FABRICATING SOLAR CELL COVERGLASS FROM MOLTEN REGOLITH ELECTROLYSIS ELECTROLYTE
A solar cell that incorporates a thin layer of transparent silicate, and a number of techniques for fabricating the thin layer of transparent silicate, are presented. The transparent silicate may be a protective coverglass on the solar cell or solar panel. Fabricating the coverglass may include vaporizing iron-depleted lunar regolith to produce vaporized transparent silicate and allowing the vaporized transparent silicate to condense onto a solar panel to form the coverglass. Vaporizing the iron-depleted lunar regolith to produce the vaporized transparent silicate may involve directing an electron beam onto the iron-depleted lunar regolith in a process of electron-beam physical vapor deposition (EBPVD). The iron-depleted lunar regolith may be electrolyte of a molten electrolysis process.
1 . A method for fabricating coverglass disposed on a solar panel, the method comprising:
vaporizing iron-depleted lunar regolith to produce vaporized transparent silicate; and
allowing the vaporized transparent silicate to condense onto the solar panel to form the coverglass.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein vaporizing the iron-depleted lunar regolith to produce the vaporized transparent silicate comprises directing an electron beam onto the iron-depleted lunar regolith.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein vaporizing the iron-depleted lunar regolith to produce the vaporized transparent silicate comprises applying heat to the iron-depleted lunar regolith.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed in the natural vacuum of the Moon.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the iron-depleted lunar regolith comprises electrolyte of a molten electrolysis process.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein vaporizing the iron-depleted lunar regolith is performed by using heat from the molten regolith electrolysis process.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an opacity of the transparent silicate is based, at least in part, on a concentration of one or more cations.
8 . A method for placing a protective layer on a solar panel, the method comprising:
arranging an iron-depleted electrolyte and the solar panel to be within a line of sight of each other, wherein the iron-depleted electrolyte is formed by electrolysis of molten regolith;
vaporizing at least a portion of the iron-depleted electrolyte to produce vaporized transparent silicate; and
allowing the vaporized transparent silicate to condense onto the solar panel to form the protective layer.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the molten regolith is molten lunar regolith.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the iron-depleted electrolyte and the solar panel are in the natural vacuum of the lunar surface during the vaporizing.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein vaporizing at least a portion of the iron-depleted electrolyte to produce the vaporized transparent silicate comprises directing an electron beam onto the iron-depleted electrolyte.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein vaporizing at least a portion of the iron-depleted electrolyte to produce the vaporized transparent silicate comprises applying heat to the iron-depleted electrolyte.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the protective layer includes aluminum and/or titanium, which originated from lunar regolith.
14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein an opacity of the transparent silicate is based, at least in part, on a concentration of one or more cations.
15 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
harvesting regolith from a lunar surface;
heating the regolith to form the molten regolith; and
separating out iron bearing minerals from the regolith.
16 . A coverglass deposition apparatus comprising:
a crucible configured to contain iron-depleted electrolyte formed by electrolysis of molten regolith;
an electron gun configured to produce a collimated beam of electrons directed onto the iron-depleted electrolyte; and
a substrate located to receive vaporized transparent silicate resulting from impingement of the collimated beam of electrons onto the iron-depleted electrolyte.
17 . The coverglass deposition apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the substrate is a solar panel.
18 . The coverglass deposition apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the molten regolith is molten lunar regolith.
19 . The coverglass deposition apparatus of claim 16 , wherein an opacity of the transparent silicate is based, at least in part, on a concentration of one or more cations.
20 . The coverglass deposition apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the iron-depleted electrolyte and the substrate are located in a natural vacuum of the lunar surface.