Integrated photo-electrochemical device for concentrated irradiation

A system including

• a photo-electrochemical device for production of a gas, liquid or solid using concentrated electromagnetic irradiation, said device comprising:
• a photovoltaic device (PV) comprising single or multiple junctions and configured to generate charge carriers from the concentrated electromagnetic irradiation;
• and
• an electrochemical device (EC) configured to carry out electrolysis of a reactant;
• wherein the reactant and electrolyte are two separate entities and the photovoltaic device (PV) contacts the electrochemical device (EC) at a solid interface to form an integrated photo-electrochemical device;
• and further includes at least one reactant channel or a plurality of reactant channels fluidically extending between a thermally conducting surface of photovoltaic device (PV) and a thermally conducting surface of electrochemical device (EC) to transfer heat energy and the reactant from the photovoltaic device (PV) to the electrochemical device (EC);
• an electromagnetic irradiation concentrator system configured to focus or concentrate electromagnetic irradiation on the photo-electrochemical device, and
• a controlling unit configured to determine, modify and set an optimized mass flow velocity or rate for the reactant into the at least one reactant channel of the photo-electrochemical device based on measured values of operating parameters of the photo-electrochemical device,
• wherein the controlling unit is further configured to:
• (i) determine whether a mass flow velocity or rate value of the reactant in the device is to be adjusted based on a measured value of the incident electromagnetic irradiation concentration, a measured operating voltage (Vop) of the photo-electrochemical device, a measured operating current (Iop) of the photo-electrochemical device, a current value of the mass flow velocity or rate value, a determined maximum power point (MPP) operation value of the photo-electrochemical device and mapped data of device operating points for a range of input irradiance and reactant mass flow rates;
• and (ii) to generate a signal indicating that a mass flow velocity or rate change is to be carried out, where the operating voltage (Vop) is defined as the voltage difference between anode and cathode of the electrochemical device (EC) during operation, operating current (Iop) is defined as the current flowing through the electrochemical device during operation, maximum power point (MPP) is defined as the point on the current-voltage characteristic curve of the photovoltaic device which has the highest value of product of its corresponding current and voltage.

A system including

• a photo-electrochemical device for production of a gas, liquid or solid using concentrated electromagnetic irradiation, said device comprising:
• a photovoltaic device (PV) comprising single or multiple junctions and configured to generate charge carriers from the concentrated electromagnetic irradiation;
• and
• an electrochemical device (EC) configured to carry out electrolysis of a reactant;
• wherein the reactant and electrolyte are two separate entities and the photovoltaic device (PV) contacts the electrochemical device (EC) at a solid interface to form an integrated photo-electrochemical device;
• and further includes at least one reactant channel or a plurality of reactant channels fluidically extending between a thermally conducting surface of photovoltaic device (PV) and a thermally conducting surface of electrochemical device (EC) to transfer heat energy and the reactant from the photovoltaic device (PV) to the electrochemical device (EC);
• an electromagnetic irradiation concentrator system configured to focus or concentrate electromagnetic irradiation on the photo-electrochemical device, and
• a controlling unit configured to determine, modify and set an optimized mass flow velocity or rate for the reactant into the at least one reactant channel of the photo-electrochemical device based on measured values of operating parameters of the photo-electrochemical device,
• wherein the controlling unit is further configured to:
• (i) determine whether a mass flow velocity or rate value of the reactant in the device is to be adjusted based on a measured operating voltage (Vop) and a determined operating voltage value at a maximum current point (IMAX) of the photo-electrochemical device;
• and (ii) to generate a signal indicating that a mass flow velocity or rate change is to be carried out, where the operating voltage (Vop) is defined as the voltage difference between anode and cathode of the electrochemical device during operation, maximum current point (IMAX) is defined as the point at which the operating current that is the current flowing through the electrochemical device (EC) is the highest for varying mass flow rates of the reactant.

A system including

• a photo-electrochemical device for production of a gas, liquid or solid using concentrated electromagnetic irradiation, said device comprising:
• a photovoltaic device (PV) comprising single or multiple junctions and configured to generate charge carriers from the concentrated electromagnetic irradiation;
• and
• an electrochemical device (EC) configured to carry out electrolysis of a reactant;
• wherein the reactant and electrolyte are two separate entities and the photovoltaic device (PV) contacts the electrochemical device (EC) at a solid interface to form an integrated photo-electrochemical device;
• and further includes at least one reactant channel or a plurality of reactant channels fluidically extending between a thermally conducting surface of photovoltaic device (PV) and a thermally conducting surface of electrochemical device (EC) to transfer heat energy and the reactant from the photovoltaic device (PV) to the electrochemical device (EC);
• an electromagnetic irradiation concentrator system configured to focus or concentrate electromagnetic irradiation on the photo-electrochemical device, and
• a controlling unit configured to determine, modify and set an optimized mass flow velocity or rate for the reactant into the at least one reactant channel of the photo-electrochemical device based on measured values of operating parameters of the photo-electrochemical device,
• wherein the controlling unit is further configured to:
• (i) determine whether a mass flow velocity or rate value of the reactant in the device is to be adjusted based on a measured operating voltage (Vop), a determined operating voltage value at a maximum current point (IMAX) of the photo-electrochemical device, a current value of the mass flow velocity or rate value, a measured value of the incident electromagnetic irradiation concentration and mapped data of device operating points for a range of input irradiance and reactant mass flow rates;
• and (ii) to generate a signal indicating that a mass flow velocity or rate change is to be carried out, where the operating voltage (Vop) is defined as the voltage difference between anode and cathode of the electrochemical device during operation, maximum current point (IMAX) is defined as the point at which the operating current that is the current flowing through the electrochemical device (EC) is the highest for varying mass flow rates of the reactant.