Solar cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10109757-B2
Application number	US-201414298955-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2014
Priority date	Dec 16, 2011
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A solar cell system includes a number of P-N junction cells, a number of inner electrodes, a first collecting electrode, a second collecting electrode and a reflector. The number of the P-N junction cells is M. M is equal to or greater than 2. The M P-N junction cells are arranged from a first P-N junction cell to an Mth P-N junction cell along the straight line. The P-N junction cells are arranged in series along a straight line. The number of the inner electrodes is M−1. At least one inner electrode includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes. A photoreceptive surface is parallel to the straight line. A reflector is located on an emitting surface opposite to the photoreceptive surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solar cell system comprises:
a plurality of P-N junction cells comprising M number of P-N junction cells, wherein the M is equal to or greater than two, the plurality of P-N junction cells are arranged from a first P-N junction cell to an Mth P-N junction cell along a straight line and electrically connected to each other in series, and each of the plurality of P-N junction cells comprises a first silicon layer and a second silicon layer arranged side by side and in contact with each other;
an inner electrode located between each adjacent two of the plurality of P-N junction cells, wherein a number of the inner electrodes is M−1, at least one of the inner electrodes comprises a carbon nanotube array comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes, and each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes is curved and extends from one of the plurality of P-N junction cells to another one of the plurality of P-N junction cells, which is adjacent to the one of the plurality of P-N junction cells, to form a curved line; each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes has a first end in contact with the one of the plurality of P-N junction cells and a second end in contact with the another one of the plurality of P-N junction cells; the one of the plurality of P-N junction cells comprises a first surface, the another one of the plurality of P-N junction cells comprises a second surface spaced from the first surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are parallel to and facing each other; all of the plurality of first ends are in contact with the first surface, and all of the plurality of second ends are in contact with the second surface, such that all of the plurality of first ends and all of the plurality of second ends are located between the first surface and the second surface; the plurality of carbon nanotubes are located between the first surface and the second surface so that each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes extends from the first surface to the second surface;
a first collecting electrode located on an outside surface of the first P-N junction cell;
a second collecting electrode located on an outside surface of the Mth P-N junction cell; and
a photoreceptive surface configured to directly receive incident light beams, wherein the photoreceptive surface is a surface of the solar cell system and parallel to the straight line.

2. The solar cell system of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are curved toward a first direction, and a second portion of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are curved toward a second direction opposite to the first direction.

3. The solar cell system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of inner electrodes is a carbon nanotube composite comprising the plurality of carbon nanotubes and a conductive material filled in spaces of the plurality of carbon nanotubes.

4. The solar cell system of claim 3 , wherein the conductive material is a low melting point metal selected from the group consisting of tin, copper, indium, lead, antimony, gold, silver, bismuth, and aluminum.

5. The solar cell system of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube array is a pure carbon nanotube array composed of pure carbon nanotubes.

6. A solar cell system comprises:
a plurality of P-N junction cells comprising M number of P-N junction cells, wherein the M is equal to or greater than two, the plurality of P-N junction cells are arranged from a first P-N junction cell to an Mth P-N junction cell along a straight line and electrically connected to each other in series, and each of the plurality of P-N junction cells comprises a first silicon layer and a second silicon layer arranged side by side and in contact with each other;
an inner electrode located between each adjacent two of the plurality of P-N junction cells, wherein a number of the inner electrodes is M−1, and at least one of the inner electrodes comprises a carbon nanotube array comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are bent to form a plurality of first parallel arcs and a plurality of second parallel arcs, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes extend from one of the plurality of P-N junction cells to another one of the plurality of P-N junction cells, which is adjacent to the one of the plurality of P-N junction cells; each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes has a first end in contact with the one of the plurality of P-N junction cells and a second end in contact with the another one of the plurality of P-N junction cells; the one of the plurality of P-N junction cells comprises a first surface, the another one of the plurality of P-N junction cells comprises a second surface spaced from the first surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are parallel to and facing each other; all of the plurality of first ends are in contact with the first surface, and all of the plurality of second ends are in contact with the second surface, such that all of the plurality of first ends and all of the plurality of second ends are located between the first surface and the second surface; the plurality of carbon nanotubes are located between the first surface and the second surface so that each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes extends from the first surface to the second surface;
a first collecting electrode located on an outside surface of the first P-N junction cell;
a second collecting electrode located on an outside surface of the Mth P-N junction cell; and
a photoreceptive surface configured to directly receive incident light beams, wherein the photoreceptive surface is a surface of the solar cell system and parallel to the straight line.

7. The solar cell system of claim 6 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are bent toward a first direction to form the plurality of first parallel arcs, and a second portion of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are bent toward a second direction opposite to the first direction to form the plurality of second parallel arcs.

8. The solar cell system of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of inner electrodes is a carbon nanotube composite comprising the plurality of carbon nanotubes and a conductive material filled in spaces of the plurality of carbon nanotubes.

9. The solar cell system of claim 8 , wherein the conductive material is a low melting point metal selected from the group consisting of tin, copper, indium, lead, antimony, gold, silver, bismuth, and aluminum.

10. The solar cell system of claim 6 , wherein the carbon nanotube array is a pure carbon nanotube array composed of pure carbon nanotubes.

Assignees

• Univ Tsinghua
• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jin Yuan-Hao
• Li Qun-Qing
• Fan Shou-Shan

Classifications

• H01L31/022425

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/028

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y10S977/742

  Carbon nanotubes, CNTs · CPC title

• Y02E10/547

  Monocrystalline silicon PV cells · CPC title

• H01L31/0512 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic