Solar cells space-based

Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, which convert incident solar radiation directly into electrical energy, today represent the most common power source for Earth-orbiting spacecraft, such as the International Space Station, where a photovoltaic engineering testbed (PET) is actually assembled on the express pallet. The solid-state photovoltaics, based on gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, or silicon, prove capable, even if to different extents and with... 

Space-based solar cells are covered with a very thin layer of vitreous silica to protect against the damaging environment of space such as atomic oxygen, micrometeorites, and radiation effects. Because the silica is transparent to damaging uv radiation, it is normally coated with a uv-reflective thin film... 

Two observations can be made based on this simple calculation. If one examines Figure 9.7, one readily observes that resources such as coal, oil, and gas can last in the decades to century range, whereas nuclear options can last far longer. Second, solar energy seems to provide about 5000 TW of solar radiation that gets radiated back into space. For argument s sake, let us assume that the efficiency of solar cells is about 10%, and only 30% of the earth s surface area is land. This means that only 0.1 x 0.3 x 5000 = 150 TW is potentially useful. However, it is inconceivable that all the earth s land area will be utilized for solar energy, so perhaps only 1% can be used. 

Layered InSe and GaSe crystals attract investigator interest because of heterostructures based on them possess good photosensitivity and find their application in solar cells [1-3], At the same time distinctive feature of layered crystals - sharp anisotropy of chemical bonds (strong ion-covalent inside crystal layers and weak van der Waals between them) paid great attention of researchers to intercalation, that is to insertion of atoms and molecules into interlayer space of a layered crystal - the so-called van-der-Waals gap . In particular for InSe and GaSe crystals volume of van der Waals gap makes under the attitude to all volume of a crystal about 40+45 %. 

The next component connected to the station was the Kvant module, launched into orbit in 1987, and attached to one of the axial ports of the core module. Divided into pressurized and non-pressurized areas, the 19-ft-long (5.7-m), 13-ft.-diameter module was originally designated as the astrophysics laboratory. Kvant also provided nearly 7 KW of power from solar cells, and incorporated a gyroscope-based assembly that operated off of solar enei to orient the Mir complex in space without the use of pre-... 

Studies of the kinetic parameters of thin-film deposition rates and performance are very important to develop appropriate films for solar cell applications. For example, substrate spacing and thin-film yield in CB D of semiconductor thin films have been studied [159] (Figure 5.19). Based on a mathematical model, it was proposed and experimentally verified in the case of CdS thin films that the film thickness reaches an asymptohc maximum with increasing substrate separation. The model takes into account the following several factors ... 

Alan Chow from Optobionics spoke about his Artificial Silicon Retina (ASR) [14], ASRs are semiconductor-based silicon chip microphotodiode arrays (microscopic solar cells) designed to be surgically implanted into the subretinal space. The arrays are approximately 2 to 3 mm in diameter, 50 to 75 /um thick. Dr. Chow reported successful electrical stimulation of normal animal retinas. 

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