Space photovoltaic solar breeder by graphoepitaxial growth of thin film solar cells

OPTIMUM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF a-Si/poly Si TANDEM SOLAR CELLS

A concept of cumulative solar photovoltaic power generation system utilizing a solar powered thin film solar cell fabrication process in space has been proposed Principal mechanism of the electric power multiplication system might be analogous to the biological production system in a living thing which grows by a continuous energy supply from the sun Specialities of the space environments, particularly, steady with high solar energy density, ultrahigh vacuum and microgravity are fully utilized for the thin film solar cell production and the cumulative photovoltaic power generation Technological and material science considerations for the development of a very wide area thin film solar cells by a molecular graphoepitaxial growth in space have been made A feasibility study for the new system has also been made with reference of the previously reported satellite solar power station system The result shows that the proposed system might work much economically rather than the present space transportation plan for the satellite solar power station, and provides large amount of potential energy demands both for space missions and terrestrial energy resources in the future

Y. Hamakawa

Papers

A very wide area thin film solar cell fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy in space