Circular luminescent solar concentrators. (1st July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gajic, Maja; Lisi, Fabio; Kirkwood, Nicholas; Smith, Trevor A.; Mulvaney, Paul; Rosengarten, Gary
• Is Part Of: Solar energy. Volume 150(2017)
• Page Start: 30
• Page End: 37
• Publication Date: 2017-07-01
• Subjects: Luminescent solar concentrator -- Quantum dots -- Lumogen red 305 -- Fluorescence lifetime imaging -- Light scattering; Solar energy -- Periodicals; Solar engines -- Periodicals; 621.47
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2017.04.034
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0038-092X

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: The performance of a novel circular disk shaped luminescent solar concentrator is described. A circular LSC is combined with sliver solar cells, adding to repertoire of shapes available for building integration. Simply using silica scattering particles dispersed in a circular LSC showed light guiding to the edges. Fluorescence lifetime imaging is used to investigation dispersion of fluorophores in the poymer PDMS showing QDs are much harder to disperse in PDMS than the dye. Abstract: Luminescent solar concentrators offer the ability to architecturally integrate solar energy harvesting devices into the urban environment. In this paper, we demonstrate a novel LSC design that utilises flexible bifacial silicon 'sliver' solar cells. Circular LSCs were fabricated which allowed testing of both fluid and solid waveguides. Use of non-fluorescent silica nanoparticles as light scatterers revealed that a significant amount of light can be totally internally reflected to the edges of an LSC via light scattering alone. This leads to the concept of "frosted glass" LSCs, which may be useful where a large amount of light transparency is not required. Finally, flexible polymer polydimethlysiloxane (PDMS) based LSCs were also investigated using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy to probe fluorophore distribution in LSCs showing how non-uniform dispersion can reduce device performance.