Effect of Spectral Irradiance Distribution on the Performance of Solar Cells

In this paper, the global and diffuse solar radiation incident on solar cells is simulated using a spectral model SMARTS2, for varying atmospheric conditions on the site of Setif. The effect of changes in total intensity and spectral distribution on the short circuit current and efficiency of different kinds of thin film solar cells (CdTe, nc-Si:H and copper indium gallium selenide, CIGS) is examined. The results show a reduction in the short circuit current due to increasing turbidity. It is 18.82%, 27.06% and 26.80% under global radiation and for CdTe, nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H), and CIGS solar cells, respectively. However it increases under diffuse radiation. Increasing water vapor in the atmosphere leads to a reduction in the short circuit current of 3.15%, 2.38%, and 2.45%, respectively, for CdTe, nc-Si:H, and CIGS cells under global radiation and it is not influenced under diffuse radiation. The performance of the solar cells is notably reduced, both in terms of efficiency and open circuit voltage, with increasing air mass

Temperature dependence of polycrystalline silicon solar cells parameters

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Computational insight on the structural, mechanical and thermal properties of Cu2CdSnSe4 and Cu2HgSnSe4 adamantine materials

Through first-principles calculation based on the density functional theory (DFT) within the pseudo potential-plane wave (PP-PW) approach, we studied the structural, mechanical and thermal properties of Cu2CdSnSe4 and Cu2HgSnSe4 adamantine materials. The calculated lattice parameters are in good agreement with experimental and theoretical reported data. The elastic constants are calculated for both compounds using the static finite strain scheme. The hydrostatic pressure action on the elastic constants predicts that both materials are mechanically stable up to 10 GPa. The polycrystalline mechanical parameters, i.e., the anisotropy factor (A), bulk modulus (B), shear modulus (G), Young's modulus (E), Lame's coefficient (λ) and Poisson's ratio (ν) have been estimated from the calculated single crystal elastic constants. The analysis of B/G ratio shows that the two studied compounds behave as ductile. Based on the calculated mechanical parameters, the Debye temperature and the thermal conductivity have been probed. In the framework of the quasi-harmonic approximation, the temperature dependence of the lattice heat capacity of both crystals has been investigated

Contribution to the Quantification of Solar Radiation in Algeria

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Microstructure and Sintering Behavior of Mullite-Zirconia Composites

International audienceIn the present work, the structure and sintering behaviour of mullite-zirconia composites were investigated The composites were prepared by reaction sintering of Algerian kaolin, alpha-Al(2)O(3), and stabilized zirconia (3Y-TZP). The raw materials were wet ball milled in a planetary ball mill followed by attrition The green samples shaped using a uniaxial press were sintered between 1100 degrees C and 1600 degrees C for 2 hours. The density was measured by the water immersion method. Phases present and change of the average crystallite size of the mullite phase as a function of sintering temperature and ZrO(2) content were characterized through X-ray diffraction. Mulite grains had whiskers' shape; however, the increase of ZrO(2) content changed the morphology of grains to near spherical shape. The microstructure of the samples revealed uniform distribution of ZrO(2) particles; also, aluminum was uniformly distributed on all grains exception on zirconia grains. At least a relative density of 95 % was achieved for all samples at a relatively lower sintering temperature of 1500 degrees C. In composites containing up to 16 wt. % ZrO(2), the zirconia phase retained its tetragonal structure and the transformed part did not exceed 3 % However, with the addition of 32 wt. % ZrO(2) around 66% of the tetragonal structure changed to monoclinic structure

Extracting the model parameters of organic and inorganic illuminated solar cells

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