SOLAR POWER SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT, WATERCRAFT, OR LAND VEHICLES USING INVERTED METAMORPHIC MULTIJUNCTION SOLAR CELLS

摘要

A system for generating electrical power from solar radiation utilizing a thin film III-V compound multijunction semiconductor solar cell mounted on a support in a non-planar configuration is disclosed herein.

主权项

1. An aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle comprising:
a non-planar support for mounting a plurality of solar cells; and a plurality of solar cells mounted on the non-planar support, wherein each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells is capable of bending so as to conform to the non-planar surface of the non-planar support, and wherein each solar cell of the plurality of solar cells includes a thin flexible film semiconductor body formed from III-V compound semiconductors including: a first solar subcell having a first band gap; a second solar subcell disposed over the first subcell and having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; a grading interlayer composed on InGaAlAs and disposed over the second subcell in said body and having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; and a third solar subcell over said interlayer in the body and being lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell and having a fourth band gap smaller than the third band gap; wherein the non-planar support having the plurality of solar cells mounted thereon is attached to the aircraft, watercraft, or land vehicle.