{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":91503,"title":"Computer Optimization and 3D Printing of Quantum Dot Solar Cells","primaryTaxonomyNodes":[{"taxonomyNodeId":10597,"taxonomyRootId":8816,"parentNodeId":10593,"level":3,"code":"TX03.1.4","title":"Dynamic Energy Conversion","definition":"Dynamic energy conversion generates electrical power or mechanical work through the conversion of heat using mechanical heat engines.","exampleTechnologies":"Advanced Stirling radioisotope generator; 1-10 kWe Stirling fission power system; Brayton and Rankine cycle generators with solar, fission, or chemical energy sources","hasChildren":false,"hasInteriorContent":true}],"startTrl":2,"currentTrl":3,"endTrl":3,"benefits":"Despite successes in increasing solar cell efficiency using highly ordered arrays of nanoscale pillars as electrodes, it is challenging to predict from basic scientific principles which structures will improve photovolatic efficiency. Furthermore, current strategies for achieving structural control, such as self-assembly or etching, are extremely limited in the scope of structures that can be formed. This project explores exciting opportunities at the confluence of computer optimization and 3D printing to maximize efficiency of solar cells. ","description":"The ability to assemble materials on the micro-to-nanometer scale continues to be an area of great scientific and technological interest. In the field of solar cells, using highly ordered arrays of nanoscale pillars as electrodes resulted in up to a 50% increase in solar cell efficiency compared to a flat electrode. Despite this success, it is challenging to predict from basic scientific principles which structures will improve photovolatic efficiency. Furthermore, current strategies for achieving structural control, such as self-assembly or etching, are extremely limited in the scope of structures that can be formed. My proposal explores exciting opportunities at the confluence of computer optimization and 3D printing to maximize efficiency of solar cells. My proposed research will first apply this dual approach to the field of Quantum Dot (QD) assemblies for photovoltaics. Quantum dots hold tremendous potential for efficient solar energy conversion, which has broad impacts for our transition towards a sustainable energy portfolio. Despite impressive recent progress, one of the largest challenges in thin film QD solar cells is the poor extraction of photo-generated charges due to lack of continuous charge collection pathways. Therefore, even if exciton generation in QDs is record breaking, until there is sufficient control over QD assemblies that allows for collection of electrons at one of the electrodes, QD photovoltaic devices will not reach their full potential. The problem of inefficient charge collection is not specific to QD solar cells, and this research will enable more efficient overall solar cell design. I initiated this research project because I saw the potential for computer optimization methods and 3D printing to vastly improve QD assemblies and their resultant photovoltaic performance. I sought out experts in these two very different fields and brought them together to collaborate on and solve this interdisciplinary problem. Both at Cornell University, Professor Hod Lipson in the Mechanical Engineering dept. is an expert in computational optimization and 3D printing, and Professor Tobias Hanrath in the Chemical Engineering dept. is an expert in QD assemblies. I will conduct my research jointly between their labs. I will use computational techniques to obtain optimized 3D structures for both the solar cell electrodes and for the QD assemblies. The best structures will be 3D printed and tested to verify the optimization methods. In the end, the optimization of structure by a combination of computer optimization and 3D printing will be broadly applicable to many technologies.","startYear":2015,"startMonth":8,"endYear":2019,"endMonth":7,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":471631,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Tobias","lastName":"Hanrath","fullName":"Tobias Hanrath","fullNameInverted":"Hanrath, Tobias","primaryEmail":"tobias.hanrath@cornell.edu","publicEmail":false,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":84634,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Claudia","lastName":"Meyer","fullName":"Claudia M Meyer","fullNameInverted":"Meyer, Claudia M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"claudia.m.meyer@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":84634,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Claudia","lastName":"Meyer","fullName":"Claudia M Meyer","fullNameInverted":"Meyer, Claudia M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"claudia.m.meyer@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":183514,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Hung","lastName":"Nguyen","fullName":"Hung D Nguyen","fullNameInverted":"Nguyen, Hung D","middleInitial":"D","primaryEmail":"hung.d.nguyen@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"projectManagers":[{"contactId":227954,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"John","lastName":"Carr","fullName":"John A Carr","fullNameInverted":"Carr, John A","middleInitial":"A","primaryEmail":"john.a.carr@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"coInvestigators":[{"contactId":136990,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Eliad","lastName":"Peretz","fullName":"Eliad Peretz","fullNameInverted":"Peretz, Eliad","primaryEmail":"eliad.peretz@gmail.com","publicEmail":false,"nacontact":false}],"website":"https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/home/index.html","libraryItems":[],"transitions":[{"transitionId":75827,"projectId":91503,"transitionDate":"2019-07-01","path":"Closed Out","details":"My research is addressing the solar power production challenge facing current and future NASA mission architectures, It aims to find a technological path to produce high specific power solar array, all to enable a wider design space for future mission architectures. We open by exploring over a hundred and sixty space missions empirically, analyzing theoretically and establishing the current state of the art limitation and future prospects creating for the first time a unified database. At the heart of this research, we examine theoretically through computational optimization how solar cell technology could be modified to achieve high specific power solar arrays. We continue to fabricating devices to demonstrate the principals of operation as well as the viability of the proposed concept. This research used advanced computational techniques to obtain 3D architectures for both electrodes and absorbing materials that optimize the efficiency of a solar cell and minimizes its mass. The predicted structures were fabricated and tested to verify the optimization methods. Its results are implemented in a verity of fields, from advancing detector technologies used for space telescopes to X-ray attenuators exploring the Sun. they are also used to inform mission Pi’s, system engineers and project managers on the current state of the art through providing both statistical and specific data that deliver both context and a reality check when examining different mission architectures and space technologies to support NASA’s goals and missions. The following document describes only shortly the amount of work conducted under this research grant, for further details please contact me at Eliad.peretz@nasa.gov","infoText":"Closed out","infoTextExtra":"","dateText":"July 2019"}],"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"program":{"acronym":"STRG","active":true,"description":"
\tThe Space Technology Research Grants Program will accelerate the development of "push" technologies to support the future space science and exploration needs of NASA, other government agencies and the commercial space sector. Innovative efforts with high risk and high payoff will be encouraged. The program is composed of two competitively awarded components.
","programId":69,"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdId":4875,"stockImageFileId":36658,"title":"Space Technology Research Grants"},"leadOrganization":{"canUserEdit":false,"city":"Ithaca","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"external":true,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":3009,"organizationName":"Cornell University","organizationType":"Academia","stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"NY","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"New York","stateTerritoryId":55},"stateTerritoryId":55,"murepUnitId":190415,"naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"Academia"},"supportingOrganizations":[{"acronym":"MSFC","canUserEdit":false,"city":"Huntsville","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4854,"organizationName":"Marshall Space Flight Center","organizationType":"NASA_Center","stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"AL","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Alabama","stateTerritoryId":18},"stateTerritoryId":18,"naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Center"}],"statesWithWork":[{"abbreviation":"NY","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"New York","stateTerritoryId":55}],"lastUpdated":"2024-2-6","releaseStatusString":"Released","viewCount":633,"endDateString":"Jul 2019","startDateString":"Aug 2015"}}