractionated (at about 4% per amu) compared to any known solar system source (Figure 1). This is in stark contrast to krypton, which may not be fractionated at all: atmospheric Kr is slightly heavier than solar Kr (at about 0.5% per amu), but it is the same as in carbonaceous chondrites. Nonradiogenic xenon is also under abundant relative to krypton (the so-called "missing xenon" problem). Together these observations imply that xenon has been subject to fractionating escape and krypton not.

CO self-shielding as the origin of oxygen isotope anomalies in the early solar nebula.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, J R; Young, E D

2005-05-19

The abundances of oxygen isotopes in the most refractory mineral phases (calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions, CAIs) in meteorites have hitherto defied explanation. Most processes fractionate isotopes by nuclear mass; that is, 18O is twice as fractionated as 17O, relative to 16O. In CAIs 17O and 18O are nearly equally fractionated, implying a fundamentally different mechanism. The CAI data were originally interpreted as evidence for supernova input of pure 16O into the solar nebula, but the lack of a similar isotope trend in other elements argues against this explanation. A symmetry-dependent fractionation mechanism may have occurred in the inner solar nebula, but experimental evidence is lacking. Isotope-selective photodissociation of CO in the innermost solar nebula might explain the CAI data, but the high temperatures in this region would have rapidly erased the signature. Here we report time-dependent calculations of CO photodissociation in the cooler surface region of a turbulent nebula. If the surface were irradiated by a far-ultraviolet flux approximately 10(3) times that of the local interstellar medium (for example, owing to an O or B star within approximately 1 pc of the protosun), then substantial fractionation of the oxygen isotopes was possible on a timescale of approximately 10(5) years. We predict that similarly irradiated protoplanetary disks will have H2O enriched in 17O and 18O by several tens of per cent relative to CO.

The high intensity solar cell - Key to low cost photovoltaic power

Science.gov (United States)

Sater, B. L.; Goradia, C.

1975-01-01

This paper discusses the problems associated with conventional solar cells at high intensities and presents the design considerations and performance characteristics of the 'high intensity' (HI) solar cell which appears to eliminate the major problems. Test data obtained at greater than 250 AM1 suns gave a peak output power density of 2 W per sq cm at an efficiency exceeding 6% with an unoptimized cell operating at over 100 C. It appears that operation at 1000 AM1 suns at efficiencies greater than 10% is possible. At 1000 AM1 suns and 10% efficiency, the HI cell manufacturing cost is estimated to be $0.25/watt, with multi-megawatt annual production capability already existing within the industrial sector. A high intensity solar system was also analyzed to determine its cost effectiveness and to assess the benefits of further improving HI cell efficiency.

Analysis of solar irradiation measurements at Beer Sheva, Israel from 1985 through 2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evseev, Efim G.; Kudish, Avraham I.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • In depth analysis of long-term solar irradiation at Beer Sheva, Israel. • Construction of a typical meteorological year for global and beam irradiation. • Statistical analysis of the global and beam irradiation. • Analysis of long-term trends regarding global and beam irradiation. - Abstract: An in-depth analysis of the solar horizontal global, normal incidence beam and solar global incident on a south-facing surface tilted at 40° irradiation monitored at Beer Sheva from 1985 through 2013 has been performed. The horizontal beam irradiation, daily clearness index, daily beam index and beam fraction of the horizontal global irradiation were determined from the measured parameters. A statistical analysis, which included average, median, standard deviation, maximum and minimum values and the coefficient of variation, was performed on the parameters under investigation. The monthly frequency distribution types were determined for the solar global, normal incidence beam and solar global incident on a south-facing surface tilted at 40° irradiation based upon their corresponding skewness and kurtosis values. In addition, typical meteorological years were developed for the solar horizontal global and normal incidence beam irradiation. Beer Sheva is characterized as a site with a high incidence of clear days with global irradiation consisting of a relatively high beam fraction. A relatively steep minimum in the annual average daily normal incidence beam irradiation is observed from 1991 to 1993 and has been attributed to the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines during June 1991. A time series analysis of the both individual monthly and annual average daily global and normal incidence irradiation indicated a slight trend of solar brightening for this region during the time interval 1985 through 2013, but in most cases they were not statistically significant based upon their p values

A High-resolution Multi-wavelength Simultaneous Imaging System with Solar Adaptive Optics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, Changhui; Zhu, Lei; Gu, Naiting; Rao, Xuejun; Zhang, Lanqiang; Bao, Hua; Kong, Lin; Guo, Youming; Zhong, Libo; Ma, Xue’an; Li, Mei; Wang, Cheng; Zhang, Xiaojun; Fan, Xinlong; Chen, Donghong; Feng, Zhongyi; Wang, Xiaoyun; Wang, Zhiyong, E-mail: gunaiting@ioe.ac.cn [The Key Laboratory on Adaptive Optics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 350, Shuangliu, Chengdu 610209, Sichuan (China)

2017-10-01

A high-resolution multi-wavelength simultaneous imaging system from visible to near-infrared bands with a solar adaptive optics system, in which seven imaging channels, including the G band (430.5 nm), the Na i line (589 nm), the H α line (656.3 nm), the TiO band (705.7 nm), the Ca ii IR line (854.2 nm), the He i line (1083 nm), and the Fe i line (1565.3 nm), are chosen, is developed to image the solar atmosphere from the photosphere layer to the chromosphere layer. To our knowledge, this is the solar high-resolution imaging system with the widest spectral coverage. This system was demonstrated at the 1 m New Vaccum Solar Telescope and the on-sky high-resolution observational results were acquired. In this paper, we will illustrate the design and performance of the imaging system. The calibration and the data reduction of the system are also presented.

Production of solar radiation bankable datasets from high-resolution solar irradiance derived with dynamical downscaling Numerical Weather prediction model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yassine Charabi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available A bankable solar radiation database is required for the financial viability of solar energy project. Accurate estimation of solar energy resources in a country is very important for proper siting, sizing and life cycle cost analysis of solar energy systems. During the last decade an important progress has been made to develop multiple solar irradiance database (Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI and Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI, using satellite of different resolution and sophisticated models. This paper assesses the performance of High-resolution solar irradiance derived with dynamical downscaling Numerical Weather Prediction model with, GIS topographical solar radiation model, satellite data and ground measurements, for the production of bankable solar radiation datasets. For this investigation, NWP model namely Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO is used for the dynamical downscaling of solar radiation. The obtained results increase confidence in solar radiation data base obtained from dynamical downscaled NWP model. The mean bias of dynamical downscaled NWP model is small, on the order of a few percents for GHI, and it could be ranked as a bankable datasets. Fortunately, these data are usually archived in the meteorological department and gives a good idea of the hourly, monthly, and annual incident energy. Such short time-interval data are valuable in designing and operating the solar energy facility. The advantage of the NWP model is that it can be used for solar radiation forecast since it can estimate the weather condition within the next 72–120 hours. This gives a reasonable estimation of the solar radiation that in turns can be used to forecast the electric power generation by the solar power plant.

Effects of nano anatase-rutile TiO2 volume fraction with natural dye containing anthocyanin on the dye sensitized solar cell performance

Science.gov (United States)

Agustini, S.; Wahyuono, R. A.; Sawitri, D.; Risanti, D. D.

2013-09-01

Since its first development, efforts to improve efficiency of Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) are continuously carried out, either through selection of dye materials, the type of semiconductor, counter electrode design or the sandwiched structure. It is widely known that anatase and rutile are phases of TiO2 that often being used for fabrication of DSSC. Rutile is thermodynamically more stable phase having band-gap suitable for absorption of sunlight spectrum. On the other hand, anatase has higher electrical conductivity, capability to adsorp dye as well as higher electron diffusion coefficient than those of rutile. Present research uses mangosteen pericarp and Rhoeo spathacea extracted in ethanol as natural dye containing anthocyanin. These dyes were characterized by using UV-Vis and FTIR, showing that the absorption maxima peaks obtained at 389 nm and 413 nm, for mangosteen and Rhoeo spathacea, respectively. The nano TiO2 was prepared by means of co-precipitation method. The particle size were 9-11 nm and 54.5 nm for anatase and rutile, respectively, according to Scherrer's equation. DSSCs were fabricated in various volume fractions of anatase and rutile TiO2. The fabricated DSSCs were tested under 17 mW/cm2 of solar irradiation. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristic of DSSCs employing 75%: 25% volume fraction of anatase and rutile TiO2 have outstanding result than others. The highest conversion efficiencies of 0.037% and 0.013% are obtained for DSSC employing natural dye extract from mangosteen pericarp and Rhoeo spathacea, respectively.

Improved Fractional Order VSS Inc-Cond MPPT Algorithm for Photovoltaic Scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Arulmurugan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays a hot topic among the research community is the harnessing energy from the free sunlight which is abundant and pollution-free. The availability of cheap solar photovoltaic (PV modules has to harvest solar energy with better efficiency. The nature of solar modules is nonlinear and therefore the proper impedance matching is essential. The proper impedance matching ensures the extraction of the maximum power from solar PV module. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT algorithm is acting as a significant part in solar power generating system because it varies in the output power from a PV generating set for various climatic conditions. This paper suggested a new improved work for MPPT of PV energy system by using the optimized novel improved fractional order variable step size (FOVSS incremental conductance (Inc-Cond algorithm. The new proposed controller combines the merits of both improved fractional order (FO and variable step size (VSS Inc-Cond which is well suitable for design control and execution. The suggested controller results in attaining the desired transient reaction under changing operating points. MATLAB simulation effort shows MPPT controller and a DC to DC Luo converter feeding a battery load is achieved. The laboratory experimental results demonstrate that the new proposed MPPT controller in the photovoltaic generating system is valid.

Mass ejections from the solar corona into interplanetary space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hildner, E.

1977-01-01

Mass ejections from the corona are common occurrances, as observations with the High Altitude Observatory's white light coronagraph aboard Skylab showed. During 227 days of operation in 1973 and 1974 at least 77 mass ejections were observed and as many more probably occurred unobserved. It is suggested that the frequency of ejections varies with the solar cycle and that ejections may contribute 10 percent or more of the total solar mass efflux to the interplanetary medium at solar maximum. Since ejections are confined to relatively low latitudes, their fractional mass flux contribution is greater near the ecliptic than far from it. From the behavior of ejecta, we can estimate the magnitude of the force driving them through the corona. It is also suggested that loop-shaped ejection - the largest fraction of ejections - are driven, primarily, by magnetic forces. By comparison, gas pressure forces are negligible, and forces due to wave pressure are completely inadequate. That magnetic forces are important is consistent with observation that ejections seem to come, primarily, from regions where the magnetic field is more intense and more complex than elsewhere. Indeed, ejections are associated with phenomena (flares and eruptive prominences) which occur over lines separating regions of opposite polarities. (Auth.)

HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION OBSERVATIONS OF LOOPS IN THE SOLAR CORONA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brooks, David H.; Ugarte-Urra, Ignacio [College of Science, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); Warren, Harry P. [Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Winebarger, Amy R. [NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, ZP 13, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States)

2013-08-01

Understanding how the solar corona is structured is of fundamental importance to determine how the Sun's upper atmosphere is heated to high temperatures. Recent spectroscopic studies have suggested that an instrument with a spatial resolution of 200 km or better is necessary to resolve coronal loops. The High Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C) achieved this performance on a rocket flight in 2012 July. We use Hi-C data to measure the Gaussian widths of 91 loops observed in the solar corona and find a distribution that peaks at about 270 km. We also use Atmospheric Imaging Assembly data for a subset of these loops and find temperature distributions that are generally very narrow. These observations provide further evidence that loops in the solar corona are often structured at a scale of several hundred kilometers, well above the spatial scale of many proposed physical mechanisms.

3D-Printed, All-in-One Evaporator for High-Efficiency Solar Steam Generation under 1 Sun Illumination.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yiju; Gao, Tingting; Yang, Zhi; Chen, Chaoji; Luo, Wei; Song, Jianwei; Hitz, Emily; Jia, Chao; Zhou, Yubing; Liu, Boyang; Yang, Bao; Hu, Liangbing

2017-07-01

Using solar energy to generate steam is a clean and sustainable approach to addressing the issue of water shortage. The current challenge for solar steam generation is to develop easy-to-manufacture and scalable methods which can convert solar irradiation into exploitable thermal energy with high efficiency. Although various material and structure designs have been reported, high efficiency in solar steam generation usually can be achieved only at concentrated solar illumination. For the first time, 3D printing to construct an all-in-one evaporator with a concave structure for high-efficiency solar steam generation under 1 sun illumination is used. The solar-steam-generation device has a high porosity (97.3%) and efficient broadband solar absorption (>97%). The 3D-printed porous evaporator with intrinsic low thermal conductivity enables heat localization and effectively alleviates thermal dissipation to the bulk water. As a result, the 3D-printed evaporator has a high solar steam efficiency of 85.6% under 1 sun illumination (1 kW m -2 ), which is among the best compared with other reported evaporators. The all-in-one structure design using the advanced 3D printing fabrication technique offers a new approach to solar energy harvesting for high-efficiency steam generation. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Satellite-based trends of solar radiation and cloud parameters in Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Pfeifroth, Uwe; Bojanowski, Jedrzej S.; Clerbaux, Nicolas; Manara, Veronica; Sanchez-Lorenzo, Arturo; Trentmann, Jörg; Walawender, Jakub P.; Hollmann, Rainer

2018-04-01

Solar radiation is the main driver of the Earth's climate. Measuring solar radiation and analysing its interaction with clouds are essential for the understanding of the climate system. The EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM SAF) generates satellite-based, high-quality climate data records, with a focus on the energy balance and water cycle. Here, multiple of these data records are analyzed in a common framework to assess the consistency in trends and spatio-temporal variability of surface solar radiation, top-of-atmosphere reflected solar radiation and cloud fraction. This multi-parameter analysis focuses on Europe and covers the time period from 1992 to 2015. A high correlation between these three variables has been found over Europe. An overall consistency of the climate data records reveals an increase of surface solar radiation and a decrease in top-of-atmosphere reflected radiation. In addition, those trends are confirmed by negative trends in cloud cover. This consistency documents the high quality and stability of the CM SAF climate data records, which are mostly derived independently from each other. The results of this study indicate that one of the main reasons for the positive trend in surface solar radiation since the 1990's is a decrease in cloud coverage even if an aerosol contribution cannot be completely ruled out.

Advances in High-Efficiency III-V Multijunction Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard R. King

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The high efficiency of multijunction concentrator cells has the potential to revolutionize the cost structure of photovoltaic electricity generation. Advances in the design of metamorphic subcells to reduce carrier recombination and increase voltage, wide-band-gap tunnel junctions capable of operating at high concentration, metamorphic buffers to transition from the substrate lattice constant to that of the epitaxial subcells, concentrator cell AR coating and grid design, and integration into 3-junction cells with current-matched subcells under the terrestrial spectrum have resulted in new heights in solar cell performance. A metamorphic Ga0.44In0.56P/Ga0.92In0.08As/ Ge 3-junction solar cell from this research has reached a record 40.7% efficiency at 240 suns, under the standard reporting spectrum for terrestrial concentrator cells (AM1.5 direct, low-AOD, 24.0 W/cm2, 25∘C, and experimental lattice-matched 3-junction cells have now also achieved over 40% efficiency, with 40.1% measured at 135 suns. This metamorphic 3-junction device is the first solar cell to reach over 40% in efficiency, and has the highest solar conversion efficiency for any type of photovoltaic cell developed to date. Solar cells with more junctions offer the potential for still higher efficiencies to be reached. Four-junction cells limited by radiative recombination can reach over 58% in principle, and practical 4-junction cell efficiencies over 46% are possible with the right combination of band gaps, taking into account series resistance and gridline shadowing. Many of the optimum band gaps for maximum energy conversion can be accessed with metamorphic semiconductor materials. The lower current in cells with 4 or more junctions, resulting in lower I2R resistive power loss, is a particularly significant advantage in concentrator PV systems. Prototype 4-junction terrestrial concentrator cells have been grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy, with preliminary measured

Full Spectrum Diffused and Beamed Solar Energy Application Using Optical Fibre

OpenAIRE

Majumdar, M. R. Dutta; Das, Debasish

2007-01-01

Existing solar energy application systems use small fraction of full spectrum of solar energy. So attempts are made to show how full spectrum solar energy can be used for diffused and beamed form of incident solar energy. Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC) principle with optical fibre in diffused sun light and dielectric mirror separation technique with optical fibre in beamed form are discussed. Comparison of both the cases are done. Keywords: full spectrum, solar photonics, diffused solar...

Tracking strategy for photovoltaic solar systems in high latitudes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quesada, Guillermo; Guillon, Laura; Rousse, Daniel R.; Mehrtash, Mostafa; Dutil, Yvan; Paradis, Pierre-Luc

2015-01-01

Highlights: • In cloudy conditions tracking the sun is ineffective. • A methodology to estimate a theoretical threshold for solar tracking was developed. • A tracking strategy to maximize electricity production was proposed. - Abstract: Several studies show that from about 20% to 50% more solar energy can be recovered by using photovoltaic systems that track the sun rather than systems set at a fixed angle. For overcast or cloudy days, recent studies propose the use of a set position in which each photovoltaic panel faces toward the zenith (horizontal position). Compared to a panel that follows the sun’s path, this approach claims that a horizontal panel increases the amount of solar radiation captured and subsequently the quantity of electricity produced. The present work assesses a solar tracking photovoltaic panel hourly and seasonally in high latitudes. A theoretical method based on an isotropic sky model was formulated, implemented, and used in a case study analysis of a grid-connected photovoltaic system in Montreal, Canada. The results obtained, based on the definition of a critical hourly global solar radiation, were validated numerically and experimentally. The study confirmed that a zenith-set sun tracking strategy for overcast or mostly cloudy days in summer is not advantageous

High efficient plastic solar cells fabricated with a high-throughput gravure printing method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kopola, P.; Jin, H.; Tuomikoski, M.; Maaninen, A.; Hast, J. [VTT, Kaitovaeylae 1, FIN-90571 Oulu (Finland); Aernouts, T. [IMEC, Organic PhotoVoltaics, Polymer and Molecular Electronics, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Guillerez, S. [CEA-INES RDI, 50 Avenue Du Lac Leman, 73370 Le Bourget Du Lac (France)

2010-10-15

We report on polymer-based solar cells prepared by the high-throughput roll-to-roll gravure printing method. The engravings of the printing plate, along with process parameters like printing speed and ink properties, are studied to optimise the printability of the photoactive as well as the hole transport layer. For the hole transport layer, the focus is on testing different formulations to produce thorough wetting of the indium-tin-oxide (ITO) substrate. The challenge for the photoactive layer is to form a uniform layer with optimal nanomorphology in the poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blend. This results in a power conversion efficiency of 2.8% under simulated AM1.5G solar illumination for a solar cell device with gravure-printed hole transport and a photoactive layer. (author)

Performance enhancement of direct ethanol fuel cell using Nafion composites with high volume fraction of titania

Science.gov (United States)

Matos, B. R.; Isidoro, R. A.; Santiago, E. I.; Fonseca, F. C.

2014-12-01

The present study reports on the performance enhancement of direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) at 130 °C with Nafion-titania composite electrolytes prepared by sol-gel technique and containing high volume fractions of the ceramic phase. It is found that for high volume fractions of titania (>10 vol%) the ethanol uptake of composites is largely reduced while the proton conductivity at high-temperatures is weakly dependent on the titania content. Such tradeoff between alcohol uptake and conductivity resulted in a boost of DEFC performance at high temperatures using Nafion-titania composites with high fraction of the inorganic phase.

High-energy and high-fluence proton irradiation effects in silicon solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaguchi, M.; Taylor, S.J.; Yang, M.; Matsuda, S.; Kawasaki, O.; Hisamatsu, T.

1996-01-01

We have examined proton irradiation damage in high-energy (1 endash 10 MeV) and high-fluence (approx-gt 10 13 cm -2 ) Si n + -p-p + structure space solar cells. Radiation testing has revealed an anomalous increase in short-circuit current I sc followed by an abrupt decrease and cell failure, induced by high-fluence proton irradiation. We propose a model to explain these phenomena by expressing the change in carrier concentration p of the base region as a function of the proton fluence in addition to the well-known model where the short-circuit current is decreased by minority-carrier lifetime reduction after irradiation. The reduction in carrier concentration due to majority-carrier trapping by radiation-induced defects has two effects. First, broadening of the depletion layer increases both the generation endash recombination current and also the contribution of the photocurrent generated in this region to the total photocurrent. Second, the resistivity of the base layer is increased, resulting in the abrupt decrease in the short circuit current and failure of the solar cells. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

A Reexamination of Deuterium Fractionation on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Pathare, A.; Paige, D. A.

1997-07-01

The ratio of deuterium to hydrogen in the Martian atmosphere is enhanced by a factor of 5 with respect to the terrestrial value, probably due to fractionation associated with thermal Jeans escape from the top of the atmosphere. Theoretical analyses of the relative efficiency of H and D escape have suggested that the deuterium enrichment implies Mars has outgassed the vast majority of its H2O and that the Martian atmosphere is presently not exchanging water with a juvenile reservoir. However, measurements of high and variable D/H values within hydrous minerals in SNC meteorites strongly suggest that mixing between the atmosphere and juvenile water has taken place. Furthermore, the lack of any observed enrichment of atmospheric (18) O with respect to (16) O, in spite of fractionating nonthermal escape mechanisms, indicates buffering by some juvenile source of oxygen, most probably in the form of a surface or subsurface reservoir of water. We propose that this apparent paradox in the interpretation of isotopic hydrogen and oxygen fractionation --or lack thereof-- can be resolved by re-examining the standard model of deuterium fractionation efficiency on Mars. Specifically, we demonstrate the importance of using upper atmospheric temperatures more representative of the range experienced by the Martian exosphere over the course of the solar cycle. Preliminary calculations involving changes in effusion velocity and diffusive separation as a function of exospheric temperature indicate that incorporating these more representative lower exospheric temperatures will reduce the relative efficiency of D escape, in which case the observed enrichment of deuterium can indeed result from exchange with a juvenile source of water. We are in the process of confirming these computations with a one-dimensional upper atmospheric photochemical model that considers the effects of changing solar activity and exospheric temperature on ionospheric composition. If our initial calculations are

Solar air-conditioning. Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-07-01

Within the 3rd International Conference on solar air-conditioning in Palermo (Italy) at 30th September to 2nd October, 2009 the following lectures were held: (1) Removal of non-technological barriers to solar cooling technology across Southern European islands (Stefano Rugginenti); (2) The added economic and environmental value of solar thermal systems in microgrids with combined heat and power (Chris Marney); (3) Australian solar cooling interest group (Paul Kohlenbach); (4) Designing of a technology roadmap for solar assisted air conditioning in Austria (Hilbert Focke); (5) Solar cooling in the new context of renewable policies at European level (Raffaele Piria); (6) Prototype of a solar driven steam jet ejector chiller (Clemens Pollerberg); (7) New integrated solar air conditioning system (Joan Carlos Bruno); (8) Primary energy optimised operation of solar driven desiccant evaporative cooling systems through innovative control strategies; (9) Green chiller association (Uli Jakob); (10) Climate Well {sup registered} (Olof Hallstrom); (11) Low capacity absorption chillers for solar cooling applications (Gregor Weidner); (12) Solar cooling in residential, small scale commercial and industrial applications with adsorption technology (Walter Mittelbach); (13) French solar heating and cooling development programme based on energy performance (Daniel Mugnier); (14) Mirrox fresnel process heat collectors for industrial applications and solar cooling (Christian Zahler); (15) Modelling and analyzing solar cooling systems in polysun (Seyen Hossein Rezaei); (16) Solar cooling application in Valle Susa Italy (Sufia Jung); (17) Virtual case study on small solar cooling systems within the SolarCombi+Project (Bjoern Nienborg); (18) Design of solar cooling plants under uncertainty (Fernando Dominguez-Munoz); (19) Fast pre-design of systems using solar thermally driven chillers (Hans-Martin Henning); (20) Design of a high fraction solar heating and cooling plant in southern

Energy management strategy for solar-powered high-altitude long-endurance aircraft

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Xian-Zhong; Hou, Zhong-Xi; Guo, Zheng; Liu, Jian-Xia; Chen, Xiao-Qian

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A new Energy Management Strategy (EMS) for high-altitude solar-powered aircraft is purposed. ► The simulations show that the aircraft can always keep the altitude above 16 km with the proposed EMS. ► The proposed EMS is capable to alleviate the power consumed for aircraft during night. ► The main technologies to improve the flight performance of aircraft are analyzed. - Abstract: Development of solar-powered High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) aircraft has a great impact on both military and civil aviation industries since its features in high-altitude and energy source can be considered inexhaustible. Owing to the development constraints of rechargeable batteries, the solar-powered HALE aircraft must take amount of rechargeable batteries to fulfill the energy requirement in night, which greatly limits the operation altitude of aircraft. In order to solve this problem, a new Energy Management Strategy (EMS) is proposed based on the idea that the solar energy can be partly stored in gravitational potential in daytime. The flight path of HALE aircraft is divided into three stages. During the stage 1, the solar energy is stored in both lithium–sulfur battery and gravitational potential. The gravitational potential is released in stage 2 by gravitational gliding and the required power in stage 3 is supplied by lithium–sulfur battery. Correspondingly, the EMS is designed for each stage. The simulation results show that the aircraft can always keep the altitude above 16 km with the proposed EMS, and the power consumed during night can be also alleviated. Comparing with the current EMS, about 23.5% energy is remained in batteries with the proposed EMS during one day–night cycle. The sensitivities of the improvement of crucial technologies to the performance of aircraft are also analyzed. The results show that the enhancement of control and structural system, lithium–sulfur battery, and solar cell are ranked in descending order for the

Performance characterization of the SERI High-Flux Solar Furnace

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewandowski, A.; Bingham, C. (Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (United States)); O' Gallagher, J.; Winston, R.; Sagie, D. (Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States))

1991-12-01

This paper describes a unique, new solar furnace at the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) that can generate a wide range of flux concentrations to support research in areas including materials processing, high-temperature detoxification and high-flux optics. The furnace is unique in that it uses a flat, tracking heliostat along with a long focal length-to-diameter (f/D) primary concentrator in an off-axis configuration. The experiments are located inside a building completely outside the beam between the heliostat and primary concentrator. The long f/D ratio of the primary concentrator was designed to take advantage of a nonimaging secondary concentrator to significantly increase the flux concentration capabilities of the system. Results are reported for both the single-stage and two-stage configurations. (orig.).

Horizontally staggered lightguide solar concentrator with lateral displacement tracking for high concentration applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Hongcai; Wu, Lin

2015-07-10

We present the design of a horizontally staggered lightguide solar concentrator with lateral displacement tracking for high concentration applications. This solar concentrator consists of an array of telecentric primary concentrators, a horizontally staggered lightguide layer, and a vertically tapered lightguide layer. The primary concentrator is realized by two plano-aspheric lenses with lateral movement and maintains a high F-number over an angle range of ±23.5°. The results of the simulations show that the solar concentrator achieves a high concentration ratio of 500× with ±0.5° of acceptance angle by a single-axis tracker and dual lateral translation stages.

A high absorbance material for solar collectors' applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliva, A I; Maldonado, R D; Díaz, E A; Montalvo, A I

2013-01-01

In this work, we proposed a low cost material to be used as an excellent absorber for solar collectors, to increase its thermal efficiency by the high capacity to absorb solar radiation. The material, known as 'smoke black' (soot) can be obtained by the incomplete combustion of organic materials, such as the oxygen-acetylene, paraffin, or candles. A comparative analysis between the optical properties (reflectance, absorbance, and emissivity) measured on three covered copper surfaces (without paint, with a commercial matte black paint, and with smoke black) shows amazing optical results for the smoke black. Reflectance values of the smoke black applied over copper surfaces improves 56 times the values obtained from commercial black paints. High values of emissivity (E=0.9988) were measured on the surface covered with smoke black by spectrophotometry in the UV-VIS range, which represents about 7% of increment as compared with the value obtained for commercial black paints (E=0.938). The proposed high absorbance material can be easily applied on any kind of surfaces at low cost.

A high-performance stand-alone solar PV power system for LED lighting

KAUST Repository

Huang, B. J.; Hsu, P. C.; Wu, M. S.; Chen, K.Y.

2010-01-01

The present study developed a high-performance solar PV power technology for the LED lighting of a solar home system. The nMPPO (near-Maximum-Power- Point- Operation) design is employed in system design to eliminate MPPT. A feedback control system

Clay-brick firing in a high-temperature solar furnace

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Villeda-Munoz, G. [Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Unidad Queretaro, Queretaro (Mexico)]. E-mail: gvilledam@ipn.mx; Castaneda-Miranda, A. [Computation & amp; Mechatronic Studies Division, Universidad Politecnica de Queretaro, Queretaro (Mexico)]. E-mail: acastaneda@upq.edu.mx; Pless, R.C. [Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Unidad Queretaro, Queretaro (Mexico)]. E-mail: rpless@ipn.mx; Vega-Duran, J.T. [Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Unidad Queretaro, Queretaro (Mexico); Pineda-Pinon, J. [Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Unidad Queretaro, Queretaro (Mexico)]. E-mail: jpinedap@ipn.mx

2011-10-15

The firing process for clay-brick production in traditional kilns generates atmospheric pollution when industrial and domestic scrap is used as fuel. An alternative is presented here, using the solar energy for clay-brick firing. We are developing a system for clay-brick firing to reach temperatures between 900 degrees Celsius and 1050 degrees Celsius; these temperatures are sufficiently high to fire bricks or similar ceramic products. The present paper describes the design and characterization of the components of a solar furnace for clay-brick firing with inner chamber dimensions of 0.48 * 0.61 * 0.64 m. To convey the sunlight to the firing chamber, a heliostat with nine 1 * 1 m mirrors is used to send the rays of the sun to an off-axis parabolic concentrator that focuses the light on the entrance of the firing chamber. The heliostat has a solar-tracking system which makes primary and secondary adjustments to assure that the reflected solar radiation always arrives at the concentrator. The firing chamber contains a prismatic cavity that absorbs the solar radiation to generate the heat which is needed for baking the bricks inside the firing chamber. [Spanish] El proceso de coccion para la produccion de tabiques de arcilla en hornos tradicionales genera contaminacion atmosferica cuando los desechos industriales y domesticos se usan como combustibles. Aqui se presenta una alternativa, utilizando la energia solar para la coccion de tabiques de arcilla. Estamos desarrollando un sistema para la coccion de tabiques de arcilla para alcanzar temperaturas entre 900 grados centigradosy 1050 grados centigrados; estas temperaturas son suficientemente altas para cocer tabiques o productos ceramicos similares. El presente articulo describe el diseno y caracterizacion de los componentes de un horno solar para la coccion de tabiques de arcilla con una camara con dimensiones internas de 0.48 * 0.61 *× 0.64 m. Para dirigir los rayos solares a la camara de coccion, un heliostato

Measurement of the local void fraction at high pressures in a heating channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, R.

1969-01-01

Void fraction measurements were made in two phase flow boiling systems at high pressures in a uniformly heated, rectangular channel with a high aspect ratio. The local void fraction values were calculated from measurements of the absorption of a thin collimated X-ray beam (2 mm x 0.05 mm). The mean void fraction in a horizontal section results from integration of the local values across the section. At a fixed measuring station the quality and- void fraction were varied by changing the heat flux, flow rate and pressure systematically. Two channels were used differing in length and thickness (150.8 cm x 5.3 cm x 0.2 cm and the significant features of this study are: -1) The void fraction measurements are among the first obtained at such high pressure (80 to 140 kg/cm 2 ); -2) In the experimental region under consideration the measurements are systematic and numerous enough to allow accurate interpolations: mass velocity from 50 to 220 g/cm 2 .s, heat flux from 40 to 170 W/cm 2 and calculated steam quality from -0.2 to 0.2; -3) Many tests were performed under local boiling conditions with the mean temperature of the fluid below the saturation temperature; and -4) These results were compared to the predictions of certain models presented in the literature and simple empirical formulae were developed to fit the experimental results. (author) [fr

Potential high efficiency solar cells: Applications from space photovoltaic research

Science.gov (United States)

Flood, D. J.

1986-01-01

NASA involvement in photovoltaic energy conversion research development and applications spans over two decades of continuous progress. Solar cell research and development programs conducted by the Lewis Research Center's Photovoltaic Branch have produced a sound technology base not only for the space program, but for terrestrial applications as well. The fundamental goals which have guided the NASA photovoltaic program are to improve the efficiency and lifetime, and to reduce the mass and cost of photovoltaic energy conversion devices and arrays for use in space. The major efforts in the current Lewis program are on high efficiency, single crystal GaAs planar and concentrator cells, radiation hard InP cells, and superlattice solar cells. A brief historical perspective of accomplishments in high efficiency space solar cells will be given, and current work in all of the above categories will be described. The applicability of space cell research and technology to terrestrial photovoltaics will be discussed.

Second Generation Novel High Temperature Commercial Receiver & Low Cost High Performance Mirror Collector for Parabolic Solar Trough

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stettenheim, Joel [Norwich Technologies, White River Junction, VT (United States)

2016-02-29

Norwich Technologies (NT) is developing a disruptively superior solar field for trough concentrating solar power (CSP). Troughs are the leading CSP technology (85% of installed capacity), being highly deployable and similar to photovoltaic (PV) systems for siting. NT has developed the SunTrap receiver, a disruptive alternative to vacuum-tube concentrating solar power (CSP) receivers, a market currently dominated by the Schott PTR-70. The SunTrap receiver will (1) operate at higher temperature (T) by using an insulated, recessed radiation-collection system to overcome the energy losses that plague vacuum-tube receivers at high T, (2) decrease acquisition costs via simpler structure, and (3) dramatically increase reliability by eliminating vacuum. It offers comparable optical efficiency with thermal loss reduction from ≥ 26% (at presently standard T) to ≥ 55% (at high T), lower acquisition costs, and near-zero O&M costs.

Modular Ultra-High Power Solar Array Architecture, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Deployable Space Systems, Inc. (DSS) will focus the proposed SBIR program on the development of a new highly-modularized and extremely-scalable solar array that...

High Efficiency Quantum Well Waveguide Solar Cells, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The long-term objective of this program is to develop flexible, lightweight, single-junction solar cells using quantum structured designs that can achieve ultra-high...

CARBON ISOTOPE FRACTIONATION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, Paul M.; Willacy, Karen

2009-01-01

We investigate the gas-phase and grain-surface chemistry in the inner 30 AU of a typical protoplanetary disk (PPD) using a new model which calculates the gas temperature by solving the gas heating and cooling balance and which has an improved treatment of the UV radiation field. We discuss inner-disk chemistry in general, obtaining excellent agreement with recent observations which have probed the material in the inner regions of PPDs. We also apply our model to study the isotopic fractionation of carbon. Results show that the fractionation ratio, 12 C/ 13 C, of the system varies with radius and height in the disk. Different behavior is seen in the fractionation of different species. We compare our results with 12 C/ 13 C ratios in the solar system comets, and find a stark contrast, indicative of reprocessing.

Innovative architecture design for high performance organic and hybrid multi-junction solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ning; Spyropoulos, George D.; Brabec, Christoph J.

2017-08-01

The multi-junction concept is especially attractive for the photovoltaic (PV) research community owing to its potential to overcome the Schockley-Queisser limit of single-junction solar cells. Tremendous research interests are now focused on the development of high-performance absorbers and novel device architectures for emerging PV technologies, such as organic and perovskite PVs. It has been predicted that the multi-junction concept is able to boost the organic and perovskite PV technologies approaching the 20% and 30% benchmarks, respectively, showing a bright future of commercialization of the emerging PV technologies. In this contribution, we will demonstrate innovative architecture design for solution-processed, highly functional organic and hybrid multi-junction solar cells. A simple but elegant approach to fabricating organic and hybrid multi-junction solar cells will be introduced. By laminating single organic/hybrid solar cells together through an intermediate layer, the manufacturing cost and complexity of large-scale multi-junction solar cells can be significantly reduced. This smart approach to balancing the photocurrents as well as open circuit voltages in multi-junction solar cells will be demonstrated and discussed in detail.

Unraveling the High Open Circuit Voltage and High Performance of Integrated Perovskite/Organic Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Shiqi; Liu, Yongsheng; Hong, Ziruo; Yao, Enping; Sun, Pengyu; Meng, Lei; Lin, Yuze; Huang, Jinsong; Li, Gang; Yang, Yang

2017-08-09

We have demonstrated high-performance integrated perovskite/bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells due to the low carrier recombination velocity, high open circuit voltage (V OC ), and increased light absorption ability in near-infrared (NIR) region of integrated devices. In particular, we find that the V OC of the integrated devices is dominated by (or pinned to) the perovskite cells, not the organic photovoltaic cells. A Quasi-Fermi Level Pinning Model was proposed to understand the working mechanism and the origin of the V OC of the integrated perovskite/BHJ solar cell, which following that of the perovskite solar cell and is much higher than that of the low bandgap polymer based organic BHJ solar cell. Evidence for the model was enhanced by examining the charge carrier behavior and photovoltaic behavior of the integrated devices under illumination of monochromatic light-emitting diodes at different characteristic wavelength. This finding shall pave an interesting possibility for integrated photovoltaic devices to harvest low energy photons in NIR region and further improve the current density without sacrificing V OC , thus providing new opportunities and significant implications for future industry applications of this kind of integrated solar cells.

Cosmic ray nucleonic intensity in low-amplitude days during the passage of high-speed solar wind streams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarwal, R.; Mishra, R.K.; Tiwari, S.; or rm_jbp@yahoo.co.in

2008-01-01

One of the most striking features of solar wind is its organization into high- and low- speed streams. It is now well established that the passage over the Earth of high-speed solar wind streams leads to geomagnetic disturbances. The high-speed plasma streams are thus a key element in the complex chain of events that link geomagnetic activity to the solar activity and are therefore of great interest to the solar terrestrial physics. Two types of high-speed solar wind streams - coronal-hole-associated (or corotating) and flare-generated - were studied based on magnetic field and solar wind plasma parameters. In the work, the dependence was obtained for cosmic ray (CR) depressions due to high-speed solar wind streams during low-amplitude days. The CR nucleonic intensity data were subjected to the superposed epoch analysis with respect to the start time of high-speed solar wind streams. It was found that streams of both types produce significant deviations in the CR intensity during low-amplitude anisotropic wave train events. At the onset of such streams the CR intensity reaches its minimum during low-amplitude events and then increases statistically. (Authors)

Highly crumpled solar reduced graphene oxide electrode for supercapacitor application

Science.gov (United States)

Mohanapriya, K.; Ahirrao, Dinesh J.; Jha, Neetu

2018-04-01

Highly crumpled solar reduced graphene oxide (CSRGO) was synthesized by simple and rapid method through freezing the solar reduced graphene oxide aqueous suspension using liquid nitrogen and used as electrode material for supercapacitor application. This electrode material was characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-Ray diffractometer (XRD) and Raman Spectroscopy techniques to understand the morphology and structure. The electrochemical performance was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (CD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using 6M KOH electrolyte. The CSRGO exhibit high specifc capacitance of 210.1 F g-1 at the current density of 0.5 A g-1 and shows excellent rate capability. These features make the CSRGO material as promising electrode for high-performance supercapacitors.

FIRST MEASUREMENTS OF {sup 15}N FRACTIONATION IN N{sub 2}H{sup +} TOWARD HIGH-MASS STAR-FORMING CORES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fontani, F. [INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, L.go E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze (Italy); Caselli, P.; Bizzocchi, L. [Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Palau, A. [Centro de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, P.O. Box 3-72, 58090 Morelia, Michoacán, México (Mexico); Ceccarelli, C. [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble (France)

2015-08-01

We report on the first measurements of the isotopic ratio {sup 14}N/{sup 15}N in N{sub 2}H{sup +} toward a statistically significant sample of high-mass star-forming cores. The sources belong to the three main evolutionary categories of the high-mass star formation process: high-mass starless cores, high-mass protostellar objects, and ultracompact H ii regions. Simultaneous measurements of the {sup 14}N/{sup 15}N ratio in CN have been made. The {sup 14}N/{sup 15}N ratios derived from N{sub 2}H{sup +} show a large spread (from ∼180 up to ∼1300), while those derived from CN are in between the value measured in the terrestrial atmosphere (∼270) and that of the proto-solar nebula (∼440) for the large majority of the sources within the errors. However, this different spread might be due to the fact that the sources detected in the N{sub 2}H{sup +} isotopologues are more than those detected in the CN ones. The {sup 14}N/{sup 15}N ratio does not change significantly with the source evolutionary stage, which indicates that time seems to be irrelevant for the fractionation of nitrogen. We also find a possible anticorrelation between the {sup 14}N/{sup 15}N (as derived from N{sub 2}H{sup +}) and the H/D isotopic ratios. This suggests that {sup 15}N enrichment could not be linked to the parameters that cause D enrichment, in agreement with the prediction by recent chemical models. These models, however, are not able to reproduce the observed large spread in {sup 14}N/{sup 15}N, pointing out that some important routes of nitrogen fractionation could be still missing in the models.

Research programme 'Active Solar Energy Use - Solar Heating and Heat Storage'. Activities and projects 2003

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadorn, J.-C.; Renaud, P.

2003-01-01

In this report by the research, development and demonstration (RD+D) programme coordinators the objectives, activities and main results in the area of solar heating and heat storage in Switzerland are presented for 2003. In a stagnating market environment the strategy of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy mainly consists in improving the quality and durability of solar collectors and materials, optimizing combisystems for space heating and domestic hot water preparation, searching for storage systems with a higher energy storage density than in the case of sensible heat storage in water, developing coloured solar collectors for more architectonic freedom, and finalizing a seasonal heat storage project for 100 dwellings to demonstrate the feasibility of solar fractions larger than 50% in apartment houses. Support was granted to the Swiss Testing Facility SPF in Rapperswil as in previous years; SPF was the first European testing institute to perform solar collector labeling according to the new rules of the 'Solar Keymark', introduced in cooperation with the European Committee for Standardization CEN. Several 2003 projects were conducted within the framework of the Solar Heating and Cooling Programme of the International Energy Agency IEA. Computerized simulation tools were improved. With the aim of jointly producing high-temperature heat and electric power a solar installation including a concentrating collector and a thermodynamic machine based on a Rankine cycle is still being developed. Seasonal underground heat storage was studied in detail by means of a validated computer simulation programme. Design guidelines were obtained for such a storage used in the summer time for cooling and in the winter time for space heating via a heat pump: depending on the ratio 'summer cooling / winter heating', cooling requires a cooling machine, or direct cooling without such a machine is possible. The report ends up with the list of all supported RD+D projects

Highly Efficient Flexible Quantum Dot Solar Cells with Improved Electron Extraction Using MgZnO Nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoliang; Santra, Pralay Kanti; Tian, Lei; Johansson, Malin B; Rensmo, Håkan; Johansson, Erik M J

2017-08-22

Colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells have high potential for realizing an efficient and lightweight energy supply for flexible or wearable electronic devices. To achieve highly efficient and flexible CQD solar cells, the electron transport layer (ETL), extracting electrons from the CQD solid layer, needs to be processed at a low-temperature and should also suppress interfacial recombination. Herein, a highly stable MgZnO nanocrystal (MZO-NC) layer is reported for efficient flexible PbS CQD solar cells. Solar cells fabricated with MZO-NC ETL give a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.4% and 9.4%, on glass and flexible plastic substrates, respectively. The reported flexible CQD solar cell has the record efficiency to date of flexible CQD solar cells. Detailed theoretical simulations and extensive characterizations reveal that the MZO-NCs significantly enhance charge extraction from CQD solids and diminish the charge accumulation at the ETL/CQD interface, suppressing charge interfacial recombination. These important results suggest that the low-temperature processed MZO-NCs are very promising for use in efficient flexible solar cells or other flexible optoelectronic devices.

ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SLOW SPEED SOLAR WIND: HELIUM ABUNDANCE VARIATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rakowski, Cara E.; Laming, J. Martin [Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory Code 7674L, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)

2012-07-20

The first ionization potential (FIP) effect is the by now well-known enhancement in abundance over photospheric values of Fe and other elements with FIP below about 10 eV observed in the solar corona and slow speed solar wind. In our model, this fractionation is achieved by means of the ponderomotive force, arising as Alfven waves propagate through or reflect from steep density gradients in the solar chromosphere. This is also the region where low FIP elements are ionized, and high FIP elements are largely neutral leading to the fractionation as ions interact with the waves but neutrals do not. Helium, the element with the highest FIP and consequently the last to remain neutral as one moves upward, can be depleted in such models. Here, we investigate this depletion for varying loop lengths and magnetic field strengths. Variations in this depletion arise as the concentration of the ponderomotive force at the top of the chromosphere varies in response to Alfven wave frequency with respect to the resonant frequency of the overlying coronal loop, the magnetic field, and possibly also the loop length. We find that stronger depletions of He are obtained for weaker magnetic field, at frequencies close to or just above the loop resonance. These results may have relevance to observed variations of the slow wind solar He abundance with wind speed, with slower slow speed solar wind having a stronger depletion of He.

Development of high-efficiency solar cells on silicon web

Science.gov (United States)

Meier, D. L.; Greggi, J.; Okeeffe, T. W.; Rai-Choudhury, P.

1986-01-01

Work was performed to improve web base material with a goal of obtaining solar cell efficiencies in excess of 18% (AM1). Efforts in this program are directed toward identifying carrier loss mechanisms in web silicon, eliminating or reducing these mechanisms, designing a high efficiency cell structure with the aid of numerical models, and fabricating high efficiency web solar cells. Fabrication techniques must preserve or enhance carrier lifetime in the bulk of the cell and minimize recombination of carriers at the external surfaces. Three completed cells were viewed by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in order to investigate further the relation between structural defects and electrical performance of web cells. Consistent with past TEM examinations, the cell with the highest efficiency (15.0%) had no dislocations but did have 11 twin planes.

Investigating the collector efficiency of silver nanofluids based direct absorption solar collectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Meijie; He, Yurong; Zhu, Jiaqi; Wen, Dongsheng

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An analysis coupled with Radiation transfer, Maxwell and Energy equation is developed. • Plasmonic Au and Ag nanofluids show better photo-thermal conversion properties. • Collector height and particle concentration exist optimum solutions for efficiency. - Abstract: A one-dimensional transient heat transfer analysis was carried out to analyze the effects of the Nanoparticle (NP) volume fraction, collector height, irradiation time, solar flux, and NP material on the collector efficiency. The numerical results were compared with the experimental results obtained by silver nanofluids to validate the model, and good agreement was obtained. The numerical results show that the collector efficiency increases as the collector height and NP volume fraction increase and then reaches a maximum value. An optimum collector height (∼10 mm) and particle concentration (∼0.03%) achieving a collector efficiency of 90% of the maximum efficiency can be obtained under the conditions used in the simulation. However, the collector efficiency decreases as the irradiation time increases owing to the increased heat loss. A high solar flux is desirable to maintain a high efficiency over a wide temperature range, which is beneficial for subsequent energy utilization. The modeling results also show silver and gold nanofluids obtain higher photothermal conversion efficiencies than the titanium dioxide nanofluid because their absorption spectra are similar to the solar radiation spectrum.

IUE observations of solar-type stars in the Pleiades and the Hyades

Science.gov (United States)

Caillault, Jean-Pierre; Vilhu, Osmi; Linsky, Jeffrey L.

1991-01-01

An extensive set of IUE observations of solar-type stars (spectral types F5-G5) in the Pleiades is presented. Spectra were obtained in January and August 1988 for both the transition region and chromospheric emission wavelength regions, respectively. Mg II fluxes were detected for two out of three Pleiades stars and C IV upper limits for two of these stars. Long-wavelength high-resolution spectra were also obtained for previously unobserved solar-type stars in the Hyades. With the inclusion of spectra of additional Hyades stars obtained from the IUE archives, surface fluxes and fractional luminosities for both clusters' solar-type stars are calculated; these values provide a better estimate for the Mg II saturation line for single stars.

High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy Boost for Prostate Cancer: Comparison of Two Different Fractionation Schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaprealian, Tania; Weinberg, Vivian; Speight, Joycelyn L.; Gottschalk, Alexander R.; Roach, Mack; Shinohara, Katsuto; Hsu, I.-Chow

2012-01-01

Purpose: This is a retrospective study comparing our experience with high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy boost for prostate cancer, using two different fractionation schemes, 600 cGy × 3 fractions (patient group 1) and 950 cGy × 2 fractions (patient group 2). Methods and Materials: A total of 165 patients were treated for prostate cancer using external beam radiation therapy up to a dose of 45 Gy, followed by an HDR brachytherapy prostate radiation boost. Between July 1997 and Nov 1999, 64 patients were treated with an HDR boost of 600 cGy × 3 fractions; and between June 2000 and Nov 2005, 101 patients were treated with an HDR boost of 950 cGy × 2 fractions. All but 9 patients had at least one of the following risk features: pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level >10, a Gleason score ≥7, and/or clinical stage T3 disease. Results: Median follow-up was 105 months for group 1 and 43 months for group 2. Patients in group 2 had a greater number of high-risk features than group 1 (p = 0.02). Adjusted for comparable follow-up, there was no difference in biochemical no-evidence-of-disease (bNED) rate between the two fractionation scheme approaches, with 5-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of 93.5% in group 1 and 87.3% in group 2 (p = 0.19). The 5-year estimates of progression-free survival were 86% for group 1 and 83% for group 2 (p = 0.53). Among high-risk patients, there were no differences in bNED or PFS rate due to fractionation. Conclusions: Results were excellent for both groups. Adjusted for comparable follow-up, no differences were found between groups.

Solar photovoltaic charging of high voltage nickel metal hydride batteries using DC power conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Nelson A.; Gibson, Thomas L.

There are an increasing number of vehicle choices available that utilize batteries and electric motors to reduce tailpipe emissions and increase fuel economy. The eventual production of electricity and hydrogen in a renewable fashion, such as using solar energy, can achieve the long-term vision of having no tailpipe environmental impact, as well as eliminating the dependence of the transportation sector on dwindling supplies of petroleum for its energy. In this report we will demonstrate the solar-powered charging of the high-voltage nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery used in the GM 2-mode hybrid system. In previous studies we have used low-voltage solar modules to produce hydrogen via the electrolysis of water and to directly charge lithium-ion battery modules. Our strategy in the present work was to boost low-voltage PV voltage to over 300 V using DC-DC converters in order to charge the high-voltage NiMH battery, and to regulate the battery charging using software to program the electronic control unit supplied with the battery pack. A protocol for high-voltage battery charging was developed, and the solar to battery charging efficiency was measured under a variety of conditions. We believe this is the first time such high-voltage batteries have been charged using solar energy in order to prove the concept of efficient, solar-powered charging for battery-electric vehicles.

Three-terminal heterojunction bipolar transistor solar cell for high-efficiency photovoltaic conversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Martí, A; Luque, A

2015-04-22

Here we propose, for the first time, a solar cell characterized by a semiconductor transistor structure (n/p/n or p/n/p) where the base-emitter junction is made of a high-bandgap semiconductor and the collector is made of a low-bandgap semiconductor. We calculate its detailed-balance efficiency limit and prove that it is the same one than that of a double-junction solar cell. The practical importance of this result relies on the simplicity of the structure that reduces the number of layers that are required to match the limiting efficiency of dual-junction solar cells without using tunnel junctions. The device naturally emerges as a three-terminal solar cell and can also be used as building block of multijunction solar cells with an increased number of junctions.

The large scale and long term evolution of the solar wind speed distribution and high speed streams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Intriligator, D.S.

1977-01-01

The spatial and temporal evolution of the solar wind speed distribution and of high speed streams in the solar wind are examined. Comparisons of the solar wind streaming speeds measured at Earth, Pioneer 11, and Pioneer 10 indicate that between 1 AU and 6.4 AU the solar wind speed distributions are narrower (i.e. the 95% value minus the 5% value of the solar wind streaming speed is less) at extended heliocentric distances. These observations are consistent with one exchange of momentum in the solar wind between high speed streams and low speed streams as they propagate outward from the Sun. Analyses of solar wind observations at 1 AU from mid 1964 through 1973 confirm the earlier results reported by Intriligator (1974) that there are statistically significant variations in the solar wind in 1968 and 1969, years of solar maximum. High speed stream parameters show that the number of high speed streams in the solar wind in 1968 and 1969 is considerably more than the predicted yearly average, and in 1965 and 1972 less. Histograms of solar wind speed from 1964 through 1973 indicate that in 1968 there was the highest percentage of elevated solar wind speeds and in 1965 and 1972 the lowest. Studies by others also confirm these results although the respective authors did not indicate this fact. The duration of the streams and the histograms for 1973 imply a shifting in the primary stream source. (Auth.)

Noble gases from solar energetic particles revealed by closed system stepwise etching of lunar soil minerals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wieler, R.; Baur, H.; Signer, P.

1986-01-01

He, Ne, and Ar abundances and isotopic ratios in plagioclase and pyroxene separates from lunar soils were determined using a closed system stepwise etching technique. This method of noble gas release allows one to separate solar wind (SW) noble gases from those implanted as solar energetic particles (SEP). SEP-Ne with 20 Ne/ 22 Ne = 11.3 +- 0.3 is present in all samples studied. The abundances of SEP-Ne are 2-4 orders of magnitude too high to be explained exclusively as implanted solar flare gas. The major part of SEP-Ne possibly originates from solar 'suprathermal ions' with energies < 0.1 MeV/amu. The isotopic composition of Ne in these lower energy SEP is, however, probably identical to that of real flare Ne. The suggestion that SEP-Ne might have the same isotopic composition as planetary Ne and thus possibly represent an unfractionated sample of solar Ne is not tenable. SW-Ne retained in plagioclase and pyroxene is less fractionated than has been deduced by total fusion analyses. Ne-B is a mixture of SW-Ne and SEP-Ne rather than fractionated SW-Ne. In contrast to SEP-Ne, SEP-Ar has probably a very similar composition as SW-Ar. (author)

Simulation design of P–I–N-type all-perovskite solar cells with high efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Hui-Jing; Wang Wei-Chao; Gu Yi-Fan

2017-01-01

According to the good charge transporting property of perovskite, we design and simulate a p–i–n-type all-perovskite solar cell by using one-dimensional device simulator. The perovskite charge transporting layers and the perovskite absorber constitute the all-perovskite cell. By modulating the cell parameters, such as layer thickness values, doping concentrations and energy bands of n-, i-, and p-type perovskite layers, the all-perovskite solar cell obtains a high power conversion efficiency of 25.84%. The band matched cell shows appreciably improved performance with widen absorption spectrum and lowered recombination rate, so weobtain a high J sc of 32.47 mA/cm 2 . The small series resistance of the all-perovskite solar cell also benefits the high J sc . The simulation provides a novel thought of designing perovskite solar cells with simple producing process, low production cost and high efficient structure to solve the energy problem. (paper)

Recycling of hazardous solid waste material using high-temperature solar process heat

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaffner, B.; Meier, A.; Wuillemin, D.; Hoffelner, W.; Steinfeld, A.

2003-03-01

A novel high-temperature solar chemical reactor is proposed for the thermal recycling of hazardous solid waste material using concentrated solar power. A 10 kW solar reactor prototype was designed and tested for the carbothermic reduction of electric arc furnace dusts (EAFD). The reactor was subjected to mean solar flux intensities of 2000 kW/m2 and operated in both batch and continuous mode within the temperature range 1120-1400 K. Extraction of up to 99% and 90% of the Zn originally contained in the EAFD was achieved in the residue for the batch and continuous solar experiments, respectively. The condensed off-gas products consisted mainly of Zn, Pb, and Cl. No ZnO was detected when the O{sub 2} concentration remained below 2 vol.-%. The use of concentrated solar energy as the source of process heat offers the possibility of converting hazardous solid waste material into valuable commodities for processes in closed and sustainable material cycles. (author)

Solar heating and domestic hot water system installed at North Dallas High School

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

The solar energy system located at the North Dallas High School, Dallas, Texas is discussed. The system is designed as a retrofit in a three story with basement, concrete frame high school building. Extracts from the site files, specification references for solar modification to existing building heating and domestic hot water systems, drawings, installation, operation and maintenance instructions are included.

Origin of uranium isotope variations in early solar nebula condensates.

Science.gov (United States)

Tissot, François L H; Dauphas, Nicolas; Grossman, Lawrence

2016-03-01

High-temperature condensates found in meteorites display uranium isotopic variations ((235)U/(238)U), which complicate dating the solar system's formation and whose origin remains mysterious. It is possible that these variations are due to the decay of the short-lived radionuclide (247)Cm (t 1/2 = 15.6 My) into (235)U, but they could also be due to uranium kinetic isotopic fractionation during condensation. We report uranium isotope measurements of meteoritic refractory inclusions that reveal excesses of (235)U reaching ~+6% relative to average solar system composition, which can only be due to the decay of (247)Cm. This allows us to constrain the (247)Cm/(235)U ratio at solar system formation to (1.1 ± 0.3) × 10(-4). This value provides new clues on the universality of the nucleosynthetic r-process of rapid neutron capture.

High mobility transparent conducting oxides for thin film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calnan, S.; Tiwari, A.N.

2010-01-01

A special class of transparent conducting oxides (TCO) with high mobility of > 65 cm 2 V -1 s -1 allows film resistivity in the low 10 -4 Ω cm range and a high transparency of > 80% over a wide spectrum, from 300 nm to beyond 1500 nm. This exceptional coincidence of desirable optical and electrical properties provides opportunities to improve the performance of opto-electronic devices and opens possibilities for new applications. Strategies to attain high mobility (HM) TCO materials as well as the current status of such materials based on indium and cadmium containing oxides are presented. Various concepts used to understand the underlying mechanisms for high mobility in HMTCO films are discussed. Examples of HMTCO layers used as transparent electrodes in thin film solar cells are used to illustrate possible improvements in solar cell performance. Finally, challenges and prospects for further development of HMTCO materials are discussed.

Multi-Scale Carbon Isotopic Analyses Show Allende Nanodiamonds are Mostly Solar with Some PreSolar

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, J. B.; Isheim, D.; Floss, C.; Gyngard, F.; Seidman, D. N.

2017-07-01

NanoSIMS and atom-probe experiments on different-sized aggregates of meteoritic nanodiamonds show mostly normal C isotopes, with a fraction of 13C-enriched material. The best interpretation is a combination of solar system and supernova formation.

Performance of ultra high efficiency thin germanium p-n junction solar cells intended for solar thermophotovoltaic application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vera, E S; Loferski, J J; Spitzer, M; Schewchun, J

1981-01-01

The theoretical upper limit conversion efficiency as a function of cell thickness and junction position is calculated for a germanium p-n junction solar cell intended for solar thermophotovoltaic energy conversion which incorporates minority carrier mirrors and optical mirrors on both the front and back boundaries of the active part of the device. The optical mirrors provide light confinement reducing the thickness required for optimum performance while minority carrier mirrors diminish surface recombination of carriers which seriously reduce short circuit current and limit open circuit voltage. The role of non-ideal optical and minority carrier mirrors and the effect of resistivity variations are studied. The calculations are conducted under conditions of high incident power (2-25 W/cm/sup 2/) which are encountered in solar thermophotovoltaic energy conversion systems. 14 refs.

Solar-Panel Dust Accumulation and Cleanings

Science.gov (United States)

2005-01-01

Air-fall dust accumulates on the solar panels of NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers, reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the solar arrays. Pre-launch models predicted steady dust accumulation. However, the rovers have been blessed with occasional wind events that clear significant amounts of dust from the solar panels. This graph shows the effects of those panel-cleaning events on the amount of electricity generated by Spirit's solar panels. The horizontal scale is the number of Martian days (sols) after Spirit's Jan. 4, 2005, (Universal Time) landing on Mars. The vertical scale indicates output from the rover's solar panels as a fraction of the amount produced when the clean panels first opened. Note that the gradual declines are interrupted by occasional sharp increases, such as a dust-cleaning event on sol 420.

Fundamental understanding and development of low-cost, high-efficiency silicon solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

ROHATGI,A.; NARASIMHA,S.; MOSCHER,J.; EBONG,A.; KAMRA,S.; KRYGOWSKI,T.; DOSHI,P.; RISTOW,A.; YELUNDUR,V.; RUBY,DOUGLAS S.

2000-05-01

The overall objectives of this program are (1) to develop rapid and low-cost processes for manufacturing that can improve yield, throughput, and performance of silicon photovoltaic devices, (2) to design and fabricate high-efficiency solar cells on promising low-cost materials, and (3) to improve the fundamental understanding of advanced photovoltaic devices. Several rapid and potentially low-cost technologies are described in this report that were developed and applied toward the fabrication of high-efficiency silicon solar cells.

Development of solar concentrators for high-power solar-pumped lasers.

Science.gov (United States)

Dinh, T H; Ohkubo, T; Yabe, T

2014-04-20

We have developed unique solar concentrators for solar-pumped solid-state lasers to improve both efficiency and laser output power. Natural sunlight is collected by a primary concentrator which is a 2  m×2  m Fresnel lens, and confined by a cone-shaped hybrid concentrator. Such solar power is coupled to a laser rod by a cylinder with coolant surrounding it that is called a liquid light-guide lens (LLGL). Performance of the cylindrical LLGL has been characterized analytically and experimentally. Since a 14 mm diameter LLGL generates efficient and uniform pumping along a Nd:YAG rod that is 6 mm in diameter and 100 mm in length, 120 W cw laser output is achieved with beam quality factor M2 of 137 and overall slope efficiency of 4.3%. The collection efficiency is 30.0  W/m2, which is 1.5 times larger than the previous record. The overall conversion efficiency is more than 3.2%, which can be comparable to a commercial lamp-pumped solid-state laser. The concept of the light-guide lens can be applied for concentrator photovoltaics or other solar energy optics.

Properties of Flux Tubes and the Relation with Solar Irradiance ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

tribpo

with variations on time-scales of minutes up to the length of the solar cycle. Most prominent is a .... Frutiger et al. 1999). To bypass the difficulties arising from such multi dimensional or multi component ... The fractional coverage of the solar ...

High temperature solar selective coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Cheryl E

2014-11-25

Improved solar collectors (40) comprising glass tubing (42) attached to bellows (44) by airtight seals (56) enclose solar absorber tubes (50) inside an annular evacuated space (54. The exterior surfaces of the solar absorber tubes (50) are coated with improved solar selective coatings {48} which provide higher absorbance, lower emittance and resistance to atmospheric oxidation at elevated temperatures. The coatings are multilayered structures comprising solar absorbent layers (26) applied to the meta surface of the absorber tubes (50), typically stainless steel, topped with antireflective Savers (28) comprising at least two layers 30, 32) of refractory metal or metalloid oxides (such as titania and silica) with substantially differing indices of refraction in adjacent layers. Optionally, at least one layer of a noble metal such as platinum can be included between some of the layers. The absorbent layers cars include cermet materials comprising particles of metal compounds is a matrix, which can contain oxides of refractory metals or metalloids such as silicon. Reflective layers within the coating layers can comprise refractory metal silicides and related compounds characterized by the formulas TiSi. Ti.sub.3SiC.sub.2, TiAlSi, TiAN and similar compounds for Zr and Hf. The titania can be characterized by the formulas TiO.sub.2, Ti.sub.3O.sub.5. TiOx or TiO.sub.xN.sub.1-x with x 0 to 1. The silica can be at least one of SiO.sub.2, SiO.sub.2x or SiO.sub.2xN.sub.1-x with x=0 to 1.

High resolution solar observations in the context of space weather prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Guo

Space weather has a great impact on the Earth and human life. It is important to study and monitor active regions on the solar surface and ultimately to predict space weather based on the Sun's activity. In this study, a system that uses the full power of speckle masking imaging by parallel processing to obtain high-spatial resolution images of the solar surface in near real-time has been developed and built. The application of this system greatly improves the ability to monitor the evolution of solar active regions and to predict the adverse effects of space weather. The data obtained by this system have also been used to study fine structures on the solar surface and their effects on the upper solar atmosphere. A solar active region has been studied using high resolution data obtained by speckle masking imaging. Evolution of a pore in an active region presented. Formation of a rudimentary penumbra is studied. The effects of the change of the magnetic fields on the upper level atmosphere is discussed. Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) have a great impact on space weather. To study the relationship between CMEs and filament disappearance, a list of 431 filament and prominence disappearance events has been compiled. Comparison of this list with CME data obtained by satellite has shown that most filament disappearances seem to have no corresponding CME events. Even for the limb events, only thirty percent of filament disappearances are associated with CMEs. A CME event that was observed on March 20, 2000 has been studied in detail. This event did not show the three-parts structure of typical CMEs. The kinematical and morphological properties of this event were examined.

High-Efficiency, Radiation-Hard, Lightweight IMM Solar Cells, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Future NASA exploration missions require high specific power (>500 W/kg) solar arrays. To increase cell efficiency while reducing weight and maintaining...

A high resolution solar atlas for fluorescence calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Hearn, M. F.; Ohlmacher, J. T.; Schleicher, D. G.

1983-01-01

The characteristics required of a solar atlas to be used for studying the fluorescence process in comets are examined. Several sources of low resolution data were combined to provide an absolutely calibrated spectrum from 2250 A to 7000A. Three different sources of high resolution data were also used to cover this same spectral range. The low resolution data were then used to put each high resolution spectrum on an absolute scale. The three high resolution spectra were then combined in their overlap regions to produce a single, absolutely calibrated high resolution spectrum over the entire spectral range.

Fractionation of Pb and Cu in the fine fraction (landfill.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaczala, Fabio; Orupõld, Kaja; Augustsson, Anna; Burlakovs, Juris; Hogland, Marika; Bhatnagar, Amit; Hogland, William

2017-11-01

The fractionation of metals in the fine fraction (landfill was carried out to evaluate the metal (Pb and Cu) contents and their potential towards not only mobility but also possibilities of recovery/extraction. The fractionation followed the BCR (Community Bureau of Reference) sequential extraction, and the exchangeable (F1), reducible (F2), oxidizable (F3) and residual fractions were determined. The results showed that Pb was highly associated with the reducible (F2) and oxidizable (F3) fractions, suggesting the potential mobility of this metal mainly when in contact with oxygen, despite the low association with the exchangeable fraction (F1). Cu has also shown the potential for mobility when in contact with oxygen, since high associations with the oxidizable fraction (F3) were observed. On the other hand, the mobility of metals in excavated waste can be seen as beneficial considering the circular economy and recovery of such valuables back into the economy. To conclude, not only the total concentration of metals but also a better understanding of fractionation and in which form metals are bound is very important to bring information on how to manage the fine fraction from excavated waste both in terms of environmental impacts and also recovery of such valuables in the economy.

A self-sustaining high-strength wastewater treatment system using solar-bio-hybrid power generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bustamante, Mauricio; Liao, Wei

2017-06-01

This study focuses on system analysis of a self-sustaining high-strength wastewater treatment concept combining solar technologies, anaerobic digestion, and aerobic treatment to reclaim water. A solar bio-hybrid power generation unit was adopted to power the wastewater treatment. Concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaics (PV) were combined with biogas energy from anaerobic digestion. Biogas is also used to store the extra energy generated by the hybrid power unit and ensure stable and continuous wastewater treatment. It was determined from the energy balance analysis that the PV-bio hybrid power unit is the preferred energy unit to realize the self-sustaining high-strength wastewater treatment. With short-term solar energy storage, the PV-bio-hybrid power unit in Phoenix, AZ requires solar collection area (4032m 2 ) and biogas storage (35m 3 ), while the same unit in Lansing, MI needs bigger solar collection area and biogas storage (5821m 2 and 105m 3 , respectively) due to the cold climate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Printable nanostructured silicon solar cells for high-performance, large-area flexible photovoltaics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sung-Min; Biswas, Roshni; Li, Weigu; Kang, Dongseok; Chan, Lesley; Yoon, Jongseung

2014-10-28

Nanostructured forms of crystalline silicon represent an attractive materials building block for photovoltaics due to their potential benefits to significantly reduce the consumption of active materials, relax the requirement of materials purity for high performance, and hence achieve greatly improved levelized cost of energy. Despite successful demonstrations for their concepts over the past decade, however, the practical application of nanostructured silicon solar cells for large-scale implementation has been hampered by many existing challenges associated with the consumption of the entire wafer or expensive source materials, difficulties to precisely control materials properties and doping characteristics, or restrictions on substrate materials and scalability. Here we present a highly integrable materials platform of nanostructured silicon solar cells that can overcome these limitations. Ultrathin silicon solar microcells integrated with engineered photonic nanostructures are fabricated directly from wafer-based source materials in configurations that can lower the materials cost and can be compatible with deterministic assembly procedures to allow programmable, large-scale distribution, unlimited choices of module substrates, as well as lightweight, mechanically compliant constructions. Systematic studies on optical and electrical properties, photovoltaic performance in experiments, as well as numerical modeling elucidate important design rules for nanoscale photon management with ultrathin, nanostructured silicon solar cells and their interconnected, mechanically flexible modules, where we demonstrate 12.4% solar-to-electric energy conversion efficiency for printed ultrathin (∼ 8 μm) nanostructured silicon solar cells when configured with near-optimal designs of rear-surface nanoposts, antireflection coating, and back-surface reflector.

Thermal management approaches of Cu(In x ,Ga1-x )Se2 micro-solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Sancho-Martínez, Diego; Schmid, Martina

2017-11-01

Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) is a cost-effective method for generating electricity in regions that have a large fraction of direct solar radiation. With the help of lenses, sunlight is concentrated onto miniature, highly efficient multi-junction solar cells with a photovoltaic performance above 40%. To ensure illumination with direct radiation, CPV modules must be installed on trackers to follow the sun’s path. However, the costs of huge concentration optics and the photovoltaic technology used, narrow the market possibilities for CPV technology. Efforts to reduce these costs are being undertaken by the promotion of Cu(In x ,Ga1-x )Se2 solar cells to take over the high cost multi-junction solar cells and implementing more compact devices by minimization of solar cell area. Micrometer-sized absorbers have the potential of low cost, high efficiencies and good thermal dissipation under concentrated illumination. Heat dissipation at low (account: absorber area, substrate area and thickness, structure design, heat transfer mechanism, concentration factor and illumination profile. A close study on them will be carried out to determine the best structure to enhance and reach the highest possible thermal management pointing to an efficiency improvement.

Crystal growth for high-efficiency silicon solar cells workshop: Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Dumas, K. A.

1985-01-01

The state of the art in the growth of silicon crystals for high-efficiency solar cells are reviewed, sheet requirements are defined, and furture areas of research are identified. Silicon sheet material characteristics that limit cell efficiencies and yields were described as well as the criteria for the ideal sheet-growth method. The device engineers wish list to the material engineer included: silicon sheet with long minority carrier lifetime that is uniform throughout the sheet, and which doesn't change during processing; and sheet material that stays flat throughout device processing, has uniform good mechanical strength, and is low cost. Impurities in silicon solar cells depreciate cell performance by reducing diffusion length and degrading junctions. The impurity behavior, degradation mechanisms, and variations in degradation threshold with diffusion length for silicon solar cells were described.

High resolution atlas of the solar spectrum 2678-2931 A

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, M. S.; Mcallister, H. C.; Jefferies, J. T.

1977-01-01

A portion of the ultraviolet solar spectrum is presented in this high resolution atlas. The data, originating from a rocket echelle spectrogram obtained on 19 June 1974 of a quiet area near the center of the solar disk, extend from 2678 to 2931 A. The instrument had a nominal resolving power of 200,000 at these wavelengths and the rms precision of the rectified wavelength scale is 15 mA. Absolute intensities are computed by calibration to the absolute measurements of Kohl and Parkinson.

Magnetic activity effect on equatorial spread-F under high and low solar activity conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Subbarao, K S.V.; Somayajulu, V V; Krishna Murthy, B V

1986-08-01

The effect of magnetic activity on spread-F at two equatorial stations, Trivandrum and Huancayo, separated in longitude by about 150 deg, under high and low solar activity conditions has been investigated. Magnetic activity produces strong inhibition effect on spread-F at Huancayo compared to that at Trivandrum especially during high solar activity period. This results in a decrease of spread-F with solar activity at Huancayo in contrast to Trivandrum. These findings are explained in terms of F-region electrodynamics and Rayleigh-Taylor instability mechanism for spread-F.

Analysis of solar thermophotovoltaic test data from experiments performed at McDonnell Douglas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stone, K.W.; Kusek, S.M.; Drubka, R.E. [McDonnell Douglas, 5301 Bolsa Avenue, Huntington Beach, California 92647 (United States); Fay, T.D. [21911 Bacalar, Mission Viejo, California 92692 (United States)

1995-01-05

Solar thermophotovoltaic power systems offer potentially high system efficiency for solar energy to electrical energy conversion and attractive system advantages. McDonnell Douglas Corporation (MDC) has been investigating this technology for both space and terrestrial applications for several years. A testbed prototype was designed, built, and tested on a 90 kW{sub t} dish concentrator at the MDA solar test facility. Twelve experiments were conducted with absorber temperatures in excess of 1300 {degree}C being achieved using only a fraction of the reflected power from the 90 kW{sub t} dish concentrator. This paper discusses the solar thermophotovoltaic testbed prototype unit, test data, and presents an analysis of the unit`s performance. A combination of analytical analysis and test data is used to obtain an understanding of the system and subsystem performance. The preliminary results of these tests and analysis indicate a solar thermophotovoltaic power system can achieve high system performance. Furthermore, system demonstrations are possible utilizing a combination of current off-the-shelf hardware components and components currently being tested in laboratories. {copyright} {ital 1995} {ital American} {ital Institute} {ital of} {ital Physics}.

A high-performance stand-alone solar PV power system for LED lighting

KAUST Repository

Huang, B. J.

2010-06-01

The present study developed a high-performance solar PV power technology for the LED lighting of a solar home system. The nMPPO (near-Maximum-Power- Point- Operation) design is employed in system design to eliminate MPPT. A feedback control system using pulse width modulation (PWM) technique was developed for battery charging control which can increase the charging capacity by 78%. For high-efficiency lighting, the LED is directly driven by battery using a PWM discharge control to eliminate a DC/DC converter. Two solar-powered LED lighting systems (50W and 100W LED) were built. The long-term outdoor tests have shown that the loss of load probability for full-night lighting requirement is zero for 50W LED and 3.6% for 100W LED. © 2010 IEEE.

TRANSFORMERLESS OPERATION OF DIII-D WITH HIGH BOOTSTRAP FRACTION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

POLITZER, PA; HYATT, AW; LUCE, TC; MAHDAVI, MA; MURAKAMI, M; PERKINS, FW; PRATER, R; TURNBULL, AD; CASPER, TA; FERRON, JR; JAYAKUMAR, RJ; LAHAYE, RJ; LAZARUS, EA; PETTY, CC; WADE, MR

2003-01-01

OAK-B135 The authors have initiated an experimental program to address some of the questions associated with operation of a tokamak with high bootstrap current fraction under high performance conditions, without assistance from a transformer. In these discharges they have maintained stationary (or slowly improving) conditions for > 2.2 s at β N ∼ β p ∼ 2.8. Significant current overdrive, with dI/dt > 50 kA/s and zero or negative voltage, is sustained for over 0.7 s. The overdrive condition is usually ended with the appearance of MHD activity, which alters the profiles and reduces the bootstrap current. Characteristically these plasmas have 65%-80% bootstrap current, 25%-30% NBCD, and 5%-10% ECCD. Fully noninductive operation is essential for steady-state tokamaks. For efficient operation, the bootstrap current fraction must be close to 100%, allowing for a small additional (∼ 10%) external current drive capability to be used for control. In such plasmas the current and pressure profiles are rightly coupled because J(r) is entirely determined by p(r) (or more accurately by the kinetic profiles). The pressure gradient in turn is determined by transport coefficients which depend on the poloidal field profile

Solar cycle variations of the energetic H/He intensity ratio at high heliolatitudes and in the ecliptic plane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Lario

Full Text Available We study the variability of the heliospheric energetic proton-to-helium abundance ratios during different phases of the solar cycle. We use energetic particle, solar wind, and magnetic field data from the Ulysses, ACE and IMP-8 spacecraft to compare the H/He intensity ratio at high heliographic latitudes and in the ecliptic plane. During the first out-of-ecliptic excursion of Ulysses (1992–1996, the HI-SCALE instrument measured corotating energetic particle intensity enhancements characterized by low values (< 10 of the 0.5–1.0 MeV nucleon^-1 H/He intensity ratio. During the second out-of-ecliptic excursion of Ulysses (1999–2002, the more frequent occurrence of solar energetic particle events resulted in almost continuously high (< 20 values of the H/He ratio, even at the highest heliolatitudes reached by Ulysses. Comparison with in-ecliptic measurements from an identical instrument on the ACE spacecraft showed similar H/He values at ACE and Ulysses, suggesting a remarkable uniformity of energetic particle intensities in the solar maximum heliosphere at high heliolatitudes and in the ecliptic plane. In-ecliptic observations of the H/He intensity ratio from the IMP-8 spacecraft show variations between solar maximum and solar minimum similar to those observed by Ulysses at high heliographic latitudes. We suggest that the variation of the H/He intensity ratio throughout the solar cycle is due to the different level of transient solar activity, as well as the different structure and duration that corotating solar wind structures have under solar maximum and solar minimum conditions. During solar minimum, the interactions between the two different types of solar wind streams (slow vs. fast are strong and long-lasting, allowing for a continuous and efficient acceleration of interstellar pickup He +. During solar maximum, transient events of solar origin (characterized by high values of the H/He ratio are able to globally

Models for the estimation of diffuse solar radiation for typical cities in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakirci, Kadir

2015-01-01

In solar energy applications, diffuse solar radiation component is required. Solar radiation data particularly in terms of diffuse component are not readily affordable, because of high price of measurements as well as difficulties in their maintenance and calibration. In this study, new empirical models for predicting the monthly mean diffuse solar radiation on a horizontal surface for typical cities in Turkey are established. Therefore, fifteen empirical models from studies in the literature are used. Also, eighteen diffuse solar radiation models are developed using long term sunshine duration and global solar radiation data. The accuracy of the developed models is evaluated in terms of different statistical indicators. It is found that the best performance is achieved for the third-order polynomial model based on sunshine duration and clearness index. - Highlights: • Diffuse radiation is given as a function of clearness index and sunshine fraction. • The diffuse radiation is an important parameter in solar energy applications. • The diffuse radiation measurement is for limited periods and it is very rare. • The new models can be used to estimate monthly average diffuse solar radiation. • The accuracy of the models is evaluated on the basis of statistical indicators

Computational screening of new inorganic materials for highly efficient solar energy conversion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuhar, Korina

2017-01-01

in solar cells convert solar energy into electricity, and PC uses harvested energy to conduct chemical reactions, such as splitting water into oxygen and, more importantly, hydrogen, also known as the fuel of the future. Further progress in both PV and PC fields is mostly limited by the flaws in materials...... materials. In this work a high-throughput computational search for suitable absorbers for PV and PC applications is presented. A set of descriptors has been developed, such that each descriptor targets an important property or issue of a good solar energy conversion material. The screening study...... that we have access to. Despite the vast amounts of energy at our disposal, we are not able to harvest this solar energy efficiently. Currently, there are a few ways of converting solar power into usable energy, such as photovoltaics (PV) or photoelectrochemical generation of fuels (PC). PV processes...

A Low-Power and Low-Voltage Power Management Strategy for On-Chip Micro Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ismail Cevik

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Fundamental characteristics of on-chip micro solar cell (MSC structures were investigated in this study. Several MSC structures using different layers in three different CMOS processes were designed and fabricated. Effects of PN junction structure and process technology on solar cell performance were measured. Parameters for low-power and low-voltage implementation of power management strategy and boost converter based circuits utilizing fractional voltage maximum power point tracking (FVMPPT algorithm were determined. The FVMPPT algorithm works based on the fraction between the maximum power point operation voltage and the open circuit voltage of the solar cell structure. This ratio is typically between 0.72 and 0.78 for commercially available poly crystalline silicon solar cells that produce several watts of power under typical daylight illumination. Measurements showed that the fractional voltage ratio is much higher and fairly constant between 0.82 and 0.85 for on-chip mono crystalline silicon micro solar cell structures that produce micro watts of power. Mono crystalline silicon solar cell structures were observed to result in better power fill factor (PFF that is higher than 74% indicating a higher energy harvesting efficiency.

Long term changes in EUV and X-ray emissions from the solar corona and chromosphere as measured by the response of the Earth’s ionosphere during total solar eclipses from 1932 to 1999

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. J. Davis

Full Text Available Measurements of the ionospheric E region during total solar eclipses in the period 1932–1999 have been used to investigate the fraction of Extreme Ultra Violet and soft X-ray radiation, 8, that is emitted from the limb corona and chromosphere. The relative apparent sizes of the Moon and the Sun are different for each eclipse, and techniques are presented which correct the measurements and, therefore, allow direct comparisons between different eclipses. The results show that the fraction of ionising radiation emitted by the limb corona has a clear solar cycle variation and that the underlying trend shows this fraction has been increasing since 1932. Data from the SOHO spacecraft are used to study the effects of short-term variability and it is shown that the observed long-term rise in 8 has a negligible probability of being a chance occurrence.

Key words. Ionosphere (solar radiation and cosmic ray effects – Solar physics, astrophysics, and astronomy (corona and transition region

Hybrid solar receiver as a source of high-temperature medium for an absorption chiller supply

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Przenzak Estera

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the problems related with the cold production, i.e. energy efficiency of the process. The idea of solar cooling systems has been presented as the solution of the problem of big electricity demand. The paper discusses the principle of the operation of absorption chillers. Disadvantages and advantages of the solar cooling systems were discussed. The installation for manufacturing high-temperature heat based on solar collectors and concentrator of solar radiation constructed in AGH in Cracow has been presented. This installation is a first stage of projected, complete solar cooling system. The special attention is paid to the dedicated solar high-temperature heat receiver as a most important element of the system. The achieved values of temperature, power and efficiency depending on the working medium flow has been presented and discussed. The intensity of solar radiation during the measurements has been taken into account. Two versions of heat receiver were investigated: non-insulated and insulated with mineral wool. The obtained efficiency of the heat receiver (less than 30% is not satisfactory but possibility of improvements exist.

Potential application of solar thermal systems for hot water production in Hong Kong

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Hong; Yang Hongxing

2009-01-01

This paper presents the evaluation results of conventional solar water heater (SWH) systems and solar assisted heat pump (SAHP) systems for hot water production in Hong Kong. An economic comparison and global warming impact analysis are conducted among the two kinds of solar thermal systems and traditional water heating systems (i.e. electric water heaters and towngas water heaters). The economic comparison results show that solar thermal systems have greater economic benefits than traditional water heating systems. In addition, conventional SWH systems are comparable with the SAHP systems when solar fractions are above 50%. Besides, analysis on the sensitivity of the total equivalent warming impact (TEWI) indicates that the towngas boosted SWH system has the greatest potential in greenhouse gas emission reduction with various solar collector areas and the electricity boosted SWH system has the comparative TEWI with the SAHP systems if its solar fraction is above 50%. As for SAHP systems, the solar assisted air source heat pump (SA-ASHP) system has the least global warming impact. Based on all investigation results, suggestions are given on the selection of solar thermal systems for applications in Hong Kong

High Efficiency Quantum Dot III-V Multijunction Solar Cell for Space Power, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We are proposing to utilize quantum dots to develop a super high-efficiency multijunction III-V solar cell for space. In metamorphic triple junction space solar...

Permeability and 3-D melt geometry in shear-induced high melt fraction conduits

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, W.; Cordonnier, B.; Qi, C.; Kohlstedt, D. L.

2017-12-01

Observations of dunite channels in ophiolites and uranium-series disequilibria in mid-ocean ridge basalt suggest that melt transport in the upper mantle beneath mid-ocean ridges is strongly channelized. Formation of high melt fraction conduits could result from mechanical shear, pyroxene dissolution, and lithological partitioning. Deformation experiments (e.g. Holtzman et al., 2003) demonstrate that shear stress causes initially homogeneously distributed melt to segregate into an array of melt-rich bands, flanked by melt-depleted regions. At the same average melt fraction, the permeability of high melt fraction conduits could be orders of magnitude higher than that of their homogenous counterparts. However, it is difficult to determine the permeability of melt-rich bands. Using X-ray synchrotron microtomography, we obtained high-resolution images of 3-dimensional (3-D) melt distribution in a partially molten rock containing shear-induced high melt fraction conduits. Sample CQ0705, an olivine-alkali basalt aggregate with a nominal melt fraction of 4%, was deformed in torsion at a temperature of 1473 K and a confining pressure of 300 MPa to a shear strain of 13.3. A sub-volume of CQ0705 encompassing 3-4 melt-rich bands was imaged. Microtomography data were reduced to binary form so that solid olivine is distinguishable from basalt glass. At a spatial resolution of 160 nm, the 3-D images reveal the shape and connectedness of melt pockets in the melt-rich bands. Thin melt channels formed at grain edges are connected at large melt nodes at grain corners. Initial data analysis shows a clear preferred orientation of melt pockets alignment subparallel to the melt-rich band. We use the experimentally determined geometrical parameters of melt topology to create a digital rock with identical 3-D microstructures. Stokes flow simulations are conducted on the digital rock to obtain the permeability tensor. Using this digital rock physics approach, we determine how deformation

High resolution solar soft X-ray spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Fei; Wang Huanyu; Peng Wenxi; Liang Xiaohua; Zhang Chunlei; Cao Xuelei; Jiang Weichun; Zhang Jiayu; Cui Xingzhu

2012-01-01

A high resolution solar soft X-ray spectrometer (SOX) payload onboard a satellite is developed. A silicon drift detector (SDD) is adopted as the detector of the SOX spectrometer. The spectrometer consists of the detectors and their readout electronics, a data acquisition unit and a payload data handling unit. A ground test system is also developed to test SOX. The test results show that the design goals of the spectrometer system have been achieved. (authors)

Stationary high confinement plasmas with large bootstrap current fraction in JT-60U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakamoto, Y.; Fujita, T.; Ide, S.; Isayama, A.; Takechi, M.; Suzuki, T.; Takenaga, H.; Oyama, N.; Kamada, Y.

2005-01-01

This paper reports the results of the progress in stationary discharges with a large bootstrap current fraction in JT-60U towards steady-state tokamak operation. In the weak shear plasma regime, high-β p ELMy H-mode discharges have been optimized under nearly full non-inductive current drive conditions by the large bootstrap current fraction (f BS ∼ 45%) and the beam driven current fraction (f BD ∼ 50%), which was sustained for 5.8 s in the stationary condition. This duration corresponds to ∼26τ E and ∼2.8τ R , which was limited by the pulse length of negative-ion-based neutral beams. The high confinement enhancement factor H 89 ∼ 2.2 (HH 98y2 ∼ 1.0) was obtained and the profiles of current and pressure reached the stationary condition. In the reversed shear plasma regime, a large bootstrap current fraction (f BS ∼ 75%) has been sustained for 7.4 s under nearly full non-inductive current drive conditions. This duration corresponds to ∼16τ E and ∼2.7τ R . The high confinement enhancement factor H 89 ∼ 3.0 (HH 98y2 ∼ 1.7) was also sustained, and the profiles of current and pressure reached the stationary condition. The large bootstrap current and the off-axis beam driven current sustained this reversed q profile. This duration was limited only by the duration of the neutral beam injection

Mesoporous Three-Dimensional Graphene Networks for Highly Efficient Solar Desalination under 1 sun Illumination.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kwanghyun; Yu, Sunyoung; An, Cheolwon; Kim, Sung-Wook; Jang, Ji-Hyun

2018-05-09

Solar desalination via thermal evaporation of seawater is one of the most promising technologies for addressing the serious problem of global water scarcity because it does not require additional supporting energy other than infinite solar energy for generating clean water. However, low efficiency and a large amount of heat loss are considered critical limitations of solar desalination technology. The combination of mesoporous three-dimensional graphene networks (3DGNs) with a high solar absorption property and water-transporting wood pieces with a thermal insulation property has exhibited greatly enhanced solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency. 3DGN deposited on a wood piece provides an outstanding value of solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency, about 91.8%, under 1 sun illumination and excellent desalination efficiency of 5 orders salinity decrement. The mass-producible 3DGN enriched with many mesopores efficiently releases the vapors from an enormous area of the surface by heat localization on the top surface of the wood piece. Because the efficient solar desalination device made by 3DGN on the wood piece is highly scalable and inexpensive, it could serve as one of the main sources for the worldwide supply of purified water achieved via earth-abundant materials without an extra supporting energy source.

Infrared maritime target detection using the high order statistic filtering in fractional Fourier domain

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Anran; Xie, Weixin; Pei, Jihong

2018-06-01

Accurate detection of maritime targets in infrared imagery under various sea clutter conditions is always a challenging task. The fractional Fourier transform (FRFT) is the extension of the Fourier transform in the fractional order, and has richer spatial-frequency information. By combining it with the high order statistic filtering, a new ship detection method is proposed. First, the proper range of angle parameter is determined to make it easier for the ship components and background to be separated. Second, a new high order statistic curve (HOSC) at each fractional frequency point is designed. It is proved that maximal peak interval in HOSC reflects the target information, while the points outside the interval reflect the background. And the value of HOSC relative to the ship is much bigger than that to the sea clutter. Then, search the curve's maximal target peak interval and extract the interval by bandpass filtering in fractional Fourier domain. The value outside the peak interval of HOSC decreases rapidly to 0, so the background is effectively suppressed. Finally, the detection result is obtained by the double threshold segmenting and the target region selection method. The results show the proposed method is excellent for maritime targets detection with high clutters.

The limits to solar thermal electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trainer, Ted

2014-01-01

The potential and limits of solar thermal power systems depend primarily on their capacity to meet electricity demand in mid-winter, and the associated cost, storage and other implications. Evidence on output and costs is analysed. Most attention is given to central receivers. Problems of low radiation levels, embodied energy costs, variability and storage are discussed and are found to set significant difficulties for large scale solar thermal supply in less than ideal latitudes and seasons. It is concluded that for solar thermal systems to meet a large fraction of anticipated global electricity demand in winter would involve prohibitive capital costs. - Highlights: • Output and capital cost data for various solar thermal technologies is examined. • Special attention is given to performance in winter. • Attention is also given to the effect of solar intermittency. • Implications for storage are considered. • It is concluded that there are significant limits to solar thermal power

ROTATION PERIODS AND AGES OF SOLAR ANALOGS AND SOLAR TWINS REVEALED BY THE KEPLER MISSION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Do Nascimento Jr, J.-D.; Meibom, S.; García, R. A.; Salabert, D.; Ceillier, T.; Mathur, S.; Anthony, F.; Da Costa, J. S.; Castro, M.; Barnes, S. A.

2014-01-01

A new sample of solar analogs and twin candidates has been constructed and studied, paying particular attention to their light curves from NASA's Kepler mission. This Letter aims to assess their evolutionary status, derive their rotation and ages, and identify those which are solar analogs or solar twin candidates. We separate out the subgiants that compose a large fraction of the asteroseismic sample, and which show an increase in the average rotation period as the stars ascend the subgiant branch. The rotation periods of the dwarfs, ranging from 6 to 30 days and averaging 19 days, allow us to assess their individual evolutionary states on the main sequence and to derive their ages using gyrochronology. These ages are found to be in agreement with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.79 with independent asteroseismic ages, where available. As a result of this investigation, we are able to identify 34 stars as solar analogs and 22 of them as solar twin candidates

ROTATION PERIODS AND AGES OF SOLAR ANALOGS AND SOLAR TWINS REVEALED BY THE KEPLER MISSION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Do Nascimento Jr, J.-D.; Meibom, S. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); García, R. A.; Salabert, D.; Ceillier, T. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM,CNRS, Univ. Paris Diderot-IRFU/SAp, Centre de Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Mathur, S. [Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street Suite 205, Boulder CO 80301 (United States); Anthony, F.; Da Costa, J. S.; Castro, M. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, UFRN, Dep. de Física Teórica e Experimental, DFTE, CP 1641, 59072-970 Natal, RN (Brazil); Barnes, S. A., E-mail: jdonascimento@cfa.harvard.edu [Leibniz-Institute for Astrophysics, Potsdam D-14467 (Germany)

2014-08-01

A new sample of solar analogs and twin candidates has been constructed and studied, paying particular attention to their light curves from NASA's Kepler mission. This Letter aims to assess their evolutionary status, derive their rotation and ages, and identify those which are solar analogs or solar twin candidates. We separate out the subgiants that compose a large fraction of the asteroseismic sample, and which show an increase in the average rotation period as the stars ascend the subgiant branch. The rotation periods of the dwarfs, ranging from 6 to 30 days and averaging 19 days, allow us to assess their individual evolutionary states on the main sequence and to derive their ages using gyrochronology. These ages are found to be in agreement with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.79 with independent asteroseismic ages, where available. As a result of this investigation, we are able to identify 34 stars as solar analogs and 22 of them as solar twin candidates.

Atomic layer deposition for high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Macco, B.; van de Loo, B.W.H.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Bachmann, J.

2017-01-01

This chapter illustrates that Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is in fact an enabler of novel high-efficiency Si solar cells, owing to its merits such as a high material quality, precise thickness control, and the ability to prepare film stacks in a well-controlled way. It gives an overview of the

Highly Efficient Reproducible Perovskite Solar Cells Prepared by Low-Temperature Processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Hu

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this work, we describe the role of the different layers in perovskite solar cells to achieve reproducible, ~16% efficient perovskite solar cells. We used a planar device architecture with PEDOT:PSS on the bottom, followed by the perovskite layer and an evaporated C60 layer before deposition of the top electrode. No high temperature annealing step is needed, which also allows processing on flexible plastic substrates. Only the optimization of all of these layers leads to highly efficient and reproducible results. In this work, we describe the effects of different processing conditions, especially the influence of the C60 top layer on the device performance.

Microscopic Mechanism of the Staebler-Wronski Effect in a-Si Films and High-Efficiency Solar Cells: Final Subcontract Report, 1 October 2001--30 September 2004

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, D.

2005-05-01

In high growth rate ({ge} 50 {angstrom}/s) HW-CVD a-Si:H films, for the first time, we show gaseous molecules in nanovoids ({approx}2% volume fraction of tube-like nanoscale voids), and demonstrate that confinement on the nanometer scale generates NMR effects that have never been observed in macroscopic systems. In the same system we found the PL peak red shift. We suggest that highly strained bonds on the inner surfaces of the nanoscale voids form broad conduction-band tail states that are responsible for the PL red shift. We characterized the structural transition from a- to nc-Si as function of H-dilution, thickness and T{sub s} of both HW- and PE-CVD films using IR, Raman, PL, CPM/PDS and E{sub a} et al. We found not only the c-Si volume fraction but also the g.b. and microstructures play an important role in the properties of the i-layer and their solar cell performance. We found a narrow structural transition zone in which the bond-angle variation, {Delta}{Theta}, decreases from 10{sup o} to 8{sup o}. For nc-Si samples, we found a characteristic low energy PL peak and proved that is originated from the g.b. regions. Using micro-Raman, we found the structural non-uniformity in the mixed-phase solar cells that showed V{sub oc} enhancement after light soaking. Using micro-Raman, we also found the slight increase of crystallinity in M/{mu}c-Si/M devices after current forming.

High performance all polymer solar cells fabricated via non-halogenated solvents (Presentation Recording)

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yan; Bao, Zhenan

2015-10-01

The performance of organic solar cells consisting of a donor/acceptor bulk heterojunction (BHJ) has rapidly improved over the past few years.1. Major efforts have been focused on developing a variety of donor materials to gain access to different regions of the solar spectrum as well as to improve carrier transport properties.2 On the other hand, the most utilized acceptors are still restricted to the fullerene family, which includes PC61BM, PC71BM and ICBA.2b, 3 All-polymer solar cells, consisting of polymers for both the donor and acceptor, gained significantly increased interests recently, because of their ease of solution processing, potentially low cost, versatility in molecular design, and their potential for good chemical and morphological stability due to entanglement of polymers. Unlike small molecular fullerene acceptors, polymer acceptors can benefit from the high mobility of intra-chain charge transport and exciton generation by both donor and acceptor. Despite extensive efforts on all-polymer solar cells in the past decade, the fundamental understanding of all-polymer solar cells is still in its inceptive stage regarding both the materials chemistry and structure physics.4 Thus, rational design rules must be utilized to enable fundamental materials understanding of the all polymer solar cells. We report high performance all-polymer solar cells employing polymeric donors based on isoindigo and acceptor based on perylenedicarboximide. The phase separation domain length scale correlates well with the JSC and is found to be highly sensitive to the aromatic co-monomer structures used in the crystalline donor polymers. With the PS polymer side chain engineering, the phase separation domain length scale decreased by more than 45%. The PCE and JSC of the devices increased accordingly by more than 20%. A JSC as high as 10.0 mA cm-2 is obtained with the donor-acceptor pair despite of a low LUMO-LUMO energy offset of less than 0.1 eV. All the factors such as

Hydrogen isotope fractionation in methane plasma

OpenAIRE

Robert, François; Derenne, Sylvie; Lombardi, Guillaume; Hassouni, Khaled; Michau, Armelle; Reinhardt, Peter; Duhamel, Rémi; Gonzalez, Adriana; Biron, Kasia

2017-01-01

Large variations in light element isotope ratios (H, N, C) are routinely observed in meteorite organic matter. The origin of these so-called anomalies is not accounted for by the classical theory of isotope fractionation. In the case of H, micrometer-size areas within the insoluble organic matter (IOM) isolated from meteorites by acid treatment, exhibit extreme deuterium enrichment. They are generally interpreted as components exogenous to the solar system and attributed to surviving interste...

Spectral and Concentration Sensitivity of Multijunction Solar Cells at High Temperature: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friedman, Daniel J.; Steiner, Myles A.; Perl, Emmett E.; Simon, John

2017-06-14

We model the performance of two-junction solar cells at very high temperatures of ~400 degrees C and beyond for applications such as hybrid PV/solar-thermal power production, and identify areas in which the design and performance characteristics behave significantly differently than at more conventional near-room-temperature operating conditions. We show that high-temperature operation reduces the sensitivity of the cell efficiency to spectral content, but increases the sensitivity to concentration, both of which have implications for energy yield in terrestrial PV applications. For other high-temperature applications such as near-sun space missions, our findings indicate that concentration may be a useful tool to enhance cell efficiency.

Industrially feasible, dopant-free, carrier-selective contacts for high-efficiency silicon solar cells

KAUST Repository

Yang, Xinbo

2017-05-31

Dopant-free, carrier-selective contacts (CSCs) on high efficiency silicon solar cells combine ease of deposition with potential optical benefits. Electron-selective titanium dioxide (TiO) contacts, one of the most promising dopant-free CSC technologies, have been successfully implemented into silicon solar cells with an efficiency over 21%. Here, we report further progress of TiO contacts for silicon solar cells and present an assessment of their industrial feasibility. With improved TiO contact quality and cell processing, a remarkable efficiency of 22.1% has been achieved using an n-type silicon solar cell featuring a full-area TiO contact. Next, we demonstrate the compatibility of TiO contacts with an industrial contact-firing process, its low performance sensitivity to the wafer resistivity, its applicability to ultrathin substrates as well as its long-term stability. Our findings underscore the great appeal of TiO contacts for industrial implementation with their combination of high efficiency with robust fabrication at low cost.

Radiobiological aspects of continuous low dose-rate irradiation and fractionated high dose-rate irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turesson, I.

1990-01-01

The biological effects of continuous low dose-rate irradiation and fractionated high dose-rate irradiation in interstitial and intracavitary radiotherapy and total body irradiation are discussed in terms of dose-rate fractionation sensitivity for various tissues. A scaling between dose-rate and fraction size was established for acute and late normal-tissue effects which can serve as a guideline for local treatment in the range of dose rates between 0.02 and 0.005 Gy/min and fraction sizes between 8.5 and 2.5 Gy. This is valid provided cell-cycle progression and proliferation can be ignored. Assuming that the acute and late tissue responses are characterized by α/β values of about 10 and 3 Gy and a mono-exponential repair half-time of about 3 h, the same total doses given with either of the two methods are approximately equivalent. The equivalence for acute and late non-hemopoietic normal tissue damage is 0.02 Gy/min and 8.5 Gy per fraction; 0.01 Gy/min and 5.5 Gy per fraction; and 0.005 Gy/min and 2.5Gy per fraction. A very low dose rate, below 0.005 Gy/min, is thus necessary to simulate high dose-rate radiotherapy with fraction sizes of about 2Gy. The scaling factor is, however, dependent on the repair half-time of the tissue. A review of published data on dose-rate effects for normal tissue response showed a significantly stronger dose-rate dependence for late than for acute effects below 0.02 Gy/min. There was no significant difference in dose-rate dependence between various acute non-hemopoietic effects or between various late effects. The consistent dose-rate dependence, which justifies the use of a general scaling factor between fraction size and dose rate, contrasts with the wide range of values for repair half-time calculated for various normal-tissue effects. This indicates that the model currently used for repair kinetics is not satisfactory. There are also few experimental data in the clinical dose-rate range, below 0.02 Gy/min. It is therefore

Hourly distributions of the diffuse fraction of global solar irradiation in Cordoba (Spain)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Posadillo, R.; Lopez Luque, R.

2009-01-01

Hourly global irradiations on tilted planes are required for dimensioning PV systems. However, for most sites, only global irradiations on a horizontal plane are available, and, given that to calculate the global irradiation on inclined planes the first step is to determine the diffuse component and this is not collected, we have studied the behaviour of the diffuse component on an hourly basis. Most parametrization models for the derivation of hourly diffuse irradiance from hourly global irradiance involve the clearness index, a parameter that implicitly includes solar altitude. The present paper has focused on the possibility of also including 'mean solar altitude α-bar' explicitly as a parameter in addition to the clearness index. Several analytical models are proposed, validated and compared here, using solar data collected on our station located in Cordoba (Spain)

Highly Flexible and Washable Nonwoven Photothermal Cloth for Efficient and Practical Solar Steam Generation

KAUST Repository

Jin, Yong

2018-03-29

Solar-driven water evaporation is emerging as a promising solar-energy utilization process. In the present work, highly stable, flexible and washable nonwoven photothermal cloth is prepared by electrospinning for efficient and durable solar steam evaporation. The cloth is composed of polymeric nanofibers as matrix and inorganic carbon black nanoparticles encapsulated inside the matrix as light absorbing component. The photothermal cloth with an optimized carbon loading shows a desirable underwater black property, absorbing 94% of the solar spectrum and giving rise to a state-of-the-art solar energy utilization efficiency of 83% during pure water evaporation process. Owing to its compositions and special structural design, the cloth possesses anti-photothermal-component-loss property and is highly flexible and mechanically strong, chemically stable in various harsh environment such as strong acid, alkaline, organic solvent and salty water. It can be hand-washed for more than 100 times without degrading its performance and thus offers a potential mechanism for foulant cleaning during practical solar steam generation and distillation processes. The results of this work stimulate more research in durable photothermal materials aiming at real world applications.

Part-load performance of a high temperature Kalina cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modi, Anish; Andreasen, Jesper Graa; Kærn, Martin Ryhl; Haglind, Fredrik

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Detailed algorithm to solve high temperature Kalina cycle in part load. • A central receiver concentrating solar power plant with direct vapour generation considered as case study. • Part-load performance curves and fitted equations presented. - Abstract: The Kalina cycle has recently seen increased interest as an alternative to the conventional steam Rankine cycle. The cycle has been studied for use with both low and high temperature applications such as geothermal power plants, ocean thermal energy conversion, waste heat recovery, gas turbine bottoming cycle, and solar power plants. The high temperature cycle layouts are inherently more complex than the low temperature layouts due to the presence of a distillation-condensation subsystem, three pressure levels, and several heat exchangers. This paper presents a detailed approach to solve the Kalina cycle in part-load operating conditions for high temperature (a turbine inlet temperature of 500 °C) and high pressure (100 bar) applications. A central receiver concentrating solar power plant with direct vapour generation is considered as a case study where the part-load conditions are simulated by changing the solar heat input to the receiver. Compared with the steam Rankine cycle, the Kalina cycle has an additional degree of freedom in terms of the ammonia mass fraction which can be varied in order to maximize the part-load efficiency of the cycle. The results include the part-load curves for various turbine inlet ammonia mass fractions and the fitted equations for these curves.

Mars Ascent Vehicle Needs Technology Development with a Focus on High Propellant Fractions

Science.gov (United States)

Whitehead, J. C.

2018-04-01

Launching from Mars to orbit requires a miniature launch vehicle, beyond any known spacecraft propulsion. The Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) needs an unusually high propellant mass fraction. MAV mass has high leverage for the cost of Mars Sample Return.

Uncertainty Model for Total Solar Irradiance Estimation on Australian Rooftops

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Saadi, Hassan; Zivanovic, Rastko; Al-Sarawi, Said

2017-11-01

The installations of solar panels on Australian rooftops have been in rise for the last few years, especially in the urban areas. This motivates academic researchers, distribution network operators and engineers to accurately address the level of uncertainty resulting from grid-connected solar panels. The main source of uncertainty is the intermittent nature of radiation, therefore, this paper presents a new model to estimate the total radiation incident on a tilted solar panel. Where a probability distribution factorizes clearness index, the model is driven upon clearness index with special attention being paid for Australia with the utilization of best-fit-correlation for diffuse fraction. The assessment of the model validity is achieved with the adoption of four goodness-of-fit techniques. In addition, the Quasi Monte Carlo and sparse grid methods are used as sampling and uncertainty computation tools, respectively. High resolution data resolution of solar irradiations for Adelaide city were used for this assessment, with an outcome indicating a satisfactory agreement between actual data variation and model.

High-Fidelity Solar Power Income Modeling for Solar-Electric UAVs: Development and Flight Test Based Verification

OpenAIRE

Oettershagen, Philipp

2017-01-01

Solar power models are a crucial element of solar-powered UAV design and performance analysis. During the conceptual design phase, their accuracy directly relates to the accuracy of the predicted performance metrics and thus the final design characteristics of the solar-powered UAV. Likewise, during the operations phase of a solar-powered UAV accurate solar power income models are required to predict and assess the solar power system performance. However, the existing literature on solar-powe...

Engineering and erection of a 300kW high-flux solar simulator

Science.gov (United States)

Wieghardt, Kai; Laaber, Dmitrij; Hilger, Patrick; Dohmen, Volkmar; Funken, Karl-Heinz; Hoffschmidt, Bernhard

2017-06-01

German Aerospace Center (DLR) is currently constructing a new high-flux solar simulator synlight which shall be commissioned in late 2016. The new facility will provide three separately operated experimental spaces with expected radiant powers of about 300kW / 240kW / 240kW respectively. synlight was presented to the public for the first time at SolarPACES 2015 [1]. Its engineering and erection is running according to plan. The current presentation reports about the engineering and the ongoing erection of the novel facility, and gives an outlook on its new level of possibilities for solar testing and qualification.

Solar Systems for Heating and Cooling of Buildings

OpenAIRE

Henning, Hans-Martin; Döll, Jochen

2012-01-01

Recently, the concept of net zero energy buildings has become a major topic in the R&D work on future buildings. In order to achieve a zero energy balance on annual level energy saving and energy efficiency measures have to be fully exploited. However, a demand for active heating and/or cooling will remain in most buildings and under most climatic conditions. Solar energy is the main on-site renewable energy source which can be used to achieve a high fraction of renewable energies to cover th...

Automated Solar Flare Detection and Feature Extraction in High-Resolution and Full-Disk Hα Images

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Meng; Tian, Yu; Liu, Yangyi; Rao, Changhui

2018-05-01

In this article, an automated solar flare detection method applied to both full-disk and local high-resolution Hα images is proposed. An adaptive gray threshold and an area threshold are used to segment the flare region. Features of each detected flare event are extracted, e.g. the start, peak, and end time, the importance class, and the brightness class. Experimental results have verified that the proposed method can obtain more stable and accurate segmentation results than previous works on full-disk images from Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) and Kanzelhöhe Observatory for Solar and Environmental Research (KSO), and satisfying segmentation results on high-resolution images from the Goode Solar Telescope (GST). Moreover, the extracted flare features correlate well with the data given by KSO. The method may be able to implement a more complicated statistical analysis of Hα solar flares.

Numerical analysis of using hybrid photovoltaic-thermal solar water heater in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Mohammadi Sarduei

2017-05-01

to the tank outlet, rises the fluid temperature to the set point. The performance of the designed system has been investigated in different cities (including Tabriz, Tehran, Kerman and Bandar-Abbas during 4 seasons of year using Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS program. The performance parameters included electrical and thermal energy generation and solar fraction. Solar fraction, which expresses the share of energy supplied by solar radiation on the collector in total thermal energy consumption, was obtained from equation 1. Results and Discussion The results showed that the average daily electricity generation in the cities for summer and winter were 4.65 and 2.67 kWh day-1, respectively. The annual electricity generation of the designed system is almost constant in the various cities. In winter, in spite of lower solar intensity and sunny hours, lower average temperature of solar cells in Kerman leads to a slightly better electrical performance than Bandar-Abbas. The highest cell temperatures, in Bandar-Abbas between 12 noon and 1pm, were found to be 33, 37, 31 and 25 oC in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. Thermal energy generation was significantly different at various cities and seasons. In winter, the designed system provides a little fraction (below 10 percent of thermal demands in Tabriz and Tehran. This is mainly because of the low ambient temperature and solar intensity. The PVT system had a maximum average thermal energy of 16 kWh day-1 and solar fraction of 0.5 which were observed in Bandar-Abbas. Tabriz, because of the lowest ambient temperature, had the least thermal energy generation and solar fraction. The maximum average solar fraction obtained in summer was about 60% while its lowest value in winter was 24%. Conclusions In the present study, a hybrid PVT solar water heater with nominal power of 880 W was proposed for application in Iran. The system was comprised of a PVT solar water collector, an auxiliary heater, a pump and

High-order sliding mode observer for fractional commensurate linear systems with unknown input

KAUST Repository

Belkhatir, Zehor; Laleg-Kirati, Taous-Meriem

2017-01-01

In this paper, a high-order sliding mode observer (HOSMO) is proposed for the joint estimation of the pseudo-state and the unknown input of fractional commensurate linear systems with single unknown input and a single output. The convergence of the proposed observer is proved using a Lyapunov-based approach. In addition, an enhanced variant of the proposed fractional-HOSMO is introduced to avoid the peaking phenomenon and thus to improve the estimation results in the transient phase. Simulation results are provided to illustrate the performance of the proposed fractional observer in both noise-free and noisy cases. The effect of the observer’s gains on the estimated pseudo-state and unknown input is also discussed.

High-order sliding mode observer for fractional commensurate linear systems with unknown input

KAUST Repository

Belkhatir, Zehor

2017-05-20

In this paper, a high-order sliding mode observer (HOSMO) is proposed for the joint estimation of the pseudo-state and the unknown input of fractional commensurate linear systems with single unknown input and a single output. The convergence of the proposed observer is proved using a Lyapunov-based approach. In addition, an enhanced variant of the proposed fractional-HOSMO is introduced to avoid the peaking phenomenon and thus to improve the estimation results in the transient phase. Simulation results are provided to illustrate the performance of the proposed fractional observer in both noise-free and noisy cases. The effect of the observer’s gains on the estimated pseudo-state and unknown input is also discussed.

Antioxidant activity of cod (Gadus morhua) protein hydrolysates: Fractionation and characterisation of peptide fractions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farvin Habebullah, Sabeena; Andersen, Lisa Lystbæk; Otte, Jeanette

2016-01-01

This study aimed to characterise peptide fractions (>5 kDa, 3–5 kDa and fractions were dominated by Ala, Gly, Glu and Ser. The total amino acid composition had high proportions of Lys, Ala...... and Glu. The 3–5 kDa and fractions were further fractionated by size exclusion chromatography. All sub-fractions showed high Fe2+ chelating activity. The DPPH radical-scavenging activity of the 3–5 kDa fraction was exerted mainly by one sub-fraction dominated by peptides with masses below 600 Da....... The DPPH radical-scavenging activity of the fraction was exerted by sub-fractions with low molecular weight. The highest reducing power was found in a sub-fraction containing peptides rich in Arg, Tyr and Phe. Both free amino acids and low molecular weight peptides thus seemed to contribute...

Fractional high-harmonic combs by attosecond-precision split-spectrum pulse control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laux Martin

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Few-cycle laser fields enable pulse-shaping control of high-order harmonic generation by time delaying variable broadband spectral sections. We report the experimental generation of fractional (noninteger high-harmonic combs by the controlled interference of two attosecond pulse trains. Additionally the energy of the high harmonics is strongly tuned with the relative time delay. We quantify the tuning to directly result from the controlled variation of the instantaneous laser frequency at the shaped driver pulse intensity maximum.

STELLAR CORONAE, SOLAR FLARES: A DETAILED COMPARISON OF {sigma} GEM, HR 1099, AND THE SUN IN HIGH-RESOLUTION X-RAYS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huenemoerder, David P. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, 70 Vassar St., Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Phillips, Kenneth J. H. [Visiting Scientist, Space Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, 51-622, Kopernika 11, Wroclaw (Poland); Sylwester, Janusz; Sylwester, Barbara, E-mail: dph@space.mit.edu, E-mail: kennethjhphillips@yahoo.com, E-mail: js@cbk.pan.wroc.pl, E-mail: bs@cbk.pan.wroc.pl [Space Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, 51-622, Kopernika 11, Wroclaw (Poland)

2013-05-10

The Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETG) spectra of the coronally active binary stars {sigma} Gem and HR 1099 are among the highest fluence observations for such systems taken at high spectral resolution in X-rays with this instrument. This allows us to compare their properties in detail to solar flare spectra obtained with the Russian CORONAS-F spacecraft's RESIK instrument at similar resolution in an overlapping bandpass. Here we emphasize the detailed comparisons of the 3.3-6.1 A region (including emission from highly ionized S, Si, Ar, and K) from solar flare spectra to the corresponding {sigma} Gem and HR 1099 spectra. We also model the larger wavelength range of the HETG, from 1.7 to 25 A - having emission lines from Fe, Ca, Ar, Si, Al, Mg, Ne, O, and N-to determine coronal temperatures and abundances. {sigma} Gem is a single-lined coronally active long-period binary which has a very hot corona. HR 1099 is a similar, but shorter period, double-lined system. With very deep HETG exposures we can even study emission from some of the weaker species, such as K, Na, and Al, which are important since they have the lowest first ionization potentials, a parameter well known to be correlated with elemental fractionation in the solar corona. The solar flare temperatures reach Almost-Equal-To 20 MK, comparable to the {sigma} Gem and HR 1099 coronae. During the Chandra exposures, {sigma} Gem was slowly decaying from a flare and its spectrum is well characterized by a collisional ionization equilibrium plasma with a broad temperature distribution ranging from 2 to 60 MK, peaking near 25 MK, but with substantial emission from 50 MK plasma. We have detected K XVIII and Na XI emission which allow us to set limits on their abundances. HR 1099 was also quite variable in X-rays, also in a flare state, but had no detectable K XVIII. These measurements provide new comparisons of solar and stellar coronal abundances, especially at the lowest first

High-Performance Black Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cells by a Highly Simplified Metal-Catalyzed Chemical Etching Method

KAUST Repository

Ying, Zhiqin

2016-05-20

A wet-chemical surface texturing technique, including a two-step metal-catalyzed chemical etching (MCCE) and an extra alkaline treatment, has been proven as an efficient way to fabricate high-efficiency black multicrystalline (mc) silicon solar cells, whereas it is limited by the production capacity and the cost cutting due to the complicated process. Here, we demonstrated that with careful control of the composition in etching solution, low-aspect-ratio bowl-like nanostructures with atomically smooth surfaces could be directly achieved by improved one-step MCCE and with no posttreatment, like alkali solution. The doublet surface texture of implementing this nanobowl structure upon the industrialized acidic-textured surface showed concurrent improvement in optical and electrical properties for realizing 18.23% efficiency mc-Si solar cells (156 mm × 156 mm), which is sufficiently higher than 17.7% of the solely acidic-textured cells in the same batch. The one-step MCCE method demonstrated in this study may provide a cost-effective way to manufacture high-performance mc-Si solar cells for the present photovoltaic industry. © 2016 IEEE.

Solar-energy system performance evaluation. San Anselmo School, San Jose, California, July 1980-March 1981

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pakkala, P.A.

1981-01-01

The San Anselmo School is a one-story, brick elementary school building located in San Jose, California. The active solar energy system is designed to supply 70% of the heating load and 72% of the cooling load. It is equipped with 3.740 square feet of evacuated tube collectors, 2175-gallon tank for storage, four auxiliary gas-fired absorption chiller/heaters, and a solar-supplied absorption chiller. The measured heating and cooling solar fractions were 9% and 19%, respectively, for an overall solar fraction of 16%, the lowered performance being attributed to severe system control problems. Performance data include the solar savings ratio, conventional fuel savings, system performance factor, and solar system coefficient of performance. Performance data are presented for the overall system and for each subsystem. System operation and solar energy utilization data are included. Also included are a description of the system, performance evaluation techniques, sensor technology, and typical performance data for a month. Weather data are also tabulated. (LEW)

Numerical simulation of solar-assisted multi-effect distillation (SMED) desalination systems

KAUST Repository

Kim, Youngdeuk; Thu, Kyaw; Myat, Aung; Ng, K. C.

2013-01-01

demand, and (iv) the augmentation of water temperature by auxiliary when the supply temperature from the solar tank drops below the set point. It is observed that the annual collector efficiency and solar fraction decrease from 57.3 to 54.8% and from 49

SPIN–SPIN COUPLING IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batygin, Konstantin; Morbidelli, Alessandro

2015-01-01

The richness of dynamical behavior exhibited by the rotational states of various solar system objects has driven significant advances in the theoretical understanding of their evolutionary histories. An important factor that determines whether a given object is prone to exhibiting non-trivial rotational evolution is the extent to which such an object can maintain a permanent aspheroidal shape, meaning that exotic behavior is far more common among the small body populations of the solar system. Gravitationally bound binary objects constitute a substantial fraction of asteroidal and TNO populations, comprising systems of triaxial satellites that orbit permanently deformed central bodies. In this work, we explore the rotational evolution of such systems with specific emphasis on quadrupole–quadrupole interactions, and show that for closely orbiting, highly deformed objects, both prograde and retrograde spin–spin resonances naturally arise. Subsequently, we derive capture probabilities for leading order commensurabilities and apply our results to the illustrative examples of (87) Sylvia and (216) Kleopatra asteroid systems. Cumulatively, our results suggest that spin–spin coupling may be consequential for highly elongated, tightly orbiting binary objects

SPIN–SPIN COUPLING IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Batygin, Konstantin [Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Morbidelli, Alessandro, E-mail: kbatygin@gps.caltech.edu [Departement Lagrange, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, F-06304 Nice (France)

2015-09-10

The richness of dynamical behavior exhibited by the rotational states of various solar system objects has driven significant advances in the theoretical understanding of their evolutionary histories. An important factor that determines whether a given object is prone to exhibiting non-trivial rotational evolution is the extent to which such an object can maintain a permanent aspheroidal shape, meaning that exotic behavior is far more common among the small body populations of the solar system. Gravitationally bound binary objects constitute a substantial fraction of asteroidal and TNO populations, comprising systems of triaxial satellites that orbit permanently deformed central bodies. In this work, we explore the rotational evolution of such systems with specific emphasis on quadrupole–quadrupole interactions, and show that for closely orbiting, highly deformed objects, both prograde and retrograde spin–spin resonances naturally arise. Subsequently, we derive capture probabilities for leading order commensurabilities and apply our results to the illustrative examples of (87) Sylvia and (216) Kleopatra asteroid systems. Cumulatively, our results suggest that spin–spin coupling may be consequential for highly elongated, tightly orbiting binary objects.

Hourly distributions of the diffuse fraction of global solar irradiation in Cordoba (Spain)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Posadillo, R.; Lopez Luque, R. [Grupo de Investigacion de Fisica para las Energias y Recursos Renovables, Dpto. de Fisica Aplicada/UCO, Edificio C2 Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Cordoba (Spain)

2009-02-15

Hourly global irradiations on tilted planes are required for dimensioning PV systems. However, for most sites, only global irradiations on a horizontal plane are available, and, given that to calculate the global irradiation on inclined planes the first step is to determine the diffuse component and this is not collected, we have studied the behaviour of the diffuse component on an hourly basis. Most parametrization models for the derivation of hourly diffuse irradiance from hourly global irradiance involve the clearness index, a parameter that implicitly includes solar altitude. The present paper has focused on the possibility of also including ''mean solar altitude anti {alpha}'' explicitly as a parameter in addition to the clearness index. Several analytical models are proposed, validated and compared here, using solar data collected on our station located in Cordoba (Spain). (author)

Geographic variation of solar water performance in Europe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yohanis, Y. [University of Ulster (United Kingdom). Faculty of Engineering; Popel, O.; Frid, S. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation). Institute for High Temperatures; Norton, B. [Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland)

2006-07-01

Solar water heater (SWH) performance has been analysed using the 'number of days' method for 147 different sites in all European countries. The total number of days that the temperature of delivered solar heated water reaches or exceeds specified demand temperatures is correlated with solar radiation on a horizontal surface for summer, warm half-year, and whole year periods. Maps are presented and discussed showing the contours for the number of days that an illustrative SWH met different hot water demand temperatures. Correlations between number of days water is provided at a specified temperature and solar fractions for the same periods are determined. (author)

Solvent engineering for high-quality perovskite solar cell with an efficiency approaching 20%

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Tongyue; Wu, Jihuai; Tu, Yongguang; He, Xin; Lan, Zhang; Huang, Miaoliang; Lin, Jianming

2017-10-01

The perovskite layer is the most crucial factor for the high performance perovskite solar cells. Based on solvent engineering, we develop a ternary-mixed-solvent method for the growth of high-quality [Cs0.05(MA0.17FA0.83)0.95Pb(I0.83Br0.17)3] cation-anion-mixed perovskite films by introducing N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) into the precursor mixed solution. By controlling rapid nucleation and retarding crystal growth via intermediate phase PbI2-NMP (Lewis acid-base adduct), a dense, large grain, pinhole-free and long charge carrier lifetime perovskite film is obtained. By optimizing the precursor solvent composition, the perovskite solar cell achieves an impressive power conversion efficiency of 19.61% under one-sun illumination. The research presented here provides a facile, low-cost and highly efficient way for the preparation of perovskite solar cells.

Collecting Solar Energy. Solar Energy Education Project.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, Alexander

This solar energy learning module for use with junior high school students offers a list of activities, a pre-post test, job titles, basic solar energy vocabulary, and diagrams of solar energy collectors and installations. The purpose is to familiarize students with applications of solar energy and titles of jobs where this knowledge could be…

Augmentation of a solar still distillate yield via absorber plate coated with black nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.E. Kabeel

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Effects of utilizing nanomaterial on the solar still productivity investigated experimentally. Cuprous oxides (CuO chosen as a nanoparticles material. The nanoparticles added to the black paint of the solar still walls to enhance the solar still performance. Experiments conducted with cuprous oxide nanoparticles weight concentrations ranged from 10% to 40%. It is found that adding nanoparticles to paint increase heat transfer rate and saline water temperature. Solar still productivity of the proposed system is higher than that for the conventional still. Results acquired that utilizing CuO nanoparticles boosted the distillate by 16% and 25% as compared to the conventional solar still (CSS at weight fraction concentration of 10% and 40%, respectively. Payback period of the distillation system for the modified still using CuO nanomaterials is about 96 days, at weight fraction 10%, which is considerable as compared by 89 days for CSS. Keywords: Nanomaterial, Solar still, Distillation, Nanoparticle

Experimental analysis and dynamic simulation of a novel high-temperature solar cooling system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buonomano, Annamaria; Calise, Francesco; D’Accadia, Massimo Dentice; Ferruzzi, Gabriele; Frascogna, Sabrina; Palombo, Adolfo; Russo, Roberto; Scarpellino, Marco

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The paper presents an innovative high temperature solar cooling system. • The system is based on novel flat-plate evacuated solar thermal collectors. • Results of an experimental campaign in Saudi Arabia are reported. • A dynamic simulation model and a detailed economic analyses are developed. • Results show that the collector and the system as a whole exhibit excellent performance. - Abstract: This paper presents experimental and numerical analyses of a novel high-temperature solar cooling system based on innovative flat-plate evacuated solar thermal collectors (SC). This is the first solar cooling system, including a double-effect absorption chiller, which is based on non-concentrating solar thermal collectors. The aim of the paper is prove the technical and economic feasibility of the system, also presenting a comparison with a conventional technology, based on concentrating solar thermal collectors. To this scope, an experimental setup has been installed in Saudi Arabia. Here, several measurement devices are installed in order to monitor and control all the thermodynamic parameters of the system. The paper presents some of the main results of this experimental campaign, showing temperatures, powers, energies and efficiencies for a selected period. Experimental results showed that collector peak efficiency is higher than 60%, whereas daily average efficiency is around 40%. This prototypal solar cooling system has been numerically analysed, developing a dynamic simulation model aiming at predicting system performance. For a representative operating period, numerical data were compared with the experimental one, showing an excellent accuracy of the model. A similar system, equipped with Parabolic Trough solar thermal collectors (PTC) was also simulated in order to compare the novel solar collectors with such reference technology. For both systems a detailed thermo-economic model has been implemented in order to perform such comparison also

Performance analysis of an Integrated Solar Combined Cycle using Direct Steam Generation in parabolic trough collectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montes, M.J.; Rovira, A.; Munoz, M.; Martinez-Val, J.M.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Solar hybridization improves the performance of CCGT in a very hot and dry weather. → The scheme analyzed is a DSG parabolic trough field coupled to the Rankine cycle. → An annual simulation has been carried out for two locations: Almeria and Las Vegas. → Economical analysis shows that this scheme is a cheaper way to exploit solar energy. → For that, solar hybridization must be limited to a small fraction of the CCGT power. - Abstract: The contribution of solar thermal power to improve the performance of gas-fired combined cycles in very hot and dry environmental conditions is analyzed in this work, in order to assess the potential of this technique, and to feature Direct Steam Generation (DSG) as a well suited candidate for achieving very good results in this quest. The particular Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC) power plant proposed consists of a DSG parabolic trough field coupled to the bottoming steam cycle of a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power plant. For this analysis, the solar thermal power plant performs in a solar dispatching mode: the gas turbine always operates at full load, only depending on ambient conditions, whereas the steam turbine is somewhat boosted to accommodate the thermal hybridization from the solar field. Although the analysis is aimed to studying such complementary effects in the widest perspective, two relevant examples are given, corresponding to two well-known sites: Almeria (Spain), with a mediterranean climate, and Las Vegas (USA), with a hot and dry climate. The annual simulations show that, although the conventional CCGT power plant works worse in Las Vegas, owing to the higher temperatures, the ISCC system operates better in Las Vegas than in Almeria, because of solar hybridization is especially well coupled to the CCGT power plant in the frequent days with great solar radiation and high temperatures in Las Vegas. The complementary effect will be clearly seen in these cases, because the thermal

Stable high efficiency two-dimensional perovskite solar cells via cesium doping

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xu

2017-08-15

Two-dimensional (2D) organic-inorganic perovskites have recently emerged as one of the most important thin-film solar cell materials owing to their excellent environmental stability. The remaining major pitfall is their relatively poor photovoltaic performance in contrast to 3D perovskites. In this work we demonstrate cesium cation (Cs) doped 2D (BA)(MA)PbI perovskite solar cells giving a power conversion efficiency (PCE) as high as 13.7%, the highest among the reported 2D devices, with excellent humidity resistance. The enhanced efficiency from 12.3% (without Cs) to 13.7% (with 5% Cs) is attributed to perfectly controlled crystal orientation, an increased grain size of the 2D planes, superior surface quality, reduced trap-state density, enhanced charge-carrier mobility and charge-transfer kinetics. Surprisingly, it is found that the Cs doping yields superior stability for the 2D perovskite solar cells when subjected to a high humidity environment without encapsulation. The device doped using 5% Cs degrades only ca. 10% after 1400 hours of exposure in 30% relative humidity (RH), and exhibits significantly improved stability under heating and high moisture environments. Our results provide an important step toward air-stable and fully printable low dimensional perovskites as a next-generation renewable energy source.

Design and proof of concept of an innovative very high temperature ceramic solar absorber

Science.gov (United States)

Leray, Cédric; Ferriere, Alain; Toutant, Adrien; Olalde, Gabriel; Peroy, Jean-Yves; Chéreau, Patrick; Ferrato, Marc

2017-06-01

Hybrid solar gas-turbine (HSGT) is an attractive technology to foster market penetration of CSP. HSGT offers some major advantages like for example high solar-to-electric conversion efficiency, reduced water requirement and low capital cost. A very high temperature solar receiver is needed when elevated solar share is claimed. A few research works, as reported by Karni et al. [8] and by Buck et al. [1], have been dedicated to solar receiver technologies able to deliver pressurized air at temperature above 750°C. The present work focuses on research aiming at developing an efficient and reliable solar absorber able to provide pressurized air at temperature up to 1000°C and more. A surface absorber technology is selected and a modular design of receiver is proposed in which each absorber module is made of BOOSTEC® SiC ceramic (silicon carbide) as bulk material with straight air channels inside. Early stage experimental works done at CNRS/PROMES on lab-scale absorbers showed that the thermo-mechanical behavior of this material is a critical issue, resulting in elevated probability of failure under severe conditions like large temperature gradient or steep variation of solar flux density in situations of cloud covering. This paper reports on recent progress made at CNRS/PROMES to address this critical issue. The design of the absorber has been revised and optimized according to thermo-mechanical numerical simulations, and an experimental proof of concept has been done on a pilot-scale absorber module at Themis solar tower facility.

Stochastic Short-term High-resolution Prediction of Solar Irradiance and Photovoltaic Power Output

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melin, Alexander M. [ORNL; Olama, Mohammed M. [ORNL; Dong, Jin [ORNL; Djouadi, Seddik M. [ORNL; Zhang, Yichen [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

2017-09-01

The increased penetration of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy sources into electric grids has increased the need for accurate modeling and prediction of solar irradiance and power production. Existing modeling and prediction techniques focus on long-term low-resolution prediction over minutes to years. This paper examines the stochastic modeling and short-term high-resolution prediction of solar irradiance and PV power output. We propose a stochastic state-space model to characterize the behaviors of solar irradiance and PV power output. This prediction model is suitable for the development of optimal power controllers for PV sources. A filter-based expectation-maximization and Kalman filtering mechanism is employed to estimate the parameters and states in the state-space model. The mechanism results in a finite dimensional filter which only uses the first and second order statistics. The structure of the scheme contributes to a direct prediction of the solar irradiance and PV power output without any linearization process or simplifying assumptions of the signal’s model. This enables the system to accurately predict small as well as large fluctuations of the solar signals. The mechanism is recursive allowing the solar irradiance and PV power to be predicted online from measurements. The mechanism is tested using solar irradiance and PV power measurement data collected locally in our lab.

Esophageal Toxicity From High-Dose, Single-Fraction Paraspinal Stereotactic Radiosurgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cox, Brett W.; Jackson, Andrew; Hunt, Margie; Bilsky, Mark; Yamada, Yoshiya

2012-01-01

Purpose: To report the esophageal toxicity from single-fraction paraspinal stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and identify dosimetric and clinical risk factors for toxicity. Methods and Materials: A total of 204 spinal metastases abutting the esophagus (182 patients) were treated with high-dose single-fraction SRS during 2003-2010. Toxicity was scored using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Dose-volume histograms were combined to generate a comprehensive atlas of complication incidence that identifies risk factors for toxicity. Correlation of dose-volume factors with esophageal toxicity was assessed using Fisher’s exact test and logistic regression. Clinical factors were correlated with toxicity. Results: The median dose to the planning treatment volume was 24 Gy. Median follow-up was 12 months (range, 3-81). There were 31 (15%) acute and 24 (12%) late esophageal toxicities. The rate of grade ≥3 acute or late toxicity was 6.8% (14 patients). Fisher’s exact test resulted in significant median splits for grade ≥3 toxicity at V12 = 3.78 cm 3 (relative risk [RR] 3.7, P=.05), V15 = 1.87 cm 3 (RR 13, P=.0013), V20 = 0.11 cm 3 (RR 6, P=0.01), and V22 = 0.0 cm 3 (RR 13, P=.0013). The median split for D2.5 cm 3 (14.02 Gy) was also a significant predictor of toxicity (RR 6; P=.01). A highly significant logistic regression model was generated on the basis of D2.5 cm 3 . One hundred percent (n = 7) of grade ≥4 toxicities were associated with radiation recall reactions after doxorubicin or gemcitabine chemotherapy or iatrogenic manipulation of the irradiated esophagus. Conclusions: High-dose, single-fraction paraspinal SRS has a low rate of grade ≥3 esophageal toxicity. Severe esophageal toxicity is minimized with careful attention to esophageal doses during treatment planning. Iatrogenic manipulation of the irradiated esophagus and systemic agents classically associated with radiation recall reactions are

Solar energy system performance evaluation: Seasonal report for IBM System 1B, Carlsbad, New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

A hot solar heating and hot water system's operational performance from April 1979 through March 1980 is evaluated. The space heating and hot water loads were near expected values for the year. Solar energy provided 43 percent of the space heating and 53 percent of the hot water energy. The system did not meet the total system solar fraction design value of 69 percent because of a combination of higher estimated space heating load than was actually encountered and the apportioning of solar energy between the space heating and the domestic hot water loads. System losses and high building temperatures also contributed to this deviation. Total net savings were 23.072 million BTUs. Most of the energy savings came during the winter months, but hot water savings were sufficient to justify running the system during the summer months.

The annual number of days that solar heated water satisfies a specified demand temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yohanis, Y.G. [Thermal Systems Engineering Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ulster, BT37 0QB Northern Ireland (United Kingdom); Popel, O.; Frid, S.E. [Non-traditional Renewable Energy Sources, Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences, 13/19 Izhorskaya str., IVTAN, Moscow 127412 (Russian Federation); Norton, B. [Dublin Institute of Technology, Aungier Street, Dublin 2 (Ireland)

2006-08-15

An analysis of solar water heating systems determines the number of days in each month when solar heated water wholly meets demand above a set temperature. The approach has been used to investigate the potential contribution to water heating loads of solar water heating in two UK locations. Correlations between the approach developed and the use of solar fractions are discussed. (author)

Correlation between the physical parameters of the i-nc-Si absorber layer grown by 27.12 MHz plasma with the nc-Si solar cell parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Debajyoti; Mondal, Praloy

2017-09-01

Growth of highly conducting nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) thin films of optimum crystalline volume fraction, involving dominant crystallographic preferred orientation with simultaneous low fraction of microstructures at a low substrate temperature and high growth rate, is a challenging task for its promising utilization in nc-Si solar cells. Utilizing enhanced electron density and superior ion flux densities of the high frequency (∼27.12 MHz) SiH4 plasma, improved nc-Si films have been produced by simple optimization of H2-dilution, controlling the ion damage and enhancing supply of atomic-hydrogen onto the growing surface. Single junction nc-Si p-i-n solar cells have been prepared with i-nc-Si absorber layer and optimized. The physical parameters of the absorber layer have been systematically correlated to variations of the solar cell parameters. The preferred alignment of crystallites, its contribution to the low recombination losses for conduction of charge carriers along the vertical direction, its spectroscopic correlation with the dominant growth of ultra-nanocrystalline silicon (unc-Si) component and corresponding longer wavelength absorption, especially in the neighborhood of i/n-interface region recognize scientific and technological key issues that pave the ground for imminent advancement of multi-junction silicon solar cells.

Double lens collimator solar feedback sensor and master slave configuration: Development of compact and low cost two axis solar tracking system for CPV applications

KAUST Repository

Burhan, Muhammad

2016-08-31

The conventional CPV systems, as big unit design, are only suitable to be installed in the open regions, like desert areas. This gigantic system design restricts their use on the rooftop of commercial and residential buildings, unlike the conventional PV systems. This paper proposes a compact but highly accurate and cheap two axis solar tracking system, designed for CPV system field operation. The proposed system is designed and verified for tracking accuracy requirement of 0.3 degrees, and has maximum capability of as high as 0.1 degrees tracking accuracy. High tracking accuracy is ensured using in-house built double lens collimator solar feedback sensor, within a fraction of the cost of commercial solar tracking sensors. A hybrid tracking algorithm is developed in C-programming using astronomical and optical solar tracking methods. As compact CPV system design demands larger number of tracking units, for same power capacity of system. Therefore, a master slave control configuration is also proposed for the CPV field operation. Only master tracker will be equipped with the expensive tracking devices, while the required tracking information will be sent to all of the slave trackers using wireless communication through ZigBee devices. With detailed optical design, simulation and control strategy, a prototype of the proposed CPV tracking system is developed, experimentally investigated and verified for tracking accuracy for outdoor operation at the rooftop. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel double-stage high-concentrated solar hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collector with nonimaging optics and GaAs solar cells reflector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelhamid, Mahmoud; Widyolar, Bennett K.; Jiang, Lun; Winston, Roland; Yablonovitch, Eli; Scranton, Gregg; Cygan, David; Abbasi, Hamid; Kozlov, Aleksandr

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A novel hybrid concentrating photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) collector is developed. • Thermal component achieves 60× concentration using nonimaging optics. • GaAs solar cells used as spectrally selective mirrors for low energy photons. • Thermal efficiencies of 37% at 365 °C and electrical efficiencies of 8% achieved. • Combined electric efficiency reaches 25% of DNI for system cost of $283.10/m"2". - Abstract: A novel double stage high-concentration hybrid solar photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) collector using nonimaging optics and world record thin film single-junction gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells has been developed. We present a detailed design and simulation of the system, experimental setup, prototype, system performance, and economic analysis. The system uses a parabolic trough (primary concentrator) to focus sunlight towards a secondary nonimaging compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) to simultaneously generate electricity from single junction GaAs solar cells, as well as high temperature dispatchable heat. This study is novel in that (a) the solar cells inside the vacuum tube act as spectrally selective mirrors for lower energy photons to maximize the system exergy, and (b) secondary concentrator allows the thermal component to reach a concentration ratio ∼60×, which is significantly higher than conventional PV/T concentration ratios. The maximum outlet temperature reached was 365 °C, and on average the thermal efficiency of the experiment was around 37%. The maximum electrical efficiency was around 8%. The total system electricity generation is around 25% of incoming DNI, by assuming the high temperature stream is used to power a steam turbine. The installed system cost per unit of parabolic trough aperture area is $283.10 per m"2.

The electrical power subsystem design for the high energy solar physics spacecraft concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, Milind

1993-01-01

This paper discusses the Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS) requirements, architecture, design description, performance analysis, and heritage of the components for two spacecraft concepts for the High Energy Solar Physics (HESP) Mission. It summarizes the mission requirements and the spacecraft subsystems and instrument power requirements, and it describes the EPS architecture for both options. A trade study performed on the selection of the solar cells - body mounted versus deployed panels - and the optimum number of panels is also presented. Solar cell manufacturing losses, array manufacturing losses, and the radiation and temperature effects on the GaAs/Ge and Si solar cells were considered part of the trade study and are included in this paper. Solar cell characteristics, cell circuit description, and the solar array area design are presented, as is battery sizing analysis performed based on the power requirements during launch and initial spacecraft operations. This paper discusses Earth occultation periods and the battery power requirements during this period as well as shunt control, battery conditioning, and bus regulation schemes. Design margins, redundancy philosophy, and predicted on-orbit battery and solar cell performance are summarized. Finally, the heritage of the components and technology risk assessment are provided.

The solar wind neon abundance observed with ACE/SWICS and ULYSSES/SWICS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shearer, Paul; Raines, Jim M.; Lepri, Susan T.; Thomas, Jonathan W.; Gilbert, Jason A.; Landi, Enrico; Zurbuchen, Thomas H.; Von Steiger, Rudolf

2014-01-01

Using in situ ion spectrometry data from ACE/SWICS, we determine the solar wind Ne/O elemental abundance ratio and examine its dependence on wind speed and evolution with the solar cycle. We find that Ne/O is inversely correlated with wind speed, is nearly constant in the fast wind, and correlates strongly with solar activity in the slow wind. In fast wind streams with speeds above 600 km s –1 , we find Ne/O = 0.10 ± 0.02, in good agreement with the extensive polar observations by Ulysses/SWICS. In slow wind streams with speeds below 400 km s –1 , Ne/O ranges from a low of 0.12 ± 0.02 at solar maximum to a high of 0.17 ± 0.03 at solar minimum. These measurements place new and significant empirical constraints on the fractionation mechanisms governing solar wind composition and have implications for the coronal and photospheric abundances of neon and oxygen. The results are made possible by a new data analysis method that robustly identifies rare elements in the measured ion spectra. The method is also applied to Ulysses/SWICS data, which confirms the ACE observations and extends our view of solar wind neon into the three-dimensional heliosphere.

The solar wind neon abundance observed with ACE/SWICS and ULYSSES/SWICS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shearer, Paul; Raines, Jim M.; Lepri, Susan T.; Thomas, Jonathan W.; Gilbert, Jason A.; Landi, Enrico; Zurbuchen, Thomas H. [Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Von Steiger, Rudolf [International Space Science Institute, Hallerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern (Switzerland)

2014-07-01

Using in situ ion spectrometry data from ACE/SWICS, we determine the solar wind Ne/O elemental abundance ratio and examine its dependence on wind speed and evolution with the solar cycle. We find that Ne/O is inversely correlated with wind speed, is nearly constant in the fast wind, and correlates strongly with solar activity in the slow wind. In fast wind streams with speeds above 600 km s{sup –1}, we find Ne/O = 0.10 ± 0.02, in good agreement with the extensive polar observations by Ulysses/SWICS. In slow wind streams with speeds below 400 km s{sup –1}, Ne/O ranges from a low of 0.12 ± 0.02 at solar maximum to a high of 0.17 ± 0.03 at solar minimum. These measurements place new and significant empirical constraints on the fractionation mechanisms governing solar wind composition and have implications for the coronal and photospheric abundances of neon and oxygen. The results are made possible by a new data analysis method that robustly identifies rare elements in the measured ion spectra. The method is also applied to Ulysses/SWICS data, which confirms the ACE observations and extends our view of solar wind neon into the three-dimensional heliosphere.

A High Resolution Solar Spectrograph for the Berkeley Undergraduate Astronomy Lab

Science.gov (United States)

Strickler, R.; Bresloff, C.; Graham, J.

2005-05-01

The discovery of extra-solar planets has stimulated interest amongst undergraduates. The Doppler method for detecting exoplanets requires extraction of signals at the 1/1000 of a pixel level. To illustrate this technique, we used a newly built spectrometer to extract sub-pixel Doppler shifts in the solar photosphere. We have used this spectrograph to measure the velocity gradient across the sun and hence infer the solar radius. The limb-to-limb Doppler shift is only 1.8 km/s. A spectral resolution > 100,000 would be required to manifest this motion. Achieving such high spectral resolution is unnecessary since even a small telescope can record high SNR (> 100) spectra. Within a few seconds it is possible to discern solar rotational Doppler shifts at resolutions as low as 10,000. We must also understand coordinate transformation to convert the Doppler signal along the observed diameter to the equatorial rotation speed assuming solid body rotation. The spectrograph system includes an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain stationary telescope; a 100-micron diameter multi-mode fiber; aspheric f-number reformatting optics; a collimating lens; a 110 mm, 80 grooves/mm, θ blaze = 64.5 degree replica echelle grating; and an Apogee 1024 x 1024 thermo-electrically cooled CCD. The spectrometer optics are mounted on a 5-ft x 3-ft optical bench. Operating the spectrometer remotely using VNC and a wireless laptop, we pointed the telescope so that the fiber scanned across a diameter of the solar disk while the CCD took repeated exposures. Although we were "guinea pigs," using the spectrograph for the first time in a class, it worked remarkably well. Combining measurement of the solar radius with observation of the rotation period from sunspots, the earth-sun distance can be deduced. In the future, students may measure the eccentricity of earth's orbit by measuring the sun's radial velocity over the course of a year. This work was supported by the NSF through award DUE-0311536.

Failure Modes and Fast Repair Procedures in High Voltage Organic Solar Cell Installations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hösel, Markus; Søndergaard, Roar R.; Jørgensen, Mikkel

2014-01-01

Steadily increasing efficiencies of organic solar cells are frequently published but the practical demonstration of actual large-scale installations with high power output has been very limited. Here, the real-world challenges and opportunities of organic solar cells fabricated on thin plastic foil...... impact such as lightning was also observed to cause randomly distributed burn holes that initiate self-sustained damaging under illumination. The large solar cell modules each with more than 220 Wpeak are based only on serially connected cells and need no time-consuming manual wiring of single cells...

New ionization fractions for the lithium- and helium-like ionization stages of calcium and iron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doyle, J.G.; Raymond, J.C.

1981-01-01

The high resolution X-ray spectra of Ca XIX and Fe XXV observed during a solar flare on 1979 March 25 have been re-interpreted using new ionization fractions for Ca XVIII, Ca XIX, Fe XXIV and Fe XXV. These new calculations substantially change the interpretation of the spectra, implying the flare to be ionizing during the rise phase and recombining during the decay phase. The results favour the ECIP ionization rates over those of Lotz, though other interpretations are possible. (author)

Review of thin film solar cell technology and applications for ultra-light spacecraft solar arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Landis, Geoffrey A.

1991-01-01

Developments in thin-film amorphous and polycrystalline photovoltaic cells are reviewed and discussed with a view to potential applications in space. Two important figures of merit are discussed: efficiency (i.e., what fraction of the incident solar energy is converted to electricity), and specific power (power to weight ratio).

The construction of a process line for high efficiency silicon solar cells under clean-room conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aberle, A.; Faller, C.; Grille, T.; Glunz, S.; Kamerewerd, F.J.; Kopp, J.; Knobloch, J.; Klussmann, S.; Lauby, E.; Noel, A.; Paul, O.; Schaeffer, E.; Schubert, U.; Seitz, S.; Sterk, S.; Voss, B.; Warta, W.; Wettling, W.

1992-08-01

The aim of this research project was to plan, construct and test a clean-room technology laboratory for the manufacturing of silicon solar cells with 20% efficiency (1.5AM). In addition to the establishment of the laboratory, there existed the case of establishing the material and technological fundamentals of high-efficiency solar cells, testing and optimizing all stages of production as well as constructing test stands for accompanying characterisation work. The following final report describes the construction of the laboratory and characterisation systems, the material elements of high-efficiency solar cells as well as the most important results of solar cell production and optimisation. (orig./BWI) [de

Mercury Conditions for the MESSENGER Mission Simulated in High- Solar-Radiation Vacuum Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Wayne A.

2003-01-01

The MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft, planned for launch in March 2004, will perform two flybys of Mercury before entering a year-long orbit of the planet in September 2009. The mission will provide opportunities for detailed characterization of the surface, interior, atmosphere, and magnetosphere of the closest planet to the Sun. The NASA Glenn Research Center and the MESSENGER spacecraft integrator, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, have partnered under a Space Act Agreement to characterize a variety of critical components and materials under simulated conditions expected near Mercury. Glenn's Vacuum Facility 6, which is equipped with a solar simulator, can simulate the vacuum and high solar radiation anticipated in Mercury orbit. The MESSENGER test hardware includes a variety of materials and components that are being characterized during the Tank 6 vacuum tests, where the hardware will be exposed to up to 11 suns insolation, simulating conditions expected in Mercury orbit. In 2002, ten solar vacuum tests were conducted, including beginning of life, end of life, backside exposure, and solar panel thermal shock cycling tests. Components tested include candidate solar array panels, sensors, thermal shielding materials, and communication devices. As an example, for the solar panel thermal shock cycling test, two candidate solar array panels were suspended on a lift mechanism that lowered the panels into a liquid-nitrogen-cooled box. After reaching -140 C, the panels were then lifted out of the box and exposed to the equivalent of 6 suns (8.1 kilowatts per square meters). After five cold soak/heating cycles were completed successfully, there was no apparent degradation in panel performance. An anticipated 100-hr thermal shield life test is planned for autumn, followed by solar panel flight qualification tests in winter. Glenn's ongoing support to the MESSENGER program has been instrumental in

High performance and thermally stable tandem solar selective absorber coating for concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) application

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, M. Shiva; Kumar, K. K. Phani; Atchuta, S. R.; Sobha, B.; Sakthivel, S.

2018-05-01

A novel tandem absorber system (Mn-Cu-Co-Ox-ZrO2/SiO2) developed on an austenitic stainless steel (SS-304) substrate to show an excellent optical performance (αsol: 0.96; ɛ: 0.23@500 °C). In order to achieve this durable tandem, we experimented with two antireflective layers such as ZrO2-SiO2 and nano SiO2 layer on top of Mn-Cu-Co-Ox-ZrO2 layer. We optimized the thickness of antireflective layers to get good tandem system in terms of solar absorptance and emittance. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-Vis-NIR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the developed coatings. Finally, the Mn-Cu-Co-Ox-ZrO2/SiO2 exhibits high temperature resistance up to 800 °C, thus allow an increase in the operating temperature of CSP which may lead to high efficiency. We successfully developed a high temperature resistant tandem layer with easy manufacturability at low cost which is an attractive candidate for concentrated solar power generation (CSP).

Design of high-brightness TEM00-mode solar-pumped laser for renewable material processing

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, D.; Almeida, J.

2014-08-01

The conversion of sunlight into laser light by direct solar pumping is of ever-increasing importance because broadband, temporally constant, sunlight is converted into laser light, which can be a source of narrowband, collimated, rapidly pulsed, radiation with the possibility of obtaining extremely high brightness and intensity. Nonlinear processes, such as harmonic generation, might be used to obtain broad wavelength coverage, including the ultraviolet wavelengths, where the solar flux is very weak. The direct excitation of large lasers by sunlight offers the prospect of a drastic reduction in the cost of coherent optical radiation for high average power materials processing. This renewable laser has a large potential for many applications such as high-temperature materials processing, renewable magnesium-hydrogen energy cycle and so on. We propose here a scalable TEM00 mode solar laser pumping scheme, which is composed of four firststage 1.13 m diameter Fresnel lenses with its respective folding mirrors mounted on a two-axis automatic solar tracker. Concentrated solar power at the four focal spots of these Fresnel lenses are focused individually along a common 3.5 mm diameter, 70 mm length Nd:YAG rod via four pairs of second-stage fused-silica spherical lenses and third-stage 2D-CPCs (Compound Parabolic Concentrator), sitting just above the laser rod which is also double-pass pumped by four V-shaped pumping cavities. Distilled water cools both the rod and the concentrators. 15.4 W TEM00 solar laser power is numerically calculated, corresponding to 6.7 times enhancement in laser beam brightness.

Experimental studies on a ground coupled heat pump with solar thermal collectors for space heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xi, Chen; Hongxing, Yang; Lin, Lu; Jinggang, Wang; Wei, Liu

2011-01-01

This paper presents experimental studies on a solar-assisted ground coupled heat pump (SAGCHP) system for space heating. The system was installed at the Hebei Academy of Sciences in Shijiazhuang (lat. N38 o 03', long. E114 o 26'), China. Solar collectors are in series connection with the borehole array through plate heat exchangers. Four operation modes of the system were investigated throughout the coldest period in winter (Dec 5th to Dec 27th). The heat pump performance, borehole temperature distributions and solar colleting characteristics of the SAGCHP system are analyzed and compared when the system worked in continuous or intermittent modes with or without solar-assisted heating. The SAGCHP system is proved to perform space heating with high energy efficiency and satisfactory solar fraction, which is a promising substitute for the conventional heating systems. It is also recommended to use the collected solar thermal energy as an alternative source for the heat pump instead of recharging boreholes for heat storage because of the enormous heat capacity of the earth. -- Highlights: → We study four working modes of a solar-assisted ground coupled heat pump. → The heating performance is in direct relation with the borehole temperature. → Solar-assisted heating elevates borehole temperature and system performance. → The system shows higher efficiency over traditional heating systems in cold areas. → Solar heat is not suggested for high temperature seasonal storage.

Measuring solar reflectance - Part I: Defining a metric that accurately predicts solar heat gain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levinson, Ronnen; Akbari, Hashem; Berdahl, Paul [Heat Island Group, Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2010-09-15

Solar reflectance can vary with the spectral and angular distributions of incident sunlight, which in turn depend on surface orientation, solar position and atmospheric conditions. A widely used solar reflectance metric based on the ASTM Standard E891 beam-normal solar spectral irradiance underestimates the solar heat gain of a spectrally selective ''cool colored'' surface because this irradiance contains a greater fraction of near-infrared light than typically found in ordinary (unconcentrated) global sunlight. At mainland US latitudes, this metric R{sub E891BN} can underestimate the annual peak solar heat gain of a typical roof or pavement (slope {<=} 5:12 [23 ]) by as much as 89 W m{sup -2}, and underestimate its peak surface temperature by up to 5 K. Using R{sub E891BN} to characterize roofs in a building energy simulation can exaggerate the economic value N of annual cool roof net energy savings by as much as 23%. We define clear sky air mass one global horizontal (''AM1GH'') solar reflectance R{sub g,0}, a simple and easily measured property that more accurately predicts solar heat gain. R{sub g,0} predicts the annual peak solar heat gain of a roof or pavement to within 2 W m{sup -2}, and overestimates N by no more than 3%. R{sub g,0} is well suited to rating the solar reflectances of roofs, pavements and walls. We show in Part II that R{sub g,0} can be easily and accurately measured with a pyranometer, a solar spectrophotometer or version 6 of the Solar Spectrum Reflectometer. (author)

Measuring solar reflectance Part I: Defining a metric that accurately predicts solar heat gain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levinson, Ronnen; Akbari, Hashem; Berdahl, Paul

2010-05-14

Solar reflectance can vary with the spectral and angular distributions of incident sunlight, which in turn depend on surface orientation, solar position and atmospheric conditions. A widely used solar reflectance metric based on the ASTM Standard E891 beam-normal solar spectral irradiance underestimates the solar heat gain of a spectrally selective 'cool colored' surface because this irradiance contains a greater fraction of near-infrared light than typically found in ordinary (unconcentrated) global sunlight. At mainland U.S. latitudes, this metric RE891BN can underestimate the annual peak solar heat gain of a typical roof or pavement (slope {le} 5:12 [23{sup o}]) by as much as 89 W m{sup -2}, and underestimate its peak surface temperature by up to 5 K. Using R{sub E891BN} to characterize roofs in a building energy simulation can exaggerate the economic value N of annual cool-roof net energy savings by as much as 23%. We define clear-sky air mass one global horizontal ('AM1GH') solar reflectance R{sub g,0}, a simple and easily measured property that more accurately predicts solar heat gain. R{sub g,0} predicts the annual peak solar heat gain of a roof or pavement to within 2 W m{sup -2}, and overestimates N by no more than 3%. R{sub g,0} is well suited to rating the solar reflectances of roofs, pavements and walls. We show in Part II that R{sub g,0} can be easily and accurately measured with a pyranometer, a solar spectrophotometer or version 6 of the Solar Spectrum Reflectometer.

Solar energy: photovoltaics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goetzberger, A.; Voss, B.; Knobloch, J.

1994-01-01

This textbooks covers the following topics: foundations of photovoltaics, solar energy, P-N junctions, physics of solar cells, high-efficiency solar cells, technology of Si solar cells, other solar cells, photovoltaic applications. (orig.)

Development of a high temperature solar receiver for high-efficient thermionic conversion systems; Fukugo netsuden henkan system yo chokoon taiyo junetsuki no kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Umeoka, T; Naito, H; Yugami, H; Arashi, H [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1996-10-27

For thermionic conversion systems (TIC) using concentrated sunlight as heat source, the newly developed solar receiver was tested. Concentrated sunlight aims at the inner surface of the cavity type solar receiver. The emitter of TIC installed in the rear of the solar receiver is uniformly heated over 1700K by thermal radiation from the rear of the solar receiver, emitting thermion. Electric power is generated by collecting the thermion by collector. Mo is used as emitter material, however, because of poor heat absorption of Mo, high-absorptive TiC is used for heat absorption surface to heat Mo by thermal conduction from high-temperature TiC. Functionally gradient material (FGM) with an intermediate layer of gradient TiC/Mo ratios between TiC and Mo is used as emitter material. The emitter is thus uniformly heated at high temperatures of 1723{plus_minus}12K. As a result, the developed solar receiver is applicable to heat the emitter of TIC. Heat flux measurement at the graphite cavity clarified that cavity temperature of as high as 1780K and heat flow of 50W/cm{sup 2} are obtained at 4.7kW in input. 6 figs.

FDM-HAWK, A High Performance Compact Modular Solar Array, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Developing a next generation high performance solar array with significant reduction in size and weight will result in improved NASA mission capabilities at lower...

Highly Reproducible Sn-Based Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells with 9% Efficiency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shao, Shuyan; Liu, Jian; Portale, Giuseppe; Fang, Hong-Hua; Blake, Graeme R.; ten Brink, Gert H.; Koster, L. Jan Anton; Loi, Maria Antonietta

2018-01-01

The low power conversion efficiency (PCE) of tin-based hybrid perovskite solar cells (HPSCs) is mainly attributed to the high background carrier density due to a high density of intrinsic defects such as Sn vacancies and oxidized species (Sn4+) that characterize Sn-based HPSCs. Herein, this study

High dose per fraction dosimetry of small fields with Gafchromic EBT2 film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardcastle, Nicholas; Basavatia, Amar; Bayliss, Adam; Tome, Wolfgang A.

2011-01-01

Purpose: Small field dosimetry is prone to uncertainties due to the lack of electronic equilibrium and the use of the correct detector size relative to the field size measured. It also exhibits higher sensitivity to setup errors as well as large variation in output with field size and shape. Radiochromic film is an attractive method for reference dosimetry in small fields due to its ability to provide 2D dose measurements while having minimal impact on the dose distribution. Gafchromic EBT2 has a dose range of up to 40 Gy; therefore, it could potentially be useful for high dose reference dosimetry with high spatial resolution. This is a requirement in stereotactic radiosurgery deliveries, which deliver high doses per fraction to small targets. Methods: Targets of 4 mm and 12 mm diameters were treated to a minimum peripheral dose of 21 Gy prescribed to 80% of the maximum dose in one fraction. Target doses were measured with EBT2 film (both targets) and an ion chamber (12 mm target only). Measured doses were compared with planned dose distributions using profiles through the target and minimum peripheral dose coverage. Results: The measured target doses and isodose coverage agreed with the planned dose within ±1 standard deviation of three measurements, which were 2.13% and 2.5% for the 4 mm and 12 mm targets, respectively. Conclusions: EBT2 film is a feasible dosimeter for high dose per fraction reference 2D dosimetry.

Foldable Compactly Stowable Extremely High Power Solar Array System, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Deployable Space Systems, Inc. (DSS) has developed a high performance solar array system that has game-changing performance metrics in terms of ultra-compact stowage...

LPV model for PV cell and fractional control of DC/DC converter for photovoltaic systems

OpenAIRE

Martínez González, Rubén; Bolea Monte, Yolanda; Grau Saldes, Antoni; Martínez García, Herminio

2011-01-01

This paper deals with the fractional modelling of a DC-DC converter, suitable in solar-powered electrical generation systems, and the design of a fractional controller for the aforementioned switching converter. A new model for PV cells is proposed in order to obtain a linear equation for V-I characteristic via scheduling dependence of temperature and irradiance. Due to the fractional nature of the ultracapacitors this kind of controller gives a suitable and good performance. Peer Reviewed

LPV model for PV cells and fractional control of DC/DC converter for photovoltaic systems

OpenAIRE

Martínez González, Rubén; Bolea Monte, Yolanda; Grau Saldes, Antoni; Martínez García, Herminio

2011-01-01

This paper deals with the fractional modelling of a DC-DC converter, suitable in solar-powered electrical generation systems, and the design of a fractional controller for the aforementioned switching converter. A new model for PV cells is proposed in order to obtain a linear equation for VI characteristic via scheduling dependence of temperature and irradiance. Due to the fractional nature of the ultracapacitors this kind of controller gives a suitable and good performance. Peer Rev...

Void fraction in horizontal bulk flow boiling at high flow qualities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collado, Fancisco J.; Monne, Carlos; Pascau, Antonio

2008-01-01

In this work, a new thermodynamic prediction of the vapor void fraction in bulk flow boiling, which is the core process of many energy conversion systems, is analyzed. The current heat balance is based on the flow quality, which is closely related to the measured void fraction, although some correlation for the vapor-liquid velocity ratio is needed. So here, it is suggested to work with the 'static' or thermodynamic quality, which is directly connected to the void fraction through the densities of the phases. Thus, the relation between heat and the mixture enthalpy (here based on the thermodynamic quality instead of the flow one) should be analyzed in depth. The careful void fraction data taken by Thom during the 'Cambridge project' for horizontal saturated flow boiling with high flow qualities (≤0.8) have been used for this analysis. As main results, first, we have found that the applied heat and the increment of the proposed thermodynamic enthalpy mixture throughout the heated duct do not agree, and for closure, a parameter is needed. Second, it has been checked that this parameter is practically equal to the classic velocity ratio or 'slip' ratio, suggesting that it should be included in a true thermodynamic heat balance. Furthermore, it has been clearly possible to improve the 'Cambridge project' correlations for the 'slip' ratio, here based on inlet pressure and water velocity, and heat flux. The calculated void fractions compare quite well with the measured ones. Finally, the equivalence of the suggested new heat balance with the current one through the 'slip' ratio is addressed. Highlighted is the same new energetic relation for saturated flow boiling that has been recently confirmed by the authors for Knights data, also taken during the 'Cambridge project', which include not only horizontal but also vertical upwards flows with moderate outlet flow quality (≤0.2)

Integrated Modelling of an Unmanned High-Altitude Solar-Powered Aircraft for Control Law Design Analysis

OpenAIRE

Klöckner, Andreas; Leitner, Martin; Schlabe, Daniel; Looye, Gertjan

2013-01-01

Solar-powered high-altitude unmanned platforms are highly optimized and integrated aircraft. In order to account for the complex, multi-physical interactions between their systems, we propose using integrated simulation models throughout the aircraft’s life cycle. Especially small teams with limited ressources should benefit from this approach. In this paper, we describe our approach to an integrated model of the Electric High-Altitude Solar-Powered Aircraft ELHASPA. It includes aspects of th...

FARIMA MODELING OF SOLAR FLARE ACTIVITY FROM EMPIRICAL TIME SERIES OF SOFT X-RAY SOLAR EMISSION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanislavsky, A. A.; Burnecki, K.; Magdziarz, M.; Weron, A.; Weron, K.

2009-01-01

A time series of soft X-ray emission observed by the Geostationary Operational Environment Satellites from 1974 to 2007 is analyzed. We show that in the solar-maximum periods the energy distribution of soft X-ray solar flares for C, M, and X classes is well described by a fractional autoregressive integrated moving average model with Pareto noise. The model incorporates two effects detected in our empirical studies. One effect is a long-term dependence (long-term memory), and another corresponds to heavy-tailed distributions. The parameters of the model: self-similarity exponent H, tail index α, and memory parameter d are statistically stable enough during the periods 1977-1981, 1988-1992, 1999-2003. However, when the solar activity tends to minimum, the parameters vary. We discuss the possible causes of this evolution and suggest a statistically justified model for predicting the solar flare activity.

A high volume cost efficient production macrostructuring process. [for silicon solar cell surface treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Chitre, S. R.

1978-01-01

The paper presents an experimentally developed surface macro-structuring process suitable for high volume production of silicon solar cells. The process lends itself easily to automation for high throughput to meet low-cost solar array goals. The tetrahedron structure observed is 0.5 - 12 micron high. The surface has minimal pitting with virtually no or very few undeveloped areas across the surface. This process has been developed for (100) oriented as cut silicon. Chemi-etched, hydrophobic and lapped surfaces were successfully texturized. A cost analysis as per Samics is presented.

Existence of high-energy solutions for supercritical fractional Schrodinger equations in R^N

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Gan

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this article, we study supercritical fractional Schr\\"odinger equations. Applying the finite-dimensional reduction method and the penalization method, we obtain the high-energy solutions for this equation.

Fractionation and Characterization of High Aspect Ratio Gold Nanorods Using Asymmetric-Flow Field Flow Fractionation and Single Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thao M. Nguyen

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Gold nanorods (GNRs are of particular interest for biomedical applications due to their unique size-dependent longitudinal surface plasmon resonance band in the visible to near-infrared. Purified GNRs are essential for the advancement of technologies based on these materials. Used in concert, asymmetric-flow field flow fractionation (A4F and single particle inductively coupled mass spectrometry (spICP-MS provide unique advantages for fractionating and analyzing the typically complex mixtures produced by common synthetic procedures. A4F fractions collected at specific elution times were analyzed off-line by spICP-MS. The individual particle masses were obtained by conversion of the ICP-MS pulse intensity for each detected particle event, using a defined calibration procedure. Size distributions were then derived by transforming particle mass to length assuming a fixed diameter. The resulting particle lengths correlated closely with ex situ transmission electron microscopy. In contrast to our previously reported observations on the fractionation of low-aspect ratio (AR GNRs (AR < 4, under optimal A4F separation conditions the results for high-AR GNRs of fixed diameter (≈20 nm suggest normal, rather than steric, mode elution (i.e., shorter rods with lower AR generally elute first. The relatively narrow populations in late eluting fractions suggest the method can be used to collect and analyze specific length fractions; it is feasible that A4F could be appropriately modified for industrial scale purification of GNRs.

Delay in solar energetic particle onsets at high heliographic latitudes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Dalla

2003-06-01

Full Text Available Ulysses observations have shown that solar energetic particles (SEPs can easily reach high heliographic latitudes. To obtain information on the release and propagation of SEPs prior to their arrival at Ulysses, we analyse the onsets of nine large high-latitude particle events. We measure the onset times in several energy channels, and plot them versus inverse particle speed. This allows us to derive an experimental path length and time of release from the solar atmosphere. We repeat the procedure for near-Earth observations by Wind and SOHO. We find that the derived path lengths at Ulysses are 1.06 to 2.45 times the length of a Parker spiral magnetic field line connecting the spacecraft to the Sun. The time of particle release from the Sun is between 100 and 350 min later than the release time derived from in-ecliptic measurements. We find no evidence of correlation between the delay in release and the inverse of the speed of the CME associated with the event, or the inverse of the speed of the corresponding interplanetary shock. The main parameter determining the magnitude of the delay appears to be the difference in latitude between the flare and the footpoint of the spacecraft.Key words. Interplanetary physics (energetic particles – Solar physics, astrophysics and astronomy (energetic particles, flares and mass ejections

Optimal study of a solar air heating system with pebble bed energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, D.L.; Li, Y.; Dai, Y.J.; Wang, R.Z.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Use two kinds of circulation media in the solar collector. → Air heating and pebble bed heat storage are applied with different operating modes. → Design parameters of the system are optimized by simulation program. → It is found that the system can meet 32.8% of the thermal energy demand in heating season. → Annual solar fraction aims to be 53.04%. -- Abstract: The application of solar air collectors for space heating has attracted extensive attention due to its unique advantages. In this study, a solar air heating system was modeled through TRNSYS for a 3319 m 2 building area. This air heating system, which has the potential to be applied for space heating in the heating season (from November to March) and hot water supply all year around in North China, uses pebble bed and water storage tank as heat storage. Five different working modes were designed based on different working conditions: (1) heat storage mode, (2) heating by solar collector, (3) heating by storage bed, (4) heating at night and (5) heating by an auxiliary source. These modes can be operated through the on/off control of fan and auxiliary heater, and through the operation of air dampers manually. The design, optimization and modification of this system are described in this paper. The solar fraction of the system was used as the optimization parameter. Design parameters of the system were optimized by using the TRNSYS program, which include the solar collector area, installation angle of solar collector, mass flow rate through the system, volume of pebble bed, heat transfer coefficient of the insulation layer of the pebble bed and water storage tank, height and volume of the water storage tank. The TRNSYS model has been verified by data from the literature. Results showed that the designed solar system can meet 32.8% of the thermal energy demand in the heating season and 84.6% of the energy consumption in non-heating season, with a yearly average solar fraction of 53.04%.

Dyadic Green’s functions of thin films: Applications within plasmonic solar cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jung, Jesper; Søndergaard, Thomas; Pedersen, Thomas Garm

2011-01-01

Optimization and design of silicon solar cells by exploiting light scattering frommetal nanoparticles to increase the efficiency is addressed in the small particle limit from a fundamental point of view via the dyadic Green’s function formulation. Based on the dyadic Green’s function (Green......’s tensor) of a three-layer geometry, light scattering from electric point dipoles (representing small metal scatterers) located within a thin layer sandwiched between a substrate and a superstrate is analyzed. Starting from the full dyadic Green’s function we derive analytical near- and far....... The theoretical approach is used to analyze realistic configurations for plasmon-assisted silicon solar cells. We show that by embedding metal nanoscatterers in a thin film with a high refractive index (rutile TiO2 with n ≈ 2.5) on top of the silicon, the fraction of scattered light that couples into the solar...

Matter effects on the flavor conversions of solar neutrinos and high-energy astrophysical neutrinos

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Guo-yuan; Liu, Jun-Hao; Zhou, Shun

2018-06-01

Can we observe the solar eclipses in the neutrino light? In principle, this is possible by identifying the lunar matter effects on the flavor conversions of solar neutrinos when they traverse the Moon before reaching the detectors at the Earth. Unfortunately, we show that the lunar matter effects on the survival probability of solar 8B neutrinos are suppressed by an additional factor of 1.2%, compared to the day-night asymmetry. However, we point out that the matter effects on the flavor conversions of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos, when they propagate through the Sun, can be significant. Though the flavor composition of high-energy neutrinos can be remarkably modified, it is quite challenging to observe such effects even in the next-generation of neutrino telescopes.

Ages of the solar system: Isotopic dating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, G.

1982-01-01

The major concern of this section will be to outline the ways in which measurements of isotope abundances have been used to determine the chronology of the origin and evolution of the solar system. In passing it should be remembered that the use of isotopic information is by no means restricted simply to the measurement of time scales and, particularly in recent years, isotope abundances have been used to investigate problems as diverse as the heat sources in the early solar nebula and the chemical evolution of the Earth's mantle. The fundamental property of isotopes which makes them especially useful for dating and other applications is the fact that, apart from a limited amount of mass fractionation, the composition of an isotopic mixture is unaffected by chemical processes. In those cases where mass fractionation does occur this effect may itself be useful, particularly as a source of information on temperatures. Since our main theme is time the events discussed in this section will be most conveniently presented as a chronological sequence, progressing from some time before the solar system existed down to the present day. (orig./WL)

High-spatial resolution and high-spectral resolution detector for use in the measurement of solar flare hard x rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desai, U.D.; Orwig, L.E.

1988-01-01

In the areas of high spatial resolution, the evaluation of a hard X-ray detector with 65 micron spatial resolution for operation in the energy range from 30 to 400 keV is proposed. The basic detector is a thick large-area scintillator faceplate, composed of a matrix of high-density scintillating glass fibers, attached to a proximity type image intensifier tube with a resistive-anode digital readout system. Such a detector, combined with a coded-aperture mask, would be ideal for use as a modest-sized hard X-ray imaging instrument up to X-ray energies as high as several hundred keV. As an integral part of this study it was also proposed that several techniques be critically evaluated for X-ray image coding which could be used with this detector. In the area of high spectral resolution, it is proposed to evaluate two different types of detectors for use as X-ray spectrometers for solar flares: planar silicon detectors and high-purity germanium detectors (HPGe). Instruments utilizing these high-spatial-resolution detectors for hard X-ray imaging measurements from 30 to 400 keV and high-spectral-resolution detectors for measurements over a similar energy range would be ideally suited for making crucial solar flare observations during the upcoming maximum in the solar cycle

Advanced Nanomaterials for High-Efficiency Solar Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Junhong [University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

2013-11-29

Energy supply has arguably become one of the most important problems facing humankind. The exponential demand for energy is evidenced by dwindling fossil fuel supplies and record-high oil and gas prices due to global population growth and economic development. This energy shortage has significant implications to the future of our society, in addition to the greenhouse gas emission burden due to consumption of fossil fuels. Solar energy seems to be the most viable choice to meet our clean energy demand given its large scale and clean/renewable nature. However, existing methods to convert sun light into electricity are not efficient enough to become a practical alternative to fossil fuels. This DOE project aims to develop advanced hybrid nanomaterials consisting of semiconductor nanoparticles (quantum dots or QDs) supported on graphene for cost-effective solar cells with improved conversion efficiency for harvesting abundant, renewable, clean solar energy to relieve our global energy challenge. Expected outcomes of the project include new methods for low-cost manufacturing of hybrid nanostructures, systematic understanding of their properties that can be tailored for desired applications, and novel photovoltaic cells. Through this project, we have successfully synthesized a number of novel nanomaterials, including vertically-oriented graphene (VG) sheets, three-dimensional (3D) carbon nanostructures comprising few-layer graphene (FLG) sheets inherently connected with CNTs through sp{sup 2} carbons, crumpled graphene (CG)-nanocrystal hybrids, CdSe nanoparticles (NPs), CdS NPs, nanohybrids of metal nitride decorated on nitrogen-doped graphene (NG), QD-carbon nanotube (CNT) and QD-VG-CNT structures, TiO{sub 2}-CdS NPs, and reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-SnO{sub 2} NPs. We further assembled CdSe NPs onto graphene sheets and investigated physical and electronic interactions between CdSe NPs and the graphene. Finally we have demonstrated various applications of these

Solution-processable MoOx nanocrystals enable highly efficient reflective and semitransparent polymer solar cells

KAUST Repository

Jagadamma, Lethy Krishnan

2016-09-09

Solution-manufacturing of organic solar cells with best-in-class power conversion efficiency (PCE) will require all layers to be solution-coated without compromising solar cell performance. To date, the hole transporting layer (HTL) deposited on top of the organic bulk heterojunction layer in the inverted architecture is most commonly an ultrathin (<10 nm) metal oxide layer prepared by vacuum-deposition. Here, we show that an alcohol-based nanocrystalline MoOx suspension with carefully controlled nanocrystal (NC) size can yield state of the art reflective and semitransparent solar cells. Using NCs smaller than the target HTL thickness (∼10 nm) can yield compact, pinhole-free films which result in highly efficient polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells with PCE=9.5%. The solution processed HTL is shown to achieve performance parity with vacuum-evaporated HTLs for several polymer:fullerene combinations and is even shown to work as hole injection layer in polymer light emitting diodes (PLED). We also demonstrate that larger MoOx NCs (30–50 nm) successfully composite MoOx with Ag nanowires (NW) to form a highly conducting, transparent top anode with exceptional contact properties. This yields state-of-the-art semitransparent polymer: fullerene solar cells with PCE of 6.5% and overall transmission >30%. The remarkable performance of reflective and semitransparent OPVs is due to the uncommonly high fill factors achieved using a carefully designed strategy for implementation of MoOx nanocrystals as HTL materials. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

High throughput parallel backside contacting and periodic texturing for high-efficiency solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, Claus; Blue, Craig A.; Ott, Ronald D.

2014-08-19

Disclosed are configurations of long-range ordered features of solar cell materials, and methods for forming same. Some features include electrical access openings through a backing layer to a photovoltaic material in the solar cell. Some features include textured features disposed adjacent a surface of a solar cell material. Typically the long-range ordered features are formed by ablating the solar cell material with a laser interference pattern from at least two laser beams.

Concentrating Solar Power: Best Practices Handbook for the Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data (CSP)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stoffel, T.; Renne, D.; Myers, D.; Wilcox, S.; Sengupta, M.; George, R.; Turchi, C.

2010-09-01

As the world looks for low-carbon sources of energy, solar power stands out as the most abundant energy resource. Harnessing this energy is the challenge for this century. Photovoltaics and concentrating solar power (CSP) are two primary forms of electricity generation using sunlight. These use different technologies, collect different fractions of the solar resource, and have different siting and production capabilities. Although PV systems are most often deployed as distributed generation sources, CSP systems favor large, centrally located systems. Accordingly, large CSP systems require a substantial investment, sometimes exceeding $1 billion in construction costs. Before such a project is undertaken, the best possible information about the quality and reliability of the fuel source must be made available. That is, project developers need to have reliable data about the solar resource available at specific locations to predict the daily and annual performance of a proposed CSP plant. Without these data, no financial analysis is possible. This handbook presents detailed information about solar resource data and the resulting data products needed for each stage of the project.

Fractional model for pharmacokinetics of high dose methotrexate in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Science.gov (United States)

Popović, Jovan K.; Spasić, Dragan T.; Tošić, Jela; Kolarović, Jovanka L.; Malti, Rachid; Mitić, Igor M.; Pilipović, Stevan; Atanacković, Teodor M.

2015-05-01

The aim of this study is to promote a model based on the fractional differential calculus related to the pharmacokinetic individualization of high dose methotrexate treatment in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, especially in high risk patients. We applied two-compartment fractional model on 8 selected cases with the largest number (4-19) of measured concentrations, among 43 pediatric patients received 24-h methotrexate 2-5 g/m2 infusions. The plasma concentrations were determined by fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Our mathematical procedure, designed by combining Post's and Newton's method, was coded in Mathematica 8.0 and performed on Fujicu Celsius M470-2 PC. Experimental data show that most of the measured values of methotrexate were in decreasing order. However, in certain treatments local maximums were detected. On the other hand, integer order compartmental models do not give values which fit well with the observed data. By the use of our model, we obtained better results, since it gives more accurate behavior of the transmission, as well as the local maximums which were recognized in methotrexate monitoring. It follows from our method that an additional test with a small methotrexate dose can be suggested for the fractional system parameter identification and the prediction of a possible pattern with a full dose in the case of high risk patients. A special feature of the fractional model is that it can also recognize and better fit an observed non-monotonic behavior. A new parameter determination procedure can be successfully used.

New high-resolution rocket-ultraviolet filtergrams of the solar disc

Science.gov (United States)

Foing, B.; Bonnet, R.-M.; Bruner, M.

1986-01-01

A rocket-borne solar ultraviolet telescope named Transition Region Camera was launched successfully for the third on July 13, 1982. High quality calibrated photographic images of the sun were obtained at Lyman alpha and in the continuum at 160 nm and 220 nm. The angular resolution achieved is better than one arcsec. A flare, active regions, sunspots, the 8 Mm mesostructure, the chromospheric network, bright UV grains and coronal loops were observed during the flight. The results are presented and the evolution with height in the solar atmosphere of the various structures observed is followed from one wavelength to the other, showing distinct differences. The value of the field's intensity of magnetic flux tubes is deduced from the observations.

Using fractional extraction method to separate Mo from U in high concentration solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Pinzhi; Cheng Guangrong; Ma Xiuhua

1996-01-01

The author presents investigation on separating Mo from U in acid high concentration lixivium with fractional extraction of secondary amine (7203) and D2EHPA and preparing qualified products of ammonium molybdate and sodium diuranate

Solvent Engineering for High-Performance PbS Quantum Dots Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rongfang Wu

2017-07-01

Full Text Available PbS colloidal quantum dots (CQDs solar cells have already demonstrated very impressive advances in recent years due to the development of many different techniques to tailor the interface morphology and compactness in PbS CQDs thin film. Here, n-hexane, n-octane, n-heptane, isooctane and toluene or their hybrids are for the first time introduced as solvent for comparison of the dispersion of PbS CQDs. PbS CQDs solar cells with the configuration of PbS/TiO2 heterojunction are then fabricated by using different CQDs solution under ambient conditions. The performances of the PbS CQDs solar cells are found to be tuned by changing solvent and its content in the PbS CQDs solution. The best device could show a power conversion efficiency (PCE of 7.64% under AM 1.5 G illumination at 100 mW cm−2 in a n-octane/isooctane (95%/5% v/v hybrid solvent scheme, which shows a ~15% improvement compared to the control devices. These results offer important insight into the solvent engineering of high-performance PbS CQDs solar cells.

Analysis of Nd3+:glass, solar-pumped, high-powr laser systems

Science.gov (United States)

Zapata, L. E.; Williams, M. D.

1989-01-01

The operating characteristics of Nd(3+):glass lasers energized by a solar concentrator were analyzed for the hosts YAG, silicate glass, and phosphate glass. The modeling is based on the slab zigzag laser geometry and assumes that chemical hardening methods for glass are successful in increasing glass hardness by a factor of 4. On this basis, it was found that a realistic 1-MW solar-pumped laser might be constructed from phosphate glass 4 sq m in area and 2 mm thick. If YAG were the host medium, a 1-MW solar-pumped laser need only be 0.5 sq m in area and 0.5 cm thick, which is already possible. In addition, Nd(3+) doped glass fibers were found to be excellent solar-pumped laser candidates. The small diameter of fibers eliminates thermal stress problems, and if their diameter is kept small (10 microns), they propagate a Gaussian single mode which can be expanded and transmitted long distances in space. Fiber lasers could then be used for communications in space or could be bundled and the individual beams summed or phase-matched for high-power operation.

Development of evaluation method of fuel failure fraction during the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sawa, Kazuhiro; Yoshimuta, Shigeharu; Tobita, Tsutomu; Sato, Masashi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan). Oarai Research Establishment

1997-05-01

The High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) uses coated particles as fuel. During normal operation, short-lived noble gases are mainly released by diffusion from fuel particles with defects in their coating layers (i.e., failed particle). Since noble gases do not plate out on the inner surfaces of primary cooling system, their activities in primary coolant reflect fuel failure fraction in the core. An evaluation method was developed to predict failure fraction of coated fuel particles during normal operation of the HTTR. The method predicts core-average and hot plenum regionwise failure fractions based on the fractional releases, (R/B)s, of noble gases. The (R/B)s are calculated by fission gas concentration measurements in the primary cooling system of the HTTR. Recent fabrication data show that through-coatings failure fraction is extremely low. Then, fractional release from matrix contamination uranium, which is background for accurate evaluation of the fuel failure fraction, should be precisely predicted. This report describes an evaluation method of fuel failure fraction from measurements in the HTTR together with a fission gas release model from fuel compact containing failed particles and matrix contamination uranium. (author)

Thermal management approaches of Cu(Inx, Ga1−x)Se2 micro-solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sancho-Martínez, Diego; Schmid, Martina

2017-01-01

Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) is a cost-effective method for generating electricity in regions that have a large fraction of direct solar radiation. With the help of lenses, sunlight is concentrated onto miniature, highly efficient multi-junction solar cells with a photovoltaic performance above 40%. To ensure illumination with direct radiation, CPV modules must be installed on trackers to follow the sun’s path. However, the costs of huge concentration optics and the photovoltaic technology used, narrow the market possibilities for CPV technology. Efforts to reduce these costs are being undertaken by the promotion of Cu(In x ,Ga 1−x )Se 2 solar cells to take over the high cost multi-junction solar cells and implementing more compact devices by minimization of solar cell area. Micrometer-sized absorbers have the potential of low cost, high efficiencies and good thermal dissipation under concentrated illumination. Heat dissipation at low (<10×) to medium (10  ×  to 100×) flux density distributions is the key point of high concentration studies for macro- and micro-sized solar cells (from 1 µ m 2 to 1 mm 2 ). To study this thermal process and to optimize it, critical parameters must be taken in account: absorber area, substrate area and thickness, structure design, heat transfer mechanism, concentration factor and illumination profile. A close study on them will be carried out to determine the best structure to enhance and reach the highest possible thermal management pointing to an efficiency improvement. (paper)

Feasibility of using pyranometers for continuous estimation of ground cover fraction in table grape vineyards