Melters for glass forming apparatuses and glass forming apparatuses comprising the same are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a melter for melting glass batch materials includes a base portion and a rigid exoskeleton rigidly attached to the base portion and comprising a plurality of upright members interconnected with a plurality of cross members defining an exoskeleton interior volume. Connection nodes formed at intersections of the plurality of cross members with upper ends of the plurality of upright members are constrained from movement relative to the base portion in a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a vertical direction. A tank assembly is positioned on the base portion in the exoskeleton interior volume and coupled to the rigid exoskeleton. In some embodiments, the melter has a dynamic resistance greater than 0.3.

An apparatus for synergistically combining a plasma with a comminution means such as a fluid kinetic energy mill (jet mill), preferably in a single reactor and/or in a single process step is provided by the present invention. Within the apparatus of the invention potential energy is converted into kinetic energy and subsequently into angular momentum by means of wave energy, for comminuting, reacting and separation of feed materials. Apparatuss of use of the apparatus in the practice of various processes are also provided by the present invention.

A leading end located in a two-stage entrained-flow bed coal gasifier has a double-walled structure including an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder, and cooling water for cooling the leading end is supplied through an interior of the inner cylinder to cool the leading end and is then returned to a base end through a space formed between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder. The space formed between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder has a smaller channel area than the interior of the inner cylinder, and a swirling flow along a guide formed on an outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder and a substantially linear flow in a longitudinal direction of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder are applied to the cooling water returned to the base end through the space formed between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder.

A combustion device in the form of an elevated fixed-grate that includes arcuately shaped solid refractory brick with ribs placed thereunder so as to allow horizontal air flow for fuel combustion. The brick are arranged atop one another in a stacked concentric configuration that forms a central fuel passageway and allows cascading of a fuel pile throughout the combustion stages. The device provides the benefit of proper de-ashing online while distributing the underfire air radially around the fuel pile. The elevated design of the bricks allows the air to be evenly distributed throughout the fuel pile and further allows the isolation of overfire and underfire air. Segregating overfire and underfire air in an evenly distributed manner allows the burner to combust a wide range of fuel moisture contents without modifying the mechanical components of the burner.

The invention relates to solid fuel units having a fuel supply chamber wherein the fuel to be sent for combustion to the combustion region found in the body is placed and the feed mechanism carrying the solid fuel found in the chamber forward. It is characterized in that it includes a main burning block having a fuel and air cell connected to the solid fuel supply chamber and air outlet vents formed on the external wall surface. A preventive surface is positioned on the main burning block external wall surface in a way that it would form a closed volume in a certain distance.

Methods of combustion include metering a substantially explosible powder into an oxidizing gas using a positive displacement powder dispersion device to suspend the powder in the gas and directing the powder in the gas to form a controlled stream of a moving explosible powder dispersion. In some embodiments, the method further includes igniting the dispersion with an ignition source to produce a stationary deflagrating combustion wave and sustaining combustion by continuing to meter the powder into the gas. In other embodiments, the method further includes adjusting a nozzle velocity of the dispersion to reflect properties of the dispersion to create a sustainable flame and igniting the dispersion to produce a stationary deflagrating wave of the dispersion. In other embodiments, the method further includes igniting the dispersion in a combustion area to produce a stationary deflagrating wave such that a conductive heat transfer from combustion brings the powder to combustion temperature.

A burner system for consumption of waste fuel comprises a screw conveyor having a longitudinal hollow interior for air distribution and radially disposed air intake orifices connecting the hollow interior to a plurality of combustion chambers, which includes a first combustion chamber disposed centrally around the screw conveyor and at least one orifice; a second combustion chamber disposed concentrically around the first combustion chamber, receiving burning waste fuel from the first combustion chamber, and in fluid communication with the air intake orifice to provide air from an air blower through the orifice; and a third combustion chamber disposed concentrically around the second combustion chamber, receiving waste fuel from the second combustion chamber, and in fluid communication with the air intake orifice to provide air from the air blower.

The burner preferably exclusively burns substantially explosible solid fuels and preferably has instant ON-OFF thermostat control, wastes no energy preheating the enclosure or external air supply, achieves stable combustion the moment the powder-air mix is ignited in our burner, is used in the upward vertical mode except for oil burner retrofits, burns a solid fuel in a single-phase regime as if it were a vaporized liquid or gas, is designed to complete combustion within the burner housing itself rather than in a large, high temperature furnace enclosure which it feeds, has an ultra-short residence time requirement, is a recycle consuming burner with self-contained management of initially unburned particles, is much smaller, simpler and lower cost, has a wider dynamic range/turndown ratio, is more efficient in combustion completeness and thermal efficiency, and operates with air-fuel mix approximately at the flame speed.

Improved silicon solar cells, silicon image sensors and like photosensitive devices are made to include strained silicon at or sufficiently near the junctions or other active regions of the devices to provide increased sensitivity to longer wavelength light. Strained silicon has a lower band gap than conventional silicon. One method of making a solar cell that contains tensile strained silicon etches a set of parallel trenches into a silicon wafer and induces tensile strain in the silicon fins between the trenches. The method may induce tensile strain in the silicon fins by filling the trenches with compressively strained silicon nitride or silicon oxide. A deposited layer of compressively strained silicon nitride adheres to the walls of the trenches and generates biaxial tensile strain in the plane of adjacent silicon fins.

A method of connecting two solar cells is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises gripping an interconnect with a head of positioning device, heating the interconnect with the head of the positioning device to between two predetermined temperatures, where one is higher than the other, positioning the interconnect so as to overlay two adjacent solar cells, coupling the interconnect to each of the two adjacent solar cells, and releasing the interconnect from the head.

A semiconductor device, in particular a solar cell, comprises a semiconductor substrate having a semiconductor substrate surface and a passivation composed of at least one passivation layer which surface-passivates the semiconductor substrate surface, wherein the passivation layer comprises a compound composed of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride or aluminum oxynitride and at least one further element.

The present invention provides a solar-cell-integrated gas production device that can generate a first gas and a second gas by utilizing an electromotive force of a solar cell, and that can supply power to an external circuit by utilizing the same solar cell. The solar-cell-integrated gas production device according to the present invention comprises: a photoelectric conversion part having a light acceptance surface and its back surface; a first electrolysis electrode provided on the back surface of the photoelectric conversion part so as to be capable of being immersed into an electrolytic solution; a second electrolysis electrode provided on the back surface of the photoelectric conversion part so as to be capable of being immersed into the electrolytic solution; and a changeover part, wherein the first electrolysis electrode and the second electrolysis electrode are provided to be capable of electrolyzing the electrolytic solution to generate a first gas and a second gas by utilizing an electromotive force generated by irradiating the photoelectric conversion part with light, and the changeover part makes a changeover between a circuit that outputs the electromotive force, generated by irradiating the photoelectric conversion part outputs the electromotive force, generated by irradiating the photoelectric conversion part with light, to the first electrolysis electrode and the second electrolysis electrode.

This disclosure relates to electroconductive paste formulations useful in solar panel technology. In one aspect, the disclosure relates to an inorganic reaction system for use in electroconductive paste compositions, wherein the inorganic reaction system comprises a lead containing matrix composition and a tellurium containing matrix composition. In another aspect, the disclosure relates to an electroconductive paste composition comprising a conductive metal component, an inorganic reaction system and an organic vehicle. Another aspect of the disclosure relates to a solar cell produced by applying an electroconductive paste composition of the invention to a silicon wafer. Yet another aspect relates to a solar cell module assembled using solar cells produced by applying an electroconductive paste composition to a silicon wafer, wherein the electroconductive paste composition comprises an conductive metal component, an inorganic reaction system and an organic vehicle.

This invention is directed to a flexible solar cell photovoltaic module with high light transmittance based on modified substrate, which belongs to the field of thin-film solar cell technology. The objective of the present invention to provide a technical solution for a transparent flexible solar cell module and its fabrication method. Technical features include using a stainless steel template to mold a modified polyimide PI substrate (the PI substrate). The PI substrate has light-passing through-holes, including draining holes and convergence holes, through and distributed on the PI substrate, a conductive film layer, and various stacked photoelectric conversion film layers. The creativeness of the present invention is obvious, such as reducing the short circuit and current leakage due to crystallization of the photoelectric layer interface caused by a subsequent process of laser etching the conductive film layer, reducing the composition on the surface of the solar cell, reducing steps of the fabrication process, and lowering the production cost. Further, the present invention significantly increases the conversion efficiency and load capacity of the solar cell and the quality-cost ratio. The transparent flexible solar cell photovoltaic module also has a broad range of applications.

A photoelectric conversion element comprising a substrate, a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer comprising a semiconductor and a sensitizing dye, a hole transport layer and a second electrode, wherein the hole transport layer comprises a polymer having a repeat unit represented by Formula (1) or (2),

Accordingly, a method of forming a metal chalcogenide material may comprise introducing at least one metal precursor and at least one chalcogen precursor into a chamber comprising a substrate, the at least one metal precursor comprising an amine or imine compound of an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a transition metal, a post-transition metal, or a metalloid, and the at least one chalcogen precursor comprising a hydride, alkyl, or aryl compound of sulfur, selenium, or tellurium. The at least one metal precursor and the at least one chalcogen precursor may be reacted to form a metal chalcogenide material over the substrate. A method of forming a metal telluride material, a method of forming a semiconductor device structure, and a semiconductor device structure are also described.

An optoelectronic semiconductor component includes a radiation emitting semiconductor chip having a radiation coupling out area. Electromagnetic radiation generated in the semiconductor chip leaves the semiconductor chip via the radiation coupling out area. A converter element is disposed downstream of the semiconductor chip at its radiation coupling out area. The converter element is configured to convert electromagnetic radiation emitted by the semiconductor chip. The converter element has a first surface facing away from the radiation coupling out area. A reflective encapsulation encapsulates the semiconductor chip and portions of the converter element at side areas in a form-fitting manner. The first surface of the converter element is free of the reflective encapsulation.

Photo-field-effect transistor devices and associated methods are disclosed in which a photogate, consisting of a quantum dot sensitizing layer, transfers photoelectrons to a semiconductor channel across a charge-separating (type-II) heterointerface, producing a sustained primary and secondary flow of carriers between source and drain electrodes. The light-absorbing photogate thus modulates the flow of current along the channel, forming a photo-field effect transistor.

Novel photoactive polymers, as well as related photovoltaic cells, articles, systems, and methods, are disclosed.

An organic compound and a photoelectric conversion device containing the organic compound are disclosed. The organic compound and device realize high photoelectric conversion efficiency, low dark current and high-speed responsivity. It has been found that when this organic compound and an n-type semiconductor are used in combination, high-speed responsivity can be realized while maintaining high heat resistance, an aspect of which has not been seen when the connection part between a donor part and an acceptor part is a phenylene group.

An improved method and apparatus for thermal-to-electric conversion involving relatively hot and cold juxtaposed surfaces separated by a small vacuum gap wherein the cold surface provides an array of single charge carrier converter elements along the surface and the hot surface transfers excitation energy to the opposing cold surface across the gap through Coulomb electrostatic coupling interaction.

In one embodiment, harmful solar cell polarization is prevented or minimized by providing a conductive path that bleeds charge from a front side of a solar cell to the bulk of a wafer. The conductive path may include patterned holes in a dielectric passivation layer, a conductive anti-reflective coating, or layers of conductive material formed on the top or bottom surface of an anti-reflective coating, for example. Harmful solar cell polarization may also be prevented by biasing a region of a solar cell module on the front side of the solar cell.

A layered compound-metal particle composite 3 is obtained by the addition, to an organically modified layered compound 1 formed by the intercalation of organic ions between layers of a layered compound, of both an aqueous colloidal metal solution 2 in which metal particles are dispersed as a metal colloid in water, and a nonaqueous solvent which is a poor solvent for the metal colloid and has an excellent ability to swell the organically modified layered compound 1.

The present invention provides a dye-sensitized solar cell which enhances an area of a photo electrode by arranging metal wires on a surface of a transparent substrate or a transparent conductive layer without degrading a transparency of the solar cell, allowing the metal wires to act as a collector electrode exclusively or together with a metal electrode.

A crack resistant solar cell module includes a protective package mounted on a frame. The protective package includes a polyolefin encapsulant that protectively encapsulates solar cells. The polyolefin has less than five weight percent of oxygen and nitrogen in the backbone or side chain. In other words, the combined weight percent of oxygen and nitrogen in any location in the molecular structure of the polyolefin is less than five. The polyolefin also has a complex viscosity less than 10,000 Pa second at 90° C. as measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) before any thermal processing of the polyolefin. The protective package includes a top cover, the encapsulant, and a backsheet. The solar cell module allows for shipping, installation, and maintenance with less risk of developing cracks on the surfaces of the solar cells.

A back electrode type solar cell in which a no-electrode-formed region where no electrode is placed is provided in a part of a peripheral portion of a back surface of the back electrode type solar cell such that a line connecting end portions of a plurality of electrodes to one another includes a partially inwardly recessed region and the no-electrode-formed region is located adjacent to each of an electrode for n-type and an electrode for p-type adjacent to each other, a solar cell module, a method of manufacturing a back electrode type solar cell with interconnection sheet, and a method of manufacturing a solar cell module are provided.

A PV panel uses an array of small silicon sphere diodes (10-300 microns in diameter) connected in parallel. The spheres are embedded in an uncured aluminum-containing layer, and the aluminum-containing layer is heated to anneal the aluminum-containing layer as well as p-dope the bottom surface of the spheres. A phosphorus-containing layer is deposited over the spheres to dope the top surface n-type, forming a pn junction. The phosphorus layer is then removed. A conductor is deposited to contact the top surface. Alternatively, the spheres are deposited with a p-type core and an n-type outer shell. After deposition, the top surface is etched to expose the core. A first conductor layer contacts the bottom surface, and a second conductor layer contacts the exposed core. A liquid lens material is deposited over the rounded top surface of the spheres and cured to provide conformal lenses designed to increase the PV panel efficiency.

A separate connection device (40) intended to be inserted between a metal frame (3), of an electrical component (1), and a metal supporting structure (20) in order to connect, electrically and separately, the frame to the supporting structure. The connection device (40) comprises a metal blade manufactured from spring steel which comprises two self-connecting end areas (45, 46) arranged in separate planes and comprising a set of sharp teeth (47) arranged in order to be embedded within the metal material and formed on a folded section of the metal blade so that the sets of teeth (37, 47) extend in opposite directions and in planes intended to intersect the planes of the frame (3) and of the supporting structure (20) when the connection device is mounted.

The present disclosure relates to gel-type polymer electrolyte for a dye-sensitized solar cell, a dye-sensitized solar cell comprising the gel-type polymer electrolyte, and a method for manufacturing the dye-sensitized solar cell.

The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion material comprising a fullerene derivative represented by the formula C60(R1)5(R2), wherein each R1 independently represents an organic group having a substituent; and R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C30 hydrocarbon group. Further, the present invention also provides a photoelectric conversion device having a self-assembled monomolecular film of the photoelectric conversion material, and a solar cell having the photoelectric conversion device.

A conductive paste may include a conductive component and an organic vehicle. The conductive component may include an amorphous metal. The amorphous metal may have a lower resistivity after a crystallization process than before the crystallization process, and at least one of a weight gain of about 4 mg/cm2 or less and a thickness increase of about 30 μm or less after being heated in a process furnace at a firing temperature.

According to example embodiments, a conductive paste includes a conductive component that contains a conductive powder and a titanium (Ti)-based metallic glass. The titanium-based metallic glass has a supercooled liquid region of about 5K or more, a resistivity after crystallization that is less than a resistivity before crystallization by about 50% or more, and a weight increase by about 0.5 mg/cm2 or less after being heated in a process furnace at a firing temperature. According to example embodiments, an electronic device and a solar cell may include at least one electrode formed using the conductive paste according to example embodiments.

A method of photoplating a metal contact onto a surface of a cathode of a photovoltaic device is provided using light induced plating technique. The method comprises: a) immersing the photovoltaic device in a solution of metal ions, where the metal ions are a species which is to be plated onto the surface of the cathode of the photovoltaic device; and b) illuminating the photovoltaic device, using a light source of time varying intensity. This results in nett plating which is faster in a direction normal to the surface of the cathode than in a direction in a plane of the surface of the cathode.

A photovoltaic cell comprises a top subcell having a first band gap; a middle subcell comprising a substrate and having a second band gap, wherein the substrate comprises a first side and a second side opposite to the first side; and a bottom subcell having a third band gap, wherein the top subcell is grown on the first side of the substrate and the bottom subcell is grown on the second side of the substrate, wherein the first band gap is larger than the second band gap and the second band gap is larger than the third band gap.

The present invention is that of a solar energy system that uses a light-guide solar panel (LGSP) to trap light inside a dielectric or other transparent panel and propagates the light to one of the panel edges for harvesting by a solar energy collector such as a photovoltaic cell. This allows for very thin modules whose thickness is comparable to the height of the solar energy collector. This eliminates eliminating the depth requirements inherent in traditional concentrated photovoltaic solar energy systems. A light guide solar panel has a deflecting layer, a light guide layer and a solar cell in optical communication with the light guide layer. The deflecting layer receives light at a first surface and inputs the light into the light guide layer. The light guide layer propagates the light to the solar cell, which is aligned generally parallel to the input surface.

A nano power cell and method of use are described wherein the nano power cell absorbs electromagnetic energy is nano particles in an optical fluid that flow in microchannels of the nano power cell.

The solar cell module includes a solar panel that includes a transparent substrate and is configured by aligning solar cells, a reinforcing frame arranged on the back surface of the solar panel, and a shock absorbing unit arranged between the solar panel and the reinforcing frame, where the shock absorbing unit has the first main surface facing the solar panel, which is a flat surface, and a second main surface facing the reinforcing frame, which is a curved surface bowed in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing frame, having an arc shape in cross section, and convexed toward the reinforcing frame side.

A solar-cell sealant that has excellent properties such as transparency, flexibility, adhesiveness, heat resistance, appearance, cross-linking characteristics, electrical characteristics, and calenderability. A solar-cell sealant that contains an ethylene/α-olefin/unconjugated-polyene copolymer satisfying requirements (a1) through (a3). Requirement (a1) is that constituent units derived from ethylene constitute 80-90 mol %, constituent units derived from C3-20 α-olefin constitute 9.99-19.99 mol %, and constituent units derived from an unconjugated polyene constitute 0.01-5.0 mol % of said copolymer. Requirement (a2) is that the MFR of said copolymer, as measured in accordance with ASTM D1238 at 190° C. under a 2.16 kg load, be at least 2 g/10 min. and less than 10 g/10 min. Requirement (a3) is that the Shore A hardness of said copolymer, as measured in accordance with ASTM D2240, be 60 to 85.

A solar cell module includes a plurality of solar cells each comprising a substrate, an emitter region placed at the substrate, and an anti-reflection region placed on the emitter region. The anti-reflection region includes a first opening region through which part of the emitter region is exposed and one or more second opening regions through which part of the emitter region is exposed. A first electrode is connected to the exposed emitter region of the first opening region through the anti-reflection region by metal plating and a first bus bar is connected to the exposed emitter region of one or more second opening regions through the anti-reflection region by metal plating.

A surface of a photovoltaic cell is coated with a solution that includes barium titanate to reduce reflection of sunlight that is incident on the surface. The solution may include a base of polydimethylsiloxane and carbon nanotubes. The process may be used in the fabrication of new photovoltaic cell assemblies, or to retrofit existing assemblies in situ.

A thin-film solar cell includes a cell having a transparent electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a back electrode layer stacked on a transparent insulation substrate. A plurality of cells are connected in series to constitute a cell string. A bus bar is arranged on the back electrode layer of an end cell constituting the cell string. The thin-film solar cell has a photoelectric conversion layer on a series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer. In plan view, a series-connection direction end of the back electrode layer at an end of the cell string and the series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer at the end of the cell string do not overlap, while the bus bar and the transparent electrode layer at the end cell constituting the cell string overlap at least partially. A method of fabricating the thin-film solar cell is provided.

Methods of forming a photovoltaic structures including nanoparticles are disclosed. The method includes electrospray deposition of nanoparticles. The nanoparticles can include TiO2 nanoparticles and quantum dots. In an example, the nanoparticles are formed on a flexible substrate. In various examples, the flexible substrate is light transparent. Photovoltaic structures and apparatus for forming photovoltaic structures are disclosed.

The present invention provides an organic thin film solar cell having a novel photoelectric conversion layer with superior conversion efficiency from light to electricity and superior carrier transportability to an electrode. The photoelectric conversion layer is arranged between a pair of electrodes at least one of which has optical transparency, and comprises a multilayer film formed by alternately laminating an electron-donating organic semiconductor thin film and an electron-accepting thin film. The electron-donating organic semiconductor thin film is formed by organic semiconductor molecules in which cyclic compounds are bound in a linear fashion.

A novel method and apparatus for performing the method is disclosed the apparatus comprises a laser (17), at least one ink jet print head (14), means for holding a transparent substrate having a transparent conductive layer, means (22) for adjusting the relative positions of the laser and at least one ink jet print head to the transparent conducting layer (2) and a controller to control the laser and ink jet print head whereby in a first step to inkjet print one or more coarse metal borders (15) onto the deposited TCM layer and in a second step by means of a single laser ablation process, ablating tracks in both the metal border and underlying TCM layer to form a plurality of discrete electrical busbars (12) and optionally also to form electrodes in the remainder of the TCM layer.

A multi-junction solar cell having a Ge or GaAs substrate, as well as a solar cell structure having several subcells deposited on the substrate, the substrate having peripheral side faces, and the solar cell structure having a peripheral circumferential surface, which runs spaced apart from the side faces. To prevent oxidation and penetration of moisture, the circumferential surface of the solar cell structure is coated with a protective, electrically insulating first coating under essential exclusion of the upper surface facing the rays, or that without encroaching on the solar cell structure, the side faces of the substrate are coated with a protective, electrically insulating second coating or that both the side faces of the substrate as well as the circumferential surface of the solar cell structure are coated with a third coating by essential exclusion of the upper surface facing the rays.

A method of adjusting a lateral position of an endless belt that is passed around at least two rollers, comprising the steps of: controlling a tilt position of a first roller of the at least two rollers; and adjusting a lateral position of the first roller, wherein the lateral position of the first roller is adjusted in combination with controlling the tilt position of the first roller.

An apparatus of correcting belt-meandering for a secondary battery is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes i) upper and lower rollers configured to receive a base material therebetween, wherein the base material comprises positive and negative electrode materials and an insulating material interposed between the electrode materials and ii) a driver portion configured to rotate the upper and lower rollers such that the base material is transferred in a first direction during the rotation. The apparatus may also include i) a support portion configured to support shafts of the driver portion and the upper and lower rollers and ii) a transverse moving mechanism configured to move the support portion in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

In a multiple endless belt type band sheet coiling tension applying apparatus in which a coiling tension is applied to slit band sheets a by a frictional force generated by slippage between belt pressing surfaces 4a, 5a and internal belt surfaces 1a of endless belts 1, a friction plate 8 made of a thin metallic sheet having heat conductivity equal to or better than that of the belt pressing units 4a, 5a is detachably installed on a front surface of each of the belt pressing units 4a, 5a.

A dispenser for dispensing paper toweling. The dispenser including a towel support that is positionable in a first dispensing position when a drive roller rotates in a first direction, and that is positionable in a second auto-loading position when the drive roller rotates in a second direction. Rotation of the drive roller in the first and second directions automatically loading the paper toweling for subsequent dispense.

A modulator generates a baseband digital signal from an information-bearing digital signal. The baseband signal has time-varying phase and amplitude defined by a sequence of complex data words, each having an in-phase (I) component and a quadrature (Q) component. A noise-shaping modulator generates a noise-shaped digital signal from the baseband digital signal such that quantization noise in the noise-shaping modulator is attenuated by a spectral null of its noise transfer function. The spectral null is selected by a noise-shaping parameter corresponding to a selected one of a plurality of output frequencies. A signal converter generates an analog signal conveying the information of the information-bearing digital signal on an analog carrier signal having the selected output frequency.