Advance seminar

On
PLASTIC SOLAR CELLS
Submitted for partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree
Of
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

BY
J.Rahul (15641A04A1)

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

2015-2019
Contents:
 I ntroduction
 Designing of Plastic Solar Cells
 Screen Printing Technology
 Working of Conventional Solar Cells
 Infrared Plastic Solar Cell
 Working of Plastic Solar Cell
 Improvements
 Applications
 Advantages
 Disadvantages
 References
 WORKING OF CONVENTIONAL SOLAR CELL:

Basically conventional type solar cells Photovoltaic (PV) cells are made of special
materials called semiconductors such as silicon, which is currently the most commonly used.
Basically, when light strikes the cell, a certain portion of it is absorbed within the
semiconductor material. This means that the energy of the absorbed light is transferred to the
semiconductor.

The energy knocks electrons loose, allowing them to flow freely. PV cells also all have
one or more electric fields that act to force electrons freed by light absorption to flow in a
certain direction. This flow of electrons is a current, and by placing metal contacts on the top
and bottom of the PV cell, we can draw that current off to use externally.

For example, the current can power a calculator. This current, together with the cell's
voltage (which is a result of its built-in electric field or fields), defines the power (or
wattage) that the solar cell can produce.

Conventional semiconductor solar cells are made by polycrystalline silicon or in the case
of highest efficiency ones crystalline gallium arsenide.

But by this type of solar cell, it is observed that, only 35% of the suns total energy falling on
it could be judiciously used. Also, this is not so favorable on cloudy days, thus creating a
problem. This major drawback led to the thought of development of a new type of solar cell
embedded with nanotechnology. The process involved in this is almost the same as explained
earlier. But the basic difference lies in the absorption of the wavelength of light from the sun.
 INFRARED PLASTIC SOLAR CELL

Scientists have invented a plastic solar cell that can turn the suns power into electric
energy even on a cloudy day.

Plastic solar cells are not new .But existing materials are only able to harness the sun’s
visible light. While half of the sun’s power lies in the visible spectrum, the other half lies in the
infrared spectrum. The new material is first plastic compound that is able to harness infrared
portion. Every warm body emits heat. This heat is emitted even by man and by animals, even
when it is dark outside.

The plastic material uses nanotechnology and contains the 1stgeneration solar cells
that can harness the sun’s invisible infrared rays. This breakthrough made us to believe that
plastic solar cells could one day become more efficient than the current solar cell. The
researchers combined specially designed nano particles called quantum dots with a polymer to
make the plastic that can detect energy in the infrared.

With further advances the new PLASTIC SOLAR CELL could allow up to 30% of
sun’s radiant energy to be harnessed completely when compared to only 6% in today plastic
best plastic solar cells.
 A large amount of sun’s energy could be harnessed through solar farms and used to power all
our energy needs. This could potentially displace other source of electrical production that
produce green house gases like coal.

Solar energy reaching the earth is 10000 times than what we consume. If we could
cover 0.1% of the earth’s surface with the solar farms we could replace all our energy habits
with a source of power which is clear and renewable.

The first crude solar cells have achieved efficiencies of today’s standard commercial
photovoltaic’s the best solar cell, which are very expensive semiconductor laminates convert at
most, 35% of the sun’s energy into electricity
WORKING OF PLASTIC SOLAR CELL:

The solar cell created is actually a hybrid, comprised of tiny nanorods dispersed in an
organic polymer or plastic. A layer only 200 nanometers thick is sandwiched between
electrodes and can produce at present about .7 volts. The electrode layers and nanorods
/polymer layers could be applied in separate coats, making production fairly easy. And unlike
today’s semiconductor-based photovoltaic devices, plastic solar cells can be manufactured in
solution in a beaker without the need for clean rooms or vacuum chambers.

The technology takes advantage of recent advances in nanotechnology specifically the

Nanorods are manufactured in a beaker containing cadmium selenide, aiming for rods of
diameter-7 nanometers to absorb as much sunlight as possible. The length of the nanorods may
be approximately 60nanometers.
 Then the nanorods are mixed with a plastic semiconductor called p3ht-poly-(3-
hexylthiophene) a transparent electrode is coated with the mixture. The thickness, 200
nanometers-a thousandth the thickness of a human hair-is a factor of 10 less than the micron-
thickness of semiconductor solar cells. An aluminium coating acting as the back electrode
completed the device.

The nanorods act like wires. When they absorb light of a specific wavelength, they
generate an electron plus an electron hole-a vacancy in the crystal that moves around just like
an electron. The electron travels the length of the rod until it is collected by aluminium
electrode. The hole is transferred to the plastic, which is known as a hole-carrier, and conveyed
to the electrode, creating a current.
IMPROVEMENTS:

Some of the obvious improvements include better light collection and concentration,
which already are employed in commercial solar cells. Significant improvements can be made
in the plastic, nanorods mix, too, ideally packing the nanorods closer together, perpendicular to
the electrodes, using minimal polymer, or even none-the nanorods would transfer their
electrons more directly to the electrode. In their first-generation solar cells, the nanorods are
jumbled up in the polymer, leading to losses of current via electron-hole recombination and
thus lower efficiency.

They also hope to tune the nanorods to absorb different colors to span the spectrum of
sunlight. An eventual solar cell has three layers each made of nanorods that absorb at different
wavelength.
APPLICATIONS

1. Silicon possesses some nanoscale properties. This is being exploited in the development
of a super thin disposablesolar panel poster which could offer the rural dwellers a cheap
and an alternative source of power. Most people living in remote areas are not linked to
national electricity grid and use batteries or run their own generator to supply their
power needs. Disposal solar panels can be made in thin sheets with about 6-10 sheets
stacked together and made into a poster can help them to some extent in this regard.
This poster could be mounted behind a window or attached to a cabinet.
2. Like paint the compound can also be sprayed onto other materials and used as portable
electricity.
3. Any chip coated in the material could power cell phone or other wireless devices.
4. A hydrogenpowered carpainted with the film could potentially convert energy into
electricity to continually recharge the car’s battery.
5. One day solarfarms consisting of plastic materials could be rolled across deserts to
generate enough clear energy to supply the entire planet’s power needs.
ADVANTAGES

Plastic solar cells are quite a lot useful in the coming future. This is because of the large
number of advantages it has got. Some of the major advantages are:

1. They are considered to be 30% more efficient when compared to conventional solar
cells.
2. They are more efficient and more practical in application.
3. Traditional solar cells are bulky panels. This is very compact.
4. Conventional solar cells are only used for large applications with big budgets. But the
plastic solar cells are feasible as they can be even sewn into fabric- thus having vast
applications.
5. Flexible, roller processed solar cells have the potential to turn the sun’s power into a
clean, green, consistent source of energy.
DISADVANTAGES

1. The biggest problem with this is cost effectiveness. But that could change with new
material. But chemists have found a way to make cheap plastic solar cells flexible
enough to paint onto any surface and potentially able to provide electricity for wearable
electronics or other low power devices.
2. Relatively shorter life span when continuously exposed to sunlight.
3. Could possibly require higher maintenance and constant monitoring.
CONCLUSION

Plastic solar cells help in exploiting the infrared radiation from the sun’s rays. They are
more effective when compared to the conventional solar cell. The major advantage they enjoy
is that they can even work on cloudy days, which is not possible in the former. They are more
compact and less bulky.

Though at present, cost is a major drawback, it is bound be solved in the near future as
scientists are working in that direction.

As explained earlier, if the solar farms can become a reality, it could possibly solve the
planets problem of depending too much on the fossil fuels, without a chance of even polluting
the environment.
REFERENCES

1. Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Properties and Applications: Edelstein, A. S., Cammarata, R. C.,

2. The Coming Era of Nanotechnology; 1987. Drexler, K. Eric, Doubleday; New York
3. A gentle introduction to the next big idea-Mark A. Ratner, Daniel Ratner.
4. Introduction to nanotechnology- Charles P Poole, Frank J Owens
5. The clean power revolution- Troy Helming
6. Solar energy-fundamentals, design, modeling, applications- G.N. Tiwari
7. Thin film solar cells next generation photovoltaic and its application- Y Hamakawa