SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCTION SYSTEM
A device for generating solar electrical energy generally includes an optic for focusing solar radiation, a collimating optic, a semi-conductor optical gates wedge disposed near the focal point of the collimation optic for dispersing incident solar radiation between a plurality of adjacent wavelength bands, an array of photovoltaic cells, each cell being formed from a material for absorbing and converting a corresponding wavelength band dispersed by the wedge into the photovoltaic energy, and a refracting optic disposed between the wedge and the array for directing separated wavelength bands onto corresponding photovoltaic cells.
1 . A device for generating solar photovoltaic energy, said device comprising:
an optic for focusing solar radiation;
a collimating optic;
a semi-conductor optical gate wedge disposed proximate a focal point of said collimating optic for dispersing incident solar radiation into a plurality of adjacent wavelength bands;
an array of photovoltaic cells, each cell being formed from a material for absorbing and converting a corresponding wavelength band dispersed by the wedge into electrical energy; and
a refracting optic disposed between the wedge and said array for directing separated wavelength bands onto corresponding photovoltaic cells.
2 . The device to claim 1 wherein each cell comprises a single junction, either III-V or Si, photovoltaic cell.
3 . The device according to claim 2 wherein the array comprises 3 photovoltaic cells.
4 . The device according to claim 2 wherein the array comprises 5 photovoltaic cells.
5 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the array comprises five cells, a first cell absorbing solar photons of energy between 0.95 and 1.15 eV, a second cell absorbing solar photons of energy between 1.2 and 1.4 eV, a third cell absorbing solar photons of energy between 1.45 and 1.7 eV, a fourth cell absorbing solar photons of energy between 1.75 and 2.1 eV, and a fifth cell absorbing solar photons of energy between 2.15 and 2.8 eV.
6 . The device according to claim 3 wherein the first cell is GaInAsP, the second cell is Si, the third cell is GaAs, the fourth cell is GaInP 2 and the fifth cell is Al 2 GaInP 4 .
7 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the refracting optic is disposed for spatially dispersing light from the wedge onto the photovoltaic cells incident perpendicular to cell surfaces.
8 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the wedge includes anti-reflecting coatings to reduce reflection losses.
9 . The device according to claim 1 wherein said focusing optics comprises a plurality of Fresnel mirrors.
10 . The device according to claim 9 wherein said focusing optic comprises four Fresnel mirrors.
11 . The device according to claim 9 wherein said focusing optic comprises 36 Fresnel mirrors arranged in three concentric circles.
12 . A method for optimization of a photovoltaic cell array, said method comprising:
focusing solar radiation onto a semi-conductor optical gate wedge;
dispersing the solar radiation by way of the gate wedge into a plurality of adjacent wavelength bands; and
directing the adjacent wavelength bands onto a photovoltaic cell array at generally right angles to the photovoltaic cell array such that the band gap energy of each array element matches the incident photon energy.
13 . The method according to claim 12 further comprising arranging a plurality of single junction, either III-V or Si, photovoltaic cells to form the photovoltaic cell array.
14 . The method according to claim 13 wherein arranging a plurality of cells comprising arranging three adjacent cells.
15 . The method according to claim 13 wherein arranging a plurality of cells comprises arranging five adjacent cells.
16 . The method according to claim 12 wherein focusing optic comprises a plurality of Fresnel mirrors.
17 . The method according to claim 16 wherein using a plurality of Fresnel mirrors comprises using four Fresnel mirrors.
18 . The method according to claim 16 wherein using a plurality of Fresnel mirrors comprises using thirty-six Fresnel mirrors.