Inspenet, August 1, 2023.
Repairing or replacing the solar panels on some spacecraft is made difficult by the challenging environment in which they are found. However, a team of scientists has managed to develop an innovative technique that allows solar panels to self-repair using sunlight present in space .
How is self-repairing of solar panels possible?
The research team, led by Shi Tang of the University of Sydney in Australia and Anita Ho-Baillie of the Australian Research Council (ARC)-supported Center of Excellence for Exciton Science, has demonstrated significant progress in perovskite solar cells . These cells, damaged by proton radiation in low Earth orbit, can recover up to 100% of their original efficiency through a process stimulated by solar radiation.
To test their theory, they subjected the solar cells to a bombardment of protons simulating the conditions that the solar arrays of a satellite in low-Earth orbit would be exposed to for extended periods, even decades or centuries. The results show that these cells can effectively self-repair , fully recovering their damaged efficiency.
The study researchers have discovered that certain solar cells, specifically those that do not contain the Spiro-OMeTAD compound or the LiTFSI dopant, can fully recover from damage caused by proton radiation through treatment that can be performed in situ, without the need for direct human intervention and that is driven by solar radiation.
The title of the study is “Effect of hole transport materials and their dopants on the stability and recovery of perovskite solar cells on very thin substrates after 7 MeV proton irradiation” and it has been published in the academic journal Advanced Energy Materials.
Source: https://noticiasdelaciencia.com/art/47439/paneles-solares-reparables-por-la-propia-luz-solar
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