‘Record-breaking’ bifacial solar cells produced by laser doping


Researchers at The Australian National University have produced a more efficient solar cell using laser doping, setting what they say is a world record. The cells are dual-sided, so


front and back create power. Principal investigator Dr Kean Chern Fong said the ‘bifacial’ solar cells exceed single-sided silicon solar cell performance. ‘We have developed a true


bifacial solar cell, as it has nearly symmetrical power generation capacity on both surfaces,’ he said. ‘When deployed on a conventional solar farm, a bifacial cell absorbs direct incoming light, while also taking advantage of ground reflection, which can contribute an additional 30 per cent power generation. Bifacial solar cells are becoming increasingly important in the rollout of solar farms and are expected to have a market share of more than 50 per cent in the next five years.’ The team used laser doping


technology to make the cells, which uses lasers to locally


The new solar cells achieve a front conversion efficiency of 24.3 per cent and a rear efficiency of 23.4 per cent


increase electrical conductivity in a material. ‘It’s a low-cost, industry-compatible process for boosting efficiency,’ said Dr Marco Ernst, chief investigator. This allowed the team to


achieve a front conversion efficiency of 24.3 per cent and a rear conversion efficiency of 23.4 per cent. This represents an effective power output of around 29 per cent, well- exceeding the best single-sided silicon solar cell, according to the researchers. ‘This is a world record for selectively laser- doped solar cells and among the highest efficiency bifacial solar cells,’ said Ernst.


3D-printed components installed in nuclear reactor


Four 3D-printed fuel assembly brackets have been installed and are in routine operation at a nuclear reactor facility in Athens, Alabama. The brackets, channel fasteners


for French nuclear reactor firm Framatome’s boiling water reactor fuel assembly, were installed at Tennessee Valley Authority’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. They will remain in the reactor for six years, with regular inspections. Developed at the US


Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the brackets represent a significant milestone, according to the lab’s Transformational Challenge Reactor (TCR) programme manager, Ben Betzler. ‘It shows it is possible to


deliver qualified components in a highly-regulated environment,’ he said. ‘This programme bridges


basic and applied science and technology to deliver tangible solutions that show how advanced manufacturing (AM) can transform reactor technology and components.’ The current focus of the TCR


programme is to further mature and demonstrate industry- ready technology informed by AM, AI, integrated sensing and deployment of a digital platform for informed certification of components. The channel fasteners’


straightforward, though non- symmetric, geometry was a good match for what the ORNL says is ‘the first-ever advanced manufacturing application for use in a nuclear reactor’. ‘We are trying to help create


and certify the next generation of nuclear components,’ said Ryan Dehoff, leader of the ORNL’s Deposition Science and Technology Group.


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Eric Byler/The Australian National University


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