Memoria para optar al título de Diseñador Industrial / Autor no autoriza el acceso a texto completo de su documento / El objetivo principal de esta investigación es el desarrollo de un método de encapsulamiento fotovoltaico de celdas de silicio; para satisfacer dentro del entorno local, las necesidades de proyectos no convencionales a pequeña escala sobre energía solar fotovoltaica. Encapsulado fotovoltaico es el proceso mediante el cual se recubren las celdas para protegerlas de factores ambientales, tales como radiación UV, humedad, temperatura; y factores mecánicos como impacto y flexión; para que puedan ser expuestas en la intemperie, manteniendo sus características físicas y eléctricas por un tiempo prolongado. Este proyecto contempla tres etapas principales: La primera de ellas es una investigación teórica, con un método descriptivo, para conocer las conceptos y criterios básicos en torno a esta tecnología, los cuales una vez interiorizados permiten generar nuevas propuestas de diseño. La segunda, es una investigación práctica, con un método empírico, sobre materiales, procesos y manipulación, en la fabricación de módulos fotovoltaicos. La tercera, es también de carácter práctica, utilizando los métodos empírico y correlacional, sobre las diferentes aplicaciones, tanto móviles como estáticas, de los diversos formatos de encapsulado propuesto. El resultado de este proyecto es: El desarrollo de dos tipos de encapsulado para aplicaciones móviles, probándose uno en cada proyecto, Eolian 4 y Protean 3, en las cuales varía la base-soporte utilizada, teniendo implicancias en la manipulación de los mismo. El desarrollo de dos tipos de encapsulado adicionales para aplicaciones fijas, basados en los anteriores, en los cuales se modificó la capa superior, vidrio en vez de barniz; instalándose los cuatro formatos en Santiago y Valdivia, obteniendo como conclusión que la capa superior de barniz ofrece una mejor eficiencia que la de vidrio, independiente de la base-soporte que se utilice.

This thesis investigates the feasibility of projecting ground-based laser power to energize a spacecraft electrical bus via the solar panels. The energy is projected through a telescope, using modern optical compensation systems, at controlled wavelengths. Research conducted on high-energy lasers has matured to the point today, that the bulk of the power required by spacecraft on orbit can be projected from the surface of the earth. With battery life being the greatest limitation on spacecraft lifespan, the ability to provide electrical power from the surface to a satellite in eclipse with degraded batteries could mean multi-billion dollar cost savings by extending the lifetime of current and future satellites. / US Navy (USN) author.

Understanding the influence of solar variability on the Earth's climate requires knowledge of solar variability, solar-terrestrial interactions, and the mechanisms determining the response of the Earth's climate system. We provide a summary of our current understanding in each of these three areas. Observations and mechanisms for the Sun's variability are described, including solar irradiance variations on both decadal and centennial time scales and their relation to galactic cosmic rays. Corresponding observations of variations of the Earth's climate on associated time scales are described, including variations in ozone, temperatures, winds, clouds, precipitation, and regional modes of variability such as the monsoons and the North Atlantic Oscillation. A discussion of the available solar and climate proxies is provided. Mechanisms proposed to explain these climate observations are described, including the effects of variations in solar irradiance and of charged particles. Finally, the contributions of solar variations to recent observations of global climate change are discussed.

A decadal variation of tropical lower stratospheric ozone and temperature has previously been identified that correlates positively with the 11 year solar activity cycle. However, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) also influences lower stratospheric ozone and temperature. It is therefore legitimate to ask whether quasi-decadal ENSO variability can contribute to this apparent solar cycle variation, either accidentally because of the short measurement record or physically because solar variability affects ENSO. Here we present multiple regression analyses of available data records to compare differences in results obtained with and without including an ENSO term in the statistical model. In addition, simulations are performed using the NRL NOGAPS-ALPHA GCM for warm/cold ENSO conditions to test for consistency with the ENSO regression results. We find only very minor changes in annual mean solar regression coefficients when an ENSO term is included. However, the observed tropical ENSO response provides useful insights into the origin of the unexpected vertical structure of the tropical solar cycle ozone response. In particular, the ENSO ozone response is negative in the lower stratosphere due to increased upwelling but changes sign, becoming positive in the middle stratosphere (5–10 hPa) due mainly to advective decreases of temperature and NOx, which photochemically increase ozone. A similar mechanism may explain the observed lower stratospheric solar cycle ozone and temperature response and the absence of a significant response in the tropical middle stratosphere.

We investigate the solar cycle modulation of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in stratospheric zonal winds and its impact on stratospheric ozone with an updated version of the zonally averaged CHEM2D middle atmosphere model. We find that the duration of the westerly QBO phase at solar maximum is 3 months shorter than at solar minimum, a more robust result than in an earlier CHEM2D study due to reduced Rayleigh friction drag in the present version of the model. The modeled solar cycle ozone response, determined via multiple linear regression, is compared with observational estimates from the combined Solar Backscattered Ultraviolet (SBUV/2) data set for the period 1979–2003. We find that a model simulation including imposed solar UV variations, the zonal wind QBO, and an imposed 11-year variation in planetary wave 1 amplitude produces a lower stratospheric ozone response of ∼2.5% between 0 and 20°S and an upper stratospheric ozone response of ∼1% between 45 and 55 km, in good agreement with the SBUV-derived ozone response. This simulation also produces an (enhancement/reduction) in the (lower/upper) stratospheric temperature response at low latitudes compared to the effects of solar UV variations alone, which are consistent with model vertical velocity anomalies produced by the solar-modulated QBO and imposed changes in planetary wave forcing.

Previous multiple regression analyses of the solar cycle variation of stratospheric ozone are improved by (1) analyzing three independent satellite ozone data sets with lengths extending up to 25 years and (2) comparing column ozone measurements with ozone profile data during the 1992–2003 period when no major volcanic eruptions occurred. Results show that the vertical structure of the tropical ozone solar cycle response has been consistently characterized by statistically significant positive responses in the upper and lower stratosphere and by statistically insignificant responses in the middle stratosphere (∼28–38 km altitude). This vertical structure differs from that predicted by most models. The similar vertical structure in the tropics obtained for separate time intervals (with minimum response invariably near 10 hPa) is difficult to explain by random interference from the QBO and volcanic eruptions in the statistical analysis. The observed increase in tropical total column ozone approaching the cycle 23 maximum during the late 1990s occurred primarily in the lower stratosphere below the 30 hPa level. A mainly dynamical origin for the solar cycle total ozone variation at low latitudes is therefore likely. The amplitude of the solar cycle ozone variation in the tropical upper stratosphere derived here is somewhat reduced in comparison to earlier results. Additional data are needed to determine whether this upper stratospheric response is or is not larger than model estimates.

The United States Department of Energy indicates that 97% of all homes in the US use fossil fuels either directly or indirectly for space heating. In 2005, space heating in residential homes was responsible for releasing approximately 502 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the Sun provides the Earth with 1000 watts per square meter of power everyday. This document discusses the research of modeling a system that will capture and store solar energy during the summer for use during the following winter. Specifically, flat plate solar thermal collectors attached to the roof of a single family home will collect solar thermal energy. The thermal energy will then be stored in an underground fabricated Seasonal Solar Thermal Energy Storage (SSTES) bed. The SSTES bed will allow for the collected energy to supplement or replace fossil fuel supplied space heat in typical single family homes in Richmond, Virginia. TRNSYS is a thermal energy modeling software package that was used to model and simulate the winter thermal load of a typical Richmond home. The simulated heating load was found to be comparable to reported loads for various home designs. TRNSYS was then used to simulate the energy gain from solar thermal collectors and stored in an underground, insulated, vapor proof SSTES bed filled with sand. Combining the simulation of the winter heat demand of typical homes and the SSTES system showed reductions in fossil fuel supplied space heating in excess of 64%.

A study of fabricating the first electrospun polymer-fiber solar cell with MEHPPV is presented. Motivation for the work and a brief history of solar cell is given. Limiting factors to improvement of polymer solar cell efficiency are illustrated. Electrospinning is introduced as a technique that may increase polymer solar cell efficiency, and a list of advantages in the technique applied to solar cell is discussed. Results of electrospun polymer-fiber solar cell, absorption, and its device parameter diagnosis through an equivalent circuit analysis are presented.

This dissertation reports the fabrication and characterization of thin films from the water soluble polymer sodium poly[2-(3-thienyl)-ethyloxy-4-butylsulfonate] (PTEBS) by electrospray deposition (ESD). Contiguous thin films were created by adjusting the parameters of the electrospray apparatus and solution properties to maintain a steady Taylor cone for uniform nanoparticle aerosolization and controlling the particle water content to enable coalescence with previously deposited particles. The majority of deposited particles had diameters less than 52 nm. A thin film of 64.7 nm with a root mean square surface roughness of 20.2 nm was achieved after 40 minutes of ESD. Hybrid Solar Cells (HSCs) with PTEBS thin films from spin coating and electrospray deposition (ESD) were fabricated, tested, and modeled. A single device structure of FTO/TiO2/PTEBS/Au was used to study the effects of ESD of the PTEBS layer on device performance. ESD was found to double the short circuit current density (Jsc) by a factor of 2 while decreasing the open circuit voltage (Voc) by half compared to spin coated PTEBS films. Comparable efficiencies of 0.009% were achieved from both device construction types. Current-Voltage curves were modeled using the characteristic solar cell equation showed a similar increase in generated photocurrent with a decrease of two orders of magnitude in the saturation current in devices from ESD films. Increases in Jsc are attributed to increased interfacial contact area between the TiO2 and PTEBS layers, while decreases in Voc are from poor film quality from ESD. Polymer solar cells (PSCs) with water-soluble active layers deposited by ESD were fabricated and tested. The water soluble, bulk heterojunction active layers consisted of PTEBS and the fullerene C60 pyrrolidine tris-acid. A single device structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/bulk(PTEBS+C60)/Al was used to study the effect of PTEBS to C60 tris-acid ratio on photovoltaic performance. An active layer ratio of PTEBS:C60 tris-acid (1:2) achieved the highest power conversion efficiency (0.0022%), fill factor (0.25), and open circuit voltage (0.56 V). The percolation threshold of C60 was achieved between 1 part PTEBS and 2 to 3 parts C60. Increasing the C60 tris-acid ratio (1:3) improved short circuit current, but reduced the open circuit voltage enough to lower efficiency.

No description available.