2014/04/03/Energy breakthrough uses sun to create solar energy materials
- when: 2014/04/03
- author:
- source: ScienceDaily Oregon State University
- topics: solar power Oregon State University nanotechnology
- keywords
- link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140403132353.htm
- title: Energy breakthrough uses sun to create solar energy materials
- summary: "Researchers have discovered a way to tap the sun not only as a source of power, but also to directly produce the solar energy materials that make this possible. This breakthrough could make the sun almost a 'one-stop shop' that produces both the materials for solar devices and the eternal energy to power them."
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The work is based on the use of a "continuous flow" microreactor to produce nanoparticle inks that make solar cells by printing. Existing approaches based mostly on batch operations are more time-consuming and costly.
In this process, simulated sunlight is focused on the solar microreactor to rapidly heat it, while allowing precise control of temperature to aid the quality of the finished product. The light in these experiments was produced artificially, but the process could be done with direct sunlight, and at a fraction of the cost of current approaches.
"Our system can synthesize solar energy materials in minutes compared to other processes that might take 30 minutes to two hours," Chang said. "This gain in operation speed can lower cost."
In these experiments, the solar materials were made with copper indium diselenide, but to lower material costs it might also be possible to use a compound such as copper zinc tin sulfide, Chang said. And to make the process something that could work 24 hours a day, sunlight might initially be used to create molten salts that could later be used as an energy source for the manufacturing. This could provide more precise control of the processing temperature needed to create the solar energy materials.