A team of mathematical experts have said that 1729, which is also known as the Ramanujan-Hardy number, is linked to aspects of string theory and...
A team of scientists have developed a novel transparent coating that will help keep the solar cells cool and significantly increase their efficiency.
The team of engineers from Stanford University developed the novel transparent coating aiming to boost solar panel efficiency. The coating will help keep away the heat generated by a solar cell under direct sunlight and cool it in a way that it allows it to convert more photons into electricity.
The discovery will address the issue of overheating of solar cells, a problem that has been troubling the solar power industry for a long time. The hotter solar panels were less efficientin converting the photons in light into useful electricity.
The team included Shanhui Fan, professor of electrical engineering, research associate Aaswath P Raman and doctoral candidate Linxiao Zhu developed the thin, patterned silica material that is put on top of a solar cell. The coating is transparent to the visible sunlight that charges the solar cells but it is able to captures and emitthermal radiationor heatfrom infrared rays.
Fan said, “Solar arrays must face the Sun to function even though that heat is detrimental to efficiency. Our thermal overlay allows sunlight to pass through, preserving or even enhancing sunlight absorption, but it also cools the cell by radiating the heat out and improving the cell efficiency.”
