Yanqing Wang, Mengzhu Li, Dongchen Guo, Min Fan, Jingjun Zhang, Juan Guo, Hongzhan Dong, Chengwu Shi
{"title":"Poly(acrylic acid)-modified SnO2/CdS double electron transport layers for efficient and stable Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells","authors":"Yanqing Wang, Mengzhu Li, Dongchen Guo, Min Fan, Jingjun Zhang, Juan Guo, Hongzhan Dong, Chengwu Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113322","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113322","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antimony selenosulfide (Sb<sub>2</sub>(S,Se)<sub>3</sub>) solar cells hold significant promise for sustainable photovoltaic technology due to their adjustable band gap, high absorption coefficient and good stability. In terms of device operation, the transfer of electrons from the Sb<sub>2</sub>(S,Se)<sub>3</sub> layer to the electron transport layer (ETL) plays a crucial role in improving the photovoltaic performance of solar cells. Until now, high-efficiency Sb<sub>2</sub>(S,Se)<sub>3</sub> solar cells have typically employed cadmium sulfide (CdS) as the ETL. However, inadequate interface contact between the CdS and the Sb<sub>2</sub>(S,Se)<sub>3</sub> layer often results in severe interface recombination, and the parasitic light absorption of CdS restricts the short-circuit current density (<em>J</em><sub>sc</sub>). Therefore, the development of high-quality CdS film along with reduction of cadmium element usage remains an import issue for the Sb<sub>2</sub>(S,Se)<sub>3</sub> solar cells. Herein, the poly(acrylic acid)-modified tin oxide (PAA-SnO<sub>2</sub>)/CdS double ETLs are introduced to improve the quality of both the CdS film and Sb<sub>2</sub>(S,Se)<sub>3</sub> film, while also strengthening the interface contact between CdS and Sb<sub>2</sub>(S,Se)<sub>3</sub>. The power conversion efficiency of the corresponding solar cells increases from 7.45% in the control device to 8.15% in the modified device. This work provides a simple PAA-modified SnO<sub>2</sub>-assisted CdS ETL strategy to improve the interface of CdS/Sb<sub>2</sub>(S,Se)<sub>3</sub>, thereby achieving efficient and stable Sb<sub>2</sub>(S,Se)<sub>3</sub> solar cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 113322"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142747975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jiaxing Jiang , Yingting Yi , Tangyou Sun , Qianju Song , Zao Yi , Chaojun Tang , Qingdong Zeng , Shubo Cheng , Pinghui Wu
{"title":"A bi-directional metamaterial perfect absorber based on gold grating and TiO2-InAs normal hexagonal pattern film","authors":"Jiaxing Jiang , Yingting Yi , Tangyou Sun , Qianju Song , Zao Yi , Chaojun Tang , Qingdong Zeng , Shubo Cheng , Pinghui Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113330","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113330","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We present and study a bidirectional metamaterial-perfect absorber based on TiO<sub>2</sub>-InAs regular hexagonal pattern thin films and gold grating. We employ the finite difference time domain approach for simulation. Multi-narrowband perfect absorption and ultra-wideband perfect absorption can alternate as the light source's direction changes. Four narrow-band absorption peaks developed at 987 nm, 1188 nm, 1510 nm, and 2091 nm, respectively, when the incident light struck the bottom. The corresponding absorption efficiencies were 99.69 %, 99.41 %, 98.54 %, and 98.97 %. The broadband region displays the properties of perfect absorption when incident light strikes the top. It should be noted that it is not affected by the polarization or angle of the incidence. With an average absorption efficiency of 96.02 %, the structure attains over 90 % absorption in the 3023 nm range (424–3447 nm). Second, the weighted absorption efficiency of the full spectrum is as high as 96.84 %, and the AM 1.5 solar radiation spectrum and the solar absorption spectrum are strongly coincident. Furthermore, the computation results show that the thermal radiation efficiency is greater than 95 % between 300 K and 1500 K. The electric field distribution revealed that the Fabry-Perot cavity resonance within the film, the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) on the surface of the InAs and TiO<sub>2</sub> regular hexagonal pattern films, the interstitial mode excitation between the films, and the excitation cavity coupling between cells of each unit were primarily responsible for the perfect absorption of broadband. The high-order resonant coupling in the FP cavity and the strong coupling between the local surface plasmon resonance and the FP cavity resonance in the metal grating's slit are the primary causes of the narrow band's perfect absorption. The suggested bidirectional metamaterial perfect absorber has significant promise for use in the disciplines of sensing, solar energy absorption, photoelectric detection, and photothermal conversion, as evidenced by its superb absorption and thermal radiation characteristics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 113330"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142722509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dhruba B. Khadka, Masatoshi Yanagida, Yasuhiro Shirai
{"title":"Assessing degradation in perovskite solar cells via thermal hysteresis of photocurrent and device simulation","authors":"Dhruba B. Khadka, Masatoshi Yanagida, Yasuhiro Shirai","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113319","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113319","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the degradation mechanisms of perovskite solar cell (PSC) is paramount to addressing stability-related issues. Photocurrent loss is widely observed in the degraded PSC. Here, we investigate the degradation of PSC by probing the thermal hysteresis of photocurrent (THPC) and the dynamics of thermally active ionic or recombination processes. Degraded devices exhibit a considerably higher degree of variation in the photogenerated current, encompassing a broad spectrum of photo-induced ionic charge accumulation. THPC reveals changes driven by the accumulation of interfacial ionic charges and active defects under photo-thermal drifting, as supported by capacitance analysis. Device simulation corroborates that the interfacial surface defect formed at the interfacial layer in the device structure wields a substantial influence on device degradation, particularly in cases of photocurrent loss. This study underscores the direct correlation between the degradation of PSC and the presence of thermally activated traps and interfacial charge accumulation emphasizing the importance of passivating these pathways to improve device stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 113319"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142747977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Florian Sutter , Gözde Alkan , Nassira Benameur , Samuel Marlin , Gema San Vicente , Angel Morales , Tomás Jesus Reche Navarro , Ana Cleia González Alves , Lucía Martínez Arcos , Daniel Benítez , Aránzazu Fernández-García , Ceyhun Oskay , Christoph Grimme
{"title":"Thermal and environmental durability of novel particles for Concentrated solar thermal technologies","authors":"Florian Sutter , Gözde Alkan , Nassira Benameur , Samuel Marlin , Gema San Vicente , Angel Morales , Tomás Jesus Reche Navarro , Ana Cleia González Alves , Lucía Martínez Arcos , Daniel Benítez , Aránzazu Fernández-García , Ceyhun Oskay , Christoph Grimme","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113316","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113316","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bauxite-based proppants, commonly used in the fracking industry, are also employed in solid particle receiver types of Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) technologies. However, fracking has been banned in many countries due to its environmental impact, leading to a decline in demand for proppants. As a result, the current proppant price of 1 €/kg is expected to rise due to reduced production capacities. Therefore, alternative particle types need to be developed for Concentrated Solar Thermal applications.</div><div>Cost-effective particle production compared to traditional bauxite sintering has been explored. In this study, we conduct long-term isothermal aging tests at 1000 °C up to 4000 h to assess the optical degradation of novel cost-effective particles, which are composed almost entirely of recycled waste products. The performance of these novel particles is compared to traditional proppants. Additionally, we examine the durability of three types of coatings designed to enhance the solar absorptance of the particles from approximately 83 %–97.5 %. These coated particles are also subjected to climate chamber tests under controlled humidity and freezing conditions to determine if environmental factors will degrade the coatings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 113316"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142722695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mandeep Singh , Si Qin , Ken Alren Usman , Lifeng Wang , Dan Liu , Yuxi Ma , Weiwei Lei
{"title":"Transforming waste aramid fibers and carbon fibers into aerogels for efficient solar-driven water desalination","authors":"Mandeep Singh , Si Qin , Ken Alren Usman , Lifeng Wang , Dan Liu , Yuxi Ma , Weiwei Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113314","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113314","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solar energy is an abundant renewable source of energy for seawater desalination. Interfacial solar water evaporation technology based on photothermal processes is one of the most effective ways of utilizing solar energy. However, practical challenges such as low efficiency, complexity, and poor durability, have hindered the widespread adoption of this technology. To tackle these challenges, research has been focused on developing materials that exhibit broad-spectrum light absorption, high mechanical and thermal stability, and low thermal conductivity. Moreover, growing waste from high-performance materials such as aramid fibers and carbon fibers highlights the need for sustainable practices, such as upcycling these fibers instead of relying on new resources. In this study, we have demonstrated the upcycling of waste aramid fibers and carbon fibers into aerogels for water evaporators. The incorporation of MXene into the aerogels has significantly enhanced light absorption compared to both ANF and ANF-CF aerogels. This improvement, along with increased photothermal efficiency and hydrophilicity, led to an optimized structure with a solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency of 103.6 % and an evaporation rate of 1.63 kg m⁻<sup>2</sup> h⁻<sup>1</sup> under one sun. The MXene/aramid fiber/carbon fiber aerogels, with their three-dimensional structure, provided the foundation for the development of stable solar interfacial evaporators that could efficiently convert seawater into clean drinking water through high light absorption and mechanical stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 113314"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142722100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Madhan K. Arulanandam , Jeronimo Buencuerpo , Myles A. Steiner , Leah Y. Kuritzky , Alexandra R. Young , Eric J. Tervo , Emmett E. Perl , Brendan M. Kayes , Justin A. Briggs , Richard R. King
{"title":"Patterned dielectric back contact design for GaAs thermophotovoltaic devices","authors":"Madhan K. Arulanandam , Jeronimo Buencuerpo , Myles A. Steiner , Leah Y. Kuritzky , Alexandra R. Young , Eric J. Tervo , Emmett E. Perl , Brendan M. Kayes , Justin A. Briggs , Richard R. King","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113285","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113285","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>—Patterned-dielectric back contact structures in optoelectronic devices are designed to boost the reflectance of light from the device back surface while retaining a low-resistance pathway for electrical conductance. Their reduced light absorption at near- and sub-bandgap photon energies leads to improved luminescence in light-emitting diodes, greater photon recycling, voltage, and efficiency in photovoltaic cells, and greater recuperation of unabsorbed sub-bandgap light in thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems. However, diffraction from the patterned features can deflect incident light in propagation directions that lead to light trapping and parasitic absorption in the cell. In this article, we use rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) to study three-dimensional diffractive scattering of electromagnetic waves by periodic metal point-contact gratings on 1.42-eV GaAs TPV cells, to analyze their effect on unwanted sub-bandgap absorption in order to achieve higher TPV system efficiency. Solutions of Maxwell's equations calculated using RCWA are compared to measured sub-bandgap reflectance in experimental GaAs TPV devices with varying metal point-contact diameters and spacing. Modeling and experiments indicate decreased total reflectance due to these diffractive effects for a small point contact diameter of 1 μm, and this effect is much stronger at higher contact coverage fractions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 113285"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142705457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marc Majó, Alejandro Calderón, Adela Svobodova-Sedlackova, M. Segarra, A. Inés Fernández, Camila Barreneche
{"title":"New database of sustainable solid particle materials to perform a material-based design for a thermal energy storage in concentrating solar power","authors":"Marc Majó, Alejandro Calderón, Adela Svobodova-Sedlackova, M. Segarra, A. Inés Fernández, Camila Barreneche","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113309","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113309","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Renewable energies have surged worldwide, aiming to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Concentrated solar power (CSP) with thermal energy storage (TES) emerges as a viable alternative to bridge the gap between renewable energy generation and consumption. However, existing CSP plants face a significant challenge in optimizing performance due to the operational temperature limitations of solar salt. While alternative materials, such as solid particles for sensible heat storage in solar towers exceeding 600 °C, have been proposed, the crucial aspect revolves around selecting a new alternative sustainable low-cost material for use as a TES media. This article investigates the optimization of CSP-TES systems by evaluating alternative sustainable low-cost materials sourced from several sectors such as the mining or metallurgical industry, municipal solid wastes, or demolition wastes. The materials, either used in their original form or formulated into aggregates for mortars, underwent thorough a property comparison focused on thermal, physical properties, and cost. With this data, a database was created using the Constructor software from ANSYS and integrated with the Selector software from the same company that provides instrumental for the creation of a comprehensive repository of sustainable materials, providing a database that serves as a practical reference guide for optimizing the selection of sustainable materials as TES in CSP plants. Then, a baseline could be established for selecting a sustainable material for a specific design, considering the properties of the materials. This methodology consists of redesigning and adapting the system according to the material, and it is known as the Materials-Based Design (MBD) process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 113309"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142705516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elnaz Fekri , Mir Saeed Seyed Dorraji , Morteza Vahedpour
{"title":"Bi2MoO6/g-C3N4/CNT ternary nanocomposite solar energy material for boosting photocatalytic H2 evolution and N2 fixation to ammonia","authors":"Elnaz Fekri , Mir Saeed Seyed Dorraji , Morteza Vahedpour","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113315","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113315","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rational design of the photocatalytic system consisting of solar energy material semiconductors to convert solar energy into good chemicals or renewable fuels is an attractive strategy to achieve sustainable development. Here, hydrogen fuel is produced by using Bi<sub>2</sub>MoO<sub>6</sub>/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/CNT ternary nanocomposite solar energy material in aqueous medium and using simulated sunlight. Also, the mentioned nanocomposite shows a promising ability to produce ammonia in the water environment and the presence of nitrogen gas under ambient conditions. The presence of CNT in the nanocomposite not only increases the efficient usage of incident photons, but also effectively separates charge carriers and facilitates the transfer of electrons and their use in nitrogen fixing to ammonia. The optimized nanocomposite (Bi<sub>2</sub>MoO<sub>6</sub>/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/CNT) had significantly high photocatalytic activity, exhibiting the highest production of H<sub>2</sub> and NH<sub>3</sub> relative to Bi<sub>2</sub>MoO<sub>6</sub> and g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>. Finally, a logical charge transfer mechanism was proposed for H<sub>2</sub> evolution and NH<sub>3</sub> production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 113315"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142705517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Haibo Wu , Fangyuan Sun , Chengwei Jiang , Fengyu Su , Yanqing Tian , Yan Jun Liu
{"title":"All-in-one electrochromic devices with high optical contrast based on novel mono-substituted extended viologens","authors":"Haibo Wu , Fangyuan Sun , Chengwei Jiang , Fengyu Su , Yanqing Tian , Yan Jun Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113304","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113304","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, three novel monoheptyl-substituted extended viologens (<strong>EDOT-C7</strong>, <strong>O-C7</strong>, and <strong>BTD-C7</strong>) were synthesized by introducing ethylenedioxythiophene, furan, and benzothiadiazole moieties between the two pyridine rings as the chromophores, respectively. Their all-in-one ECDs were prepared, which were named <strong>ECD-EDOT</strong>, <strong>ECD-O</strong> and <strong>ECD-BTD</strong>, respectively. The devices’ performance was investigated systematically, including electrochemical properties, photoelectric properties and electrochromic properties. Due to the different electronic properties of the chromophores, the devices exhibited different colored states, including orange (<strong>ECD-EDOT</strong>), magenta (<strong>ECD-O</strong>) and blue-violet (<strong>ECD-BTD</strong>). All the devices exhibit good coloration efficiency of 71.1 cm<sup>2</sup>/C (<strong>ECD-EDOT</strong>), 107.7 cm<sup>2</sup>/C (<strong>ECD-O</strong>) and 91.6 cm<sup>2</sup>/C (<strong>ECD-BTD</strong>). In addition, the devices displayed relatively high optical contrast and cycling stability. The optical contrast of <strong>ECD-EDOT</strong>, <strong>ECD-O</strong> and <strong>ECD-BTD</strong> reached 62.3 %, 71.1 % and 70.0 %, respectively. Among them, <strong>ECD-BTD</strong> exhibited the most excellent stability, which retains 82.0 % optical contrast of its initial state after continuous 1000 working cycles. Additionally, a variety of multicolor (including blue, black, brown, and red, etc) electrochromic devices based on the synthesized monoheptyl-substituted extended viologen (<strong>O-C7</strong>) and a reported diheptyl viologen (<strong>DHBP</strong>) have been successfully obtained by the regulation of the molar ratios of the two chosen compounds, which shows the bright application prospect of mono-substituted extended viologen in the multicolor electrochromic field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 113304"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142705458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Prabhu B , Arunkumar T , Premkumar Subramanian , Nantheeswaran Periyappan , Abdullah Alarifi , Mariappan Mariappan
{"title":"Conch shell derived bio-carbon/Paraffin as novel composite phase change material with enhanced thermal energy storage properties for photovoltaic module cooling systems","authors":"Prabhu B , Arunkumar T , Premkumar Subramanian , Nantheeswaran Periyappan , Abdullah Alarifi , Mariappan Mariappan","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113306","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113306","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phase change materials (PCM)-based photovoltaic module cooling systems (PVCS) are essential in lowering module temperatures and improving overall efficiency. The use of conch shell-based composite PCM in PVCS for improved thermal management has not been reported. This study uses thermally conductive calcium compounds enriched aqua bio-mass based carbonized conch shell porous carbon (CSC) as an organic form stabilizer to produce a composite Paraffin PCM (CPN) and explores its thermal energy storage capabilities for PVCS. The effect of carbonization temperature on the development of CSC frameworks is investigated by assessing morphology, graphitization degree, crystalline nature, functional elements, and surface characteristics. The composite CPN samples are then produced using a vacuum impregnation process with different mass proportions (43:57, 50:50, 57:43, and 64:36) of Paraffin PCM and CSC form stabilizer. Non-carbonized conch shell powder based composite PCM samples are produced using the former process and use as reference samples. The leakage assessment study demonstrates that the composite CPN with a proportion of 64:36 offers better anti-leak tendency before and after thermal cycling. The composite CPN sample is further evaluated for thermal conductivity, phase transition properties, thermal stability, and chemical stability. Experimentation on phase change rate assessment of the composite CPN demonstrates its capability for PVCS. The cycled composite CPN sample possesses a better loading efficiency (90.71 %), enhanced thermal conductivity from 0.214 to 0.433 W/mK, improved thermal stability up to 204<sup>o</sup>C, melting/freezing energy density (206.3/191.2 J/g), and thermal storage capability (96.82 %), making it a viable anti-leak material for improving PVCS operational performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 113306"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142705462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}