Exploration of parameters influencing the self-absorption losses in luminescent solar concentrators with an
experimentally validated combined ray-tracing/Monte-Carlo model

Zachar Krumer; Wilfried G. J. H. M. van Sark; Celso de Mello Donegá; Ruud E. I. Schropp

doi:10.1117/12.2023682

9 September 2013 Exploration of parameters influencing the self-absorption losses in luminescent solar concentrators with an experimentally validated combined ray-tracing/Monte-Carlo model

Zachar Krumer, Wilfried G. J. H. M. van Sark, Celso de Mello Donegá, Ruud E. I. Schropp

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8821, High and Low Concentrator Systems for Solar Electric Applications VIII; 882104 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2023682
Event: SPIE Solar Energy + Technology, 2013, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) are low cost photovoltaic devices, which reduce the amount of necessary semiconductor material per unit area of a photovoltaic solar energy converter by means of concentration. The device is comprised of a thin plastic plate in which luminescent species (fluorophores) have been incorporated.The fluorophores absorb the solar light and radiatively re-emit a part of the energy. Total internal reflection traps most of the emitted light inside the plate and wave-guides it to a narrow side facet with a solar cell attached, where conversion into electricity occurs. The eciency of such devices is as yet rather low, due to several loss mechanisms, of which self-absorption is of high importance. Combined ray-tracing and Monte-Carlosimulations is a widely used tool for efficiency estimations of LSC-devices prior to manufacturing. We have applied this method to a model experiment, in which we analysed the impact of self-absorption onto LSC-efficiency of fluorophores with different absorption/emission-spectral overlap (Stokes-shift): several organic dyes and semiconductor quantum dots (single compound and core/shell of type-II). These results are compared with the ones obtained experimentally demonstrating a good agreement. The validated model is used to investigate systematically the influence of spectral separation and luminescence quantum efficiency on the intensity loss inconsequence of increased self-absorption. The results are used to adopt a quantity called the self-absorption cross-section and establish it as reliable criterion for self-absorption properties of materials that can be obtained from fundamental data and has a more universal scope of application, than the currently used Stokes-shift.

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Zachar Krumer, Wilfried G. J. H. M. van Sark, Celso de Mello Donegá, and Ruud E. I. Schropp "Exploration of parameters influencing the self-absorption losses in luminescent solar concentrators with an experimentally validated combined ray-tracing/Monte-Carlo model", Proc. SPIE 8821, High and Low Concentrator Systems for Solar Electric Applications VIII, 882104 (9 September 2013); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2023682

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