Effects of the Incidence Angle and Temperature on the Performance of a Thin-Film CIGS Solar Cell for Solar Powered UAVs

태양광무인기를 위한 박막형 태양전지의 입사각 및 온도에 따른 성능분석

This research aims to study the effects of the incidence angle and surface temperature on the power generation performance of a thin-film CIGS solar cell for solar powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The test rig consists of a unit CIGS solar cell is installed on a table whose angle is controlled manually. A K-type thermocouple is attached to the solar cell surface for temperature measurements. A solar module analyzer measures the voltage and current generated from the test solar cell. The solar module analyzer also calculates the maximum solar power and efficiency of the solar cell. All test data are acquired in a PC. Test results show that the solar cell efficiency decreases significantly with increasing incidence angle and increasing surface temperature in general. As the incidence angle increases from 0 degree to 90 degree, the solar cell efficiency decreases by 60%. The solar cell efficiency decreases by 10% with increasing solar cell surface temperature from $20^{\circ}C$ to $30^{\circ}C$, for exmaple. The direct cooling method of the solar cell using dry ice decreases dramatically the solar cell surface temperature, thus increasing the solar cell efficiency by 15%.