Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090159120 | QUANTUM DOT SOLAR CELL WITH CONJUGATED BRIDGE MOLECULE - A solar cell including a quantum dot, an electron conductor, and a conjugated bridge molecule disposed between the quantum dot and the electron conductor. The conjugated bridge molecule may include a quantum dot anchor that bonds to the quantum dot and an electron conductor anchor that bonds to the electron conductor. In some instances, the quantum dot anchor and/or the electron conductor anchor may independently include two anchoring moieties that can form ring structures with the quantum dot and/or the electron conductor. The solar cell may further include a hole conductor that is configured to reduce the quantum dot once the quantum dot absorbs a photon and ejects an electron through the conjugated bridge molecule and into the electron conductor. | 06-25-2009 |
20090159131 | QUANTUM DOT SOLAR CELL WITH RIGID BRIDGE MOLECULE - A solar cell including a quantum dot, an electron conductor, and a rigid bridge molecule disposed between the quantum dot and the electron conductor. The rigid bridge molecule may include a first anchor group that bonds to the quantum dot and a second anchor group that bonds to the electron conductor. The solar cell may include a hole conductor that is configured to reduce the quantum dot once the quantum dot absorbs a photon and ejects an electron through the rigid bridge molecule and into the electron conductor. | 06-25-2009 |
20090159999 | QUANTUM DOT SOLAR CELL WITH ELECTRON RICH ANCHOR GROUP - A solar cell may including a quantum dot, an electron conductor and a bridge molecule disposed between the quantum dot and the electron conductor. The bridge molecule may include a quantum dot anchor that bonds to the quantum dot and an electron conductor anchor that bonds to the electron conductor. The quantum dot anchor may be an electron-rich anchor group that includes a Group 5A element. The solar cell may also include a hole conductor that is configured to reduce the quantum dot once the quantum dot absorbs a photon and ejects an electron through the bridge molecule and into the electron conductor. | 06-25-2009 |
20090308442 | NANOSTRUCTURE ENABLED SOLAR CELL ELECTRODE PASSIVATION VIA ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION - A system and method for reducing charge recombination within nanostructure enabled solar cells. A nanostructure enabled solar cell includes a nanoporous electron conductor and a hole conductor. The surface of the nanoporous electron conductor includes a sensitizer of nanoparticles, such as quantum dots and also a thin and conformal passivation layer that can be selectively coated onto the electron conductor surface. The passivation layer coats the electron conductor surface without covering the surface of the nanoparticles. | 12-17-2009 |
20100043874 | NANOSTRUCTURED SOLAR CELL - A solar cell having a nanostructure. The nanostructure may include nanowire electron conductors having a fractal structure with a relatively large surface area. The electron conductors may be loaded with nanoparticle quantum dots for absorbing photons. The dots may be immersed in a carrier or hole conductor, initially being a liquid or gel and then solidifying, for effective immersion and contact with the dots. Electrons may move flow via a load from the electron conductors to the holes of the carrier conductor. The solar cell may be fabricated, for example, with an additive process using roll-to-roll manufacturing. | 02-25-2010 |
20100258726 | RADIATION POWER DETECTOR - A radiation power detector includes a thermal membrane that produces a voltage responsive to temperature differences. A radiation absorber is thermally coupled to the thermal membrane, and an indicator is coupled to the thermal membrane responsive to the temperature differences. The indicator is powered by voltage produced by the thermal membrane and signals the amount of radiation power to which the absorbing material is exposed. | 10-14-2010 |
20100313953 | NANO-STRUCTURED SOLAR CELL - A solar cell includes a first electrode and an array of ordered electron conductive nanostructure films electrically coupled to and supported by the first electrode. A plurality of quantum dot absorbers are attached to the electrically conductive nanostructure films. A hole conducting material is diffused between the electron conductive nanostructure films, and a second electrode is electrically coupled to the hole conducting material. | 12-16-2010 |
20100326499 | SOLAR CELL WITH ENHANCED EFFICIENCY - Solar cells and methods for manufacturing solar cells are disclosed. An example solar cell includes a substrate, and an electron conductor layer situated adjacent the substrate. The electron conductor layer may form a pattern of projections with one or more gaps between the projections. An active layer may be situated in the gaps between the projections, and coupled to the electron conductor layer. A hole conductor may be coupled to the active layer. The hole conductor layer may partially or fully fill in the gaps between the projections. The projections may be nano-pillars, nano-tubes, nano-wires, or any other suitable projections, as desired. In some cases, the aspect ratio of the projections may be greater than 2:1, 5:1 or more. | 12-30-2010 |
20110011441 | LOW PROFILE SOLAR CONCENTRATOR - A low profile solar collector having a number of light collecting lenses that fit closely together as an array on a flexible sheet. The lenses may focus light onto optical conveyance mechanisms which convey light from the lenses to a light-to-electrical converter or converters at an edge of the sheet. The lenses may alternatively focus light onto a light-to-electrical converter or converters. Conductors may convey electricity from the light-to-electrical converters to an electrical connection block at an edge of the sheet. The flexible sheet may be rolled, folded, or form fitted onto a non-planar surface. Two or more low profile solar collectors having a number of collecting lenses may be combined to form a larger sheet for solar collection. The electrical outputs of the collectors may be connected to provide one or more outputs as desired. | 01-20-2011 |
20110155233 | HYBRID SOLAR CELLS - Solar cells and methods for manufacturing solar cells are disclosed. An example solar cell includes a first electrode and a second electrode. A first active layer may be disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a second active layer different from the first active layer may also be disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. One or more layers of conductive material may be disposed between the first active layer and the second active layer, if desired. In some instances, the first active layer may be sensitive to a first range of wavelengths, and the second active layer may be sensitive to a second range of wavelengths, where at least part of the first range of wavelengths does not overlap at least part of the second range of wavelengths. It is contemplated that more than two active layers may be used, if desired. | 06-30-2011 |
20110174364 | NANOSTRUCTURED SOLAR CELL - A solar cell having a nanostructure. The nanostructure may include nanowire electron conductors having a fractal structure with a relatively large surface area. The electron conductors may be loaded with nanoparticle quantum dots for absorbing photons. The dots may be immersed in a carrier or hole conductor, initially being a liquid or gel and then solidifying, for effective immersion and contact with the dots. Electrons may move flow via a load from the electron conductors to the holes of the carrier conductor. The solar cell may be fabricated, for example, with an additive process using roll-to-roll manufacturing. | 07-21-2011 |
20120094196 | HYBRID FUEL CELL - A power generator includes a chemical hydride multilayer fuel cell stack. A flow path extends through the fuel cell stack to provide oxygen containing air to the fuel cell stack and to cool the fuel cell stack. A hydrogen generator is coupled to the flow path to receive water vapor from ambient air introduced into the flow path and water vapor generated by the fuel cell stack and to provide hydrogen to the fuel cell stack. A controller separately controls airflow past the fuel cell stack and water vapor provided to the hydrogen generator. | 04-19-2012 |
20120307239 | DYNAMIC CODED FILTER GAS DETECTION - A device for detecting gas concentrations includes a movable coded filter. An optical element is positioned to receive gas filtered light and spectrally separate the gas filtered light. A photo detector is positioned to receive the spectrally separated light through slits in the moveable coded filter to provide an AC signal representative of a selected gas. | 12-06-2012 |