Effect on the output of a luminescent solar concentrator on application of organic wavelength-selective mirrors

摘要

To reduce surface loss in luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), we systematically apply organic wavelength-selective mirrors, chiral nematic (cholesteric) liquid crystals, onto the LSCs with an air gap and determine their effect on waveguide output. The highest output is achieved using a scattering background and cholesteric mirror with a reflection band significantly redshifted (approx150nm) from the emission peak of the fluorescent dye. The use of an air gap results in light bending away from the waveguide surface normal and, consequently, a redshift of the cholesteric mirrors is required. Up to 35percent more dye-emitted light energy exits the waveguide edge after application of the cholesteric, and an increase in absolute edge power of 12percent was found for a waveguide using a separate scatterer.