Anti-reflective and anti-soiling coatings for self-cleaning properties
AssigneeEnki Technology, Inc.
InventorsBrenor L. Brophy, Vinod Nair, Bakul Champaklal Dave
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Abstract
The disclosure discloses abrasion resistant, persistently hydrophobic and oleophobic, anti-reflective and anti-soiling coatings for glass. The coatings described herein have wide application, including for example the front cover glass of solar modules. Methods of applying the coatings using various apparatus are disclosed. Methods for using the coatings in solar energy generation plants to achieve greater energy yield and reduced operations costs are disclosed. Coating materials are formed by combinations of hydrolyzed silane-base precursors through sol-gel processes. Several methods of synthesis and formulation of coating materials are disclosed.
Claims18
An article, comprising:
- a glass;
- and
- a dried gel coating on at least one surface of the glass, the coating formed from acid-hydrolyzed alkoxysilane, acid-hydrolyzed organosilane and acid-hydrolyzed organofluorosilane,
- wherein the acid-hydrolyzed organosilane and the acid-hydrolyzed organofluorosilane are each separately prepared before combining with each other and with the acid-hydrolyzed alkoxysilane, and
- wherein the coated glass includes an anti-reflective property, an abrasion resistance property, a hydrophobic property, an oleophobic property and an anti-soiling property;
- and
- wherein fluorine is present throughout a portion of the coating.
A solar module coating, comprising:
- an acid-hydrolyzed alkoxysilane, an acid-hydrolyzed organosilane and an acid-hydrolyzed organofluorosilane, wherein the acid-hydrolyzed organosilane and the acid-hydrolyzed organofluorosilane are each separately prepared before combining with each other and with the acid-hydrolyzed alkoxysilane, wherein fluorine is present throughout a portion of the solar module coating, the solar module coating exhibiting:
- a hydrophobic and an oleophobic property;
- an anti-reflective property that increases solar module efficiency;
- and
- an anti-soiling property that reduces energy generation losses due to soiling and reduces a frequency of washing the solar module coating when compared to equivalent solar modules without a coating, wherein the solar module coating is selected to reduce a levelized cost of energy of a solar energy generating system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.