Photovoltaic devices with electrically coupled supports
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsKarl S. Weibezahn, Scott Lerner
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods related to photovoltaic energy are provided. A device includes electrically conductive supports in electrical contact with one or more photovoltaic cells. The photovoltaic cells are secured with respect to the supports by a clamping force soldering or other means. Optics concentrate and guide photonic energy onto the photovoltaic cells. Generated electrical energy is coupled to a load using the conductive supports. Heat is rejected from the photovoltaic cells using at least one of the supports and a fluid flow, thermal conduction, and so on.
Claims17
A device, comprising:
- a photovoltaic cell having a first electrode and a second electrode of respectively opposite electrical polarities;
- a first metallic support electrically coupled to the first electrode, the first metallic support configured to transfer heat away from the photovoltaic cell;
- and
- a second metallic support electrically coupled to the second electrode.
A system, comprising:
- a plurality of photovoltaic cells to convert incident photonic energy into electrical energy;
- a first support electrically coupled to a first electrode of each of the photovoltaic cells, the first support configured to transfer heat away from the photovoltaic cells by way of a fluid flow through an internal passageway;
- a second support electrically coupled to a second electrode of each of the photovoltaic cells;
- a primary optical element to concentrate incident photonic energy;
- and
- a secondary optical element to guide the concentrated photonic energy onto the photovoltaic cells.
A method, comprising:
- disposing a photovoltaic cell in clamped relationship with a first support and a second support, the first and second supports electrically coupled to respective electrodes of the photovoltaic cell;
- concentrating photonic energy onto the photovoltaic cell by way of a first optical element and a second optical element so as to generate electrical energy;
- providing the electrical energy to a load by way of the first and second supports;
- and
- transferring heat away from the photovoltaic cells by way of at least the first support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.