Coatings for optical components of solar energy systems
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsKatherine A. Brown, Naiyong Jing, Timothy J. Hebrink, Daniel T. Chen
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Abstract
The present application is directed to a method of providing a coating to a surface of an optical element of a solar energy conversion system. The method comprises coating the surface of the optical element with an aqueous coating composition comprising water and silica nanoparticles dispersed in the water; and drying the coating composition to form a nanoparticle coating. The silica nanoparticles comprise a polymer core surrounded by a shell comprising nonporous silica particles disposed on the polymer core.
Claims15
A method of providing a coating to a surface of an optical element of a solar energy conversion system comprising:
- a) coating the surface of the optical element with an aqueous coating composition comprising water and silica nanoparticles dispersed in the water;
- and
- b) drying the coating composition to form a nanoparticle coating,
- wherein the silica nanoparticles comprise a polymer core surrounded by a shell comprising nonporous silica particles disposed on the polymer core.
A solar energy conversion system comprising
- an array of photovoltaic cells;
- and
- optical elements positioned relative to the photovoltaic cells,
- wherein the optical elements are coated with a nanoparticle coating comprising a polymer core surrounded by a shell comprising nonporous silica particles disposed on the polymer core.
A solar energy conversion system comprising
- at least one light-to-heat converters;
- and
- optical elements positioned relative to the light-to-heat converter,
- wherein the optical elements are coated with a nanoparticle coating comprising a polymer core surrounded by a shell comprising nonporous silica particles disposed on the polymer core.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.