Demonstration of the feasibility of automated silicon solar cell fabrication

An analysis of estimated costs indicate that for an annual output of 4,747,000 hexagonal cells (38 mm. on a side) a total factory cost of $0.866 per cell could be achieved. For cells with 14$1.22 per watt of electrical output. A laboratory model of such a facility was operated to produce a series of demonstration runs, producing hexagonal cells, 2 x 2 cm cells and 2 x 4 cm cells

Coplanar back contacts for thin silicon solar cells

A process for fabricating 2 to 3 mil wraparound solar cells was formulated. Sample thin wraparound cells were fabricated using this process. The process used a reinforced perimeter construction to reduce the breakage that occurs during handling of the wafers. A retracting piston post was designed and fabricated to help minimize the breakage that occurs during the screen printing process. Two alternative methods of applying the aluminum back surface field were investigated. In addition to the standard screen printed back surface field, both spin-on and evaporated aluminum techniques were researched. Neither spin-on nor evaporated aluminum made any noticeable improvement over the screen printing technique. A fine screen mesh was chosen for the application of the aluminum paste back surface field. The optimum time and temperature for firing the aluminum turned out to be thirty seconds at 850 C. The development work on the dielectric included looking at three dielectrics for the wraparound application. Transene 1000, Thick Film Systems 1126RCB and an in house formulation 61-2-2A were all tested. Cells with pre-dielectric thickness of 3.0-0-3.5 mils using Transene 1000 as the wraparound dielectric and the procedure outlined above showed an average efficiency of 10.7 percent. Thinner cells were fabricated, but had an unacceptable yield and efficiency

Screen printing technology applied to silicon solar cell fabrication

The process for producing space qualified solar cells in both the conventional and wraparound configuration using screen printing techniques was investigated. Process modifications were chosen that could be easily automated or mechanized. Work was accomplished to optimize the tradeoffs associated with gridline spacing, gridline definition and junction depth. An extensive search for possible front contact metallization was completed. The back surface field structures along with the screen printed back contacts were optimized to produce open circuit voltages of at least an average of 600 millivolts. After all intended modifications on the process sequence were accomplished, the cells were exhaustively tested. Electrical tests at AMO and 28 C were made before and after boiling water immersion, thermal shock, and storage under conditions of high temperature and high humidity

Characterizations of tropospheric turbulence and stability layers from aircraft observations

[1] Velocity, temperature, and specific humidity data collected by aircraft at 20-Hz resolution are analyzed for stability and turbulence parameters. Over 100 vertical profiles (mostly over the ocean) with a total of over 300 km in vertical airspace sampled are used. The compiled statistics show that anisotropy in the velocity fluctuations prevail down to the smallest spatial separations measured. A partitioning of convective versus dynamical instability indicates that in the free troposphere, the ratio of shear-produced turbulence to convectively produced turbulence increases from roughly 2:1 for weak turbulence (ϵ 10⁻⁴ m² s⁻³). For the boundary layer, this ratio is close to 1:1 for weak turbulence and roughly 2:1 for strong turbulence. There is also a correlation between the strength of the vertical shear in horizontal winds and the turbulence intensity. In the free troposphere the turbulence intensity is independent of the degree of static stability, whereas in the boundary layer the turbulence intensity increases with a fall in static stability. Vertical humidity gradients correlate with static stability for strong humidity gradients, which supports the basic notion that stable layers impede vertical mixing of trace gases and aerosols. Vertical shear correlates with vertical humidity gradient, so it appears that the effect of differential advection creating tracer gradients dominates the effect of differential advection destroying tracer gradients through shear-induced turbulence.United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NCC1-415)United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NAG1-2306

Application of positive matrix factorization to on-road measurements for source apportionment of diesel- and gasoline-powered vehicle emissions in Mexico City

The goal of this research is to quantify diesel- and gasoline-powered motor vehicle emissions within the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) using on-road measurements captured by a mobile laboratory combined with positive matrix factorization (PMF) receptor modeling. During the MCMA-2006 ground-based component of the MILAGRO field campaign, the Aerodyne Mobile Laboratory (AML) measured many gaseous and particulate pollutants, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) [(NO subscript x)], benzene, toluene, alkylated aromatics, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, ammonia, particle number, fine particulate mass (PM2.5) [(PM subscript 2.5)], and black carbon (BC). These serve as inputs to the receptor model, which is able to resolve three factors corresponding to gasoline engine exhaust, diesel engine exhaust, and the urban background. Using the source profiles, we calculate fuel-based emission factors for each type of exhaust. The MCMA's gasoline-powered vehicles are considerably dirtier, on average, than those in the US with respect to CO and aldehydes. Its diesel-powered vehicles have similar emission factors of NOx [NO subscript x] and higher emission factors of aldehydes, particle number, and BC. In the fleet sampled during AML driving, gasoline-powered vehicles are found to be responsible for 97% of total vehicular emissions of CO, 22% of NOx [NO subscript x], 95–97% of each aromatic species, 72–85% of each carbonyl species, 74% of ammonia, negligible amounts of particle number, 26% of PM2.5 [PM subscript 2.5], and 2% of BC; diesel-powered vehicles account for the balance. Because the mobile lab spent 17% of its time waiting at stoplights, the results may overemphasize idling conditions, possibly resulting in an underestimate of NOx [NO subscript x] and overestimate of CO emissions. On the other hand, estimates of the inventory that do not correctly account for emissions during idling are likely to produce bias in the opposite direction.The resulting fuel-based estimates of emissions are lower than in the official inventory for CO and NOx [NO subscript x] and higher for VOCs. For NOx [NO subscript x], the fuel-based estimates are lower for gasoline-powered vehicles but higher for diesel-powered ones compared to the official inventory. While conclusions regarding the inventory should be interpreted with care because of the small sample size, 3.5 h of driving, the discrepancies with the official inventory agree with those reported in other studies.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant ATM-0528170)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant ATM-0528227)United States. Dept. of Energy (Grant DE-FG02-05ER63982)United States. National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationMolina Center for Energy and the Environmen

Phylogenetic diversity and conservation of crop wild relatives in Colombia

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are an important agricultural resource as they contain genetic traits not found in cultivated species due to localized adaptation to unique environmental and climatic conditions. Phylogenetic diversity (PD) measures the evolutionary relationship of species using the tree of life. Our knowledge of CWR PD in neotropical regions is in its infancy. We analysed the distribution of CWR PD across Colombia and assessed its conservation status. The areas with the largest concentration of PD were identified as being in the northern part of the central and western Andean mountain ranges and the Pacific region. These centres of high PD were comprised of predominantly short and closely related branches, mostly of species of wild tomatoes and black peppers. In contrast, the CWR PD in the lowland ecosystems of the Amazon and Orinoquia regions had deeply diverging clades predominantly represented by long and distantly related branches (i.e. tuberous roots, grains and cacao). We categorized 50 (52.6%) of the CWR species as 'high priority', 36 as 'medium priority' and nine as 'low priority' for further ex-situ and in situ conservation actions. New areas of high PD and richness with large ex-situ gap collections were identified mainly in the northern part of the Andes of Colombia. We found that 56% of the grid cells with the highest PD values were unprotected. These baseline data could be used to create a comprehensive national strategy of CWR conservation in Colombia

First observations of SPEAR-induced artificial backscatter from CUTLASS and the EISCAT Svalbard radars

Results are presented from the first two active experimental campaigns undertaken by the new SPEAR (Space Plasma Exploration by Active Radar) high-power system that has recently become operational on Spitzbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago. SPEAR's high-power beam was used to excite artificial enhancements in the backscatter detected by the ESR (EISCAT Svalbard Radar) parallel to the geomagnetic field, as well as coherent backscatter detected by both of the CUTLASS (Co-operative UK Twin Located Auroral Sounding System) coherent radars, in directions orthogonal to the geomagnetic field. The ESR detected both enhanced ion-lines as well as enhanced plasma-lines, that were sustained for the whole period when SPEAR was transmitting ordinary mode radio waves, at frequencies below the maximum F-region plasma frequency. On a number of occasions, coherent backscatter was also observed in one or in both of the CUTLASS radars, in beams that intersected the heated volume. Although the levels of enhanced backscatter varied considerably in time, it appeared that ion-line, plasma-line and coherent backscatter were all excited simultaneously, in contrast to what has typically been reported at Tromsø, during EISCAT heater operations. A description of the technical and operational aspects of the new SPEAR system is also included

Stark Broadening of the B III 2s-2p Lines

We present a quantum-mechanical calculation of Stark line widths from electron-ion collisions for the $2s_{1/2}-2p_{1/2,3/2}$, lambda = 2066 and 2067 A, resonance transitions in B III. The results confirm the previous quantum-mechanical R-matrix calculations but contradict recent measurements and semi-classical and some semi-empirical calculations. The differences between the calculations can be attributed to the dominance of small L partial waves in the electron-atom scattering, while the large Stark widths inferred from the measurements would be substantially reduced if allowance is made for hydrodynamic turbulence from high Reynolds number flows and the associated Doppler broadening.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures; to be published in Phys. Rev.

How is female mate choice affected by male competition?

Author Posting. © Cambridge Philosophical Society, 2005. This article is posted here by permission of Cambridge Philosophical Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Biological Reviews 80: (2005) 559-571, doi:10.1017/S1464793105006809.The plethora of studies devoted to the topics of male competition and female mate choice belie the fact that their interaction remains poorly understood. Indeed, on the question of whether competition should help or hinder the choice process, opinions scattered throughout the sexual selection literature seem unnecessarily polarised. We argue, in the light of recent theoretical and empirical advances, that the effect of competition on mate choice depends on whether it results in the choosy sex attaining high breeding value for total fitness, considering both direct and indirect fitness benefits. Specifically, trade-offs may occur between different fitness benefits if some are correlated with male competitive ability whilst others are not. Moreover, the costs and benefits of mating with competitive males may vary in time and/or space. These considerations highlight the importance of injecting a life-history perspective into sexual selection studies. Within this context, we turn to the sexual selection literature to try to offer insights into the circumstances when competition might be expected to have positive or negative implications for pre-copulatory female choice. In this regard, we elaborate on three stages where competition might impact upon the choice process: (i) during mate detection, (ii) mate evaluation, and (iii) in dictating actual mating outcomes. We conclude by offering researchers several potentially rewarding avenues for future research.This study was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award, a Sir Keith Murdoch Fellowship, and a Centre for International Mobility Fellowship (to B.B.M.W) and the Academy of Finland (to U.C.)

Laboratory and modeling studies on the effects of water and soot emissions and ambient conditions on the properties of contrail ice particles in the jet regime

Contrails and contrail-induced cirrus clouds are identified as the most uncertain components in determining aviation impacts on global climate change. Parameters affecting contrail ice particle formation immediately after the engine exit plane (< 5 s in plume age) may be critical to ice particle properties used in large-scale models predicting contrail radiative forcing. Despite this, detailed understanding of these parametric effects is still limited. In this paper, we present results from recent laboratory and modeling studies conducted to investigate the effects of water and soot emissions and ambient conditions on near-field formation of contrail ice particles and ice particle properties. The Particle Aerosol Laboratory (PAL) at the NASA Glenn Research Center and the Aerodyne microphysical parcel model for contrail ice particle formation were employed. Our studies show that exhaust water concentration has a significant impact on contrail ice particle formation and properties. When soot particles were introduced, ice particle formation was observed only when exhaust water concentration was above a critical level. When no soot or sulfuric acid was introduced, no ice particle formation was observed, suggesting that ice particle formation from homogeneous nucleation followed by homogeneous freezing of liquid water was unfavorable. Soot particles were found to compete for water vapor condensation, and higher soot concentrations emitted into the chamber resulted in smaller ice particles being formed. Chamber conditions corresponding to higher cruising altitudes were found to favor ice particle formation. The microphysical model captures trends of particle extinction measurements well, but discrepancies between the model and the optical particle counter measurements exist as the model predicts narrower ice particle size distributions and ice particle sizes nearly a factor of two larger than measured. These discrepancies are likely due to particle loss and scatter during the experimental sampling process and the lack of treatment of turbulent mixing in the model. Our combined experimental and modeling work demonstrates that formation of contrail ice particles can be reproduced in the NASA PAL facility, and the parametric understanding of the ice particle properties from the model and experiments can potentially be used in large-scale models to provide better estimates of the impact of aviation contrails on climate change