Presentation Details
| Multifunctional luminescent coating for space photovoltaic applications Sergey Sarkisov1, Darayas Patel2, Alexandre Fedoseyev1. 1SSS Optical Technologies, LLC, Huntsville, AL, USA.2Oakwood University, Huntsville, AL, USA |
Abstract
We describe our efforts to develop Polymer Anti-damage Nanocomposite Down-converting Armor (PANDA) to improve operational lifetime of inverted metamorphic multijunction (IMM) and ultra-thin silicon heterojunction (UT-SHJ) solar photovoltaic (PV) cells in space. PANDA absorbs harmful solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation and improves UV stability of the cells; combines UV shielding with spectral downshifting UV, otherwise wasted, to visible photoluminescence (PL) used by the cells to generate extra electric power; shields the cells from high-energy electrons and protons and from atomic oxygen (AO) at low Earth orbit (LEO). PANDA uses space certified polymer CORIN XLS impregnated with PL nanoparticles (NPs) incorporating ions of Eu3+. NPs absorb solar UV and emit orange-red visible light suitable for PV cells. PANDA was applied to front face of a cell. PANDA improved cell power by 0.5% over CORIN-coated and by 7% (in tandem with anti-reflection layer) over uncoated cells; PANDA reduced power degradation of IMM cells exposed to solar UV 15 and 1.7 times relative to uncoated and CORIN-coated ones, respectively. PANDA reduced power degradation of UT-SHJ cells exposed to 1-MeV electrons 3.25 and 1.4 times over no-coat and CORIN, respectively. Irradiation with high-energy protons of PANDA-coated UT-SHJ cells resulted in improvement of generated power more significant for greater proton energy. Exposure of CORIN and PANDA films to annual dose of AO caused a drop of optical transmittance – 6 and – 7.5%, respectively. Thirty cycles of PANDA-coated cells in ±120oC range revealed no separation/delamination of the coat. The results confirm feasibility of PANDA as performance improving and stabilizing coating for solar cells in space environment.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.