Principles of Energy Conversion

Undergraduate course (MPE4311) 2018-2019

Prof. Dr. Ahmed Hamed

Dr. Ali Radwan
Mechanical Power Engineering
Department

Contact Info:-
Dr. Ali Radwan
Email: ali.radwan@ejust.edu.eg
Mobile: (002)-01064510390

Lecture (1)
Ch(8): Production of Electrical Energy
Monday, 24 Sept. 1
Ch. (8) Production of Electrical Energy
 Electrical energy can be converted to almost every other sources of energy with high
conversion efficiency
 Thermal energy can be directly converted to electrical energy in thermoelectric
generators and thermionic converters.
 In the applications that converts thermal energy to electrical energy they obey Carnot
efficiency.
𝑻𝑪
𝜼𝒎𝒂𝒙 = 𝟏 −
𝑻𝑯
 In some other systems, chemical energy can be directly converted to electrical energy
such as in Fuel cells and batteries. In these cases, the conversion efficiency is not
limited to Carnot efficiency.
 In some other applications, electromagnetic energy can be converted into electricity
in photovoltaic modules or solar cells.

1- Fuel cell 2-Thermionic power generator 3- TEG

4- Solar cells 5- Fluid dynamic converters

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Operation characteristics of solar cells

 Electromagnetic energy can be converted directly to electricity in solar cells with no

limitation to Carnot efficiency.
 The principle operation of solar cells is that voltage is induced between the illuminated
and dark regions of semiconducting crystals.

Chapter (8) Production

Photovoltaic cell ofstructure
Electrical Energy 3
Polycrystalline silicon Solar cell structure

PV systems components 4
Operation characteristics of solar cells

Data sheet :-
Isc: short circuit current (A)
Voc: Open circuit voltage (V)
IMP: Current at Maximum power
VMP: Voltage at Maximum power
MPP: Maximum power point

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Polycrystalline silicon Solar cell structure
Grid connected PV system

Off-grid PV system

PV-system components
cost

6
Concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems
 In these systems, dual axis tracking system with efficient cooling device must be
implemented. It uses multijunction solar cell with electrical efficiency reaches 41%.

Uses multijunction solar cells with efficiency

Real CPV system around 40%. 7
Solar cell performance
‫شحنة االلكترون‬
Electron charge ‫الجهد المؤثر على الخلية نتيجة‬ JL
1.602×10−19 C ‫سقوط الفوتونات‬
G
Js
𝑒. 𝑣𝑙 J
𝐽 = 𝐽𝑜 𝑒𝑥𝑝 −1 Load
𝐾. 𝑇
‫كثافة التيار المار في الخلية‬
‫درجة الحرارة المطلقة‬
‫نتيجة المقاومة الداخلية لها‬
Absolute temperature
‫كثافة التيار التشبع العكسي‬
‫ثابت بولتزمان‬
Reverse saturation
Boltzmann constant
current density
1.381×10−23 J/K

𝐽𝐿 = 𝐽𝑠 − 𝐽

‫كثافة تيار الحمل الخارجي‬ ‫كثافة التيار المولد بالخلية‬

𝑒. 𝑣𝑙
𝐽𝐿 = 𝐽𝑠 − 𝐽𝑜 𝑒𝑥𝑝 −1
𝐾. 𝑇 Short circuit
current
For short circuit current conditions, 𝑣 l =0 𝐽𝐿 = 𝐽𝑠
Solar cell area
The generated power is calculated by 𝑃 = 𝑣𝑙 . 𝐽𝑙 . 𝐴
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‫‪Solar cell performance‬‬
‫𝑙𝑣 ‪𝑒.‬‬
‫𝑝𝑥𝑒 𝑜𝐽 ‪𝑃 = 𝐴. 𝑣𝑙 . 𝐽𝑠 − 𝐴. 𝑣𝑙 .‬‬ ‫‪−1‬‬
‫𝑇 ‪𝐾.‬‬
‫‪To get Vl,max, P‬‬ ‫𝑃𝜕‬
‫‪=0‬‬
‫𝑙𝑣𝜕‬
‫𝐽‬
‫𝑃‪𝑒. 𝑣𝑙,𝑚𝑎𝑥,‬‬ ‫𝐽‪1 + 𝑠ൗ‬‬ ‫هذه المعادلة نحصل منها على قيمة الجهد‬
‫𝑜‬
‫𝑝𝑥𝑒‬ ‫=‬ ‫𝑃‪𝑒. 𝑣𝑙,𝑚𝑎𝑥,‬‬ ‫عند اقصى قدرة ممكنه من الخلية‬
‫𝑇 ‪𝐾.‬‬ ‫‪1+‬‬
‫𝑇 ‪𝐾.‬‬

‫وللحصول على قيمه اقصى قدره‬

‫‪Pmax‬‬
‫𝑃 ‪𝑒. 𝑣𝑙,max‬‬
‫𝑝𝑥𝑒 𝑜𝐽‪𝑃 = 𝑣𝑙,max 𝑃 . 𝐴. (𝐽𝑠 −‬‬ ‫) ‪−1‬‬
‫𝑇 ‪𝐾.‬‬
‫‪Or‬‬
‫) 𝑜𝑗 ‪𝐴. 𝑣𝑙,𝑚𝑎𝑥,𝑃 (𝑗𝑠 +‬‬
‫= 𝑥𝑎𝑚𝑃‬
‫𝑇 ‪𝐾.‬‬
‫𝑣 ‪1 + 𝑒.‬‬
‫𝑃‪𝑙,𝑚𝑎𝑥,‬‬

‫𝑥𝑎𝑚𝑃‬
‫= 𝑃‪𝜂𝑚𝑎𝑥,‬‬
‫𝐴 ‪𝐺.‬‬
‫‪9‬‬
Example (8.4):-

At a given intensity on a solar

cell, the short circuit current
density is (Js) 180 A/m2. And the
reverse saturation current
density is (Jo) 8×10-9 A/m2. At a
temperature of 27oC and the
condition of maximum power,
find the effective surface area
needed for an output of 1000 W.
and estimate the conversion
efficiency if the radiation
intensity is 930 W/m2.

10
Answer to the following questions:-

1- Describe the construction of polycrystalline solar cell ?

2- Compare between the on grid and off grid connected PV system ?

3- explain with graphs, the effect of increasing solar intensity on the solar
cell I-V curve ?

4- Explain the effect of increasing the solar cell temperature on the I-V
curve.

5-Explain the I-V curve with detailed positioning of maximum power

point, short circuit current, open circuit voltage, cell voltage at
maximum power, current at maximum power point?

6- What are the main component of standalone PV system?

7-Describe the CPV system component ?
8- What is the principle operation of solar cell ?
9- Related problems.

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Operation characteristics of solar cells
 The bottom layer of the PV cell is usually doped with boron, which bonds with the silicon to facilitate a
positive charge (P), while the top layer is doped with phosphorus, which bonds with the silicon to facilitate a
negative charge (N).
 The surface between the resulting "p-type" and "n-type" semiconductors is called the P-N junction.
Electron movement at this surface produces an electric field that allows electrons to flow only from the p-
type layer to the n-type layer.

 When sunlight enters the cell, its energy knocks electrons loose in both layers. Because of the opposite
charges of the layers, the electrons want to flow from the n-type layer to the p-type layer. But the electric
field at the P-N junction prevents this from happening.

 The presence of an external circuit, provides the necessary path for electrons in the n-type layer to travel to
the p-type layer. The electrons flowing through this circuit typically thin wires running along the top of the
n-type layer.

Photovoltaic cell structure

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