Mismatched InGaAs photovoltaic devices thermophotovoltaic power systems

Author

Wilt, David M. ; Brinker, David J. ; Fatemi, Navid S. ; Hoffman, Richard W., Jr. ; Jenkins, Phillip P. ; Lowe, Roland

Author_Institution

NASA Lewis Res. Center, Cleveland, OH, USA

Volume

2

fYear

1994

fDate

5-9 Dec 1994

Firstpage

1738

Abstract

Low bandgap photovoltaic devices are required for the development of thermophotovoltaic power conversion at moderate temperatures. We have produced In_xGa_1-xAs photovoltaic n/p devices on InP with bandgaps ranging from 0.75 eV to 0.60 eV. Testing under a filtered 1500°K blackbody emitter, the 0.75 eV displayed an 18.3% conversion efficiency and the 0.60 eV device had a 6% efficiency. The devices were also tested at temperatures ranging from 25°C to 100°C. The temperature coefficient of output power increased dramatically as the bandgap decreased. Testing under rare-earth doped YAG selective emitters demonstrated the ability of these emitters to produce narrow spectral emissions

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; photovoltaic cells; semiconductor device testing; solar cells; 1500 K; 18.3 percent; 25 to 100 C; 6 percent; InGaAs-InP; conversion efficiency; filtered blackbody emitter; low bandgap photovoltaic devices; mismatched InGaAs photovoltaic devices; narrow spectral emissions; output power; rare-earth doped YAG selective emitters; temperature coefficient; thermophotovoltaic power systems; Band pass filters; Indium gallium arsenide; Lattices; NASA; Photonic band gap; Photovoltaic systems; Solar power generation; Temperature dependence; Temperature distribution; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 1994., Conference Record of the Twenty Fourth. IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 1994, 1994 IEEE First World Conference on

Conference_Location

Waikoloa, HI

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1460-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/WCPEC.1994.520554

Filename

520554