Space solar cells may add power to earth
Apr 02 - InTech
Rochester, N.Y. -One of the big trends today is to make moves to eliminate our dependence on a dwindling fossil fuel supply, and someday, large-scale solar power stations in space might help toward that effort as they beam electricity to the surface of the moon, the Earth, and other planets.
Sound farfetched? Not so, said scientists at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), who are developing the next generation of solar cells, advancing the technology that could put a solar power system into Earth's orbit.
In a move to keep the solar-powered hope alive, the National Science Foundation awarded a three-year, $200,000 grant to Ryne Raffaelle and Thomas Gennett, codirectors of RIT's NanoPower Research Laboratory, to develop nanomaterials-no bigger than a billionth of a meter-to support NASA's space solar power program.
Scientists remain intrigued by the idea of orbiting, football- field-- sized "blankets" of solar cells that could generate tremendous amounts of power. The idea of space-orbiting energy stations first floated past scientists' minds in the '70s, but it fell off the radar screen for a while. Now, after a bit of a hiatus, NASA decided to revisit the idea, pushing the latest technology as far as it will go.
Raffaelle and Gennett are working with scientists from the Ohio Aerospace Institute and Phoenix Innovations Inc. to develop a new and improved solar cell that is light,thin,and highly efficient.This solar cell, a thin-film device, will sandwich tiny granules of semiconductor material, known as Quantum dots, and carbon nanotubes.
"In order to put football-field-sized arrays in space, they need to be lightweight and flexible and able to withstand the rigors of space," Raffaelle said. "Today's technology isn't good enough, but with the theoretical possibilities offered by nanomaterials, it could become a reality."
"The types of solar cells that we are working to develop are a clear departure from even the most advanced crystalline solar cells used in the space industry today," said Gennett. "If we are successful, it will result in a complete paradigm shift in space solar power generation."
energycentral.com
Hey, how about our Capton stuff?
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