Luminescent greenhouse collector for solar radiation.
About: This article is published in Applied Optics.The article was published on 1976-10-01. It has received 700 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Luminescent solar concentrator & Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector.
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TL;DR: The luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) is a simple device at its heart, employing a polymeric or glass waveguide and luminecent molecules to generate electricity from sunlight when attached to a photovoltaic cell as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Research on the luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) over the past thirty-odd years is reviewed. The LSC is a simple device at its heart, employing a polymeric or glass waveguide and luminescent molecules to generate electricity from sunlight when attached to a photovoltaic cell. The LSC has the potential to find extended use in an area traditionally difficult for effective use of regular photovoltaic panels: the built environment. The LSC is a device very flexible in its design, with a variety of possible shapes and colors. The primary challenge faced by the devices is increasing their photon-to-electron conversion efficiencies. A number of laboratories are working to improve the efficiency and lifetime of the LSC device, with the ultimate goal of commercializing the devices within a few years. The topics covered here relate to the efforts for reducing losses in these devices. These include studies of novel luminophores, including organic fluorescent dyes, inorganic phosphors, and quantum dots. Ways to limit the surface and internal losses are also discussed, including using organic and inorganic-based selective mirrors which allow sunlight in but reflect luminophore-emitted light, plasmonic structures to enhance emissions, novel photovoltaics, alignment of the luminophores to manipulate the path of the emitted light, and patterning of the dye layer to improve emission efficiency. Finally, some possible ‘glimpses of the future’ are offered, with additional research paths that could result in a device that makes solar energy a ubiquitous part of the urban setting, finding use as sound barriers, bus-stop roofs, awnings, windows, paving, or siding tiles.
779 citations
TL;DR: Recent advances in nanocrystal research related to applications of QD materials in lasing, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and solar energy conversion are examined.
Abstract: The field of nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs) is already more than 30 years old, and yet continuing interest in these structures is driven by both the fascinating physics emerging from strong quantum confinement of electronic excitations, as well as a large number of prospective applications that could benefit from the tunable properties and amenability toward solution-based processing of these materials. The focus of this review is on recent advances in nanocrystal research related to applications of QD materials in lasing, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and solar energy conversion. A specific underlying theme is innovative concepts for tuning the properties of QDs beyond what is possible via traditional size manipulation, particularly through heterostructuring. Examples of such advanced control of nanocrystal functionalities include the following: interface engineering for suppressing Auger recombination in the context of QD LEDs and lasers; Stokes-shift engineering for applications in large-area luminesce...
703 citations
TL;DR: The exploitation of near-field energy transfer, solid-state solvation, and phosphorescence enables 10-fold increases in the power obtained from photovoltaic cells, without the need for solar tracking.
Abstract: The cost of photovoltaic power can be reduced with organic solar concentrators. These are planar waveguides with a thin-film organic coating on the face and inorganic solar cells attached to the edges. Light is absorbed by the coating and reemitted into waveguide modes for collection by the solar cells. We report single- and tandem-waveguide organic solar concentrators with quantum efficiencies exceeding 50% and projected power conversion efficiencies as high as 6.8%. The exploitation of near-field energy transfer, solid-state solvation, and phosphorescence enables 10-fold increases in the power obtained from photovoltaic cells, without the need for solar tracking.
683 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a new principle for solar energy conversion is proposed and evaluated theoretically, and the optical path length in a triangular collector is computed, which offers the advantage of separating the various fractions of light and converting them with solar cells with different bandgaps.
Abstract: A new principle for solar energy conversion is proposed and evaluated theoretically. Collection and concentration of direct and diffuse radiation is possible by the use of a stack of transparent sheets of material doped with fluorescent dyes. High efficiency of light collection can be achieved by light guiding and special design of collectors. The optical path length in a triangular collector is computed. In combination with solar cells this type of collector offers the advantage of separating the various fractions of light and converting them with solar cells with different bandgaps. Theoretical conversion efficiency under optimum conditions is 32% for a system with four semiconductors. Thermal energy conversion offers several advantages over conventional collectors: High temperature and efficiency even under weak illumination, separation of heat transport and radiation collection, low thermal mass. Thermal efficiency is computed to be between 42% and 60%. Very attractive appear hybrid systems for generation of thermal and electric energy. An estimate of the economics of electricity generation shows that due to the concentration costs can be much lower than possible today. With the use of only silicon cells the breakeven point of $0.5/W is almost reached. Practical difficulties to be solved are: Synthesis of dyes with stringent requirements, identification of plastic materials with high transparency and development of solar cells with higher bandgaps.
638 citations
TL;DR: The application of a luminescent down-shifting (LDS) layer has been proposed as a method for improving the poor spectral response (SR) of solar cells to short-wavelength light.
523 citations
References
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TL;DR: 1 W of w laser output has been obtained at room temperature from a sun-pumped, neodymium-doped YAG crystal from a modified Cassegrain sun-tracking telescope and refinements in the telescope and the laser crystal, and a space environment, should allow 1 W of laser output to be generated by using a 30-cm diam collector.
Abstract: 1 W of w laser output has been obtained at room temperature from a sun-pumped, neodymium-doped YAG crystal. The water-cooled laser rod was pumped with a modified Cassegrain sun-tracking telescope consisting of a 61-cm diam paraboloidal primary mirror collector, a water-cooled hyperbolic-cylindric secondary mirror and a hemicircular cylindric tertiary mirror. The cylindrical image volume was coincident with 24 mm of the 3-mm by 30-mm YAG rod. The spike-free output was obtained for hours at a time with a late October sun at a 42 degrees North latitude. Using the same primary mirror and near-unity numerical aperture refractors, approximately 1.25 W were obtained in 7 msec pulses from an uncooled, sun-pumped, neodymium-doped, glass rod. Further refinements in the telescope and the laser crystal, and a space environment, should allow 1 W of laser output to be generated by using a 30-cm diam collector.
188 citations
TL;DR: The physical mechanisms important to the operation of tunable lasers utilizing organic dyes are discussed in this article, where a wide variety of practical laser configurations possible for optically pumped dye lasere are examined.
Abstract: The physical mechanisms important to the operation of tunable lasers utilizing organic dyes are discussed. The uniqueness of organic dyes as a tunable laser medium is reviewed by investigating the optical properties of two broadened energy levels. The complete energy level system is investigated and gain and efficiency are calculated. The wide variety of practical laser configurations possible for optically pumped dye lasere are examined. New topics of interest such as dye vapor lasers and short pulse generation are discussed.
135 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the role of other III-V and II-VI compounds, particularly CdS, was discussed and GaAs photovoltaic device structure was examined as an attractive alternate to Si devices for large scale terrestrial power generation.
Abstract: GaAs photovoltaic device structure are examined as an attractive alternate to Si devices for large scale terrestrial power generation. The role of other III‐V and II‐VI compounds, particularly CdS, is also discussed. (AIP)
34 citations