Patents Examined by Mayla Gonzalez Ramos
  • Patent number: 11588070
    Abstract: A method for producing a photovoltaic solar cell, including the method steps: A. providing at least one solar cell precursor having at least one base and at least one emitter; B. providing a metal film on a back side of the solar cell precursor, so that the metal film is electrically conductively connected to the base or the emitter, the metal film being formed as an integral component of the back side contact and the solar cell being terminated on the back side. The at least one cell connection region on at least one side of the metal film overhangs the edge of the solar cell precursor by at least 1 mm, preferably by at least 3 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Jan Nekarda, Andreas Brand, Martin Graf, Angela De Rose, Achim Kraft
  • Patent number: 11588433
    Abstract: A method of coupling solar panels to one or more rails via one or more module clamps to form at least a portion of a solar assembly. The method can include positioning a first and second solar panel on at least a first rail, the first and second solar panels being positioned adjacent and defining a slot between the first and second solar panels. The method can further include positioning a module clamp between the first and second solar panels in the slot between the first and second solar panels, the module clamp engaging the first and second solar panels and the first rail. The module clamp can include a bolt and a clamp head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Sunfolding, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Preston Lien Suan, Jeffrey Charles Lamb
  • Patent number: 11588067
    Abstract: A monolithic multi-junction solar cell comprising a first III-V subcell and a second III-V subcell and a third III-V subcell and a fourth Ge subcell, wherein the subcells are stacked on top of one another in the specified order, and the first subcell forms the top subcell and a metamorphic buffer is formed between the third subcell and the fourth subcell and all subcells each have an n-doped emitter layer and a p-doped base layer and the emitter doping in the second subcell is lower than the base doping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Meusel, Alexander Berg, Philipp Schroth
  • Patent number: 11588065
    Abstract: A solar cell and a photovoltaic module including the solar cell. The solar cell includes: a semiconductor substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a first dielectric layer located on the first surface; a first N+ doped layer located on a surface of the first dielectric layer; a first passivation layer located on a surface of the first N+ doped layer; a first electrode located on a surface of the first passivation layer; a second dielectric layer located on the second surface; a first P+ doped layer located on a surface of the second dielectric layer; a second passivation layer located on a surface of the first P+ doped layer; and a second electrode located on a surface of the second passivation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignees: ZHEJIANG JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD, JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jie Yang, Peiting Zheng, Xinyu Zhang, Hao Jin
  • Patent number: 11588071
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for rapidly treating a heterojunction solar cell fabricated using a crystalline silicon wafer doped exclusively with n-type dopants to improve surface passivation and carrier transport properties using the following steps: providing a heterojunction solar cell; the solar cell having an n-type silicon substrate exclusively doped with n-type dopants with a concentration higher than 1×1014 cm?3 and a plurality of metallic contacts; illuminating a surface portion of the solar cell for a period of less than 5 minutes and at a temperature between 200° C. and 300° C. with light having an intensity of at least 2 kW/m2 and a wavelength such that the light is absorbed by the surface portion and generates electron-hole pairs in the solar cell. The step of illuminating a surface portion of the solar cell is such that less than 0.5 kWh/m2 of energy is transferred to the surface portion and a temperature of the surface portion increases at a rate of at least 10° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: NewSouth Innovations Pty Limited
    Inventors: Brett Hallam, Matthew Wright, Moonyong Kim, Daniel Chen
  • Patent number: 11581455
    Abstract: First, first cell wiring members from the first solar cell and second cell wiring members from the second solar cell are sandwiched between a wiring member film and a second bridge wiring member. Subsequently, the first cell wiring members and the second cell wiring members are connected to the second bridge wiring member by applying heat to at least the first cell wiring members, the second cell wiring members, and the second bridge wiring member by induction heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi Maki, Haruhisa Hashimoto, Naoto Imada
  • Patent number: 11581442
    Abstract: Discussed is a solar cell including a first conductive region positioned at a front surface of a semiconductor substrate and containing impurities of a first conductivity type or a second conductivity type, a second conductive region positioned at a back surface of the semiconductor substrate and containing impurities of a conductivity type opposite a conductivity type of impurities of the first conductive region, a first electrode positioned on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate and connected to the first conductive region, and a second electrode positioned on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate and connected to the second conductive region. Each of the first and second electrodes includes metal particles and a glass frit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: SHANGRAO JINKO SOLAR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO LTD
    Inventors: Haejong Cho, Donghae Oh, Juhwa Cheong, Junyong Ahn
  • Patent number: 11581586
    Abstract: A lithium ion battery is provided that includes: a positive electrode; a negative electrode; a separator comprising a material having a melt temperature of greater than 150° C.; and an electrolyte including an organic solvent and a lithium salt. A method for sterilizing a lithium ion battery is also provided that includes: providing a lithium ion battery (particularly one as described herein); either charging or discharging the battery to a state of charge (SOC) of 20% to 100%; and steam sterilizing the battery to form a sterilized lithium ion battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC, INC.
    Inventors: Laura E. McCalla, Gaurav Jain
  • Patent number: 11575059
    Abstract: Described herein is a photovoltaic module, which includes PV cells capable of converting light incoming from a front side and from a rear side (3) and a transparent rear side including a rear surface carrying a structured layer (9), where the lower surface of the structured layer (9) is the lower surface of the module, and where the surface of layer (9) is structured by parallel V-shaped grooves of depth h2 or less than h2, where the lateral faces of the grooves of depth less than h2 form a groove angle beta and adjacent faces of neighbouring grooves form a peak of apex angle alpha, characterized in that h2 is from the range 5 to 200 micrometer, and each pair of neighbouring grooves includes one groove of depth h2 and one groove of depth (h2?h1), where h1 ranges from 0.1 h2 to 0.9 h2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: BASF Coatings GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Mundus, Sven Olle Krabbenborg, Patrice Bujard
  • Patent number: 11570902
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for applying an electrical conductor to a solar cell, which comprises providing a flexible membrane with a pattern of groove formed on a first surface thereof, and loading the grooves with a composition comprising conductive particles. The composition is, or may be made, electrically conductive. Once the membrane is loaded, the grooved first surface of the membrane is brought into contact with a front or/and back of a solar cell. A pressure is then applied between the solar cell and the membrane(s) so that the composition loaded to the grooves adheres to the solar cell. The membrane(s) and the solar cell are separated and the composition in the groove is left on the solar cell surface. The electrically conductive particles in the composition are then sintered or otherwise fused to form a pattern of electrical conductor on the solar cell, the pattern corresponding to the pattern formed in the membrane(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Lumet Technologies, LTD.
    Inventors: Benzion Landa, Naomi Elfassy, Stanislav Thygelbaum
  • Patent number: 11569403
    Abstract: A PV device comprises a first mirror comprising a reflectance of higher than 50%; a second mirror interface; and an optical cavity positioned between the first mirror and the second mirror interface and comprising at least one IC stage. Each of the at least one IC stage comprises a conduction band; a valence band; a hole barrier comprising a first band gap; an absorption region coupled to the hole barrier, comprising a second band gap that is less than the first band gap, and configured to absorb photons; and an electron barrier coupled to the absorption region so that the absorption region is positioned between the hole barrier and the electron barrier. The electron barrier comprises a third band gap that is greater than the second band gap. The PV device is configured to operate at a forward bias voltage with a net photon absorption for generating an electric output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma
    Inventors: Rui Q. Yang, Wenxiang Huang
  • Patent number: 11557687
    Abstract: A solar cell device includes a light-transmissive substrate, a solar cell module, an optical composite film assembly, and a light-transmissive top plate. The solar cell module is disposed on the light-transmissive substrate and includes a solar cell unit. The optical composite film assembly is light-transmissive, and includes a light diffusion layer and a fiber layer. The optical composite film assembly and the solar cell module are disposed on each other. The light-transmissive top plate is disposed spaced apart from the light-transmissive substrate and cooperates with the light-transmissive substrate to sandwich the solar cell module and the optical composite film assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: SOUTHERN TAIWAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Ruei-Tang Chen, Fong-Lang Wu
  • Patent number: 11545590
    Abstract: A solar cell, a method for producing a solar cell, and a solar module are provided. The solar cell includes: an N-type substrate and a P-type emitter formed on a front surface of the substrate; a first passivation layer, a second passivation layer and a third passivation layer sequentially formed over the front surface of the substrate and in a direction away from the P-type emitter, and a passivated contact structure disposed on a rear surface of the substrate. The first passivation layer includes a first Silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy) material, where x>y. The second passivation layer includes a first silicon nitride (SimNn) material, where m>n. The third passivation layer includes a second silicon oxynitride (SiOiNj) material, where a ratio of i/j?[0.97, 7.58].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignees: ZHEJIANG JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD., JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenqi Li, Jie Yang, Xinyu Zhang, Hao Jin
  • Patent number: 11545591
    Abstract: There is provided a light trapping dynamic photovoltaic module having a module surface configured to be exposed to solar rays, including a plurality of photovoltaic cell stacks configured adjacent to each other throughout the module surface, wherein each photovoltaic cell stack comprises a plurality of photovoltaic cells. Further, a plurality of reflective strips are placed in between each of the photovoltaic cell stacks for continuously reflecting incident solar rays from one reflective strip to another until absorbed by a photovoltaic cell among said plurality of photovoltaic cells, wherein the incident solar rays are continuously reflected through a mirror phenomenon, wherein the incident solar rays are additionally reflected by front and back panels of the dynamic photovoltaic module, thereby trapping incident solar rays within boundaries of the dynamic photovoltaic module for conversion into electrical energy. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing the light trapping photovoltaic module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Inventor: Hamad Musabeh Ahmed Saif Alteneiji
  • Patent number: 11536710
    Abstract: A method of determining the result of an assay in a microfluidic device includes the steps of: dispensing a sample droplet onto a first portion of an electrode array of the microfluidic device; dispensing a reagent droplet onto a second portion of the electrode array of the microfluidic device; controlling actuation voltages applied to the electrode array to mix the sample droplet and the reagent droplet into a product droplet; sensing a dynamic property of the product droplet; and determining an assay of the sample droplet based on the sensed dynamic property. The dynamic property is a physical property of the product droplet that influences a transport property of the product droplet on the electrode array. Example dynamic properties of the product droplet include the moveable state, split-able state, and viscosity based on droplet properties. The method may be used to perform an amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Sharp Life Science (EU) Limited
    Inventors: Benjamin James Hadwen, Adrian Marc Simon Jacobs, Jason Roderick Hector, Michael James Brownlow, Masahiro Adachi, Alison Mary Skinner, Mark Childs
  • Patent number: 11538950
    Abstract: A solar cell panel using a back contact solar cell is disclosed. The solar cell panel includes a front substrate, a back sheet positioned opposite the front substrate, a plurality of solar cells positioned between the front substrate and the back sheet and connected to one another by a plurality of conductive lines electrically connecting two adjacent solar cells, an encapsulant covering the plurality of solar cells, and at least one blocking portion blocking the plurality of conductive lines that is otherwise visible between the solar cells from being visually seen. The at least one blocking portion is positioned between a back surface of the front substrate and the encapsulant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Joonho Jeon, Jungguen Kim, Song Yong, Junghwan Yeom, Jeonghun Woo, Eonjoo Hwang
  • Patent number: 11525043
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a high light transmittance photovoltaic encapsulating material, which is prepared by the following process: subjecting 100 mass parts of a photovoltaic encapsulating material matrix resin or a graft-modified matrix resin, 0.001 to 5 mass parts of an oxygen- or sulfur-containing compound, 0.01 to 10 mass parts of a reactive plasticize 0.01 to 1.5 mass parts of an initiator, 0.01 to 10 mass parts of an assistant cross-linker, 0.1 to 3.0 mass parts of a silane coupling agent, 0.1 to 0.4 mass parts of an ultraviolet light absorber, and 0.1 to 1.0 mass part of light stabilizer to pre-mixing, melt extrusion, film casting, cooling, slitting, and coiling. The light transmittance of the photovoltaic encapsulating material is improved, and the refractive indexes of glass/front-layer encapsulating material/cell match each other, thereby increasing the sunlight utilization ratio of a module, and optimizing the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: HANGZHOU FIRST APPLIED MATERIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mengjuan Wei, Yan Sang, Guangda Zhou, Xi Xiong, Hongbing Hou, Jianhua Lin
  • Patent number: 11527668
    Abstract: A stacked monolithic multi-junction solar cell having at least four subcells, wherein the band gap increases starting from the first subcell in the direction of the fourth subcell, each subcell has an n-doped emitter and a p-doped base, the emitter and the base of the first subcell each are formed of germanium, all following subcells each have at least one element of main group III and V of the periodic table, all subcells following the first subcell are formed lattice-matched to one another, a semiconductor mirror having a plurality of doped semiconductor layers with alternately different refractive indices is placed between the first and second subcell, the semiconductor layers of the semiconductor mirror are each formed n-doped and each have a dopant concentration of at most 5·1018 cm?3, the semiconductor mirror is placed between the first subcell and the first tunnel diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Berg, Matthias Meusel
  • Patent number: 11527665
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules, each having at least one solar cell, an encapsulant encapsulating the solar cell, a frontsheet, and a backsheet. The encapsulant and the frontsheet are transparent. The backsheet includes a first section and a second section juxtaposed with the first section. The first section is transparent and the second section is non-transparent. A first end of the frontsheet, a first end of the encapsulant, and the first section of the backsheet form a transparent portion. A first photovoltaic module overlays at least a portion of a second photovoltaic module. The transparent portion of the first photovoltaic module overlays at least a portion of the at least one solar cell of the second photovoltaic module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: GAF Energy LLC
    Inventor: Nicholas Boitnott
  • Patent number: 11518892
    Abstract: Discussed is a paste composition for an electrode of a solar cell, the paste including a conductive powder, an organic vehicle, and an inorganic composition formed by including a plurality of metal compounds including a gallium compound including gallium as a component of a main network former of the inorganic composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Yongjun Jung, Hyeonwoo Jang, Junhee Lee