Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100040903 | Anisotropically compliant horns for ultrasonic vibratory solid-state bonding - A horn for vibratory solid-state ultrasonic welding of metals and similarly-behaved materials “self-levels” to produce wide continuous seams or large-area spot-welds between delicate workpieces without damage, even if the workpieces are not perfectly flat and parallel to the nominal toolface angle. The horn toolface flexes under pressure to conform to skew-angled workpieces because it is disposed on a tool head supported by a tool neck cut from the tool body. The tool head, the tool neck, or both are anisotropically compliant. When resonances are properly optimized for typical VSS modes of vibration, atypical but useful localized modes are excited at the compliant toolface edges, actually intensifying the bond energy where one might normally expect unwanted damping. Various design approaches optimize the characteristics of the tool head and tool neck to various materials and bonding configurations. The horns can be configured for use with existing ultrasonic welders. | 02-18-2010 |
20100051087 | FRAMELESS THIN-FILM SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS AND METHOD - A solar panel utilizes at least one and, in one embodiment, three protective layers to eliminate the need for a metal frame. The protective layers may include one inorganic layer and two polymer layers, which are cured onto an underside of the panel. In one embodiment, the protective layers are cured over lateral edges of certain of the layers of the solar panel, including for example the conductor layers, semiconductor junction, and reflector layer. The protective layers may extend to cover an exposed edge along an underside of panel's superstrate. In one embodiment, the lateral edge of the superstrate is contoured to resist damage from rough handling and/or exposure to the elements. A support platform may be provided, and the solar panel secured thereon by way of interposing an adhesive between an underside of the panel and the support platform. | 03-04-2010 |
20100151680 | Substrate carrier with enhanced temperature uniformity - A substrate carrier is used in an in-line fabrication such as Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) for application of thin film on substrates. The carrier is in thermal communication with the substrate and thereby provides heat sinking. The carrier further permits movement of the substrate past a deposition apparatus at a deposition station. | 06-17-2010 |
20100198420 | Dynamic management of power production in a power system subject to weather-related factors - Tracking movement of clouds is used to predict the effects of cloud cover on irradiation of a solar-powered distributed power generation system. The predictions enable a solar power plant to maintain the changes in its total power output within operating requirements with less or no dependence on energy storage, back up generation, or load control, use centralized and/or local coordination of solar farm control systems to use storage to its best advantage, alternately reduce power fluctuations without cloud knowledge and use real time solar output prediction capabilities to be able to provide utilities with advance information regarding power fluctuations. | 08-05-2010 |
20100204844 | Local power tracking for dynamic power management in weather-sensitive power systems - A power source affected by a geographically propagating condition (e.g. a weather-related condition) is monitored to detect changes in its power output. Characteristics of the monitored changes are analyzed to detect whether the changes are being caused by a geographically-propagating condition that could affect other power sources nearby. The information obtained from the measurements is used to extrapolate impending power-output changes in the same source, in one or more other sources, or in a collection of sources subject to effects of the propagating condition. The extrapolations enable one or more power generating systems associated with the source(s) to maintain the changes in its total power output within operating requirements. | 08-12-2010 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080230108 | SOLAR PANEL APPARATUS AND METHOD UTILIZING POUNDED VERTICAL SUPPORTS - A solar panel array that comprises at least two vertical supports, a horizontal support, and at least one solar panel positioned thereon. The vertical supports are provided with a gradual twist, preferably following an extrusion process, so as to permit the supports to rotate as they are pounded into the ground. | 09-25-2008 |
20080236571 | SOLAR PANEL SYSTEM AND METHOD UTILIZING UNFRAMED SOLAR PANELS - A solar panel system and method wherein unframed solar panels are positioned on support beams above a support structure in a configuration that leaves two of the edges of the solar panels unframed. This avoids trapping of water and dirt and the like, which occurs with prior art, framed panels. A liner comprised of a compliant material may be interposed between the support beams and the two panel edges so as to protect those two edges, while leaving the remaining two edges in their original, unframed condition. | 10-02-2008 |
20080264483 | AMORPHOUS SILICON PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS HAVING IMPROVED LIGHT TRAPPING AND ELECTRICITY-GENERATING METHOD - An amorphous silicon photovoltaic cell exhibiting improved light trapping, and a method for generating electricity from sunlight therewith. The cell comprises a plurality of layers, including a transparent superstrate; a specular, first transparent conductor positioned below the transparent superstrate; at least one p-i-n structure having an active layer positioned below the first transparent conductor; a second transparent conductor positioned below the p-i-n structure; and a layer of transparent material positioned below the second transparent conductor. The layer of transparent material may be textured amorphous silicon having a relatively high dielectric constant. The cell may further include a back coating positioned below the layer of transparent material, and a back reflector positioned below the back coating layer. | 10-30-2008 |
20090004363 | PLASMA ENHANCED CHEMICHAL VAPOR DEPOSITION APPARATUS AND METHOD - A substrate processing system includes a deposition chamber and a plurality of tubular electrodes positioned within the deposition chamber defining plasma regions adjacent thereto. | 01-01-2009 |
20090139566 | FRONT TRANSPARENT CONDUCTOR ASSEMBLY FOR THIN-FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS AND METHOD - A front transparent conductor assembly and, in one embodiment, a photovoltaic cell, includes at least three transparent conductor layers. In one embodiment, first and second transparent conductors comprised of SnO2 are positioned above and below a third transparent conductor comprised of ZnO2. In one embodiment, the second transparent conductor layer is significantly thicker than either the first or third transparent conductor layers. In one embodiment of a photovoltaic cell incorporating such an assembly, a sealing layer of SiO2 is interposed between a superstrate and the first transparent conductor. In another embodiment, first and second intermediate layers of ZnSnO3 are incorporated into the assembly, with the first intermediate layer interposed between the first and second transparent conductors and with the second intermediate layer interposed between the second and third transparent conductors. | 06-04-2009 |
20090139567 | CONFORMAL PROTECTIVE COATING FOR SOLAR PANEL - A multilayer conformal coating is optimized in both composition and geometry to protect the back and sides of a transparent-fronted thin-film solar photovoltaic panel or similar device from various damage mechanisms associated with long-term outdoor exposure without an additional backcap or edge frame. A “barrier stack” or “barrier layer” of inorganic moisture-barrier and chemical-barrier layers is applied to the back of the photovoltaic functional film stack, extending into a bare-substrate border zone around the functional stack edges. The barrier stack shields the functional stack from moisture and chemical invasion, and the coated border zone effectively seals the vulnerable edges of the functional stack. An “envelope stack” or “envelope layer” of thicker polymer films is applied over the mechanically delicate inorganic barrier stack and around the solar photovoltaic panel edges. The envelope stack electrically insulates the solar photovoltaic panel and substantially protects the panel back and sides from mechanical shock, stress, and abrasion, thermal stress, fire, weathering, and UV-exposure degradation. | 06-04-2009 |
20100051086 | REDUNDANT ARRAY OF SINGLE AXIS TRACKING SOLAR PANELS - An array of independent single-axis tracking solar panel assemblies is provided which, compared to prior-art “ganged” tracking assemblies, can reduce production, installation, and operation costs of solar panel arrays, reduce power loss and down-time in the event of single-point failure, and increase annual power production. Each independent single-axis tracking solar panel assembly has one or more solar panels mounted on a rotatable support structure and its own motor, its own motor controller, and its own reduction gear box. Each assembly is supported at two points, one in the north and one in the south, so that the one or more solar panels in an assembly are rotated from east to west to track the angle of the sun. Each independent assembly may be wired directly to a power inverter and all may be wired in parallel. Each is protected with a series diode so that if one shorts, it cannot shunt power from another. If one fails, the power from each of the others continues to the power inverter, unaffected. Each assembly may be oriented so that it has a fixed tilt in the range of 20-40 degrees. | 03-04-2010 |