Now Print Solar Cells On Paper Or Fabric - Like You Print A Document
It seems that major research hubs are focusing on developing mechanisms to trap the solar energy. MIT's latest research project has lead to printable solar cells. The printed solar cell looks like any other normal paper that's just come out of a regular office printer with an array of colored rectangles. But when you couple the paper with a digital clock - the clock starts functioning. MIT has succeeded in creating a solar cell on a flimsy sheet with a special ink deposited on the paper. The best part of this invention is that you can fold the sheet, unfold it and put it to use in just no time. What's more interesting is that this solar cell is very cheap to manufacture.
#-Link-Snipped-#
Graduate student Miles Barr holds printed solar cell. Photo: Patrick Gillooly
The new technology developed by research engineers at MIT has been presented in the Advanced Materials, in July 8 issue. The paper is co-authored by Karen Gleason, the Alexander and I. Michael Kasser Professor of Chemical Engineering; Professor of Electrical Engineering Vladimir Bulovi?; graduate student Miles Barr; and six other students and postdocs. The new technique deployed in making these solar cells offers a major departure from the traditional techniques. The traditional technique involves exposing the substrates to potentially damaging conditions, either in the form of liquids or high temperatures. However, the new technique uses vapours at temperatures lesser than 120 degrees; while eliminating the need of liquid. The technique allows creation of solar cells on piece of paper or fabric.
Of course, the technique is not as simple as printing a document with an inkjet printer. The process involves laying of about 5 layers of the special material while forming a pattern of the cells on the surface. The whole process needs vacuum chamber. The paper describes printing of solar cell on a sheet of PET plastic and then folding & unfolding it over 1000 times without any loss in performance. The research looks very promising and may find lot of industrial interest.
Source: #-Link-Snipped-#
#-Link-Snipped-#
Graduate student Miles Barr holds printed solar cell. Photo: Patrick Gillooly
The new technology developed by research engineers at MIT has been presented in the Advanced Materials, in July 8 issue. The paper is co-authored by Karen Gleason, the Alexander and I. Michael Kasser Professor of Chemical Engineering; Professor of Electrical Engineering Vladimir Bulovi?; graduate student Miles Barr; and six other students and postdocs. The new technique deployed in making these solar cells offers a major departure from the traditional techniques. The traditional technique involves exposing the substrates to potentially damaging conditions, either in the form of liquids or high temperatures. However, the new technique uses vapours at temperatures lesser than 120 degrees; while eliminating the need of liquid. The technique allows creation of solar cells on piece of paper or fabric.
Of course, the technique is not as simple as printing a document with an inkjet printer. The process involves laying of about 5 layers of the special material while forming a pattern of the cells on the surface. The whole process needs vacuum chamber. The paper describes printing of solar cell on a sheet of PET plastic and then folding & unfolding it over 1000 times without any loss in performance. The research looks very promising and may find lot of industrial interest.
Source: #-Link-Snipped-#
Replies
You are reading an archived discussion.
Related Posts
The US space agency is tracking a piece of space detritus that is predicted to be on a path toward the International Space Station, where the shuttle Atlantis has just...
Following the example set by their human counterparts, UK's best robotic footballers too have bombed out of the football World Cup. It was the country's first full team taking part...
It seems like fans of BMW will have to wait a little for its next generation to get a N37 engine. The car maker recently announced that the newly developed...
Apple has accused the Taiwan smartphone maker HTC Corp. of encroaching its patents, in the most recent stage of the legal battle between phone and tablet PC makers. A complaint...
Leeds University engineers are building a search and rescue robotic worm which will help in rescue operations. The robotic worm will be able to navigate through the irregular gaps and...