JP3080437B2 - Optical energy wavelength converter - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention includes a wavelength conversion retrofit location of the light energy to be converted with high efficiency to light having a spectral distribution of a narrow wavelength region light having a spectral distribution of a wide wavelength region, using the same It relates to a solar onset electrical location.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Although solar cells have already been applied to various devices and put to practical use, their power generation efficiency is said to be about 10 to 15%. Therefore, various improvements are being made to increase the power generation efficiency to the theoretical efficiency. In order to improve the power generation efficiency, not only the improvement of the element itself of the solar cell, but also the peripheral structure attached to the solar cell has been improved. Improvement proposals for the peripheral structure can be roughly divided into the following three.

A device in which only light having an effective wavelength contributing to power generation is taken into a solar cell.

[0004] Solar cells include various materials such as amorphous silicon, single crystal silicon, and compound semiconductors. The wavelength range of light contributing to power generation is unique to each solar cell. As shown in FIG. 4, not all light energy of each wavelength included in sunlight can be converted into electric energy. Conversely, by taking in light in a wavelength region that does not contribute to power generation, power generation efficiency is rather reduced due to generation of heat or the like. In order to solve this problem, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-147681, a coloring means layer that reflects a visible wavelength region that does not contribute to power generation of the solar cell is provided on the front surface of the solar cell peripheral portion. In JP-A-63-146016, a reflecting mirror that transmits infrared light that contributes to power generation and reflects visible light is provided on the front surface of a solar cell. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 61
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-81777, an optical filter is provided in front of a solar cell so that only light having a wavelength contributing to power generation is incident on the solar cell. Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 62-190214 discloses that a solar beam is split into two beams by a beam splitter.
A structure is shown in which a split beam having a wavelength of nanometers or more is incident on a solar cell, and a split beam having a wavelength less than that is irradiated on a lighting device.

Providing a plurality of types of solar cells having different spectral sensitivities As described above, since sunlight includes a wide range of wavelengths, a plurality of types of solar cells having spectral sensitivities to light in different wavelength ranges are provided. It is intended to improve the power generation efficiency as a whole. As a proposal for solving this kind of problem, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 63-71556 and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 2-88255 disclose a plurality of solar cells that absorb sunlight energy corresponding to each wavelength of sunlight. The structure in which the configured solar cell panels are stacked is shown. JP-A-63-6881 discloses that sunlight is incident on a fluorescent type light collector containing a plurality of types of fluorescent dyes and has a spectral sensitivity in a wavelength region of the fluorescent light emitted from each fluorescent dye. A structure is shown in which a plurality of solar cells are provided, and sunlight is wavelength-selected and converted into electric energy.

Structure for Improving Heat Dissipation of Solar Cell As described above, when the temperature of the solar cell rises due to light having a wavelength that does not contribute to power generation, the power generation efficiency decreases. Deterioration of power generation efficiency can be reduced. A proposal focusing on this kind of problem is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. Sho 62-96863 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-140556.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H11-163,086 discloses a structure in which a heat collector that absorbs light transmitted through a solar cell as heat and absorbs heat generated from the solar cell, a heat pipe, or the like is provided.

[0007]

Both methods are inferior in that all the energy of sunlight cannot be contributed to power generation as shown in FIG. That is, according to the method, light of a wavelength that does not contribute to power generation is reflected in advance or cut off by a filter, and power can be generated only by a part of the light energy. On the other hand, according to the method, even if the deterioration of power generation efficiency due to heat generation can be certainly prevented, the wavelength region contributing to power generation depends on the spectral sensitivity of the solar cell, and power can be generated only by a part of the energy of sunlight. That is no different.

According to the method (1), the wavelength range contributing to power generation is expanded as compared with the methods (2) and (3), but for this purpose, a plurality of types of solar cell elements must be provided, which increases the cost. I will. In particular, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-7155
6. According to Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 2-88255, a plurality of types of solar cell elements are stacked, but light reflection and heat generation occur in each element, and power generation efficiency is deteriorated due to new factors based on this configuration. can not deny. On the other hand, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-6881, solar cells must be provided on a plurality of surfaces of a fluorescent light collector, and there is a limit to the technology for promoting a reduction in thickness in terms of structure.

[0009] In addition, as a problem common to such prior art, the light energy of sunlight is allowed to be finally consumed as heat, and this heat energy can also contribute to power generation. The structure was not adopted.

Therefore, as a first object of the present invention, light having a spectral distribution in a wide wavelength range, such as sunlight,
And to provide a equipment Ru can wavelength-converted into light having a spectral distribution of a narrow wavelength area by using also the heating effect of light energy.

[0011] The second object of the present invention, by using the wavelength conversion retrofit location as described above, solar <br/> capable of performing solar power generation through the use of total energy of sunlight at high efficiency It is to provide an outgoing electrical location.

[0012]

Means for Solving the Problems According to one embodiment of the present invention,
Optical energy wavelength converters have a wide spectrum
An insulating room into which light with a distribution is incident, and
And the spectral distribution in the narrow wavelength range due to heat generation
Heating element that emits light with a wide spectrum
A lens that collects light with a distribution, and the focal point of this lens
There is an opening for light incidence on the side and a light reflection layer on the back.
A light reflecting member, and the heat insulating chamber is provided with the light reflecting member.
Characterized in that it is disposed on the back side. Other aspects of the invention
The wavelength conversion device for optical energy according to
Insulated room where light with spectral distribution is incident
It is placed facing the thermal chamber and generates heat in a narrow wavelength range due to heat generation.
Heating element that emits light with
Light having a spectral distribution is used as incident light,
A one-way passage that allows emitted light to pass through and reflects light from the back side
A one-way mirror having a transient mirror,
It is characterized by being arranged on the back side of the key.

[0013] Solar onset electrical location according to the present invention, in the photoelectric conversion means having a spectral sensitivity in a narrow wavelength region, which is converted by the above instrumentation <br/> location, enters only light of a narrow wavelength region generator It is characterized by doing.

[0014]

The principle of wavelength conversion retrofit location of the light energy of the [action] The present invention is,
The heating element is heated by the heat energy of light having a spectral distribution in a wide wavelength range such as sunlight, and by performing this heating in an adiabatic room, a heating action is performed by effectively using the heat energy of light. The object of the present invention is to emit light having a spectral distribution in a narrow wavelength region unique to the heating element from the heating element.
Therefore, no matter what wavelength the incident light has, the light energy finally becomes heat energy, and since the heating action of the heating element is performed in the adiabatic room, heat radiation to the outside is small, All the light energy of sunlight can be made to contribute to the heating of the heating element as heat energy. As described above, in the present invention, the heating element can be heated by using all the energy of the light in the wide wavelength range theoretically, and only the light in the narrow wavelength range unique to the heating element is radiated from the heating element. Become. In order to more efficiently perform the heating operation of the heating element in the insulated room, it is effective to use not only the direct incident light but also the reflected light from the heating element or the like to efficiently heat the heating element. For this purpose, it is preferable to reduce the size of the incident light aperture in order to reduce the escape of the reflected light from the incident side to the outside, and to provide a condenser lens in order to efficiently guide the incident light to the small opening. Further, it is preferable to provide a light reflection layer on the back surface of the member in which the opening is formed. A similar function may be realized by a one-way mirror. Further, by placing the heating element in a vacuum atmosphere, heat radiation can be further reduced and the heating efficiency of the heating element can be improved, and as a result, the efficiency of wavelength conversion to a narrow wavelength region can be improved.

According to the solar onset electrical location of the present invention, it can be made incident on the photoelectric converting means only light having a spectral distribution of a narrow wavelength region efficiently wavelength-converted as described above. If the obtained narrow wavelength region is provided with a characteristic having spectral sensitivity as the photoelectric conversion means, it becomes possible to use all of the light energy in the narrow wavelength region as effective energy contributing to power generation. It becomes possible to realize efficient solar power generation.

[0016]

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, examples of the applied solar power generation device of the present onset AkiraSo location will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0017]First embodiment  FIG. 1 shows a wavelength converter for converting the wavelength of light energy.
10 and light having the converted wavelength range to generate power.
Structure in which solar cells 30 as photoelectric conversion means are stacked
Is shown.

The wavelength converter 10 includes a convex lens plate 12, a light reflecting plate 14, a convex lens plate 16, a heater 20 supported by a heat insulating material 18, a tempered glass 22, and a filter plate 24 in order from the incident surface side of the incident light 32. It has a laminated structure. The convex lens plate 12 has a structure in which a plurality of convex lenses 12a are arranged side by side and integrated, and converges incident light 32 at the focal position of each convex lens 12a. The light reflecting plate 14 has a wavy structure having an upper vertex at a position between the adjacent convex lenses 12a, 12a of the convex lens plate 12, and a lower vertex at a focal position of each convex lens 12a. Each of the convex lenses 12a has a light incident opening 14a that is opened near the focal position. Also,
The light reflecting plate 14 has at least the back surface side of the light reflecting surface 1.
4b. The concave lens plate 16 has a plurality of concave lenses 16.
a are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction and integrated, and the light condensed by each convex lens 12 a of the convex lens plate 12 is refracted and diffused into a wide area region on the heater 20. The concave lens plate 16 and the tempered glass 22 are spaced apart so as to form a space therebetween, and the heat insulating material 18 is provided as a spacer between the two. Also,
The heat insulating material 18 is made of the concave lens plate 16 and the tempered glass 2
The heater 20 has a function of arranging and supporting the heater 20 in parallel in the space between the two.

In this embodiment, the space surrounded by the concave lens plate 16 and the tempered glass 22 is a heat insulating chamber 28, and the inside of the heat insulating chamber 28 is set to a vacuum atmosphere.
The heater 20 is heated by light and generates heat, and emits light in a wavelength region unique to the heater 20 by the generated heat. The material of the heater 20 is a solar cell 30
Are variously selected according to the spectral sensitivity characteristics of. In this embodiment, a ceramic heater is employed as the heater 20 and emits light in a narrow wavelength region in the infrared region. The solar cell 30 is made of, for example, a compound semiconductor having a spectral sensitivity in the infrared region. I have. Tempered glass 22
This is one component for securing the heat insulating chamber 28, and is set to a thickness that can withstand an external pressure as a wall surface of the heat insulating chamber 28 set in a vacuum atmosphere. Note that an airtight structure is employed for a heat-insulating side wall surface (not shown) that forms the heat-insulating chamber 28 set in a vacuum atmosphere.

Further, in this embodiment, a filter plate 24 is interposed between the back surface of the tempered glass 22 and the front surface of the solar cell 30. This filter plate 24 is
It transmits only the wavelength region of light emitted from 0 and blocks other wavelength regions, and is made of a material having selectivity in light transmission characteristics.

Next, the operation of the solar power generator having the above structure will be described.

The incident light 32, which is sunlight, has a spectrum distribution as shown in FIG. 4 in a wide wavelength region. The incident light 32 enters the entire surface of the convex lens plate 12 and is slightly reflected by the convex lens plate 12, but mostly passes through each convex lens 12 a of the convex lens plate 12. The light passing through each convex lens 12a is refracted and converged toward the focal position of each convex lens 12a.
Becomes Since the light entrance opening 14a of the light reflection plate 14 is formed near the focal position of each convex lens 12a, the converged light 34 is guided to the concave lens plate 16 via the light entrance opening 14a. Become.

In this concave lens plate 16, each concave lens 16a
The light is refracted so as to be diffused to a wide area on the heater 20 by the action of

One of the characteristic actions of this embodiment is that the incident light 3
2 is not directly guided to the solar cell 30 as light energy having a spectral distribution in a wide wavelength range,
Is that it is once converted into thermal energy. A heater 20 is provided in the heat insulation chamber 28 and the heat insulation chamber 28 is provided.
The light guided to the heater 20 heats the heater 20 as heat energy. In particular, in this embodiment, since the heater 20 is disposed in the heat insulation chamber 28 set in a vacuum atmosphere, the heat energy is sufficiently reduced from being radiated to the outside, and almost all of the obtained heat energy is The heater 20 is made to contribute to heating.

Some light is reflected by the heater 20 without being absorbed as heat energy. However, part of this light is reflected by the concave lens plate 16 and again participates in the heating action of the heater 20. Although some light passes through the concave lens plate 16, the ratio of the total area of the light entrance openings 14 a of the light reflecting plate 14 above the concave lens plate 16 to the total area of the light reflecting plate 14 is small. Therefore, it is possible to sufficiently reduce the amount of light that escapes to the outside through the entrance opening 14a. Also, the opening 14a of the light reflecting plate 14
The light traveling toward the other surface is reflected by the light reflecting surface 14b and guided again into the heat insulating chamber 28 because the rear surface side of the light reflecting plate 14 is the light reflecting surface 14b. Will join. By repeating such an operation, almost all of the light energy guided to the heat insulating chamber 28 as a result can be used as heat energy, and can contribute to the heat generation of the heater 20.

From the heated heater 20, only light having a narrow wavelength region inherent to the heater is emitted. This light is radiated from both the front and back surfaces of the heater 20. The light radiated from the upper surface of the heater 20 shown in FIG. 1 is reflected by the concave lens plate 16 except for a small amount of light escaping to the outside through the opening 14a, or the light reflecting plate 14 above the concave lens plate 16. Insulated room 2 reflected again by
8 and contributes to the heating action of the heater 20. On the other hand, light emitted from the lower surface of the heater 20 of FIG. 1 passes through the tempered glass 22 and passes through the filter plate 24 that selectively allows only the wavelength region of this light to pass through to the light receiving surface of the solar cell 30. Will be incident. The solar cell 30 has a characteristic of having a spectral sensitivity in a wavelength region of the light emitted from the heater 20, and can take in all the light energy emitted from the heater 20 as light energy that can contribute to power generation. Becomes Therefore, according to the apparatus of the present embodiment, light energy of an effective wavelength that can contribute to power generation as a result in the same manner as in the prior art method
It becomes possible to take in. In addition, the light energy of the effective wavelength is not a part of the light energy of the incident light 32 which is sunlight, but the light energy of all the wavelengths of the incident light 32 is efficiently converted by the wavelength converter 10 into the solar cell 30. Since the wavelength characteristics are adapted to the spectral sensitivity, it is possible to greatly improve the power generation efficiency as compared with the method described in the related art.

Further, according to the present embodiment, as a result, only the light energy of the effective wavelength can be taken into the solar cell 30, so that the solar cell 30 generated due to the incidence of the light energy of the wavelength that does not contribute to the power generation can be obtained. Heat generation is also reduced, and in this sense, power generation efficiency can be improved. Further, according to the solar power generation device of the present embodiment, there is no need to dispose a plurality of types of solar cells having different spectral sensitivities as in the method described in the related art, and according to the laminated structure of FIG. The total thickness of the wavelength conversion device 10 is about 6.5 mm
The thickness can be further reduced by changing the shape of each laminated member.

[0028]Second embodiment  The apparatus of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG.
An example has been shown in which the device can be made thinner than the device.
It is. In the apparatus of the second embodiment, the apparatus of the first embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment.
Function of the convex lens plate 12 without using the concave lens plate 16
The function of condensing the incident light 32 and the wide area on the heater 20
It is also used as a diffusion function to diffuse light to the area.
You. Note that among the members shown in FIG. 2, the same functions shown in FIG.
The same reference numerals are given to members having
Abbreviate.

In the apparatus of the second embodiment, the convex lens plate 12
The space between the glass and the tempered glass 22 is a heat insulating chamber 28, and a heat insulating material 40 as a spacer connecting the upper and lower members.
Is used. The heat insulating material 40 also has a function of supporting the flat light reflecting plate 42 and the heater 20 in parallel. The light reflecting plate 42 has a light incident opening 42a that opens at the focal position of each convex lens 12a of the convex lens plate 12, and has a light reflecting surface 42b at least on the back side.

According to the second embodiment, the incident light 32
Are the convex lenses 12 of the convex lens plate 12 as in the first embodiment.
The light is condensed at a and becomes a converged light 34, and the light beam diameter becomes minimum at the focal position, and the light entrance aperture 4 of the reflection plate 42 is formed.
Pass through 2a. Further, with this focal position as a boundary, the light becomes the diffused light 36 and enters the wide area region on the heater 20.

The heating operation of the heater 20 in the heat insulating chamber 28 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and does not directly contribute to the heating of the heater 20, and the light reflected by the heater 20 is small because the light entrance opening 42a is narrow. Is largely prevented from being diffused to the outside, and most of the light is reflected by the light reflecting surface 42b, thereby adding to the heat generating action of the heater 20, and the light energy is converted into heat energy with high efficiency as in the first embodiment. The heat generation function of the heater 20 can be performed while utilizing. The light emitted from the heater 20 allows the solar cell 30
Is similar to that of the first embodiment. In the device of the second embodiment, the thickness of the wavelength conversion device 10 can be reduced to about 5.5 mm by reducing the number of members while performing high-efficiency solar power generation as in the first embodiment. It has become possible.

[0032]Third embodiment  In the device of the third embodiment, the wavelength converter 10 is further thinned.
4 shows an embodiment that can be typed. This third embodiment
The device uses a dichroic mirror, which is a one-way mirror.
Spacer 50 and tempered glass 22 and insulation 52
In parallel and separated from each other, and the space between
It is used as an insulated room 28 with an atmosphere. Heater 20
Are arranged and supported in parallel by the heat insulating material 52.
The dichroic mirror 50 enters from the surface 50a side
Light passing therethrough, but light incident from the back surface 50b side
It is possible to reflect light with high efficiency. Therefore,
According to the third embodiment, the incident light 32 is partially reflected.
Insulation through dichroic mirror 50 except light
The heat is guided to the chamber 28, and the effect of the heater 20 is
An efficient heat generation function can be realized. With heater 20
The reflected light is reflected on the back surface 50 of the dichroic mirror 50.
b, the light is efficiently reflected and added to the heat generation effect of the heater 20 again.
Therefore, the first embodiment and the second embodiment can be changed.
Lens plate 12, light reflecting plate 14, concave lens plate 16
Alternatively, the functions of the convex lens plate 12 and the light reflection plate 42 are
It can be realized with three members. This third embodiment
Can achieve further reduction in the thickness of the wavelength converter 10,
For example, a thickness of 3 mm or less is possible.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. As a material of the heater 20 and the solar cell 30, a combination having a condition of the heater 20 that can emit light in a wavelength region having a spectral sensitivity of the solar cell 30 may be adopted, and the heater 20 that emits light in an infrared region is not necessarily required.
The invention is not limited to the combination of the solar cells 30 having an effective wavelength in the infrared region. As the heat insulating chamber 28 for generating the heat of the heater 20, the one set in a vacuum atmosphere as in the above embodiments is the most efficient, but is not limited to this.

Further, the wavelength conversion device for light energy of the present invention is not limited to the device used for driving a solar cell, but can be obtained by radiating light having a spectral distribution in a narrow wavelength range from a heating element.
It is also possible to configure a solar water heating device for heating cold water. In order to realize such a water heater, the heater in the heat-insulated chamber shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is removed,
Even if water is circulated in the heat-insulating chamber, efficient heating can be realized by using the direct incident light and the reflected light from the reflective layer.

[0035]

According to wavelength conversion retrofit location of the light energy in accordance with the present invention as described in the foregoing, the total energy of light having a spectral distribution of the light wavelength region once used as thermal energy, the at adiabatic chamber The heating element is heated by the heat energy, and light unique to the heating element having a spectral distribution in a narrow wavelength region is radiated from the heating element, so that wavelength conversion of light energy can be realized with high efficiency.

According to the solar onset electrical location according to the invention, the spectral sensitivity only the light for that narrow wavelength region having a spectral distribution of a narrow wavelength region obtained by the wavelength conversion method and apparatus of the light energy By making the light incident on the photoelectric conversion means having the above, it becomes possible to efficiently use the light energy of all the wavelengths of sunlight to generate solar power, and by using the present invention for a solar cell, the power generation efficiency can be reduced. It becomes possible to improve it much more than before.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of apparatus of a solar power generation apparatus of the present onset AkiraSo location was applied.

2 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment apparatus of a solar power generator using the onset AkiraSo location.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment apparatus of a solar power generating device of the present onset AkiraSo location.

FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a spectral distribution of sunlight.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Wavelength conversion device 12 Convex lens plate 14, 42 Light reflection plate 16 Concave lens plate 18, 40, 52 Insulation material 20 Heater 22 Tempered glass 24 Filter plate 28 Insulation room 30 Solar cell 32 Incident light 34 Focused light 36 Diffusion light 38 Narrow wavelength region 50 Unidirectional mirror with light distribution
IK012001

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01L 31/04-31/078 F24J 2/00-2/52

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A light having a spectral distribution of a wide wavelength region
Insulated room to be incident , and placed in front of the insulated room, and in a narrow wavelength region due to heat generation
Heating element that emits light with a spectral distribution of, and a lens that collects light with a spectral distribution in a wide wavelength range
And a light entrance opening near the focal point of the lens, and
A light reflection member having a light reflection layer on the surface, and the heat insulating chamber is disposed on the back side of the light reflection member.
Wavelength converter for optical energy . 2. A heat insulation chamber which light having a spectral distribution of a wide wavelength region is incident, the insulation is disposed facing the chamber, a heating element that emits light having a spectral distribution of a narrow wavelength range by heating, wide Light having a spectral distribution in the wavelength region is defined as incident light, and
Allows incident light from the front side to pass and reflects light from the back side.
Having a one-way passing mirror to be provided, wherein the heat insulating chamber is disposed on the back side of the one-way passing mirror.
Wavelength converter of light energy, characterized in that the. 3. An optical energy wavelength converter according to claim 1, wherein said heat insulating chamber is set in a vacuum atmosphere . 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:
The wavelength conversion device for light energy described in the above, and the spectrum of the narrow wavelength region radiated from the heating element of the conversion device.
Incident light having a vector distribution, and in the narrow wavelength region.
And a photoelectric conversion unit having spectral sensitivity .