Intent scavenging by the solar cell to recollect energy requires a stateoftheart technique to expedite energy absorption to electron flow for producing more electricity. Abdelrahman, 2 and atif shamim 1 1 impact lab, computer, electrical and mathematical sciences and engineering division king abdullah university of science and technology, thuwal 239556900, kingdom of saudi arabia. Although they were unsuccessful, the issues associated with building a high efficiency optical rectenna were better understood. Itn energy systems is developing nextgeneration solar cells based on the concepts of an optical rectenna. Optical rectenna or technology can be considered as a particular case of rectenna technology where the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation involved is in the optical range. Furthermore, the capturing of photons using the wave nature of light by the optical rectenna system is advantageous because any sensitive wavelength can be realized by appropriate antenna design. Overview of optical rectennas for solar energy harvesting. The solar resource is the most abundant renewable resource on earth, yet it is currently exploited with relatively low efficiencies.
We could ultimately make solar cells that are twice as efficient at a cost that is 10 times lower, and that is to me an opportunity to change the world in a very big way, cola says in the press release. A rectenna is basically an antenna coupled to a diode, but when you move into the optical spectrum, that usually means a nanoscale antenna coupled to a metalinsulatormetal diode, one of the team, baratunde cola from the georgia institute of technology, said in a press release. An optical modeling tool for solar cell and module. An optical modeling tool for solar cell and module design preprint pril 1999 nrelcp52029592 b. Solar rectennas nanosized rectenna for solar cells executive summary authors.
Worlds first optical rectenna converts light directly into. The design strategies from the perspective of optical properties may further boost the development of pscs. Sep 28, 2015 the first optical rectenna, a device that combines an antenna and a rectifier diode, has been developed with the capability to double the efficiency of solar cells. The first optical rectenna, a device that combines an antenna and a rectifier diode, has been developed with the capability to double the efficiency of solar cells. Current solar cell technology is based in the photovoltaic effect occurring in semiconductor materials. However, the efficiency is a critical parameter, which needs a greater consideration to be given during the design of the project. Itns optical rectenna consists of two key elements.
In addition, the cell comprises a rectifier having the optical antenna at a first end and engaging a substrate at a. Nov 11, 2017 an optical rectenna is a rectenna rect ifying year tenna that works with visible light or infrared. Innovative antenna designs are required to achieve high efficiency at. Design single diode rectifier circuit using hsms2860 schottky diode. Quantum theory of operation for rectenna solar cells. Nano antenna integrated diode rectenna for infrared energy. Since rectenna solar cells operate in the ir with design constraints that are more easily met than for the visible because of the lower frequency of ir light they are better suited for tpv. Introduced an upscaling method from the proofofconcept design by forming an array of nanorectennas which can rectify light at. The optical properties can also affect the device stability, especially for the long. This phenomenon can be used to design antennas for visible light 12,14 that have many applications, such as nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy 15,16, improving solar cell efficiency 17,18,19, and coherent control 20,21. This book will provide an overview of solar rectennas, and provide thorough descriptions of the two main components.
In addition, for solar energy conversion, the antenna must be designed to couple with a fairly complex waveform. Harvesting the thermal loss energy emitted as electromagnetic em waves at solar, micrometer and millimeter spectral wavelengths over the broadest possible spectral range is a major target in the development of sustainable energy solutions. Suppression of the reradiation of harmonics is often a problem for the designers of rectennas mcspadden et al. The first step in the design of a photovoltaic system is determining if the site you are considering has good solar potential. In this thesis, we consider several different optical approaches to achieve these goals. Optical antennas are an emerging concept in physical optics. Structures of the solar cell have been researched to improve absorption efficiency, though most of them. Oct 01, 2015 a rectenna is basically an antenna coupled to a diode, but when you move into the optical spectrum, that usually means a nanoscale antenna coupled to a metalinsulatormetal diode, one of the team, baratunde cola from the georgia institute of technology, said in a press release. A general design principle for dielectric optical antenna solar absorbers yiling yu2, linyou cao1,2 1department of materials science and engineering, north carolina state university, raleigh nc 27695. Sep 28, 2015 using nanometerscale components, researchers have demonstrated the first optical rectenna, a device that combines the functions of an antenna and a rectifier diode to convert light directly into. While rectennas have long been used for radio waves or microwaves, an optical rectenna would operate the same way but with infrared or visible light, turning.
The main advantage of optical rectenna is the wide spectrum. Is the installation site free from shading by nearby trees, buildings or other obstructions. Optical rectenna could double solar cell efficiency. Worlds first optical rectenna converts light directly. Dualpolarized multiband infrared energy harvesting using. For a singlejunction cell this sets an upper efficiency of 20%. Motivation for nextgeneration, highefficiency solar cells worldwide energy demands have increased by 40% over the last 20 years. Optical design in perovskite solar cells deng small. Oct 20, 2016 applied to broadband rectenna operation, this correspondence provides clues to designing a rectenna solar cell that has the potential to exceed the 44% quantumlimited conversion efficiency. Optical design and characterization of solar concentrators. As the total solar absorption is a sum of the contribution from each leaky mode, the density of leaky modes. To make solar energy more affordable, we can either reduce the cost of the cell or increase the efficiency with a similar cost cell.
While rectennas have long been used for radio waves or microwaves, an optical rectenna would operate the same way but with infrared. Colas research team at the georgia institute of technology, developed a solar energy collector that can convert optical light to dc current, an optical rectenna using carbon nanotubes. So we collect only small part of solar energy, that is 23 000 twy. The modern version of a dye solar cell, also known as the gratzel cell, was originally coinvented in 1988 by brian o. The new design consists of three elements nanoantenna with elliptical shape and with air gap. Similar to radiowave and microwave antennas, their purpose is to convert the energy of free propagating radiation to localized energy, and vice versa. Osa design concept of a hybrid photovoltaicthermal. Us20070240757a1 solar cells using arrays of optical.
Design a microstrip patch antenna that operated at 2. As an alternative means to harvest solar energy with higher e. Optical designs for improved solar cell performance. The theoretical limit of an infinite multijunction.
Optical and infrared antennas and antennacou tion in a solar cell. The theoretical limit of an infinite multijunction cell is 86 %. Finally, the socioeconomic impact of success in this field is discussed and future work is proposed. Herein, recent progress of optical designs in pscs toward better device performance and wider applications are summarized.
Pdf overview of optical rectennas for solar energy harvesting. As a robust, hightemperature detector, these rectennas could be a completely disruptive technology if we can get to one percent efficiency. Design, fabrication and characterization of thinfilm mi. Rectenna solar cells discusses antennacoupled diode solar cells, an emerging technology that has the potential to provide ultrahigh efficiency, lowcost solar energy conversion. While conversion efficiencies are still low, a few tweaks could make the first optical rectenna ready for commercial use in photovoltaics illustration. Engineers at the georgia institute of technology have been working on the project for six years and have finally unveiled the new device which is able to convert light. Using nanometerscale components, researchers have demonstrated the first optical rectenna, a device that combines the functions of an antenna and a rectifier diode to convert light directly into. Design of flowershaped dipole nanoantenna for energy. In assessing the broadband ultimate efficiency obtainable from rectenna solar cells it turns out that operating voltage plays the same role that band gap energy plays in conventional solar cells, leading to a single cell limit of 44 %. Highcurrent density and highasymmetry miim diode based. The small coherence area for sunlight limits the power per rectenna, which affects the conversion efficiency. First optical rectenna could double solar cell efficiency. Applied to broadband rectenna operation, this correspondence provides clues to designing a rectenna solar cell that has the potential to exceed the 44% quantumlimited conversion efficiency.
Final report, nrelsr52033263, national renewable energy laboratory nrel, 2003. Forget solar panels, optical rectenna converts light. This phenomenon can be used to design antennas for visible light 12,14 that have many applications, such as nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy 15,16, improving solar cell efficiency 17,18,19. Solar is a tremendous source of renewable and clean energy. Solar electric system design, operation and installation. A dyesensitized solar cell is a lowcost solar cell belonging to the group of thin film solar cells. In an embodiment, the solar cell comprises an at least one optical antenna having a geometric morphology capable of accepting energy. So, from this point of view, rfr technology covers the radiofrequency part of the electromagnetic spectrum and or the optical part figure 4. The closer you can get the antenna to the diode, the more. Optical rectenna wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. To design microstrip patch antenna integrated with rectifier as rectenna to improve the rectenna conversation efficiency for low power density.
Esa researchers will contribute to the design of the experiment, discuss sample geometrical concerns, eventually contribute to setup mounting and to the experimental measurement campaign and analysis. Pdf solar rectennasnanosized rectenna for solar cells. Design of flowershaped dipole nanoantenna for energy harvesting. An optical rectenna consists of a nano antenna to capture solar radiation and a recti. It might appear that while the conventional solar cell is based on einsteins photon view of electromagnetic radiation, the rectenna relies instead on maxwells electromagnetic waves. The use of optical antennas for solar energy harvesting has received. Abstract we present a general principle for the rational design of. An optical rectenna is a rectenna rect ifying year tenna that works with visible light or infrared. Finally, the socioeconomic impact of success in this. Chen to be presented at the electrochemical society international symposium seattle, washington may 26, 1999 national renewable energy laboratory 1617 cole boulevard golden, colorado 8040393. Silicon monocrystal solar cell efficiency factor is 20%. The rectenna project is interesting and challenging as it is intended to suppress the harmonic signal to avoid the rectenna efficiency reduction by converting the rf signal to dc voltage. The world problem that energy sources like coal, oil and gas are finite and spoiling ecology.
Overview of optical rectennas for solar energy harvesting conference paper pdf available in proceedings of spie the international society for optical engineering 8824. A polarization dependent voltage output which is well above the noise level and well matched with our calculations, confirms the successful rectenna operation. Infrared optical response of geometric diode rectenna. Berland in 2003 has designed infrared rectenna structures with metal. Dec 23, 2019 furthermore, the capturing of photons using the wave nature of light by the optical rectenna system is advantageous because any sensitive wavelength can be realized by appropriate antenna design. In this study, a novel design of nanoantenna for energy harvesting is proposed and analysed using threedimensional finite difference timedomain method. Background on itn energy systems optical rectenna technology 1. First optical rectenna could double solar cell efficiency e. Brown of the raytheon comp any, a pioneer of microwave power transmission, coined the term rect enna, for rectifyingantenna which was.
Optical rectennas, submicrometre antennacoupled diodes, can directly rectify solar and thermal electromagnetic radiation, and have been proposed as an alternative to conventional semiconductor photovoltaics. Pdf analysis and design of a solar rectenna researchgate. The numerical simulations are investigated for improving the harvesting efficiency of the nanoantennas within the. An alternative for the photovoltaic cell that are more efficient for energy conversion is the rectenna, which is a combination of rectifying diode and a receiving antenna. A general design principle for dielectric optical antenna.
With innovation and careful development rectenna solar cells have the potential to provide an exciting new photovoltaics technology. Frequencymultiplied radiation could then radiate energy back to the rear. First optical rectennacombined rectifier and antenna. The comparison of operating regimes shows how optical rectenna operation differs from microwave rectenna operation. Further, the invention provides various methods of efficiently and reliably producing such solar cells. Solar rectennas nanosized rectenna for solar cells. Solar energy conversion using a broad band coherent. Optical antennas exploit the unique properties of metal nanostructures, which behave as strongly coupled plasmas at optical frequencies. Optical rectification through an al2o3 based mim passive.
Highcurrent density and highasymmetry miim diode based on. It is based on a semiconductor formed between a photosensitized anode and an electrolyte, a photoelectrochemical system. Pdf overview of optical rectennas for solar energy. Jul 22, 20 the small coherence area for sunlight limits the power per rectenna, which affects the conversion efficiency. Optical design and characterization of solar concentrators for photovoltaics 4 ruption of the translational symmetry when the microstructured reflectors were introduced.
Infrared optical response of geometric diode rectenna solar cells. A custom optical characterization setup employing a 10. We develop a comprehensive description of the operating principle of rectenna solar cells. The present invention discloses a solar cell comprising a nanostructure array capable of accepting energy and producing electricity. Solar energy is one of the ambient sources where energy can be scavenged easily without pollution. Pdf although the concept of using optical rectenna for harvesting solar energy was first. These requirements have induced the researchers to find an alternative solution by replacing the current solar cells with optical antennas integrated to diodes.
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