SOLAR POWER SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT, WATERCRAFT, OR LAND VEHICLES USING INVERTED METAMORPHIC MULTIJUNCTION SOLAR CELLS
A system for generating electrical power from solar radiation utilizing a thin film III-V compound multijunction semiconductor solar cell mounted on a support in a non-planar configuration is disclosed herein.
1 . An aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle comprising:
a non-planar support for mounting a plurality of solar cells; and
a plurality of solar cells mounted on the non-planar support, wherein each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells is capable of bending so as to conform to the non-planar surface of the non-planar support, and wherein each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells includes a thin flexible film semiconductor body formed from III-V compound semiconductors including:
a first solar subcell having a first band gap;
a second solar subcell disposed over the first subcell and having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap;
a grading interlayer composed on InGaAlAs and disposed over the second subcell in said body and having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; and
a third solar subcell over said interlayer in the body and being lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell and having a fourth band gap smaller than the third band gap;
wherein the non-planar support having the plurality of solar cells mounted thereon is attached to the aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle.
2 . The aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle is manned or unmanned.
3 . The aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is an aerostat.
4 . The aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the aerostat is powered or unpowered.
5 . The aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is an aerodyne.
6 . The aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the aerodyne is powered or unpowered.
7 . The aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the aerodyne is fixed wing or rotorcraft.
8 . The aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the watercraft is propelled or tethered.
9 . The aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the watercraft is motorized or non-motorized.
10 . The aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the watercraft is a surface craft or a submersible.
11 . The aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the land vehicle is motorized or non-motorized.
12 . A solar cell assembly comprising:
a non-planar support for mounting a plurality of solar cells; and
a plurality of solar cells mounted on the non-planar support, wherein each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells is capable of bending so as to conform to the non-planar surface of the non-planar support, and wherein each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells includes a thin flexible film semiconductor body formed from III-V compound semiconductors including:
a first solar subcell having a first band gap;
a second solar subcell disposed over the first subcell and having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap;
a grading interlayer composed on InGaAlAs and disposed over the second subcell in said body and having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; and
a third solar subcell over said interlayer in the body and being lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell and having a fourth band gap smaller than the third band gap;
wherein the solar cell assembly is attached to an aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle.
13 . The solar cell assembly of claim 12 , wherein the non-planar support comprises a curved surface.
14 . The solar cell assembly of claim 12 , wherein the grading interlayer has a substantially constant band gap.
15 . The solar cell assembly of claim 14 , wherein the substantially constant band gap of the grading interlayer is 1.5 eV.
16 . The solar cell assembly of claim 12 , wherein the grading interlayer has a monotonically changing lattice constant.
17 . The solar cell assembly of claim 16 , wherein the grading interlayer is a compositionally step-graded InGaAlAs series of layers with a monotonically changing lattice constant.
18 . The solar cell assembly of claim 12 , wherein the grading interlayer is compositionally graded to lattice match the second subcell on one side and the third subcell on the other side
19 . A method for mounting a plurality of solar cells on a aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a non-planar support for mounting a plurality of solar cells;
mounting the plurality of solar cells on the non-planar support, wherein each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells is capable of bending so as to conform to the non-planar surface of the non-planar support, and wherein each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells includes a thin flexible film semiconductor body formed from III-V compound semiconductors including:
a first solar subcell having a first band gap;
a second solar subcell disposed over the first subcell and having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap;
a grading interlayer composed on InGaAlAs and disposed over the second subcell in said body and having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; and
a third solar subcell over said interlayer in the body and being lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell and having a fourth band gap smaller than the third band gap; and
attaching the non-planar support having the plurality of solar cells mounted thereon to an aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the non-planar support is adapted for attachment to a curved surface of the aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle.