Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric inventions 08/06

20060191565 - Material for photovoltaic film, solar cell, process for producing photovoltaic film material and process for producing photovoltaic film: A photovoltaic film 30 comprises photocatalyst-coated particles which include inorganic material particles, titanium dioxide particles coated on the surface of the inorganic material particles, and lithium particles attached to the inorganic material particles and/or the titanium dioxide particles. The photocatalyst-coated particles are obtained by means of: producing a mixture in...

20060191566 - Solar concentrator system using photonic engineered materials: A non-imaging optical collecting and concentrating apparatus for use in i.e., optical communications, passive lighting, and solar power applications that is relatively immune from optical incidence angle(s) and therefore does not need to track the movement of the sun to efficiently collect and concentrate optical energy. The apparatus includes a...

20060191567 - Photoelectric conversion element and method for producing photoelectric conversion element: A photoelectric conversion element comprising: a substrate; a conductive layer; a photoelectric conversion layer; and a transparent conductive layer, provided in this order, wherein the transparent conductive layer has a sheet resistance of from 100 to 10000Ω/□....

20060185710 - High performance thermoelectric nanocomposite device: A thermoelectric device includes a nanocomposite material with nanowires of at least one thermoelectric material having a predetermined figure of merit, the nanowires being formed in a porous substrate having a low thermal conductivity and having an average pore diameter ranging from about 4 nm to about 300 nm....

20060185711 - Storage container using a thermoelement: A storage container includes an inner case defining a storage chamber, an outer case disposed outside the inner case, and a thermoelement assembly. The thermoelement assembly includes a cold sink and a first heat transfer block respectively provided at an inner side and an outer side of the inner case,...

20060185712 - Silane composition, silicon film forming method and solar cell production method: A silane composition for preparing a semiconductor thin films of a solar cell is disclosed. The silane composition contains a polysilane compound represented by the formula SinRm (n is an integer of 3 or more, m is an integer of n to (2n+2) and an m number of R's are...

20060185714 - Flexible solar cell and method of producing the same: Provided are a cylindrical flexible solar cell which is made of only flexible materials so that the cell can freely bend, has a cylindrical shape which allows the cell to absorb solar light at any angle of illumination, and has a large surface area and high efficiency; and a method...

20060185713 - Solar panels with liquid superconcentrators exhibiting wide fields of view: Solar panel system and apparatus wherein the panels are configured with liquid superconcentrators having outwardly disposed liquid imaging lenses of wide field of view performing with a sparse array of discrete multifunction photovoltaic cells which are electrically interconnected to provide a panel output. The liquid superconsentrator and associated sparse array...

20060185716 - Method for producing photovoltaic device and photovoltaic device: This invention relates to a method for producing a photovoltaic device that includes spherical photovoltaic elements and a support with a large number of recesses for receiving the elements one by one and to the photovoltaic device. Each of the spherical photovoltaic elements comprises a spherical first semiconductor and a...

20060185715 - Photovoltaic apparatus including spherical semiconducting particles: A photovoltaic apparatus includes a plurality of approximately spherical photoelectric conversion elements including a second semiconductor layer located outside a first semiconductor layer, for generating photoelectromotive force therebetween. The second semiconductor layer has an opening through which part of the first semiconductor layer is exposed. The apparatus also includes a...

20060185717 - Photoelectric conversion element and process for fabricating the same, electronic apparatus and process for fabricating the same, and semiconductor layer and process for forming the same: A paste in which semiconductor fine grain such as titanium oxide fine grain or the like and a binder made of a polymer compound are mixed is coated onto a transparent conductive substrate and sintered, thereby forming a semiconductor layer made of the semiconductor fine grain, after that, ultraviolet rays...

20060185718 - High energy photon power source: An energy cell, employed as a passive energy source, takes advantage of the differing electrical properties of metals to produce an induced electromagnetic force charge when exposed to dosages of high energy photons such as x-ray or gamma rays....

20060185721 - Layered nuclear-cored battery: A layered battery having a nuclear-cored energy source. The layered battery is created by spraying P and N layers on a plurality of nuclear-cored energy producing spheres that are in the form of a powder. The spraying of the P and N layers forms a sheet of material having a...

20060185723 - Method of manufacturing a nuclear-cored battery: A manufacturing process of a nuclear cored battery having steps of processing a nuclear core, and creating a ceramic phosphor slurry material and combining them to form a homogenous mixture. The homogeneous mixture is then placed into a spray dryer in order to create a nuclear core surrounded by a...

20060185722 - Method of pre-selecting the life of a nuclear-cored product: A method of pre-selecting the life span of a nuclear-cored product. The method comprises providing a product that uses a nuclear-cored energy source and then determining a pre-selected occurrence. When this pre-selected occurrence happens a timing mechanism in the product will disable the product, thus rendering the product inoperable. Thus...

20060185720 - Method of recycling a nuclear-cored battery: A method of recycling a nuclear-cored battery having the steps of placing a nuclear-cored battery into a mill to break the battery into smaller pieces. These pieces then undergo a burning process that heats the pieces to melt away P and N layers and a photovoltaic layer to expose a...

20060185719 - Nuclear-cored battery: A nuclear-cored battery having a nuclear core that emits radiation and is surrounded by a ceramic phosphor material having a structural defect such that the ceramic material within the ceramic phosphor material is used to shield and absorb the radiation emitted by the nuclear core while the phosphors are excited...

20060185724 - Super electromagnet: A nuclear-cored magnet having a nuclear core that emits radiation and is surrounded by a ceramic phosphor material having a structural defect such that the ceramic material within the ceramic phosphor material is used to shield and absorb the radiation emitted by the nuclear core while the phosphors are excited...

20060185725 - Method of forming multijuction solar cell structure with high band gap heterojunction middle cell: A method and a multijunction solar device having a high band gap heterojunction middle solar cell are disclosed. In one embodiment, a triple-junction solar device includes bottom, middle, and top cells. The bottom cell has a germanium (Ge) substrate and a buffer layer, wherein the buffer layer is disposed over...

20060185726 - Space-based power system: A space-based power system. The system maintains proper positioning and alignment of system components without using connecting structures. Power system elements are launched into orbit, and the free-floating power system elements are maintained in proper relative alignment, e.g., position, orientation, and shape, using a control system....

20060185727 - Converter circuit and technique for increasing the output efficiency of a variable power source: The present invention provides a converter circuit and accompanying switch mode power conversion technique to efficiently capture the power generated from a solar cell array that would normally have been lost, for example, under reduced incident solar radiation. In an embodiment of the invention, the converter circuit generates an output...

20060180191 - Thermoelectric module and manufacturing method for same: A thermoelectric module and method of manufacture thereof, capable of preventing short-circuits between electrodes due to solder without causing increases in size or cost. A thermoelectric module is configured with lower electrodes formed on the inside surface of a lower substrate, placed in opposition to an upper substrate, on the...

20060180192 - Multistage heat pumps and method of manufacture: A thermoelectric module is provided that includes a first thermally conductive plate with a first array of thermoelectric elements coupled to it. The first array of thermoelectric elements includes a first plurality of thermoelectric elements. The thermoelectric module also includes a second thermally conductive plate coupled to the first array...

20060180193 - Photoreceptive layer comprising metal oxide of core-shell structure and solar cell using the same: A photoacceptive layer having a core-shell structure and a solar cell using the same are provided. More specifically, a photoacceptive layer including a metal oxide of a core-shell structure which can improve photoconversion efficiency by improving a electron migration path, and a solar cell using the same are provided....

20060180194 - Solar cell array having three dimension multiple structure: An object of the present invention is to provide the solar cell array improving the power generation amount per unit of setting area. According to the present invention, the solar cell panel, which is conventionally configured in a plane in the solar cell array, is provided in three dimensions, and...

20060180195 - Substrate and collector grid structures for integrated photovoltaic arrays and process of manufacture of such arrays: A interconnected arrangement of photovoltaic cells is readily and efficiently achieved by using a unique interconnecting strap. The strap comprises electrically conductive fingers which contact the top light incident surface of a first cell and extend to an interconnect region of the strap. The interconnect region may include through holes...

20060180196 - Junction box for output wiring from solar module and method of installing same: A junction box adapted to protect soldered electrical connections between outputs and cables wherein the connections are on a flat surface (e.g. the backing sheet of a solar module) and a method for installing the box over the connections. The junction box can have a split housing that can be...

20060180197 - Layer-to-layer interconnects for photoelectric devices and methods of fabricating the same: Interconnects for electronic devices. More specifically, stacked photoelectric devices, such as parallel tandem photovoltaic devices are provided. Each of the photovoltaic devices comprises photovoltaic cells formed between two substrates. Each of the substrates may include one or more interconnects to route a voltage from one side of the substrate to...

20060180198 - Solar cell, solar cell string and method of manufacturing solar cell string: A solar cell includes a first compound semiconductor stacked body with an n-type compound semiconductor layer and a p-type compound semiconductor layer in contact with each other, the first compound semiconductor stacked body has a first electrode of a first polarity and a second electrode of a second polarity, and...

20060180199 - Photosensitive organic semiconductor compositions: The present invention relates to a photosensitive organic semiconductor composition comprising an organic p-type semiconductor pigment with a p-type conducting polymer, wherein the ionization potentials of the organic p-type semiconductor pigment and the p-type conducting polymer are nominally equivalent and a photosensitive organic semiconductor composition comprising an organic n-type semiconductor...

20060180200 - Thin-film solar cell: The present invention relates to thin-film solar cells of the CIGS-type. A characteristic feature of the invention is the use of two integrally formed buffer layers, a first ALD Zn(O,S) buffer layer (7) on top of the CIGS-layer (3) and a second ALD ZnO-buffer layer (8) on top of the...

20060174930 - Solar cell array: A solar panel for a spacecraft has a base with a face, and at least one row of solar cells and at least one elongated reflector are mounted on the face of said base. The reflectors and the rows are mounted generally parallel to each other in an alternating fashion....

20060174931 - Photovoltaic array: A photovoltaic array includes a plurality of elongated rails and rectangular photovoltaic modules. Each rail can have an extruded resin construction and can include a lower base and an upper cap that cooperate to define a pair of grooves that open in opposite directions from each other. The elongated rails...

20060174932 - Electrolyte compositon, photoelectric converter and dye-sensitized solar cell using same: An electrolyte composition containing an ionic liquid and conductive particles as main components, an electrolyte composition containing an ionic liquid, and oxide semiconductor particles or oxide semiconductor particles, and conductive particles, and an electrolyte composition containing an ionic liquid and insulating particles are provided. Furthermore, a photoelectric conversion element comprising:...

20060174934 - Optoelectronic device and frabrication method: Charge-splitting networks, optoelectronic devices, methods for making optoelectronic devices, power generation systems utilizing such devices and method for making charge-splitting networks are disclosed. An optoelectronic device may include a porous nano-architected (e.g., surfactant-templated) film having interconnected pores that are accessible from both the underlying and overlying layers. A pore-filling material...

20060174933 - Tio2 aerogel-based photovoltaic electrodes and solar cells: A photoelectrode is disclosed having a conductive lead and a titania aerogel in electrical contact with the lead. The aerogel is coated with a photosensitive dye. The photoelectrode may be made by forming a film of a titania aerogel paste on a conductive substrate and coating the film with a...

20060174935 - Silicon based thin film solar cell: According to the present invention, sufficient light trapping effect can be exhibited and series resistance can be kept small, by sequentially forming a silicon based low refractive index layer and a thin silicon based interface layer on a backside of a photoelectric conversion layer observed from a light incident side,...

20060174937 - High performance organic materials for solar cells: The present invention is drawn to a composition or layered composite for absorbing and utilizing radiant energy in a solar cell. The composition can comprise a blend of a push-pull copolymer including at least one electron donor entity and at least one electron acceptor entity, and a fullerene composition. The...

20060174936 - Water-based electrolyte gel for dye-sensitized solar cells and manufacturing methods: A dye-sensitized solar cell is provided having at least one organic compound to absorb solar radiation and donate electrons, at least one semiconductor to transport electrons, and at least one hole transporting material formed of a water-based electrolyte gel that includes at least one polymeric compound and at least one...

20060174938 - Water-based electrolyte gel for dye-sensitized solar cells and manufacturing methods: A dye-sensitized solar cell is provided having an organic compound to absorb solar radiation and donate electrons, a semiconductor to transport electrons, and a hole transporting material formed of a water-based electrolyte gel that includes a polymeric compound and a electrolyte solution. Preparation of the water based gel includes gelling...

20060174939 - Efficiency booster circuit and technique for maximizing power point tracking: The present invention provides an efficiency booster circuit and accompanying switch mode power conversion technique to efficiently capture the power generated from a solar cell array that would normally have been lost, for example, under reduced incident solar radiation. In an embodiment of the invention, the efficiency booster circuit generates...

20060169314 - Artificial inner ear and thermoelectric generator therefor: An artificial inner ear includes a speech processor that operates based on electricity generated by a thermoelectric transducer module, in which numerous thermoelectric elements join between oppositely arranged upper and lower substrates each having numerous electrodes. A heat absorption layer composed of a heat conductive material such as a resin,...

20060169315 - Modular photovoltaic solar power system: The invention relates to photovoltaic solar power systems and more specifically to solar photovoltaic systems which include concentrators of solar radiation. The invention includes application of single curvature and compound-curvature concentrators. A supporting member with an installed photovoltaic cell serves as an element in a heat sink unit and, at...

20060169316 - Solar cell low iron patterned glass and method of making same: A patterned glass substrate is provided for use in a solar cell. The glass substrate is both patterned on at least one surface thereof and has a low iron content. The combination of low iron content, optional oxidizing agent, and the patterning of the glass substrate results in a substrate...

20060169317 - Substrate with transparent conductive oxide film, process for its production and photoelectric conversion element: A substrate with a transparent conductive oxide film (especially a substrate with a transparent conductive oxide film useful as a substrate for a thin-film silicon-based solar cell) being excellent in mass production efficiency and being characterized by having a low resistance, a high transparency and a good light scattering performance...