Two-junction photovoltaic devices
AssigneeAlliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
InventorsMyles Aaron Steiner, Daniel Joseph Friedman, Ryan Matthew France, Asegun Henry
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a photovoltaic (PV) device that includes a first junction constructed with a first alloy and having a bandgap between about 1.0 eV and about 1.5 eV, and a second junction constructed with a second alloy and having a bandgap between about 0.9 eV and about 1.3 eV, where the first alloy includes III-V elements, the second alloy includes III-V elements, and the PV device is configured to operate in a thermophotovoltaic system having an operating temperature between about 1500° C. and about 3000° C.
Claims20
A photovoltaic (PV) device comprising:
- a first junction constructed with a first alloy and having a bandgap between about 1.0 eV and about 1.5 eV;
- and
- a second junction constructed with a second alloy and having a bandgap between about 0.9 eV and about 1.3 eV, wherein;
- the first alloy comprises III-V elements,
- the second alloy comprises III-V elements, and
- the PV device is configured to operate in a thermophotovoltaic system having an operating temperature between about 1500° C. and about 3000° C.
A thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system comprising:
- an emitter operating at a temperature between about 1900° C. and about 2400° C.;
- and
- a photovoltaic (PV) device, wherein:
- the emitter is configured to transfer radiant energy to the PV device, and the PV device comprises:
- a first junction constructed with a first III-V alloy and having a bandgap between about 1.0 eV and about 1.5 eV;
- and
- a second junction constructed with a second III-V alloy and having a bandgap between about 0.9 eV and about 1.3 eV.
A method comprising:
- operating an emitter at a temperature between about 1900° C. and about 2400° C. to create radiant energy;
- transferring at least a portion of the radiant energy to a photovoltaic (PV) device;
- and
- converting at least a portion of the transferred radiant energy to electricity, wherein:
- the PV device comprises:
- a first junction constructed with a first III-V alloy and having a bandgap between about 1.0 eV and about 1.5 eV;
- and
- a second junction constructed with a second III-V alloy and having a bandgap between about 0.9 eV and about 1.3 eV.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.