ELECTROLYSIS VIA VERTICAL MULTI-JUNCTION PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL
Systems and methods that employ a vertical multi junction (VMJ) photovoltaic cell, to provide electrolysis for water and generate hydrogen and oxygen. Electrical current generated by the VMJ flows through the electrolyte (e.g., salt water) for a decomposition thereof (e.g., hydrogen and oxygen)—whenever threshold voltage of electrolysis operation is reached (e.g., 1.6 volts for water electrolysis).
1 - 20 . (canceled)
21 . An electrolysis system comprising:
a vertical multi junction (VMJ) solar cell that includes multiple connected cell elements fully or partially submerged in an electrolyte, each cell made from a plurality of stacked impurity doped semiconductor substrates; and
an ultrasonic transducer facilitates the collection of decomposed electrolyte.
22 . The electrolysis system of claim 1 , the electrolyte is salt water.
23 . The electrolysis system of claim 1 , the decomposed electrolyte comprising hydrogen and oxygen.
24 . The electrolysis system of claim 1 , further comprising a heat regulating assembly.
25 . The electrolysis system of claim 4 , the heat regulating assembly comprising a cooling medium that is separate from the electrolyte.
26 . The electrolysis system of claim 1 , further comprising a collection mechanism for the decomposed electrolyte.
27 . The electrolysis system of claim 1 , further comprising the VMJ solar cell having a threshold voltage, the threshold voltage required to create the current.
28 . The electrolysis system of claim 7 , the threshold voltage is about 1.6 volts.
29 . The electrolysis system of claim 1 , the VMJ cell has a textured surface.
30 . The electrolysis system of claim 1 , the electrolyte containing catalyst materials to increase electrolysis efficiency.
31 . A method of electrolyzing an electrolyte comprising:
connecting multiple cell elements to form a VMJ solar cell;
submerging, partially or totally, the VMJ solar cell in an electrolyte;
receiving incident light by the VMJ solar cell, the VMJ solar cell creating a current in the electrolyte from the incident light;
decomposing the electrolyte from the current; and
facilitating collecting of material that results from decomposing the electrolyte with an ultrasonic transducer.
32 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising cooling the VMJ solar cell by a heat regulating assembly.
33 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising using an independent cooling medium separate from the electrolyte to cool the VMJ solar cell.
34 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising utilizing catalysts in the electrolyte to increase efficiency of decomposing the electrolyte.
35 . The method of claim 11 , the decomposed electrolyte comprising hydrogen and oxygen.
36 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising collecting the decomposed electrolyte in a collection mechanism.
37 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising texturing a surface of the VMJ solar cell.
38 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising increasing mechanical strength of the VMJ solar cell via buffer zones.
39 . An electrolysis system comprising:
means for decomposing an electrolyte via incident light by inducing a current in the electrolyte, wherein the current is created by a multitude of connected cell elements; and
means for collecting the decomposed electrolyte by utilizing an ultrasonic transducer.