Apparatus pertaining to solar cells having nanowire titanium oxide cores and graphene exteriors and the co-generation conversion of light into electricity using such solar cells
AssigneeDimerond Technologies, LLC
InventorDieter M. Gruen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus comprising a plurality of solar cells that each comprise a nanowire titanium oxide core having graphene disposed thereon. By one approach this plurality of solar cells can comprise, at least in part, a titanium foil having the plurality of solar cells disposed thereon wherein at least a majority of the solar cells are aligned substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to the titanium foil. Such a plurality of solar cells can be disposed between a source of light and another modality of solar energy conversion such that both the solar cells and the another modality of solar energy conversion generate electricity using a same source of light.
Claims8
A method comprising:
- providing a plurality of solar cells by, at least in part, providing a foil having the plurality of solar cells disposed thereon, wherein at least a majority of the solar cells are aligned substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to the foil, wherein each of the solar cells comprises a nanowire core having graphene disposed thereon, wherein the core comprises at least one of zinc and titanium oxide;
- disposing the foil having the plurality of solar cells disposed thereon on a heat gathering surface comprising a fluid-carrying solar collector of a thermal-conversion electricity generation apparatus comprising at least one of a parabolic trough and a power-tower receiver to thereby form a co-generation apparatus to convert light into electricity.
A method to form a plurality of solar cells comprising:
- providing a foil;
- using a hydrothermal synthesis process to form a plurality of substantially aligned nanowires on the foil that are disposed substantially perpendicular to the foil;
- doping at least some of the nanowires using a post-growth heat treatment process accompanied by at least one predetermined dopant to introduce oxygen vacancies into a lattice to thereby create a trivalent material;
- and
- depositing graphene on at least part of the nanowires.
A method to form a plurality of solar cells comprising:
- providing a foil;
- using a hydrothermal synthesis process to form a plurality of substantially aligned nanowires on the foil that are disposed substantially perpendicular to the foil;
- doping at least some of the nanowires using a post-growth heat treatment process accompanied by at least one predetermined dopant wherein the post-growth heat treatment process comprises at least one of:
- heating the nanowires in a vacuum;
- and
- treating the nanowires with hydrogen gas;
- and
- depositing graphene on at least part of the nanowires.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.