Photocatalyst for the Reduction of Carbon Dioxide
Granted: July 31, 2014
Application Number:
20140213427
The present disclosure relates to a method and composition for forming photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals which may include semiconductor nanocrystals and inorganic capping agents as photocatalysts. Photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals may be deposited on a substrate and treated to form a photoactive material which may be employed in a plurality of photocatalytic energy conversion applications such as the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide. Different…
MECHANISM FOR CLEANING SOLAR COLLECTOR SURFACES
Granted: July 24, 2014
Application Number:
20140202492
A system and method for cleaning a collector surface of a solar collector. The system includes a first liquid-dispensing unit configured to deliver a first spray of liquid to the collector surface. The system also includes a brush element having a longitudinal side oriented along a first direction and disposed adjacent to the first liquid-dispensing unit. A first squeegee element is oriented along the first direction and adjacent to the brush element. The first squeegee element, the…
Cold Finger For Cryocoolers
Granted: July 24, 2014
Application Number:
20140202172
Method for fabricating a cold finger for attachment to a base assembly of a cold head of a Stirling cycle or pulse tube cryocooler. The exterior of a titanium alloy workpiece is machined to form a cylindrical outer surface. The exterior surface of the titanium workpiece is nickel plated and then brazed to a stainless steel workpiece to form an integral body. The brazed stainless steel workpiece is machined to form it into an adapter ring for attachment to the base assembly. An…
SOLAR CELL WITH REDUCED BASE DIFFUSION AREA
Granted: July 10, 2014
Application Number:
20140190561
In one embodiment, a solar cell has base and emitter diffusion regions formed on the back side. The emitter diffusion region is configured to collect minority charge carriers in the solar cell, while the base diffusion region is configured to collect majority charge carriers. The emitter diffusion region may be a continuous region separating the base diffusion regions. Each of the base diffusion regions may have a reduced area to decrease minority charge carrier recombination losses…
PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE FRAME WITH IMPROVED BONDABILITY
Granted: July 3, 2014
Application Number:
20140182661
A photovoltaic module can be formed with a laminate bonded to frame members. The frame members can extend around the periphery of the laminate. The frame members can include surface features which increase the surface area of the portion of the frame member bonded to the laminate, and thereby improve the bond strength between the frame member and the laminate. Further, the surface features can extend generally longitudinally along the peripheral edges of the laminate, thereby helping to…
SUPPORT FOR SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTION
Granted: July 3, 2014
Application Number:
20140182654
A solar energy collection system can include support devices made with bearings. Such bearings can include an inner partially toroidal surface for sliding contact and support of an outer surface of a torque tube. The toroidal surface can be made with a single radius of curvature or multiple radiuses of curvature and cylindrical portions. The bearings can include connectors for connecting the bearing members to a support housing. The connectors can be tool-less connectors.
DRIVE WITH INTEGRATED INCLINATION SENSOR
Granted: July 3, 2014
Application Number:
20140182577
A drive can include a positional sensor within an outer housing of the drive so as to provide an output indicative of a position of the drive. The positional sensor can be an inclinometer. The inclinometer can be used for feedback control of an inclination of the drive. The drive can further include control electronics within the same housing, so as to provide feedback control of a motor of the drive. The control electronics can include an input for receiving a requested inclination and…
PHOTO-CATALYTIC SYSTEMS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN
Granted: June 26, 2014
Application Number:
20140174905
A system and method for splitting water to produce hydrogen and oxygen employing sunlight energy are disclosed. Hydrogen and oxygen may then be stored for later use as fuels. The system and method use inorganic capping agents that cap the surface of semiconductor nanocrystals to form photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals, which may be deposited on a substrate and treated to form a photoactive material. The photoactive material may be employed in the system to harvest sunlight and…
PHOTOCATALYST FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN
Granted: June 26, 2014
Application Number:
20140179512
A method and composition for making photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals include semiconductor nanocrystals and inorganic capping agents as photocatalysts. The photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals may be deposited on a substrate and treated to form a photoactive material that may be used in a plurality of photocatalytic energy conversion applications such as water splitting. By combining different semiconductor materials for photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals…
PHOTOCATALYTIC SYSTEM FOR THE REDUCTION OF CARBON DIOXIDE
Granted: June 26, 2014
Application Number:
20140174906
A system and method employing sunlight energy for the reduction of carbon dioxide into methane and water are disclosed. Methane gas may then be stored for later use as fuel. The system and method may use inorganic capping agents that cap the surface of semiconductor nanocrystals to form photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals, which may be deposited on a substrate and treated to form a photoactive material. The photoactive material may be employed in the system to harvest sunlight…
CIRCUITS AND METHODS FOR LIMITING OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE OF PHOTOVOLTAIC STRINGS
Granted: June 5, 2014
Application Number:
20140153149
A photovoltaic string may include an open circuit voltage limiter that conducts current in one direction to provide a limiter voltage less than an open circuit voltage of the photovoltaic string, and that conducts current in the other direction. One or more open circuit voltage limiters may be connected across the photovoltaic string or across selected groups of solar cells of the photovoltaic string. The limiter voltage may be greater than a maximum power point voltage but less than the…
CRACK RESISTANT SOLAR CELL MODULES
Granted: May 29, 2014
Application Number:
20140144487
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…
METHODS AND STRUCTURES FOR FORMING AND IMPROVING SOLDER JOINT THICKNESS AND PLANARITY CONTROL FEATURES FOR SOLAR CELLS
Granted: May 22, 2014
Application Number:
20140137922
A method for connecting a plurality of solar cells and an improved interconnect is disclosed. The method includes aligning an interconnect to a plurality of solar cells having solder pads, where the interconnect has a main body and tabs extending therefrom, and where each of the tabs has a downward depression, such that the tabs are positioned above the solder pads in between solar cells and pinning the interconnect against a work surface by pressing a hold down pin against the main body…
SOLAR CELL CONTACT FORMATION USING LASER ABLATION
Granted: May 15, 2014
Application Number:
20140134787
The formation of solar cell contacts using a laser is described. A method of fabricating a back-contact solar cell includes forming a poly-crystalline material layer above a single-crystalline substrate. The method also includes forming a dielectric material stack above the poly-crystalline material layer. The method also includes forming, by laser ablation, a plurality of contacts holes in the dielectric material stack, each of the contact holes exposing a portion of the…
BIFACIAL SOLAR CELL MODULE WITH BACKSIDE REFLECTOR
Granted: May 1, 2014
Application Number:
20140116495
A bifacial solar cell module includes solar cells that are protected by front side packaging components and backside packaging components. The front side packaging components include a transparent top cover on a front portion of the solar cell module. The backside packaging components have a transparent portion that allows light coming from a back portion of the solar cell module to reach the solar cells, and a reflective portion that reflects light coming from the front portion of the…
SELF BALLASTED CELESTIAL TRACKING APPARATUS
Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140102512
The invention is a wind resistant celestial tracking apparatus that uses gravitational forces acting on the moving elements of the structure to provide overturning resistance. A molded self curing compound, such as reinforced concrete, is used as the structural material that provides the mass, and thus the gravitational overturning resistance that reduces or eliminates the need for a massive ballasted or dug-in foundation. The combination of these features potentially lowers cost…
PHOTOVOLTAIC LAMINATE SEGMENTS AND SEGMENTED PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES
Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140102505
One embodiment of the invention relates to a segmented photovoltaic (PV) module which is manufactured from laminate segments. The segmented PV module includes rectangular-shaped laminate segments formed from rectangular-shaped PV laminates and further includes non-rectangular-shaped laminate segments formed from rectangular-shaped and approximately-triangular-shaped PV laminates. The laminate segments are mechanically joined and electrically interconnected to form the segmented module.…
PROCESS AND STRUCTURES FOR FABRICATION OF SOLAR CELLS
Granted: April 10, 2014
Application Number:
20140096824
Contact holes of solar cells are formed by laser ablation to accommodate various solar cell designs. Use of a laser to form the contact holes is facilitated by replacing films formed on the diffusion regions with a film that has substantially uniform thickness. Contact holes may be formed to deep diffusion regions to increase the laser ablation process margins. The laser configuration may be tailored to form contact holes through dielectric films of varying thicknesses.
SOLAR SYSTEM ALIGNMENT TOOL AND METHOD
Granted: April 3, 2014
Application Number:
20140090263
An alignment tool for aligning torque tubes of the solar collection system can include a rigid body member and two laterally extending alignment arms. Optionally, the alignment arms can include releasable clamps that can engage and disengage without the use of tools. The tool can be designed to straddle a sun-tracking drive of a sun-tracking solar system. Thus, the tool can be used both during initial construction as well as after construction is complete for alignment purposes.
INTEGRATED TORQUE COUPLING AND MOUNT
Granted: April 3, 2014
Application Number:
20140090637
A sun tracking solar energy collection system can include torque tubes formed with a plurality of rotatable shafts connected to each other in an end to end fashion. The ends of the shafts can be connected with coupling devices in the form of an integrated coupling flange and mounting devices. The coupling flange can include a mounting surface that extends generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft. Additionally, the coupling flange can include a coupling face that extends…
