Scientists from the Scientific-technological University named after king Abdullah (Saudi Arabia) have developed a promising design of spherical solar cells. They proceeded from the concept that such a fully focused design, as opposed to the standard flat panels to collect the light, wherever he came. Including diffused and reflected light without the direct rays of the sun.
To reduce the cost of device, the Foundation took the model panel, in which the laser and ion etching deep cut grooves in the outer silicon layer. Next panel gently bent along the lines of the slits, giving them a semblance of segments of the sphere. This procedure led to the destruction of 15% of the light-absorbing surface, but the loss was compensated spherical battery showed 24 % increase in output power for the direct lighting lamp that imitates the sun.
Then it turned out that as the heating with the lighting spherical design better heat dissipation, which increased its advantages over the flat analog on 39 %. The best results were obtained in experiments with diffused light, no direct light on panels. Depending on the type of reflecting surface such as paper, metal or sand, the efficiency of the spherical elements were 60-100 % higher than flat. And it turned out that they deposited less dust.
An additional advantage of spherical structures in the absence of the rotation mechanism, without the need to deploy after the Sun. Also, spherical and simple curved solar panels can find application in architecture as a functional and decorative elements of the facades. But first we must test this new technology in open terrain and in different geographical locations.
Source — MRS Communications