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Luminescent Solar Concentrators – The Solar Waveguides


Affiliations
1 Department of Physics, The American College, Madurai 625 002, India
2 School of Physics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625 021, India
3 Department of Chemistry, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai 625 002, India
 

This study aims at giving a prologue to the non-tracking, concentrating solar waveguides called luminescent solar concentrators. It deliberates the major factors of loss in such systems that limit photon collection and conversion efficiency. Identifying fluorescent molecules possessing a larger Stokes shift value with a broad degree of absorption in the UV-Vis continuum, with sharper and narrower near infra-red emission spectra at a higher quantum yield that achieves a perpetual total internal reflection, remains a challenge now. Geometrical and material properties also play a strategic role in accomplishing waveguides, with minimal loss, through total internal reflection of trapped photons for photovoltaic conversion.

Keywords

Fluorescence, Luminescent Solar Concentrator, Poly(Methyl Methacrylate), Total Internal Reflection.
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  • Luminescent Solar Concentrators – The Solar Waveguides

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Authors

Brindha V. G. Mohan
Department of Physics, The American College, Madurai 625 002, India
V. Vasu
School of Physics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625 021, India
V. Vasu
School of Physics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625 021, India
A. Robson Benjamin
Department of Physics, The American College, Madurai 625 002, India
M. Kottaisamy
Department of Chemistry, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai 625 002, India

Abstract


This study aims at giving a prologue to the non-tracking, concentrating solar waveguides called luminescent solar concentrators. It deliberates the major factors of loss in such systems that limit photon collection and conversion efficiency. Identifying fluorescent molecules possessing a larger Stokes shift value with a broad degree of absorption in the UV-Vis continuum, with sharper and narrower near infra-red emission spectra at a higher quantum yield that achieves a perpetual total internal reflection, remains a challenge now. Geometrical and material properties also play a strategic role in accomplishing waveguides, with minimal loss, through total internal reflection of trapped photons for photovoltaic conversion.

Keywords


Fluorescence, Luminescent Solar Concentrator, Poly(Methyl Methacrylate), Total Internal Reflection.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi08%2F1656-1664