TWO LINEAR FRESNEL LENS PHOTOVOLTAIC CONCENTRATOR DESIGN INNOVATIONS: A PRISMATIC CELL COVER AND A COPPER HEAT SPREADER

THE PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS THE LIMITED PERFORMANCE OF PHOTOVOLTAIC RECEIVERS IN CURRENT CONCENTRATOR MODULES, DUE TO FIRST-SURFACE REFLECTION LOSSES FROM THE TRANSPARENT CELL ENCAPSULANT, SHADING LOSSES DUE TO GRIDLINES ON THE ILLUMINATED SURFACE OF THE CELL, AND TEMPERATURE-INDUCED LOSSES RESULTING FROM THE CELL-TO-HEAT SINK GRADIENT. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO EMPIRICALLY VERIFY SIGNIFICANT PERFORMANCE GAINS OFFERED BY A PROPRIETARY OPTICAL INNOVATION (A PRISMATIC CELL COVER WHICH WILL ELIMINATE THE REFLECTION AND GRIDLINE SHADING LOSSES) AND A PROPRIETARY THERMAL INNOVATION (A COPPER HEAT SPREADER WHICH WILL MINIMIZE CELL TEMPERATURE). TOGETHER, THESE INNOVATIONS SHOULD OFFER A 17, GAIN IN OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE FOR THE CURRENT LINEAR FRESNEL LENS PHOTOVOLTAIC CONCENTRATOR SYSTEM MADE BY ENTECH. UPDATED PERFORMANCE/COST ESTIMATES WILL BE MADE FOR THE FRESNEL SYSTEM, INCLUDING THESE INNOVATIONS. AFTER ESTABLISHING THE TECHNICAL/ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF THE INNOVATIONS IN PHASE I, PHASE II WILL INVOLVE FABRICATION AND TESTING OF FULL-SCALE PROTOTYPE COLLECTORS INCORPORATING THE TWO INNOVATIONS. THEREAFTER, PHASE III WILL INVOLVE COMMERCIALIZATION OF LINEAR FRESNEL LENS PHOTO-VOLTAIC SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE NEW FEATURES, FOR INDUSTRIAL, UTILITY, AND STAND-ALONE APPLICATIONS.