University of Twente Student Theses
Fabrication of solid polymer layer of poly-methyl methacrylate mixed with Lumogen F Red 305 for the use in Free Space Luminescent Solar Concentrators.
Kumar, Vijayakumar Akshay (2022) Fabrication of solid polymer layer of poly-methyl methacrylate mixed with Lumogen F Red 305 for the use in Free Space Luminescent Solar Concentrators.
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| Abstract: | In countries with predominant overcast weather like the Netherlands, the portion of direct sunlight received is 45%, and the rest is diffused light. Conventional solar concentrators cannot concentrate diffused light due to thermodynamic reasons. One of the methods to overcome this barrier are luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), which can concentrate direct and diffused sunlight and re-emit them on a solar panel. This process further increases the yield of a solar panel on a cloudy day, making this technology a viable solution for higher solar energy production. One of the methods to overcome this barrier on an overcast day is by incorporating technologies such as luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs). LSCs collect diffuse light over a large area, convert it into luminescence, and then concentrate this longer wavelength of collimated light onto a solar cell. However, efficiencies of conventional LSCs have been limited due to loss mechanisms associated with multiple processes such as the luminophore quantum yield, reabsorption/emission rates, parasitic waveguide absorption and unwanted escape. LSCs trap the converted luminescent light in the waveguide, which is then redirected to a solar panel attached to the edge of the waveguide. Free-space luminescent solar concentrators (FSLSCs) present a paradigm shift to reduce these loss mechanisms and allow the converted luminescent light to escape under a narrow escape cone. This remitted, concentrated light is then directed to a solar panel, placed at a distance from the concentrator. FSLSCs consist of a nanophotonic coating, a luminophore-embedded polymer film coated on the sides and the back of the film with a white paint acting as a Lambertian back reflector. FSLSCs provide a shorter optical path length for the converted luminescent light to travel when compared with the LSCs and increases the power per solid angle of the re-emitted light, which is redirected onto solar panels. This research primarily focuses on developing the polymer waveguide containing the luminophores and optimising the experimental parameters for the fabrication process used in the FSLSC. The medium used to embed the lumogen red dye is poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA), which has excellent light transmission properties of 92% transmittance with a thickness of 3 millimetres. Therefore, the lumogen red dye is dissolved in PMMA by a solution and cast into moulds. This experiment is carried out for different concentrations of PMMA and the lumogen red dye. Photoluminescence of each Lumogen embedded waveguide is characterised by its optical properties to ensure maximum quantum efficiency. Finally, a waveguide with the highest photoluminescent quantum efficiency of 98% is used to test the overall performance of the FSLSC. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | TNW: Science and Technology |
| Subject: | 51 materials science |
| Programme: | Sustainable Energy Technology MSc (60443) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/93982 |
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