Transmissive Concentrated Photovoltaic Module with Cooling System
Background
Tulane University is actively seeking commercial entities to further develop and commercialize a novel photovoltaic module with a cooling system
Applications
Solar power has garnered much attention as a renewable energy source. However, the most advanced concentrated photovoltaic systems only harvest approximately 40% of incoming light due to their absorption spectrum, with the remaining light wasted as heat. CPV is further often limited by inefficient spectrum splitting.
The novel spectrum-splitting, transmissive concentrating photovoltaic (tCPV) module with active and passive cooling systems enable this “waste heat” to be captured for use in process heat for various industries or for storing and generating dispatchable electricity. The cooling system designed solves the issue of the photovoltaic cell heating up due to concentrated light without interfering with the transmission of light through the module, further increasing the total efficiency of the system. The TCP module shows an overall energy conversion efficiency of around 43.5% for the above-bandgap (defined as in-band) light while transmitting below-bandgap (defined as out-of-band) light with approximately 75% transmission efficiency. Thermal output can be tuned from 100 to 570 degrees C and may be used in commercial and industrial process heat markets, such as solar heating and cooling, desalination, enhanced oil recovery, refining, food processing, and more.
The novel spectrum-splitting, transmissive concentrating photovoltaic (tCPV) module with active and passive cooling systems enable this “waste heat” to be captured for use in process heat for various industries or for storing and generating dispatchable electricity. The cooling system designed solves the issue of the photovoltaic cell heating up due to concentrated light without interfering with the transmission of light through the module, further increasing the total efficiency of the system. The TCP module shows an overall energy conversion efficiency of around 43.5% for the above-bandgap (defined as in-band) light while transmitting below-bandgap (defined as out-of-band) light with approximately 75% transmission efficiency. Thermal output can be tuned from 100 to 570 degrees C and may be used in commercial and industrial process heat markets, such as solar heating and cooling, desalination, enhanced oil recovery, refining, food processing, and more.
Current Work
Development of this work continues in the Escarra Lab
Inventors
Qi Xu, PhD
Adam Ollanik, PhD
Nicholas Farrar-Foley
Yaping Ji, PhD
Kazi Islam, PhD
Brian Riggs, PhD
Daniel Codd, PhD
Vince Romanin
Intellectual Property
Available For
Exclusive License in a Field
Non-exclusive License
Scientific Collaboration