Juan M. Russo

Spectrum splitting metrics and effect of filter characteristics on photovoltaic system performance

During the past few years there has been a significant interest in spectrum splitting systems to increase the overall efficiency of photovoltaic solar energy systems. However, methods for comparing the performance of spectrum splitting systems and the effects of optical spectral filter design on system performance are not well developed. This paper addresses these two areas. The system conversion efficiency is examined in detail and the role of optical spectral filters with respect to the efficiency is developed. A new metric termed the Improvement over Best Bandgap is defined which expresses the efficiency gain of the spectrum splitting system with respect to a similar system that contains the highest constituent single bandgap photovoltaic cell. This parameter indicates the benefit of using the more complex spectrum splitting system with respect to a single bandgap photovoltaic system. Metrics are also provided to assess the performance of experimental spectral filters in different spectrum splitting configurations. The paper concludes by using the methodology to evaluate spectrum splitting systems with different filter configurations and indicates the overall efficiency improvement that is possible with ideal and experimental designs.

Silicon oxide nanoparticles doped PQ-PMMA for volume holographic imaging filters

Holographic imaging filters are required to have high Bragg selectivity, namely, narrow angular and spectral bandwidth, to obtain spatial-spectral information within a three-dimensional object. In this Letter, we present the design of holographic imaging filters formed using silicon oxide nanoparticles (nano-SiO(2)) in phenanthrenquinone-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PQ-PMMA) polymer recording material. This combination offers greater Bragg selectivity and increases the diffraction efficiency of holographic filters. The holographic filters with optimized ratio of nano-SiO(2) in PQ-PMMA can significantly improve the performance of Bragg selectivity and diffraction efficiency by 53% and 16%, respectively. We present experimental results and data analysis demonstrating this technique in use for holographic spatial-spectral imaging filters.

Temperature dependence properties of holographic gratings in phenanthrenquinone doped poly(methyl methacrylate) photopolymers

We examine the temperature dependence of edge-illuminated holographic filters formed in phenanthrenquinone doped poly(methyl methacrylate) (PQ/PMMA) operating at 1550 nm. It was found that the thermally induced change to the refractive index and volume can be used to select the wavelength filtered by the grating. The temperature can be varied over a range of 15 degrees C without introducing noticeable hysteresis effects. The wavelength can be tuned at a rate of 0.03 nm/degrees C over this temperature range. A model for the temperature tuning effect is presented and compared to experimental results.

Spectrum-splitting photovoltaic system using transmission holographic lenses

Abstract. The optical efficiency of a holographic spectrum-splitting optical system with transmission holographic lenses is investigated. Spectrum-splitting is a promising approach to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) systems. By removing the lattice-matching constraints, it is possible to utilize low-cost thin-film PV materials and fabrication techniques. Transmission holograms are fabricated with the recording of the interference patterns of two or more coherent beams. It is also possible to use converging construction wavefronts to record holographic gratings that are matched to the focusing beam from the primary concentrator optics. Experimental holograms are fabricated in dichromated gelatin, and high diffraction efficiency is obtained. A single holographic lens is used to divide a broad spectrum into two types of PV cells. The position and orientation of the PV cells are chosen to match the dispersion properties of the holographic lens. The optical transfer efficiency of the holographic lens is measured to be ∼90% at the peak with fast transitions between the high diffraction efficiency and the high transmission spectral regions. With a GaAs solar cell and a 2.1-eV bandgap solar cell, the system efficiency is 31.0% under one-sun which is improved by 11.9% over the best single PV cell. The achievable system efficiency with the prototype filter is 96% compared to that of the ideal system.

Thermal effects of the extended holographic regions for holographic planar concentrator

A model for the thermal properties of holographic planar concentrators on module performance is presented and verified with experimental data. The holographic planar concentrator modules consist of ribbons of volume holograms placed next to photovoltaic cells to achieve a low level concentration effect. The holographic ribbons increase the surface area required to produce a fixed amount of output power but reduce the cost of the module by eliminating approximately half of the photovoltaic cell material, in this case monocrystalline bifacial silicon cells. Due to the low concentration, the temperature reduction effect of the added surface area overcomes the added heat provided by the holograms. The theoretical point at which the added concentration by holograms overcomes the cooling effect provided by the extended region for varying theoretical holographic contributions is also presented.

Reflection hologram solar spectrum-splitting filters

In this paper we investigate the use of holographic filters in solar spectrum splitting applications. Photovoltaic (PV) systems utilizing spectrum splitting have higher theoretical conversion efficiency than single bandgap cell modules. Dichroic band-rejection filters have been used for spectrum splitting applications with some success however these filters are limited to spectral control at fixed reflection angles. Reflection holographic filters are fabricated by recording interference pattern of two coherent beams at arbitrary construction angles. This feature can be used to control the angles over which spectral selectivity is obtained. In addition focusing wavefronts can also be used to increase functionality in the filter. Holograms fabricated in dichromated gelatin (DCG) have the benefit of light weight, low scattering and absorption losses. In addition, reflection holograms recorded in the Lippmann configuration have been shown to produce strong chirping as a result of wet processing. Chirping broadens the filter rejection bandwidth both spectrally and angularly. It can be tuned to achieve spectral bandwidth suitable for spectrum splitting applications. We explore different DCG film fabrication and processing parameters to improve the optical performance of the filter. The diffraction efficiency bandwidth and scattering losses are optimized by changing the exposure energy, isopropanol dehydration bath temperature and hardening bath duration. A holographic spectrum-splitting PV module is proposed with Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and silicon (Si) PV cells with efficiency of 25.1% and 19.7% respectively. The calculated conversion efficiency with a prototype hologram is 27.94% which is 93.94% compared to the ideal spectrum-splitting efficiency of 29.74%.

Spectral-shifting and holographic planar concentrators for use with photovoltaic solar cells

Two types of solar concentrators for use with standard silicon photovoltaic cells are compared. The first is a spectral shifting luminescent concentrator that absorbs light in one spectral band and re-emits light at longer wavelengths where the absorption of standard silicon photovoltaic cells is more efficient. The second type is a holographic planar concentrator that selects the most useful bands of the solar spectrum and concentrates them onto the surface of the photovoltaic cell. Both types of concentrators take advantage of total internal reflected light, do not require tracking, and can operate with both direct and diffuse sunlight. The holographic planar concentrator provides a simpler and more cost effective solution with existing materials and construction methods.

Planar holographic spectrum-splitting PV module design

A design is presented for a planar spectrum-splitting photovoltaic (PV) module using Holographic Optical Elements (HOEs). A repeating array of HOEs diffracts portions of the solar spectrum onto different PV materials arranged in alternating strips. Several combinations of candidate PV materials are explored, and theoretical power conversion efficiency is quantified and compared for each case. The holograms are recorded in dichromated gelatin (DCG) film, an inexpensive material which is easily encapsulated directly into the panel. If desired, the holograms can focus the light to achieve concentration. The side-by-side split spectrum layout has advantages compared to a stacked tandem cell approach: since the cells are electrically isolated, current matching constraints are eliminated. Combinations of dissimilar types of cells are also possible: including crystalline, thin film, and organic PV cells. Configurations which yield significant efficiency gain using relatively inexpensive PV materials are of particular interest. A method used to optimize HOE design to work with a different candidate cells and different package aspect ratios is developed and presented. (Aspect ratio is width of the cell strips vs. the thickness of the panel) The relationship between aspect ratio and HOE performance properties is demonstrated. These properties include diffraction efficiency, spectral selectivity, tracking alignment sensitivity, and uniformity of cell illumination.

Optical performance of dichroic spectrum-splitting filters

Abstract. We investigate the optical performance of dichroic filters used in solar spectrum-splitting applications. Photovoltaic (PV) systems utilizing spectrum splitting have higher theoretical conversion efficiency than single-bandgap PV modules. Dichroic filters have been used in several spectrum-splitting optical system designs with success. However, dichroic filters only achieve ideal performance under collimated incident light. With an incident angle constraint the optical concentration ratio is limited. A high-concentration ratio helps to achieve high-conversion efficiency and control cost by reducing the PV cell area. In a dual-junction spectrum-splitting PV configuration with a gallium arsenide (GaAs) PV cell and a 2.1-eV bandgap PV cell, the experimental dichroic filter can provide 86.3% of the ideal designed performance. The filter nonideal performance under focused incident light is simulated with ZEMAX. System efficiency under different F-number and filter refractive index is simulated for dual-junction and three-junction systems to show the performance of dichroic filters. We have found that for a dual-bandgap spectrum-splitting system there is a 0.32% system efficiency gain associated with a filter refractive index increased from 1.5 to 1.95. An efficiency gain of 0.41% is associated with an aperture size reduction from F2.0 to F3.0. In a three-junction configuration, simulation shows that a 0.57% system efficiency gain is possible when the filter refractive index is increased from 1.5 to 1.95. An efficiency gain of 0.63% is associated with an aperture size reduction from F2.0 to F3.0.

Grating-over-lens concentrating photovoltaic spectrum splitting systems with volume holographic optical elements

In grating-over-lens spectrum splitting designs, a planar transmission grating is placed at the entrance of a plano-convex lens. Part of the incident solar spectrum is diffracted at 15-30° from normal incidence to the lens. The diffracted spectral range comes to a focus at an off-axis point and the undiffracted spectrum comes to a focus on the optical axis of the lens. Since the diffracted wave is planar and off-axis, the off-axis focal points suffer from aberrations that increase system loss. Field curvature, chromatic and spherical aberrations are compensated using defocusing and a curved focal plane (approximated with each photovoltaic receiver). Coma is corrected by modifying the off-axis wavefront used in constructing the hologram. In this paper, we analyze the use of non-planar transmission gratings recorded using a conjugate object beam to modify the off-axis wavefront. Diverging sources are used as conjugate object and reference beams. The spherical waves are incident at the lens and the grating is recorded at the entrance aperture of the solar concentrator. The on-axis source is adjusted to produce an on-axis planar wavefront at the hologram plane. The off-axis source is approximated to a diffraction limited spot producing a non-planar off-axis wavefront on the hologram plane. Illumination with a planar AM1.5 spectrum reproduces an off-axis diffraction-limited spot on the focal plane. This paper presents ray trace and coupled wave theory simulations used to quantify the reduction in losses achieved with aberration correction.