Thermal Spray For Solar Concentrator Fabrication

Abstract

A solar concentrator including a substantially-transparent optical element, a reflective material disposed on a convex surface of the optical element, an insulator layer on the reflective material, a conductive material that is thermal sprayed onto the insulator layer, and a solar cell mounted in a central region of the convex surface and electrically coupled to the conductive material. The optical element includes a flat surface disposed opposite to the convex surface and a concave surface defined in the flat surface. The convex surface and concave surface are arranged and the reflective material is deposited such that light passing through the flat surface is reflected by the reflective material toward the concave surface, and is re-reflected by the reflective material disposed on the concave surface onto an active surface of the solar cell. Thermal spraying the conductive material may include spraying a molten metal powder onto the insulator layer.

1 . A method for producing a solar concentrator, the method comprising:
 depositing a reflective material on a convex surface substantially-transparent optical element, the optical element including a flat surface disposed opposite to the convex surface, wherein the reflective material is deposited such that light passing through the flat surface is reflected by the reflective material disposed on the convex surface;   depositing an insulative material on the reflective material; and   thermal spraying a conductive material onto the insulative material.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the optical element further includes a concave surface defined in the flat surface, the convex surface and concave surface being arranged such that said light reflected by the reflective material disposed on the convex surface is directed toward the concave surface, and   wherein the method further comprises:   depositing said reflective material on the concave surface of the optical element; and   mounting a solar cell onto a central region of the convex surface of the optical element such that the solar cell is electrically coupled to the conductive material,   wherein the reflective material is deposited on the concave surface such that said light reflected from the reflective material disposed on the convex surface is re-reflected by the reflective material disposed on the concave surface toward the solar cell.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein thermal spraying the conductive material comprises thermal spraying a molten metal powder onto the insulative material. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein thermal spraying the conductive material comprises thermal spraying one or more of gold, nickel and copper. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein spraying the molten metal powder onto the optical element comprises:
 placing a stencil on the optical element; and   spraying a molten metal powder onto the stencil and the insulative material layer.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 ,
 further comprising removing the stencil to expose an aperture from which light may pass out of the optical element,   wherein mounting the solar cell comprises positioning the solar cell in the central region of the convex surface such that an optically-active area of the solar cell is aligned with the aperture.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the stencil comprises a mechanical, hard or soft tooling. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein depositing the reflective material comprises depositing a mirror coating using one of sputtering, physical vapor deposition and liquid deposition. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein depositing the insulative material comprises depositing a powder-coated polymer. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein depositing the insulative material comprises a polymer using one of spraying, dipping and lamination. 
     
     
         11 . A solar concentrator comprising:
 a substantially-transparent optical element including a flat surface and a convex surface disposed opposite to the flat surface;   a first reflective material layer disposed on the convex surface of the optical element, wherein the first reflective material layer is deposited such that light passing through the flat surface is reflected by the first reflective material layer into the optical element;   an insulative material layer disposed on the first reflective material layer; and   a thermal-sprayed conductive material layer disposed on the insulative material layer.   
     
     
         12 . The solar concentrator of  claim 11 , wherein the optical element further includes a concave surface defined in the flat surface, the convex surface and concave surface being arranged such that said light reflected by the first reflective material layer is directed toward the concave surface,
 wherein the solar concentrator further comprises:
 a second reflective material layer disposed on the concave surface of the optical element; and 
 a solar cell mounted onto the optical element and disposed a central region of the convex surface of the optical element such that the solar cell is electrically coupled to the conductive material layer, 
   wherein the reflective material is deposited on the concave surface such that said light reflected from the reflective material disposed on the convex surface is re-reflected by the reflective material disposed on the concave surface toward the solar cell.   
     
     
         13 . The solar concentrator of  claim 12 , wherein the conductive material layer comprises a molten metal powder. 
     
     
         14 . The solar concentrator according to  claim 13 , wherein the molten metal powder comprises one or more of gold, nickel and copper. 
     
     
         15 . The solar concentrator according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the optical element includes an aperture disposed in a central region of the convex surface from which light may pass out of the optical element,   wherein the solar cell is positioned in the central region of the convex surface such that an optically-active area of the solar cell is aligned with the aperture.   
     
     
         16 . The solar concentrator according to  claim 11 , wherein the reflective material layer comprises a mirror coating. 
     
     
         17 . The solar concentrator according to  claim 11 , wherein the insulative material layer comprises a powder-coated polymer. 
     
     
         18 . The solar concentrator according to  claim 11 , wherein the insulative material layer comprises a polymer. 
     
     
         19 . A solar concentrator comprising:
 a substantially-transparent optical element including a flat surface, a convex surface disposed opposite to the flat surface, and a concave surface defined in the flat surface;   a first reflective material layer disposed on the convex surface of the optical element;   a second reflective material layer disposed on the cave surface of the optical element;   an insulative material layer disposed on the first reflective material layer;   a thermal-sprayed conductive material layer disposed on the insulative material layer; and   a solar cell mounted onto the optical element and disposed a central region of the convex surface of the optical element such that the solar cell is electrically coupled to the conductive material layer,   wherein the first and second reflective material layers are deposited and arranged by the convex and concave surfaces such that light passing through the flat surface is reflected by the first reflective material layer toward the second reflective material layer, and is re-reflected by the second reflective material layer onto the solar cell.   
     
     
         20 . The solar concentrator according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the first and second reflective material layers comprises a mirror coating,   wherein the insulative material layer comprises a polymer,   wherein thermal-sprayed conductive material layer comprises a molten metal powder including one or more of gold, nickel and copper.