CAPACITOR ENHANCED MULTI-ELEMENT PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL

摘要

A multi-element photovoltaic cell having two or more photovoltaic elements with an isolation layer interposed between all contiguous photovoltaic elements. Each photovoltaic element has an element front conductor and an element rear conductor which are in electrical contact with the photovoltaic layer of the photovoltaic element. The current from a respective photovoltaic element which is generated as incident solar radiation irradiates the photovoltaic cell, flows independently of the other photovoltaic elements to one or more capacitor banks controlled by a photovoltaic controller. The photovoltaic controller controls charging and discharging of element capacitors of the capacitor banks so as to optimize the efficiency of the photovoltaic cell.

主权项

1. A photovoltaic cell assembly comprising:
a plurality of photovoltaic elements, comprising at least a first photovoltaic element and a last photovoltaic element, each photovoltaic element comprising a photovoltaic layer and a pair of layer conductors, a layer front conductor and a layer rear conductor, the photovoltaic layer being interposed between the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor, the layer front conductor and the layer rear conductor being in electrical contact with the photovoltaic layer, each photovoltaic layer having a layer bandgap which differs from the layer bandgap of the other photovoltaic layers, and each photovoltaic layer having a cell layer anode and a cell layer cathode; one or more isolation layers, a respective isolation layer being interposed between contiguous photovoltaic elements; a capacitor charge circuit electrically connected to each photovoltaic element; a respective plurality of element capacitors electrically connected to each photovoltaic element by the capacitor charge circuit, each element capacitor having two capacitor electrodes, a capacitor cathode and a capacitor anode; a respective plurality of capacitor charge switches electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit to each photovoltaic element, a respective capacitor charge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit between the cell layer cathode and the capacitor cathode of a respective element capacitor, and a respective capacitor charge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor charge circuit between the cell element anode and the capacitor anode of a respective element capacitor; a capacitor discharge circuit electrically connected to each element capacitor; an output circuit electrically connected to the capacitor discharge circuit; a respective plurality of capacitor discharge switches connected in the capacitor discharge circuit to each element capacitor, a respective capacitor discharge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor discharge circuit between the capacitor cathode of a respective element capacitor and the output circuit, and a respective capacitor discharge switch being electrically connected in the capacitor discharge circuit between the capacitor anode of a respective element capacitor and the output circuit; a plurality of capacitor voltage sensors, each of the voltage sensors being electrically connected to a respective element capacitor; and a photovoltaic controller in communication with the capacitor voltage sensors, the capacitor charge switches and the capacitor discharge switches, and providing for control of the capacitor charge switches and capacitor discharge switches.