Abstract: In embodiments, a photovoltaic cell has an expanded metal article configured as a mesh, a semiconductor material, and a front metallic article. The expanded metal article has a plurality of first segments intersecting a plurality of second segments thereby forming a plurality of openings, and has a plurality of cuts in the mesh. The expanded metal article is electrically coupled to a back surface of the semiconductor material. The front metallic article has a plurality of electroformed elements interconnected to form a unitary, free-standing piece comprising a continuous grid. The continuous grid of the front metallic article is electrically coupled to a front surface of the semiconductor material. The plurality of cuts of the expanded metal article is arranged on the photovoltaic cell to relieve stresses induced by the front metallic article on the front surface of the semiconductor material.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for user-preference driven control of electrical and thermal output from a photonic energy device are provided herein. A system includes a solar photovoltaic module, and a fluid positioned on the solar photovoltaic module. The system also includes configurable reflective surfaces that collect and distribute direct solar and diffuse solar radiation across multiple portions of the fluid and/or portions of the solar photovoltaic module. Additionally, the reflective surfaces is physically connected to the solar photovoltaic module at an angle that is variable in relation to the surface of the solar photovoltaic module. Further, the system includes a controller that modulates an amount of thermal output and/or electrical power output generated by the solar photovoltaic module by transmitting a signal to adjust at least one variable pertaining to the fluid, and transmitting a signal to adjust at least one variable pertaining to the reflective surfaces.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a solar cell includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. When a transmittance of the solar cell is measured in a wavelength range of 700 to 1000 nm, an average of the transmittance of the solar cell is 60% or more.

Abstract: A solar cell panel can include a solar cell; a sealing member for sealing the solar cell; a first cover member disposed on the sealing member at one side of the solar cell; and a second cover member disposed on the sealing member at another side of the solar cell, in which the first cover member includes a base member and a colored portion having a light transmittance lower than a light transmittance of the base member, the first cover member constituting a colored area, and the colored portion includes at least two layers each formed of an oxide ceramic composition and having different colors or different light transmittances.

Abstract: A nanopore device includes an aperture and an electrode pair. A transimpedance amplifier converts a current signal IS that flows through the nanopore device into a voltage signal VS. The nanopore device measures small particles based on first data obtained by removing a DC component from the voltage signal VS and second data obtained based on the voltage signal VS from which the DC component has not been removed. Furthermore, the nanopore device is capable of monitoring the state of the nanopore device.

Abstract: A battery includes an anode; an electrolyte including an oxidizing gas; a metal halide that functions as an active cathode material; and a solvent including a nitrile compound; and a current collector contacting the cathode material.

Abstract: Photovoltaic structures having multiple absorber layers separated by a diffusion barrier are provided. In one aspect, a method of forming an absorber on a substrate includes: depositing a first layer of light absorbing material on the substrate; depositing a diffusion barrier; depositing a second layer of light absorbing material on the diffusion barrier, wherein the first layer of light absorbing material has a different band gap from the second layer of light absorbing material; and annealing the absorber, wherein the diffusion barrier prevents diffusion of elements between the first layer of light absorbing material and the second layer of light absorbing material during the annealing. A solar cell and method for formation thereof are also provided.

Abstract: A nanopore device includes an aperture and an electrode pair. A transimpedance amplifier converts a current signal IS that flows through the nanopore device into a voltage signal VS. The nanopore device measures small particles based on first data obtained by removing a DC component from the voltage signal VS and second data obtained based on the voltage signal VS from which the DC component has not been removed. Furthermore, the nanopore device is capable of monitoring the state of the nanopore device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for electrical supply of an apparatus by a system including an intermittent electrical source, electrical storage unit, a fuel cell, and an electrochemical unit for generating the fuel. The method includes steps of: determining a power balance of the system depending on the power consumed by the apparatus and supplied by the intermittent electrical source; receiving data representative of the stability of the power balance during a safety period; controlling the fuel cell and the electrochemical unit: to activate the electrochemical unit if the power balance is greater than a first threshold and the data are not characteristic of a subsequent decrease in the power balance; activating the fuel cell if the power balance is less than a second threshold, which is less than the first threshold, and the data are not characteristic of a subsequent increase in the power balance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photo-electrochemical device for production of a gas, liquid or solid using concentrated electromagnetic irradiation. The device comprises a photovoltaic component configured to generate charge carriers from the concentrated electromagnetic irradiation; and an electrochemical component configured to carry out electrolysis of a reactant. The photovoltaic component contacts the electrochemical component at a solid interface to form an integrated photo-electrochemical device; and further includes at least one reactant channel or a plurality of reactant channels extending between the photovoltaic component and the electrochemical component to transfer heat and the reactant from the photovoltaic component to the electrochemical component. The integrated photo-electrochemical device and auxiliary devices (such as concentrator, flow controllers) build a system which can flexibly react to changes in operating condition and guarantee best performance.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided for the separation and dispensing of material using a microfluidic electrophoresis column, sheath liquid pump, and exit channel, all on the same monolithic chip. Material is separated in the electrophoresis column and passed into the exit chamber in response to a voltage potential between a first electrode within the electrophoresis column and a terminating electrode integrated into the chip. The terminating electrode can be in the sheath liquid pump chamber, the sheath liquid reservoir, or a separate flow channel that intersects the exit channel along with the electrophoresis column and sheath liquid pump chamber. The flow of sheath liquid into the exit chamber entrains separated analytes into an effluent that is dispensed out of the exit chamber via a discharge outlet.

Abstract: The deployable solar tracker system comprises a single-axis solar tracker (1) including a plurality of foldable panel array sections (10, 10a). Each foldable panel array section (10, 10a) comprises a shaft section (11), a plurality of support ribs (12) hinged to the shaft section (11), a plurality of solar panels (13) attached to the support ribs (12) and a handling element (28) attached on top of the shaft section (11). The handling element (28) has one or more handle openings (29, 30) dimensioned for receiving one or more lift members oriented in a transversal direction perpendicular to the shaft section (11). The handle openings (29, 30) of the handling elements (28) of the plurality of the foldable panel array sections (10, 10a) are mutually aligned when the plurality of foldable panel array sections (10, 10a) are arranged in a shipping arrangement.

Abstract: A compact microelectronic gas sensor module includes electrical contacts formed in such a way that they do not consume real estate on an integrated circuit chip. Using such a design, the package can be miniaturized further. The gas sensor is packaged together with a custom-designed Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) that provides circuitry for processing sensor signals to identify gas species within a sample under test. In one example, the output signal strength of the sensor is enhanced by providing an additional metal surface area in the form of pillars exposed to an electrolytic gas sensing compound, while reducing the overall package size. In some examples, bottom side contacts are formed on the underside of the substrate on which the gas sensor is formed. Sensor electrodes may be electrically coupled to the ASIC directly, or indirectly by vias.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophoresis device that, by electrophoresis, feeds a sample into capillaries and optically detects the sample, the electrophoresis device being provided with capillaries, a capillary head provided at the distal end of the capillaries, a phoretic medium-filled container used for electrophoresis and filled with a phoretic medium, a guide member that covers the side surface of the phoretic medium-filled container, a seal member that seals from below the phoretic medium filled in the phoretic medium-filled container, and a plunger that presses the seal member.

Abstract: A carbon based material, an optical rectenna and a semiconductor device including the same are provided. The carbon based material includes a carbon nanomaterial and a metal material bonded to the carbon nanomaterial, where the carbon nanomaterial includes a fluorine material.

Abstract: A modified ceramic composite separator includes an organic support layer and a ceramic layer coated on the surface of the support layer in a thickness of 0.1 ?m to 20 ?m, and further comprises a dopamine or other polymer grown in-situ on the surface and interior of the support layer and the ceramic layer. The inorganic power in the ceramic layer has a particle size of 5 nm to 10 ?m, and the material of the organic support layer has a molecular weight of 1000 to 100000000.

Abstract: A photovoltaic module can include a solar cell module including a plurality of solar cells; a converter configured to convert a level of DC power input from the solar cell module; a DC-terminal capacitor configured to store DC power output from the converter; an inverter including a plurality of switching elements and configured to convert DC power from the DC-terminal capacitor into AC power; and a controller configured to control the inverter, in which the converter controls some switching elements among of the plurality of switching elements included in the inverter to perform switching at a third switching frequency, and controls other switching elements among the plurality of switching elements included in the inverter to perform switching at a forth switching frequency higher than the third switching frequency.

Abstract: A perovskite material including an organic-inorganic perovskite structure of formula (I), AnMX3 (I), n being the number of cation A and an integer >4, A being a monovalent cation selected from inorganic cations Ai and/or from organic cations Ao, M being a divalent metal cation or a combination thereof, X being a halide and/or pseudohalide anion or a combination thereof, wherein at least one cation A is selected from organic cations Ao, the inorganic cations Ai are independently selected from Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, or Tl+ and the organic cations Ao are independently selected from ammonium (NH4+), methyl ammonium (MA) (CH3NH3+), ethyl ammonium (CH3CH2NH3)+, formamidinium (FA) (CH(NH2)2+), methylformamidinium (CH3C(NH2)2+), guanidium (C((NH)2)3+), tetramethylammonium ((CH3)4N+), dimethylammonium ((CH3)2NH2+) or trimethylammonium ((CH3)3NH+).

Abstract: A reagent for detecting an analyte comprises a flavoprotein enzyme, a mediator such as a phenothiazine mediator, at least one surfactant, a polymer and a buffer. The reagent may be used with an electrochemical test sensor that includes a plurality of electrodes.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optomechanical system (10) for capturing and transmitting incident light (40) with a variable direction of incidence to at least one collecting element (31, 31?, 31?, 31??, 31A, 31B), with an optical arrangement (20) able to capture a beam of the incident light (40), concentrate the captured beam of the incident light, and transmit one or more concentrated beams (50) of the incident light to the at least one collecting element (31, 31?, 31?, 31??, 31A, 31B), and a shifting mechanism for moving the optical arrangement (20) with respect to the at least one collecting element (31, 31?, 31?, 31??, 31A, 31B), wherein the moving of the shifting mechanism is controllable in such a way that, for any direction of incidence of the incident light (40), the one or more concentrated beams (50) of the incident light can be optimally collected by the at least one collecting element (31, 31?, 31?, 31??, 31A, 31B), In this optomechanical system (10), the optical arrangement (20) comprises a first optical la