IBM
has used chip cooling techniques to gain more solar power from
optical concentrating structures.
Cooling the tiny (1cm sq.) solar cell, allows it to withstand
concentration equivalent to 2,000 suns - focusing enough heat to
melt stainless steel, said IBM - reducing the temperature from
1,600°C to 85°C. ‘One sun’ is the solar power incident at noon on a
clear summer day.
The firm coupled a commercial solar cell to a liquid metal thermal
cooling system using a thin layer of gallium and indium compound
between the chip and cooling block.
Its scientists are using Fresnel lenses to concentrate the Sun’s
power, capturing a claimed record of 230W onto the centimetre
square solar cell. That energy is then converted into 70W of usable
electrical power.
By moving from a 200 sun system, where about 20W per 1cm sq. of
power is absorbed onto the cell, to the lab results of a 2,300 sun
system, the system cuts the number of cells by 10.
IBM believes the technique could reduce the cost of a typical
concentrator photovoltaics based system.
For more on
solar cells and their technology.