Solar Cell Efficiency Increased with Popcorn Ball DesignSource: AZoNano.com
Researchers from the University of Washington in the U.S. have developed dye-sensitized solar cells with a nanoscale “popcorn-ball design” that can better manipulate light and convert solar energy to electricity with double the efficiency of conventional dye-sensitized solar cells. The article says that dye-sensitized solar cells are “more flexible, easier to manufacture and cheaper than existing solar technologies,” but are limited by poor conversion efficiency. To enhance efficiency, the researchers focused on developing cells with a surface composed of smaller grains, which have greater surface area per volume and can absorb more solar rays. The researchers made grains about 15 nanometers across and then clumped them together into agglomeration about 300 nanometers across. The article says: “The larger balls scatter incoming rays and force the light to travel a longer distance within the solar cell. The balls' complex internal structure, meanwhile, creates a surface area of about 1,000 square feet for each gram of material. This internal surface is coated with a dye that captures the light.” The researchers report that the popcorn-ball design improved the performance of the solar cells by more than double their previous performance. The article can be viewed online at the link below. |