DEVELOPMENT OF A CROSSED LENS GALLIUM ARSENIDE PHOTOVALTAIC CONCENTRATOR, WITH AN AMO OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY OF 22%, FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS

ENTECH IS PLEASED TO PROPOSE TO NASA THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INNOVATIVE CROSSED LENS GALLIUM ARSENIDE PHOTOVOLTAIC CONCENTRATOR, CAPABLE OF PROVIDING AN OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCYOF 22% IN THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT. THE PROPOSED SYSTEM WILL UTILIZE THREE STATE-OF-THE-ART DEVELOPMENTS: (I) A CYLINDRICAL LENS/FRESNEL LENS CROSSED-COUPLED OPTICAL CONCENTRATOR WHICH WILL PROVIDE 96% OPTICAL EFFICIENCY AT 100-200X GEOMETRIC CONCENTRATION; (II) A PRISMATIC CELL COVER WHICH WILL ELIMINATE GRIDLINE OBSCRUATION LOSSES AND ENCAPSULANT REFLECTION LOSSES; AND (III) STATE-OF-THE-ART GALLIUM ARSENIDE CONCENTRATOR CELLS WHICH WILL PROVIDE 23% OPERATIONAL CELL EFFICIENCY. TOGETHER, THESE THREE INNOVATIONS WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO A NEW MODULE WHICH WILL PROVIDE AN OPERATIONAL POWER OUTPUT PER UNIT ARRAY AREAOF 300 WATTS/SQUARE METER, ABOUT TWICE AS HIGH AS FOR CURRENT PLANAR SILICON PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAYS IN THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT. BY DOUBLING ARRAY PERFORMANCE, THE NEW SYSTEM WILL DRAMATICALLY REDUCE ARRAY AREA, ARRAY MASS, AND ARRAY COST FOR FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS. IN ADDITION, THE NEW SYSTEMWILL OFFER LONG LIFETIME, EASE OF TRANSPORTATION, AND EASE OF DEPLOYMENT. BASED ON OUR PAST EIGHT YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL TERRESTRIAL PHOTOVOLTAIC CONCENTRATOR DEVELOPMENT, WE ARE CONFIDENT OF SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPING THE NEW MODULE WITH UNPRECEDENTED PERFORMANCE.