Implementation of a Multi-layered Luminescent Solar Concentrator with Inorganic Phosphors on Solar Windows

Since the 1970’s, Luminescent Solar Concentrators (LSCs) have been studied. A part of the photons emitted by the Sun will enter the LSC module, which is then absorbed by the luminescent phosphors in the LSC, then redirected and spread out to the edges of the LSC module. Once redirected it the photons can be collected and converted by Photovoltaic cells to generate power. Roughly $25 \%$ of the photons directed at the LSC is lost and absorbed by the module due to Reabsorption Loss. With having a multilayered design for the LSC Reabsorption Losses can be minimized. Using PVTrace simulations the behavior of photons inside a Multilayered LSC is observed and an optimal thickness for the phosphor layer is $\mathrm{2 . 1 5 m m}$ for a multilayered LSC measuring 104x104x19mm. Phosphor layers measuring $0.65,1.15$, 1.65, 2.15, 2.65, 3.15, 4.00 mm was simulated in PVTrace with 100,000 photons each and the reabsorption losses are $24.57 \%$, ${2 4 . 3 8 \%}, {2 4 . 1 8 \%}, {2 4 . 0 3 \%}, {2 4 . 1 6 \%}$ and ${2 4 . 4 8 \%}$ respectively. The phosphor layer measuring 2.15 mm is used for the lower reabsorption losses. Both the single layered and multilayered LSCs have eight (8) photovoltaic cells connected in a series. In the span of 3 hours of actual testing the results showed that the single layered LSC have an efficiency of $4.69 \%$ and the multilayered LSC have an efficiency of ${4 . 7 2 \%}$. The results shows that LSC having multiple layers can improve the performance of an LSC.