Abstract
Provided are a microstructured optical film structure with a latitude position optimization function applicable to a solar light-collection module installed (operated) in a direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to sunlight or a direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the ground and a method of using the light-collection film to collect sunlight or ambient light. The microstructured optical film structure includes a solar (PV) module. The module is applicable to various inorganic/organic photovoltaic chips/photoelectric sensors/modules thereof and includes optimized microstructured optical film layers capable of receiving different light rays incident at various angles from different latitude spaces.
Claims
1. A microstructured light-collection film structure, comprising: a normal light-receiving optical film, having a light-receiving face; and a plurality of microstructures, in an array arrangement and arranged on the light-receiving face of the normal light-receiving optical film, wherein each of the microstructures comprises a bottom face, a first light-facing face, a second light-facing face, and a third light-facing face, the first light-facing face extends upward from an end of the bottom face, a first interior angle is formed between the first light-facing face and the bottom face, the second light-facing face is connected to an end of the first light-facing face away from the bottom face and extends upward, a second interior angle is formed between the second light-facing face and the first light-facing face, one end of the third light-facing face is connected to an end of the second light-facing face away from the end thereof connected to the first light-facing face and extends downward, and an other end of the third light-facing face is connected to an end of the bottom face away from the end thereof connected to the first light-facing face.
2. The microstructured light-collection film structure according to claim 1, wherein the third light-facing face has a convex arc in the form of a free-form surface.
3. The microstructured light-collection film structure according to claim 2, further comprising an anti-reflective film covering the microstructures, wherein the anti-reflective film has a first refractive index n.sub.1.
4. The microstructured light-collection film structure according to claim 3, wherein each of the microstructures has a second refractive index n.sub.2, and the first refractive index n.sub.1 is less than the second refractive index n.sub.2.
5. The microstructured light-collection film structure according to claim 4, wherein the normal light-receiving optical film has a third refractive index n.sub.3, and the second refractive index n.sub.2 is less than the third refractive index n.sub.3.
6. The microstructured light-collection film structure according to claim 5, further comprising an optical adhesive arranged below the normal light-receiving optical film, wherein the optical adhesive has a fourth refractive index n.sub.4, and the third refractive index n.sub.3 is less than the fourth refractive index n.sub.4.
7. The microstructured light-collection film structure according to claim 1, wherein the first interior angle is greater than or equal to 50 and less than or equal to 80.
8. The microstructured light-collection film structure according to claim 7, wherein the second interior angle is greater than or equal to 120 and less than or equal to 175, at least a third interior angle is formed between the second light-facing face and the first light-facing face, and the third interior angle is greater than or equal to 130 and less than or equal to 160.
9. The microstructured light-collection film structure according to claim 1, wherein the array arrangement is a symmetrical array arrangement, comprising at least but not limited to a circular symmetrical array arrangement, a polygonal symmetrical array arrangement, and a single-axis symmetrical array arrangement.
10. The microstructured light-collection film structure according to claim 1, wherein the array arrangement is a linear array arrangement, comprising at least but not limited to a circular linear array arrangement, a polygonal linear array arrangement, and a single-axis linear array arrangement.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view showing a first embodiment of a microstructured light-collection film structure of the present invention in a symmetrical two-dimensional array arrangement and receiving light multi-dimensionally.
[0020] FIG. 2a is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a section line A-A of FIG. 1.
[0021] FIG. 2b is schematic cross-sectional view taken along the section line A-A of FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic top view showing a first embodiment of a microstructured light-collection film structure of the present invention in another symmetrical array arrangement and receiving light multi-dimensionally.
[0023] FIG. 4a is a schematic cross-sectional view of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention applied to a solar module and taken along a section line B-B of FIG. 3.
[0024] FIG. 4b is a schematic cross-sectional view of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention applied to a solar module and taken along the section line B-B of FIG. 3.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a 3D top view of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 6a is a schematic cross-sectional view of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention installed in a direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the ground and taken along a section line C-C of FIG. 5.
[0027] FIG. 6b is a schematic cross-sectional view of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention installed in a direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the ground and taken along a section line C-C of FIG. 5.
[0028] FIG. 7a is a schematic top view showing a microstructured light-collection film structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention in a linear array arrangement and receiving light multi-dimensionally.
[0029] FIG. 7b is a schematic top view showing a microstructured light-collection film structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention in another linear array arrangement and receiving light multi-dimensionally.
[0030] FIG. 8a is a schematic cross-sectional view of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention applied to a solar module and taken along a section line C-C of FIG. 7a.
[0031] FIG. 8b is a schematic cross-sectional view of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention applied to a solar module and taken along the section line C-C of FIG. 7a.
[0032] FIG. 9a is an embodiment in which a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention is installed (operated) in a direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the ground.
[0033] FIG. 9b is an embodiment in which a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention is installed (operated) in a direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the ground.
[0034] FIG. 10a is an embodiment in which a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention is applied to a solar module and installed (operated) in a direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the ground.
[0035] FIG. 10b is an embodiment in which a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention is applied to a solar module and installed (operated) in a direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the ground.
[0036] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a curve showing a functional relationship between photoelectric conversion efficiency and a solar flux concentration of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] Specific implementations of the present invention are described in detail below in combination with specific situations.
[0038] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view showing a first embodiment of a microstructured light-collection film structure of the present invention in a symmetrical two-dimensional array arrangement and receiving light multi-dimensionally. FIG. 2a to FIG. 2b are schematic cross-sectional views taken along the section line A-A of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic top view showing a first embodiment of a microstructured light-collection film structure of the present invention in another symmetrical array arrangement and receiving light multi-dimensionally. FIG. 4a to FIG. 4b are schematic cross-sectional views of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention applied to a solar module and taken along a section line B-B of FIG. 3.
[0039] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2a to FIG. 2b, a microstructured light-collection film structure 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a normal light-receiving optical film 10 and a plurality of microstructures 20.
[0040] The normal light-receiving optical film 10 may have a light-receiving face 11. In some embodiments, the normal light-receiving optical film has a third refractive index n.sub.3.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the plurality of microstructures 20 may be in an array arrangement and arranged on the light-receiving face 11 of the normal light-receiving optical film 10. The array arrangement may be a symmetrical array arrangement, including at least a symmetrical circular array arrangement, a symmetrical polygonal array arrangement, and a symmetrical single-axis array arrangement. In FIG. 1, the array arrangement is a symmetrical quadrilateral (offset) array arrangement, and in FIG. 3, the array arrangement is a symmetrical quadrilateral (centered) array arrangement.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 2a to FIG. 2b again, each microstructure 20 may have a second refractive index n.sub.2, and may include a bottom face 24, a first light-facing face 21, a second light-facing face 22, and a third light-facing face 23. The first light-facing face 21 may extend upward from an end of the bottom face 24, and a first interior angle A is formed between the first light-facing face 21 and the bottom face 24. In some embodiments, the first interior angle A may be greater than or equal to 50 and less than or equal to 80. In FIG. 2a, the first interior angle A is illustrated as 70. The second light-facing face 22 may be connected to an end of the first light-facing face 21 away from an end thereof connected to the bottom face 24 and extend upward, and a second interior angle B is formed between the second light-facing face 22 and the first light-facing face 21. In some embodiments, the second interior angle B may be greater than or equal to 120 and less than or equal to 175. In FIG. 2a, the second interior angle B is illustrated as 150. One end of the third light-facing face 23 may be connected to an end of the second light-facing face 22 away from an end thereof connected to the first light-facing face 21 and extend downward, and an other end of the third light-facing face 23 is connected to an end of the bottom face 24 away from the end thereof connected to the first light-facing face 21. In some embodiments, the third light-facing face 23 has a convex arc F in the form of a free-form surface. In some embodiments, a height of each microstructure 20 may be 50 m, and a distance between two adjacent microstructures 20 may be 50 m, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 2a, the convex arcs F are periodically and two-dimensionally arranged in back-to-back pairs.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 2b, at least a third interior angle C is formed between the second light-facing face 22 and the first light-facing face 21, so that a plurality of interior angles is formed between the second light-facing face 22 and the first light-facing face 21, and even a free-form surface is formed. In some embodiments, the third interior angle C may be greater than or equal to 120 and less than or equal to 160.
[0045] The microstructure 20 may be, but is not limited to, one of ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), or liquid optically clear resin.
[0046] The second refractive index n.sub.2 is greater than or equal to 1.30 and less than or equal to 1.49.
[0047] In some embodiments, the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 of the present invention may further include an anti-reflective film 30. The anti-reflective film 30 may cover the microstructures 20. In some embodiments, the anti-reflective film 30 may have a first refractive index n.sub.1. The first refractive index n.sub.1 of the anti-reflective film 30 is less than the second refractive index n.sub.2 of each microstructure 20. The second refractive index n.sub.2 of each microstructure 20 is less than the third refractive index n.sub.3 of the normal light-receiving optical film 10. However, space beyond the anti-reflective film 30 (that is, above the anti-reflective film 30 as shown in FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b) has a reflexive index no of air.
[0048] The anti-reflective film 30 may be but is not limited to anti-reflection liquid optical clear resin (AR Optical Clear Resin).
[0049] The first refractive index n.sub.1 is greater than or equal to 1.01 and less than or equal to 1.30.
[0050] Preferably, n.sub.1=n.sub.0 may be selected during material selection in the process of microstructure optimization design. At this point, n.sub.2 can be made from self-cleaning, dust-resistant materials, such as but not limited to ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE).
[0051] The normal light-receiving optical film 10 may be, but is not limited to, the liquid optical clear resin or an optical clear adhesive.
[0052] The third refractive index n.sub.3 is greater than or equal to 1.40 and less than or equal to 1.68.
[0053] Preferably, n.sub.3=n.sub.2 may be selected during material selection in the process of microstructure optimization design.
[0054] In some embodiments, the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 of the present invention may further include an optical adhesive 40. The optical adhesive 40 may be arranged below the normal light-receiving optical film 10. The optical adhesive 40 may have a fourth refractive index n.sub.4, and the third refractive index n.sub.3 of the normal light-receiving optical film 10 is less than the fourth refractive index n.sub.4 of the optical adhesive 40.
[0055] The optical adhesive 40 may be, but not limited to, one of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyolefin elastomer (POE), or co-extrusion POE (EPE).
[0056] The fourth refractive index n.sub.4 is greater than or equal to 1.45 and less than or equal to 1.70.
[0057] As shown in FIG. 2a to FIG. 2b and FIG. 4a to FIG. 4b, in the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, by means of the microstructures 20 in a symmetrical array arrangement and having the latitude position optimization function, a receiving angle of the microstructured light-collection film is expanded such that in addition to solar rays normally incident at an angle of 0, solar rays L1 and L2 (incident at angles of 10-80 and 80-10 respectively) may be received around the clock (including in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, from sunrise to sunset, ambient light, and the like), to improve efficiency of exposure to sunlight, so as to achieve a real building integrated solar module/system (BIPV/BIPVs) capable of collecting sunlight or ambient light with high efficiency and gain, thereby greatly improving power generation efficiency of the system and reducing the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) per kilowatt-hour.
[0058] Referring to FIG. 2a to FIG. 2b and FIG. 4a to FIG. 4b, the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention may be installed on various inorganic/organic photovoltaic chips/photoelectric sensors/and a module 200 thereof, so that the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 of the present invention and various inorganic/organic photovoltaic chips/photoelectric sensors/and the module 200 thereof are integrally formed as a microstructured light-collection solar module 300.
[0059] FIG. 5 is a 3D top view of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention. FIG. 6a to FIG. 6b are schematic cross-sectional views of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention installed in a direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the ground and taken along a section line C-C of FIG. 5. FIG. 7a to FIG. 7b are schematic top views showing a microstructured light-collection film structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention in a linear array arrangement and receiving light multi-dimensionally. FIG. 8a to FIG. 8b are schematic cross-sectional views of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention applied to a solar module and taken along the section line C-C of FIG. 7a. The microstructured light-collection film structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as or similar to the foregoing microstructured light-collection film structure 100 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the same elements are denoted by the same element number.
[0060] Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6a to FIG. 6b, the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a normal light-receiving optical film 10 and a plurality of microstructures 20.
[0061] When the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 is installed in the direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the ground, the microstructured light-collection film structure may have an installation angle in a range of 90+10, or is optimized at a specific angle (such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa) and still has the light-collection function in all weather (including spring, summer, autumn, and winter, sunrise to sunset, and ambient light).
[0062] The normal light-receiving optical film 10 may have a light-receiving face 11. In some embodiments, the normal light-receiving optical film has a third refractive index n.sub.3.
[0063] Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 7a to FIG. 7b, the plurality of microstructures 20 may be in an array arrangement and arranged on the light-receiving face 11 of the normal light-receiving optical film 10. A difference between the array arrangement in the second embodiment and the array arrangement in the first embodiment lies in the array arrangement in the second embodiment may be a linear array arrangement, including at least a circular linear array arrangement, a polygonal linear array arrangement, and a single-axis linear array arrangement. In FIG. 1, the array arrangement is a quadrilateral (offset) linear array arrangement, and in FIG. 3, the array arrangement is a quadrilateral (centered) linear array arrangement.
[0064] Referring to FIG. 6a to FIG. 6b again, each microstructure 20 may have a second refractive index n.sub.2, and may include a bottom face 24, a first light-facing face 21, a second light-facing face 22, and a third light-facing face 23. The first light-facing face 21 may extend upward from an end of the bottom face 24, and a first interior angle A is formed between the first light-facing face 21 and the bottom face 24. In some embodiments, the first interior angle A may be greater than or equal to 50 and less than or equal to 80. In FIG. 6, the first interior angle A is illustrated as 70. The second light-facing face 22 may be connected to an end of the first light-facing face 21 away from an end thereof connected to the bottom face 24 and extend upward, and a second interior angle B is formed between the second light-facing face 22 and the first light-facing face 21. In some embodiments, the second interior angle B may be greater than or equal to 120 and less than or equal to 175. In FIG. 6a, the second interior angle B is illustrated as 150. One end of the third light-facing face 23 may be connected to an end of the second light-facing face 22 away from an end thereof connected to the first light-facing face 21 and extend downward, and an other end of the third light-facing face 23 is connected to an end of the bottom face 24 away from the end thereof connected to the first light-facing face 21. In some embodiments, the third light-facing face 23 has a convex arc F in the form of a free-form surface. In some embodiments, a height of each microstructure 20 may be 50 m, and a distance between two adjacent microstructures 20 may be 50 m, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
[0065] As shown in FIG. 6b, at least a third interior angle C is formed between the second light-facing face 22 and the first light-facing face 21, so that a plurality of interior angles is formed between the second light-facing face 22 and the first light-facing face 21, and even a free-form surface is formed. In some embodiments, the third interior angle C may be greater than or equal to 120 and less than or equal to 160.
[0066] In some embodiments, the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 of the present invention may further include an anti-reflective film 30. The anti-reflective film 30 may cover the microstructures 20. In some embodiments, the anti-reflective film 30 may have a first refractive index n.sub.1. The first refractive index n.sub.1 of the anti-reflective film 30 is less than the second refractive index n.sub.2 of each microstructure 20. The second refractive index n.sub.2 of each microstructure 20 is less than the third refractive index n.sub.3 of the normal light-receiving optical film 10. However, space beyond the anti-reflective film 30 (that is, above the anti-reflective film 30 as shown in FIG. 6a) has a reflexive index n.sub.0 of air.
[0067] In some embodiments, the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 of the present invention may further include an optical adhesive 40. The optical adhesive 40 may be arranged below the normal light-receiving optical film 10. The optical adhesive 40 may have a fourth refractive index n.sub.4, and the third refractive index n.sub.3 of the normal light-receiving optical film 10 is less than the fourth refractive index n.sub.4 of the optical adhesive 40.
[0068] As shown in FIG. 6a to FIG. 6b and FIG. 8a to FIG. 8b, in the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 of the second embodiment of the present invention, by means of the microstructures 20 in a symmetrical array arrangement and having the latitude position optimization function, a receiving angle of the microstructured light-collection film is expanded such that in addition to solar rays normally incident at an angle of 0, all solar rays L3 (incident at angles of 80-10 as shown in FIG. 6a to FIG. 6b or 80-10 as shown in FIG. 8a to FIG. 8b and respectively) may be received, to improve efficiency of exposure to sunlight, so as to achieve a real building integrated solar module/system (BIPV/BIPVs) capable of collecting sunlight or ambient light with high efficiency and gain, thereby greatly improving power generation efficiency of the system and reducing the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) per kilowatt-hour.
[0069] As shown in FIG. 8b, at least a third interior angle C is formed between the second light-facing face 22 and the first light-facing face 21, so that a plurality of interior angles is formed between the second light-facing face 22 and the first light-facing face 21, and even a free-form surface is formed. In some embodiments, the third interior angle C may be greater than or equal to 120 and less than or equal to 160.
[0070] Referring to FIG. 6a to FIG. 6b and FIG. 8a to FIG. 8b, the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention may be installed on various inorganic/organic photovoltaic chips/photoelectric sensors/and a module 200 thereof, so that the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 of the present invention and various inorganic/organic photovoltaic chips/photoelectric sensors/and the module 200 thereof are integrally formed as a microstructured light-collection solar module 300.
[0071] FIG. 9a to FIG. 9b are embodiments in which a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention is installed (operated) in a direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the ground. FIG. 10a to FIG. 10b are embodiments in which a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention is applied to a solar module and installed (operated) in a direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the ground.
[0072] As shown in FIG. 9a to FIG. 9b and FIG. 10a to FIG. 10b, the microstructured light-collection film structure of the present invention may reflect sunlight/ambient light through other buildings or the ground when applied to a solar module.
[0073] When the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 is applied to the solar module and installed in the direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the ground, the microstructured light-collection film structure may have an installation angle in a range of 9010, or is optimized at a specific angle (such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa) and still has the light-collection function in all weather (including spring, summer, autumn, and winter, sunrise to sunset, and ambient light).
[0074] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a curve showing a functional relationship between photoelectric conversion efficiency and a solar flux concentration of a microstructured light-collection film structure according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 11, a functional relationship between conversion efficiency of the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 of the present invention and a solar flux concentration is shown, where a curve a represents a vertical structure with a width of 43.6 m and a height of 60 m, with back recombination=1000 cm/s and front recombination=10 cm/s (a), a curve b represents the technique disclosed by Slade et al. in the related art, a curve c represents a silver cell, and a curve d represents the technique disclosed by Sater et al. in the related art. It is obviously seen that the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 (curve A) of the present invention thoroughly deconstructs the inefficiency of the traditional complex sun tracking structure and the fixed bracket structure and other various related light-collection module technologies having been disclosed, so as to greatly improve photoelectric conversion efficiency of the traditional solar module and surpass the current power generation efficiency problem of the traditional solar module in the fixed bracket structure, thereby greatly improving the power generation efficiency of the system and reducing the levelized cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour.
[0075] Based on the above, in the microstructured light-collection film structure 100 of the present invention and the microstructured light-collection solar module 300 combined with various inorganic/organic photovoltaic chips/photoelectric sensors/and the module 200 thereof, based on the facing directions of different light-facing faces (that is, the first light-facing face 21, the second light-facing face 22, and the third light-facing face 23, it could even be optimized to create more light-receiving surfaces, approaching the formation of a second freeform surface.) of the microstructure 20 on the optical film (that is, the normal light-receiving optical film 10), a microstructured profile defined in a specific latitude range is optimized to collect solar energy/ambient light in the direction perpendicular to sunlight or the direction perpendicular to ground, so as to achieve a real building integrated solar module/system (BIPV/BIPVs) capable of collecting sunlight or ambient light with high efficiency and gain, thereby greatly improving power generation efficiency of the system and reducing the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) per kilowatt-hour.
