Patent ID: 7904871
Filing Date: 2011-03-08
Classification: F24S,G02B,G06F,H01L,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for optimizing configuration of absorption enhancement structures of a photovoltaic (PV) enhancement film for use in with a PV device to improved efficiency of capturing solar energy with the PV device, comprising: with an optimization module run by one or more processors of a computer system, receiving optimization run input defining a PV enhancement film including a set of absorption enhancement structures with differing configurations; modeling a PV device including a layer of PV material; with a ray tracing engine run by the one or more processors of the computer system, performing a first ray tracing over a range of incidence angles for the PV device; determining a set of base path lengths in the PV material layer based on the first ray tracing; with the ray tracing engine, performing a second ray tracing over the range of incidence angles for the PV device modified to include the PV enhancement film comprising a plurality of one of the absorption enhancement structures according to one of the configurations; determining a set of enhanced path lengths in the PV material layer based on the second ray tracing; and with the optimization module, determining a set of path length ratios by comparing the enhanced path lengths to the base path lengths.