First polymer solar-thermal device heats home, saves money
April 5, 2011
A new polymer-based solar-thermal device developed by Wake Forest University is the first to generate power from both heat and visible sunlight, an advance that could shave the cost of heating a home by as much as 40 percent.
Geothermal add-ons for heat pumps on the market today collect heat from the air or the ground. This new device uses a fluid that flows through a roof-mounted module to collect heat from the sun while an integrated solar cell generates electricity from the sun’s visible light.
Unlike the flat solar cells used today, the curve of the tubes inside the new device allows for the collection of both visible light and infrared heat from nearly sunrise to sunset. This means it provides power for a much greater part of the day than does a normal solar cell.
A standard, rooftop solar cell will miss about 75 percent of the energy provided by the sun at any given time because it can’t collect the longest (infrared) wavelengths of light. Such cells miss an even greater amount of the available daily solar power because they collect sunlight most efficiently between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The design of the new solar-thermal device takes advantage of this heat through an integrated array of clear tubes, five millimeters in diameter. They lie flat, and an oil blended with a proprietary dye flows through them. The visible sunlight shines into the clear tube and the oil inside, and is converted to electricity by a spray-on polymer photovoltaic on the back of the tubes. This process superheats the oil, which would then flow into the heat pump, for example, to transfer the heat inside a home.
Tests of the solar-thermal device have shown 30 percent efficiency in converting solar energy to power. By comparison, a standard solar cell with a polymer absorber has shown no greater than 8 percent conversion efficiency.
The research team will build the first square-meter-size solar-thermal cell this summer, a key step in getting the technology ready for market.
Hmm… maybe the Arizona State University researchers should talk with their Wake Forest University counterparts about using graphic nanoparticles in this device?
Related Site Content:
No related posts.
Comments (2)
by Jonalist
Power Harvesting Research Could Bring about Next Generation of Electronics
http://www.che.tamu.edu/department/power-harvesting-research-could-bring-about-next-generation-of-electronics
Mainly you do not want heat involved when a Solar Collector is functioning because the more solar heating the less amps and it is amps that you are really aiming for in large arrays. A hot side, cold side Thermal Device can during winter months provide for the loss of solar collector roof panels if you have a central furnace that can be situated near a opening so that the heat generated will be flue piped into the home and the cold side be out the opening such as a basement window. If Quantum Dots were the issue for a solar collector several Thermal Devices could being placed in between arrays of dots take up the slack you might say for the panel heating and spread the cooling effect from beneath if there is another layer for the panel that will allow the cooling to be captured so the upper layer will absorb the cooling and the face of the thermal device which becomes affected by the heat of the sun will be the face of the solar collector. Therefore the portions of both power generation would be two power outputs for each solar collector. Then you have a Solar-Thermal Panel, but with the above mentioned link you see that sound can also generate electricity and employing Piezoelectrics for certain types of solar panels noise from highways near bridges/overpasses and industries or airports could benefit the power grid thus having three power sources in one device. Solar-Thermal application committed to producing rows & columns of vice versa hot/cold & cold/hot variances in placement brings pop & zing to the entire product. Wait, I’m not done adding power sources because there is a challenge yet to be taken into consideration, Government calls that part Economics, but I call it the ‘Solar Donut Deal’.
A final debut of possibilities is a simple device that makes electricity when pressure is placed upon its surface reveals the fourth device commitment to power efficiency. Being conditions of high winds or snow covered surfaces (also affecting a solar-thermal collector because of the cold) would make exactly four power sources possibilities instead of three previously mentioned in one device. If it rains you still capable to receive power for the Pressure Sensitivity of the surface of the vehicle but have less from the Quantum Dot Solar Collector surface.
Solyndra had a technology that might function well if there are no tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and hale storms esp but as you see the Government took Solyndra’s word that they were bankrupt based on a particular design which they claimed could be cheaply made by other sources and yet they did nothing to alter that consideration before they screwed the government out of $535 Million Dollars and most of that money went into the pockets of investors whom had a connection to the Obama Administration or Campaign making it look quite obvious that Government wasn’t just being screwed but the end result was aimed at taxpayers and the consumer’s whom would not see a better device come off the Solyndra line. Basically Solyndra screwed Science & Technology having undedicated Scientific Credentials that would break the barrier in technology and go for the bigger money issue. If Solyndra were telling the truth you might as well say Solyndra could not even make a Tinker Toy product better than the one which was being made elsewhere and by a long shot this is not the issue for Solyndra did have the capability to alter their designs to benefit the customer accounts they could get elsewhere.
If America is to benefit any at all from the Solyndra episode, someone must restart the facility once owned by Solyndra in a hurry to pay off its overhead with a new Government approved loan that services as well as produces a single device that has four power generating possibilities. I would also like to mention that automobiles being painted in this fashion would be one application to consider that Solyndra would function and produce smaller service centers for every state that consumer’s could go get their vehicle equipped with the solar transformation. Lasers would have to create the Quantum Dot formations within the paint prior to it drying on the surface which would be a instant spray expose operation at the same time. Like a Sand Printer this could layer the (1) Thermal Devices (Hot & Cold), (2) Quantum Dots (Solar Collection), (3) Piezoelectrics (Sound), and (4) Pressure Sensitive Arrays during each of four Micron Layers, the surface of the vehicle being metal would then have a cold surface so no other base would be needed to contain the cold. Science & Technology WINS & WINS BIG in my book not who is within the Government calling the loss adequate or sufficient to move on.
I discover that a donut shape form a Quantum Dot could produce a spin relative to the Angular Deviation the electron leaves the donut. Resembling a Nano-Motor that there would be possible in some instances to achieve a second power reading from electrons that left at a different Angular Deviation. These factors of Angular Deviation producing two perhaps three sources could be setup for serving special needs in power use. Charging a battery pack, interior lighting, Dashboard lighting and even computer use and radio so four sources coming from Angular Deviation of the donut spinning condition.
We have a future in Science & Technology and a future is available to startup a Foundation which will convert consumer’s autos at no cost and provide free electricity into a power grid that consumer’s can receive if they convert and agree to a warranty for all the converted parts necessary giving up what does not need to be there. My Project/Plan is The Foundation named “The Electric Vehicle Free Conversion Foundation”, Join Me On Windows Live Group: http://evfcf-4u.groups.live.com/ Thanks, Jonalist.
by Where to get a cheap EV
[...] some electricity, future solar panels might also shave 40% off the cost of heating your home. Scientists at Wake Forest University have developed solar panels that produce electricity as well as harvest heat from the sun. Basically, they are combining photovoltaic cells with solar [...]