Light-guide solar module, method of fabrication thereof, and panel made therefrom

摘要

A photovoltaic light guide solar concentration apparatus has a deflecting layer, a light-guide layer optically coupled to the deflecting layer, a secondary optic and a photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic concentration apparatus has a central optical axis that, in operation, is parallel to incident sunlight. A deflecting layer includes a plurality of focusing elements symmetrically arranged with respect to the central optical axis. The light-guide layer is optically coupled to the plurality of focusing elements of the deflecting layer. The light-guide layer has a reflective surface and a plurality of opposite facets symmetrically arranged with respect to the central axis and focused sunlight from the deflection layer enters the light-guide layer and is directed and trapped by the reflective surface and the opposite facets and guided inside the light-guide layer towards an exit aperture through total internal reflections. A secondary optic is coaxially located with respect to the central optical axis and is coupled to the light guide layer the secondary optic that has at least one reflective surface. The secondary optic redirects the light towards the exit aperture. A photovoltaic cell is located at the exit aperture and on the central axis to receive sunlight from the secondary optic within an acceptance angle relative to the central axis.

主权项

1. A photovoltaic light guide solar concentration apparatus having a central optical axis parallel in operation to incident sunlight, the photovoltaic light guide solar concentration apparatus comprising:
a deflecting layer exposable to the incident sunlight, the deflecting layer including a plurality of focusing elements, the plurality of focusing elements being rotationally symmetrically arranged with respect to the central optical axis; a light-guide layer optically coupled to the plurality of focusing elements, the light-guide layer including a reflective surface and a plurality of facets rotationally symmetrically arranged with respect to the central axis and disposed opposite to the reflective surface, focused sunlight from the deflecting layer entering the light-guide layer being directed and trapped by the reflective surface and the facets opposite to the reflective surface and guided inside the light-guide layer towards an exit aperture through total internal reflections; a secondary optic coaxially located with respect to the central optical axis and coupled to the light-guide layer, the secondary optic having at least one reflective surface, the secondary optic for redirecting the light towards the exit aperture; a photovoltaic cell located at the exit aperture and on the central axis for receiving sunlight from the secondary optic.