Research Summaries

Back Advanced Low-Cost High-Efficiency Flexible Solar Blanket with More Than Double the Output of Spaces Technology Used by USMC Expeditionary Forces

Fiscal Year 2015
Division Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department Electrical & Computer Engineering
Investigator(s) Michael, Sherif N.
Sponsor Marine Corps Systems Command (Marine Corps)
Summary Most forward deployed warfighters are increasingly burdened by power requirements and battery inventory, solar cells have the capability to simultaneously lessen supply chains and significantly lighten loads for expeditionary units. Ideally, solar panels should be low-cost, grown on flexible substrates, lightweight and robust. Recently advancement in new solar cell technologies that can meet these demands has been reported. Among these developments are cells based on new thin film silicon designs as well as on Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (better known, as CIGS). The "SPACES" units used by the Marines in Afghanistan are CIGS devices. In this research with collaboration with Dr. Rob Walters's group at NRL, investigation of the development of advanced high-efficiency low-cost flexible solar cell is proposed. The research will also incorporate novel solar cells modeling techniques previously developed at the Nava l Postgraduate School by the proposer. The overall efficiency of this new device under investigation is expected to exceed 24% with great potential for further improvements with higher output at a low manufacturing cost and light weight.
Keywords
Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal