DEVELOPMENT OF A LOW COST HIGH CONCENTRATION PHOTOVOLTAIC DENSE ARRAY MODULE FOR USE WITH REFLECTIVE CONCENTRATORS

A ONE KILOWATT TEST-BED PHOTOVOLTAIC REFLECTIVE DISH SYSTEM WITH 13.6 PERCENT OVERALL EFFICIENCY HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED. THE DISH WAS OPERATED FOR TWO MONTHS, AT WHICH TIME ONE OF THE RECEIVER MODULES DEVELOPED A CRACK IN ITS SUBSTRATE AND BEGAN LEAKING COOLANT. PHASE I WILL DESIGN AND FABRICATE A SECOND-GENERATION DENSE-ARRAY MODULE AND TEST IT ON A ONE KILOWATT TEST-BED CONCENTRATOR. THE NEW MODULE WILL USE AN ALUMINA SUBSTRATE, RATHER THAN THE SILICON SUBSTRATE OF THE FIRST-GENERATION DESIGN, ALONG WITH A NEW SUBSTRATE-TO-MODULE-HOUSING SEAL BASED ON ORINGS, RATHER THAN THE ADHESIVES OF THE FIRST-GENERATION DESIGN. THE SAME INNOVATIVE, INTEGRAL HEAT EXCHANGER WILL BE EMPLOYED. THE MODULE WILL BE SUBJECTED TO QUALIFICATION TESTING AND OPERATED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD TO DEMONSTRATE RELIABILITY. BY INCORPORATING NEW 26 PERCENT EFFICIENT CELLS INTO A NEW DENSE-ARRAY MODULE DESIGN, IT IS HOPED TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE, RELIABLE, COST-EFFECTIVE PHOTOVOLTAIC DISH SYSTEMS WITH AN OVERALL EFFICIENCY OF OVER 16 PERCENT.