V3Solar photovoltaic Spin Cell generates 20 times more electricity per cell than flat panels

this is a really big deal for solar power generation,

Because of the great potential of solar energy, researchers have looked into increasing the efficiency of solar cells by using lenses or mirrors to direct more of the sun's energy onto them hoping to get more electricity out of the same number of cells. Unfortunately, doing so tends to create so much heat that the cells become useless. The engineers at V3Solar took this idea and modified it to prevent such overheating by mounting the cells on a rotating platform; doing so means that each cell only receives extra heat for a very short amount of time and is then allowed to cool as the cone spins. The concentrators form an outer skin creating a hermetically sealed inner environment for the triangular shaped blue colored solar cells. The cone is situated on a base of electromagnets powered by some of the energy that has been converted from the sun's energy by the solar cells, creating a nearly frictionless spin. The result is a marvel of engineering and an artistic triumph – a means to produce much more electricity than traditional flat panels in a pleasing, and as the company says, beautiful way.

Read more at: phys.org...

phys.org...

if this works as well as claimed we can replace all nuclear plants with non poluting and safe tech to supply our energy needs.

i love inventors
xploder

here's their website
v3solar.com...

not much info yet...we'll be waiting

Now that is interesting! Just imagine if this could get sunlight through clouds. There would be enough energy for everyone!

One can dream...

reply to post by XPLodER


Nice find

I hope the patent isn't bought and the idea SHELVED!! by TPTB.

We should be making far more use of the free power that is all around us, especialy geothermal. Geothermal must surely be the way to go. All any country has to do is dig down to tap into it, once tapped the energy is free and only maintenance costs need to be collected, and theres no pollution either.
Tidal power is another huge source of power.

Will we see such technology being used? I doubt it, too many greedy pockets being filled to allow free energy.

I have solar panels on my house. Since I've had them, I've thought long and hard how to do better.

The best ideas I've had, really honestly, have been done.

The giant tower thing full of molten salt on top, heated by parabolic mirrors, used to make steam.
www.google.com... FSolar_thermal_energy&ei=ZU5rULHLIobj0QHIuYHABQ&usg=AFQjCNHSiqt4v5zN6Pd1mgw_aIDn2eVOow

And the (yet to be built?) ground-wind-vortex-turbine-solar havester.....
I can't find a link. It's a giant funnel heated by the sun, also extra heat is added from electricity, air is drawn from the ground and forced out the top, spinning a turbine. Awesome.

From the Opening Post:

researchers have looked into increasing the efficiency of solar cells by using lenses or mirrors to direct more of the sun's energy onto them hoping to get more electricity out of the same number of cells. Unfortunately, doing so tends to create so much heat that the cells become useless

Mirrors to direct more heat huh? Thanks for the tip. Who needs expensive solar panels when you can use This and mirrors to make it more efficient:

Soda Pop Can Solar Heater - can be made dirt cheap almost free.


Then all we need is a way to use that heat to run a generator and Poof. Perhaps use a Thermoelectric Generator like this one: tegpower.com... Free electricity for the home. This thing already gets 157.8 degrees F on a 41 degree F day. That's a pretty good temperature differential. make it more efficient/ hotter and you'd have a great heat source for plenty of electricity.

I think i just solved the worlds energy crisis. Thank me later by adding to both of my post in my sig file. LOL

More on topic, I think the V3 Solar Panel is really cool and will probably be worth it IF you can afford it. I think their idea to lessen the heat damage and thus make that panel useful is pretty cool. But I also think they just shot themselves in the foot since you can make the device above and then have no need for those V3 panels.

Originally posted by VoidHawk
reply to post by XPLodER

 

Nice find

I hope the patent isn't bought and the idea SHELVED!! by TPTB.

We should be making far more use of the free power that is all around us, especialy geothermal. Geothermal must surely be the way to go. All any country has to do is dig down to tap into it, once tapped the energy is free and only maintenance costs need to be collected, and theres no pollution either.
Tidal power is another huge source of power.

Will we see such technology being used? I doubt it, too many greedy pockets being filled to allow free energy.

in new zealand (my country) we use geothermal, wind and solar,
no nuclear plants

i would love it if we could also use this new tech

clean green NZ


xploder

I wonder how large a unit it would take to power an average house. If they are small enough, this would be an outstanding development for solar power. Even if they're not small. it's an outstanding development.

reply to post by XPLodER


Now that's some cool stuff right there. I've never seen anything like it but it sure seems like a good idea.

F&S for the OP.

Originally posted by XPLodER
if this works as well as claimed ...

But it doesnt work as claimed.
Its bogus.

The best cells on the market now are about 18 percent efficient already. It is impossible to get "20 times more" energy out of that.

Read through the comments underneath the article. The claims made simply dont stack up to scrutiny.

reply to post by alfa1


while i reserve opinion on weather this claim holds up upon closer scutiny,
i ask you,
are YOU an electrical engineer?
do you know about optics and photovoltaics ?

how about heat problems with current solar panel design?

could you please detail why this idea is ineffective?

xploder

Originally posted by XPLodER
i ask you,
are YOU an electrical engineer?
do you know about optics and photovoltaics ?

Rather than take my word for it, the internet has many sites relating to the efficiency of solar cells.
Lets just start with good old wikipedia.

Solar cell efficiencies vary from 6% for amorphous silicon-based solar cells to 40.7% with multiple-junction research lab cells and 42.8% with multiple dies assembled into a hybrid package.[11]
Solar cell energy conversion efficiencies for commercially available multicrystalline Si solar cells are around 14-19%

So if one starts with a rather ordinary 15 percent efficiency for cells available today, and boost that by "20 times", then you end up with 300 percent efficiency.

Impossible.
Case closed.

reply to post by alfa1


ummm
hardly

Impossible.
Case closed.

i wounder if you realise the advancement in photovoltaics,
in fact i think you havent been reading physorg in the past year,
and you did not answer the question about heat and its effect on efficiency

i would say that you arnt an expert are you?

i realise big claims require big proof,
but i dont see conclusive proof in the reply so far
that this case is closed

without decent answers you claims are just that claims,
no better than the claims of the designers

i hold out hope this idea will be fruitful,
as i can see some advantages in the overall design,

i would love to get my hands on one to test



xploder

reply to post by alfa1

The best cells on the market now are about 18 percent efficient already. It is impossible to get "20 times more" energy out of that.

This isn't about the efficiency of the panels. That's not what's going on.

Look at it this way, a 1 foot by 1 foot panel collects 1 square foot of solar energy. Use 20 1'x1' mirrors to each direct their own little one square foot of energy at that panel and you'll get twenty times the power. That's the idea here.

reply to post by Phage


yes and some of the extra efficiency comes from the on/off set up by rotating the pannels "towards" the sun and "away from the sun".

it allows for heat to be reduced and for efficiency gains,

also "i think" that the cells "charging up" to full efficiency (rotating) and dropping (dark side) also has some effect
on the amount of overall energy that is recoverable

am i correct?

xploder

reply to post by XPLodER

PV panels lose efficiency with heating beyond a certain point but I don't know of any effect from "cycling".

one of the long term problems with solar cell is browning. and as the sun light increases the browning increases.

all i see with the V3Solar photovoltaic Spin Cell is increased output with half the life span of the cells.

also cycling cell temperatures rapidly can cause the cells to crack under the lenses or as they cool between passes.

www.europe-solar.de...

reply to post by ANNED


thanks for the info

i wonder if hot cold cycling cells have been developed to cope with the temp fluctuations?
maby some thing to work on for longer periods of use before replacements,

are teh materials recyclable ?

xploder

I have panels on my house as well. I just finished the system. It's all about squeezing every last watt out of whatever solar realestate you have. It's really not too difficult or expensive. The trick is how to power super expensive stuff like central air. Think about it. The southwest area (Texas) had its big boom once air conditioning was invented. The populaiton here would be cut by more than half without air conditioning.

Then there's the problem of those round panel things. I mean lets face it, we can't even get neighborhoods to use solar clothes dryers any more without saying they look ugly. Other wise known as clothes lines. Remember those? It's all we used to use.

Originally posted by alfa1

Originally posted by XPLodER
if this works as well as claimed ...

But it doesnt work as claimed.
Its bogus.

The best cells on the market now are about 18 percent efficient already. It is impossible to get "20 times more" energy out of that.

Read through the comments underneath the article. The claims made simply dont stack up to scrutiny.

I usually agree with you, here I am not so sure.

Let's say we have a standard panel that has 10% efficiency and produces 1kwh of electricity.

This panel has 50% efficiency and produces 20kwh due to the way it focuses the sun and has rotating peices.

So if the claim was 20 times more efficient, it would be bogus. It's 5 times more efficient, but produces a lot more power due to other processes which up until now have not been able to have been utilized.

I am not saying they are indeed correct, only 20 times more power does not mean it has to be 20 times more efficient. It can be less efficient and make more power.