Patents Examined by Golam Mowla
  • Patent number: 11967656
    Abstract: A photovoltaic cell is provided, including a substrate and a passivation layer on the substrate. The passivation layer includes first portions and second portions interleaved with each other in a direction perpendicular to a normal of the first surface of the substrate. The first and second portions are doped with a same type of doping elements, each second portion has a reference surface away from the substrate, a doping concentration of doping elements in a second portion gradually decreases in a direction from a center of the reference surface toward an adjacent first portion and in a direction from the center of the reference surface toward the substrate, and a doping concentration of doping elements in the first portion is less than or equal to a minimum doping concentration of doping elements in the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignees: ZHEJIANG JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD., JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jingsheng Jin, Bike Zhang, Xinyu Zhang
  • Patent number: 11962267
    Abstract: A solar tracker includes a rotatable portion including a plurality of solar modules, at least a portion of each of the modules being arranged in a row and electrically coupled to each other in series to define at least one string. A motor is operatively coupled to the rotatable portion and configured to supply torque to the rotatable portion for rotating the rotatable portion about an axis. At least one electrical characteristic sensor and at least one controller are in operative communication with the motor and with the at least one electrical characteristic sensor. The at least one controller is configured to instruct the motor to supply torque to the rotatable portion in response to one or more signals received by the at least one controller from the at least one electrical characteristic sensor. A method of operating a solar tracking system is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: RBI Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: David Compaan, Ben Urbanek
  • Patent number: 11961930
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the technical field of solar cells, and relates to a crystalline silicon solar cell and a preparation method thereof, and a photovoltaic assembly. The crystalline silicon solar cell includes a crystalline silicon substrate, a passivation layer that is disposed on the crystalline silicon substrate and that is provided with through holes, a carrier collection layer that is disposed on the passivation layer, and electrodes that contact the carrier collection layer; the carrier collection layer contacts the crystalline silicon substrate by means of the through holes on the passivation layer. In the described crystalline silicon solar cell, through holes are provided on the passivation layer, and the carrier collection layer contacts the crystalline silicon substrate by means of the through holes on the passivation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: JINGAO SOLAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Haipeng Yin, Wei Shan, Kun Tang
  • Patent number: 11963449
    Abstract: To increase thermoelectromotive voltage of a thermoelectric conversion element with a magnetization direction, a temperature gradient direction, and an electromotive force direction orthogonal to each other. A thermoelectric conversion element 1 is formed by annularly winding a thermoelectric material which is radially magnetized and circumferentially generates an electromotive force in accordance with a temperature gradient in the axial direction thereof. Thus, the thermoelectric material is wound not linearly but annularly, so that a connection line for connecting a plurality of thermoelectric materials is not necessary. In particular, when the thermoelectric material is wound in a plurality of turns, the length per unit area of the thermoelectric material in the direction of the electromotive force can be significantly increased, making it possible to significantly increase thermoelectromotive voltage while suppressing increase in the size of the element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youhei Noda, Shota Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11957048
    Abstract: Organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) and their compositions are described herein. one or more embodiments, the acceptor with an active layer of an OPV includes is a non-fullerene acceptor. Such non-fullerene acceptors may provide improved OPV performance characteristics such as improved power conversion efficiency, open circuit voltage, fill factor, short circuit current, and/or external quantum efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Inventors: Stephen R. Forrest, Yongxi Li
  • Patent number: 11955573
    Abstract: A photovoltaic module and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The photovoltaic module includes a plurality of cell strings; a first encapsulating adhesive film and a second encapsulating adhesive film, where the photovoltaic module has a central region and a peripheral region, where the first encapsulating adhesive film defines at least one first hole and the second encapsulating adhesive film defines at least one second hole, and each first hole directly faces a corresponding second hole; and at least one filling structure, where the at least one filling structure includes a material having a crosslinking curing speed that is faster than a crosslinking curing speed of a material in the first encapsulating adhesive film and is faster than a crosslinking curing speed of a material in the second encapsulating adhesive film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignees: JINKO SOLAR (HAINING) CO., LTD., ZHEJIANG JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD., JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wusong Tao, Zhendong Chen, Junhui Liu
  • Patent number: 11957051
    Abstract: An organic semiconductor mixture and an organic optoelectronic device containing the same are provided. A n-type organic semiconductor compound in the organic semiconductor mixture has a novel chemical structure so that the mixture has good thermal stability and property difference during batch production is also minimized. The organic semiconductor mixture is applied to organic optoelectronic devices such as organic photovoltaic devices for providing good energy conversion efficiency while in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: RAYNERGY TEK INCORPORATION
    Inventors: Chia-Hua Tsai, Chuang-Yi Liao, Wei-Long Li, Yu-Tang Hsiao
  • Patent number: 11957045
    Abstract: Photoactive compounds are disclosed. The disclosed photoactive compounds include metal complexes with dipyrromethene-based ligands, which can be substituted with a variety of different side chains or groups or can include various fused ring configurations, such as including aromatic or heteroaromatic groups. The metal complexes may include two dipyrromethene-based ligands, which can be the same or different. The photoactive compounds can be used as photoactive materials in organic photovoltaic devices, such as visibly transparent or opaque photovoltaic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ubiquitous Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Love, Vineet Kumar, Austin Smith, Matthew E. Sykes, Richa Pandey, Miles C. Barr, Ajara A. Safko
  • Patent number: 11955576
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing a perpetual energy harvester which harvests ambient near ultraviolet to infrared radiation and provides continual power regardless of the environment. The device seeks to harvest the largely overlooked blackbody radiation through use of a semiconductor thermal harvester, providing a continuous source of power. Additionally, increased power output is provided through a solar harvester. The solar and thermal harvesters are physically connected but electrically isolated. “Perpetual energy harvester” as mentioned in this invention is interpreted to mean an energy harvester which is configured to harvest energy during day and/or night and/or light and/or dark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Banpil Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Achyut Dutta
  • Patent number: 11950510
    Abstract: A superconductor junction includes a normal metal layer having a first side and a second side, an insulating layer overlying the second side of the normal metal layer, and a first superconductor layer formed of a first superconductor material that overlies a side of the insulating layer opposite the side that overlies the normal metal layer. The superconductor junction further includes a second superconductor layer formed of a second superconductor material with a first side overlying a side of the first superconductor material opposite the side that overlies the insulating layer. The second superconductor material has a higher diffusion coefficient than the first superconductor material and/or the second superconductor material has a lower recombination coefficient than the first superconductor metal layer. A normal metal layer quasiparticle trap is coupled to a second side of the second superconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Aaron Ashley Hathaway, Edward R. Engbrecht, John X. Przybysz, Robert Miles Young
  • Patent number: 11943941
    Abstract: The solar cell of the present disclosure includes: a first substrate having light-transmitting properties; a second substrate having light-transmitting properties; a third substrate disposed such that the second substrate is located between the first and third substrates; a first photoelectric conversion layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and containing a perovskite material; a second photoelectric conversion layer disposed between the second substrate and the third substrate; and a pair of electrodes disposed so as to sandwich the first photoelectric conversion layer therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroko Okumura, Akio Matsushita
  • Patent number: 11935971
    Abstract: A solar cell according to the present disclosure includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an electron transport layer disposed between the first electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer. At least one electrode selected from the group consisting of the first electrode and the second electrode has a light-transmitting property. The photoelectric conversion layer contains a perovskite compound composed of a monovalent cation, a divalent cation, and a halogen anion. The electron transport layer contains a metal oxynitride having electron conductivity. The metal oxynitride has an electrical conductivity of greater than or equal to 1×10?7 S/cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyasu Yokoyama, Ryosuke Kikuchi, Yu Nishitani
  • Patent number: 11935978
    Abstract: An enclosed multi-dimensional system for converting electromagnetic (EM) energy into electricity. An electromagnetic energy convertor (EMEC) device comprises a plurality of electromagnetic (EM) energy converting cells disposed in a single-piece, at-least-partially transparent, insulating medium selected from a list of luminescent, transmissive, absorptive, diffusive, refractive, dispersive, conductive, and dielectric materials or a combination thereof. The medium facilitates the propagation of the electromagnetic energy within the EMEC device and helps to optimize its conversion to electricity by the plurality of electromagnetic (EM) energy converting cells. The plurality of electromagnetic (EM) energy converting cells are disposed at least partially within the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventor: Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti
  • Patent number: 11930705
    Abstract: There is a diaryloxybenzoheterodiazole compound di-substituted with thienothiophenic groups having general formula (Ia): The diaryloxybenzoheterodiazole compound di-substituted with thienothiophenic groups having general formula (Ia) can be advantageously used as a spectrum converter in luminescent solar concentrators (LSCS) capable, in turn, of improving the performance of photovoltaic devices (or solar devices), selected for example, between photovoltaic cells (or solar cells), photovoltaic modules (or solar modules), either on a rigid support, or on a flexible support. More particularly, said photovoltaic devices (or solar devices) can be advantageously used in the construction of greenhouses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: ENI S.P.A.
    Inventors: Giuliana Schimperna, Luigi Abbondanza, Antonio Alfonso Proto, Stefano Zanardi
  • Patent number: 11929449
    Abstract: Provided are a solar cell, a manufacturing method thereof, and a photovoltaic module. The solar cell includes: a semiconductor substrate, in which a rear surface of the semiconductor substrate having a first texture structure, the first texture structure includes two or more first substructures at least partially stacked on one another, and in a direction away from the rear surface and perpendicular to the rear surface, a distance between a top surface of an outermost first substructure and a top surface of an adjacent first substructure being less than or equal to 2 ?m; a first passivation layer located on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate; a tunnel oxide layer located on the first texture structure; a doped conductive layer located on a surface of the tunnel oxide layer; and a second passivation layer located on a surface of the doped conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignees: SHANGHAI JINKO GREEN ENERGY ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT CO., LTD., ZHEJIANG JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kun Yu, Changming Liu, Xinyu Zhang
  • Patent number: 11916159
    Abstract: A multijunction solar cell including an upper first solar subcell having a first band gap and positioned for receiving an incoming light beam; and a second solar subcell disposed below and adjacent to and lattice matched with said upper first solar subcell, and having a second band gap smaller than said first band gap; wherein at least one of the solar subcells has a graded band gap throughout the thickness of at least a portion of its emitter layer and base layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SolAero Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: John Hart, Daniel Derkacs, Zachary Bittner, Andrew Espenlaub
  • Patent number: 11901859
    Abstract: A photovoltaic retrofit device for a concentrating solar thermal power plant having a parabolic trough reflector, and a fluid receiver with working fluid therein spaced from the reflector and positioned at a focal point of the reflector. The photovoltaic device includes a plurality of adjustable angle dichroic mirrors positioned between the parabolic trough reflector and the fluid receiver. A photovoltaic receiver assembly has multiple photovoltaic panels in angular relationship to each other. A photovoltaic temperature regulating system includes a fluid medium to regulate temperature of the photovoltaic panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: The University of Tulsa
    Inventors: Todd Otanicar, Matthew Orosz
  • Patent number: 11901543
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for carbon additives for direct coating of silicon-dominant anodes. An example composition for use in directly coated anodes may include a silicon-dominated anode active material, a carbon-based binder, and a carbon-based additive, with the composition being configured for low-temperature pyrolysis. The low-temperature pyrolysis may be conducted at <600° C. An anode may be formed using a direct coating process of the composition on a current collector. The anode active material yields silicon constituting between 86% and 97% of weight of the formed anode after pyrolysis. The carbon-based additive yields carbon constituting between 2% and 6% of weight of the formed anode after pyrolysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ENEVATE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Monika Chhorng, David J. Lee, Rahul Kamath
  • Patent number: 11887844
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to the field of solar cells, and in particular to a solar cell and a production method thereof, and a photovoltaic module. The solar cell includes: a P-type emitter formed on a first surface of an N-type substrate and including a first portion and a second portion, a top surface of the first portion includes first pyramid structures, and a top surface of the second portion includes second pyramid structures whose edges are straight. A transition surface is respectively formed on at least one edge of each first pyramid structure, and each of top surfaces of at least a part of the first pyramid structures includes a spherical or spherical-like substructure. A tunnel layer and a doped conductive layer sequentially formed over a second surface of the N-type substrate. The present disclosure can improve the photoelectric conversion performance of solar cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: ZHEJIANG JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD., JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhao Wang, Jie Yang, Mengchao Shen, Lipeng Wang
  • Patent number: 11888076
    Abstract: A solar cell of an embodiment includes: a transparent substrate; a p-electrode on the substrate, the p-electrode including a first p-electrode containing an Sn-based metal oxide, a second p-electrode having an opening and consisting of a wiring containing a metal or graphene, and a third p-electrode containing an In-based metal oxide; a p-type light absorbing layer in direct contact with a surface of the first p-electrode on a side opposite to the second p-electrode side; an n-type layer provided on the p-type light absorbing layer; and an n-electrode provided on the n-type layer. The third p-electrode is provided to be present between the first p-electrode and the second p-electrode and to be in direct contact with an upper surface of the second p-electrode. An entire side surface of the second p-electrode is in direct contact with the first p-electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ENERGY SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazushige Yamamoto, Soichiro Shibasaki, Yuya Honishi, Naoyuki Nakagawa, Mutsuki Yamazaki, Yoshiko Hiraoka