Self-cleaning protective coatings for use with photovoltaic cells

Abstract

Systems and materials to improve photovoltaic cell efficiency by implementing a self-cleaning function on photovoltaic cells and on albedo surfaces associated with photovoltaic cell assemblies are provided. Materials for protecting albedo surfaces that surround photovoltaic cell assemblies, thereby maximizing energy input into the photovoltaic cell assemblies, are provided. Materials for self-cleaning photovoltaic cell panels, thereby maintaining their efficiency, are provided. Portable albedo collecting devices associated with photovoltaic cell assemblies are provided.

1 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . An albedo protective composite for use with solar cells, the albedo composite comprising:
 a high albedo layer; and   a self-cleaning layer.   
     
     
         37 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 36 , wherein said high albedo layer has an albedo of sixty percent or greater. 
     
     
         38 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 36 , wherein said high albedo layer has an albedo of seventy percent or more. 
     
     
         39 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 36 , wherein the self-cleaning layer comprises a photocatalytic material. 
     
     
         40 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 36 , wherein the self-cleaning layer comprises Ti-hydroxyapetite. 
     
     
         41 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 36 , wherein the self-cleaning layer comprises anatase TiO 2 , rutile TiO 2  or brookitein TiO 2 . 
     
     
         42 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 36 , wherein the self-cleaning layer comprises between 1 percent TiO 2  and 90 percent TiO 2  by weight. 
     
     
         43 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 36 , wherein the self-cleaning layer comprises ZnO, SnO 2 , SrTiO 3 , WO 3 , Bi 2 O 3 , or Fe 2 O 3 . 
     
     
         44 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 36 , wherein the self-cleaning layer is formed from perotitanium solution or perox-modified anatase sol. 
     
     
         45 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 36 , wherein the self-cleaning layer comprises a plurality of nano-particles. 
     
     
         46 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 45 , wherein the plurality of nano-particles comprises SiO 2 , TiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2  or SnO 2 , or silica. 
     
     
         47 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 36 , wherein the self-cleaning layer comprises TEFLON®, polytetrafluoroethylene or polychlorotrifluoroethylene. 
     
     
         48 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 36 , wherein the self-cleaning layer comprises a composite of CaF 2  and TiO 2 . 
     
     
         49 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 36 , wherein the self-cleaning layer comprises a photocatalytic oxide and a resin. 
     
     
         50 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 49 , wherein the resin comprises a silicone resin or a fluororesin. 
     
     
         51 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 49 , wherein the resin comprises a silicone resin and wherein the silicone resin comprises ethyltrimethoxysilane, methyltriethoxysilane, methyltrichlorosilane, methyltribromosilane, methyltriisopropoxysilane, methyl-tri-t-butoxysilane, ethyltrimethoxysilane, ethyltriethoxysilane, ethyltrichlorosilane, ethyltribromosilane, ethyltriisopropoxysilane, ethyl-tri-t-butoxysilane, n-propyltrimethoxysilane, n-propyltriethoxysilane, n-propyltrichlorosilane, n-propyltribromosilane, n-propyltriisopropoxysilane, n-propyl-tri-t-butoxysilane, n-hexyltrimethoxysilane, n-hexyltriethoxysilane, n-hexytrichlorosilane, n-hexyltribromosilane, n-hexyltriisopropoxysilane, n-hexyl-tri-t-butoxysilane, n-decyltrimethoxysilane, n-decyltriethoxysilane, n-decyltrichlorosilane, n-decyltribromosilane, n-decyltriisopropoxysilane, n-decyl-tri-t-butoxysilane, n-octatrimethoxysilane, n-octatriethoxysilane, n-octatrichlorosilane, n-octatribromosilane, n-octatriisopropoxysilane, n-octa-tri-t-butoxysilane, phenyltrimethoxysilane, phenyltriethoxysilane, phenyltrichlorosilane, phenyltribromosilane, phenyltriisopropoxysilane, phenyl-t-butoxysilane, dimethyldichlorosilane, dimethyldibromosilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, dimethyldiethoxysilane, diphenyldichlorosilane, diphenyldibromosilane, diphenyldimethoxysilane, diphenyldiethoxysilane, phenylmethyldichlorosilane, phenylmethyldibromosilane, phenylmethyldimethoxysilane, phenylmethyldiethoxysilane, vinyltrichlorosilane, vinyltribromosilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltriisopropoxysilane, vinyl-tri-t-butoxysilane, trifluoropropyltrichlorosilane, trifluoropropyltribromosilane, trifluoropropyltrimethoxysilane, trifluoropropyltriethoxysilane, trifluoropropyltriisopropoxysilane, trifluoropropyl-tri-t-butoxysilane, γ-glycidoxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, γ-glycidoxypropylmethyldiethoxysilane, γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, γ-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane, γ-glycidoxypropyltriisopropoxysilane, γ-glycidoxypropyl-tri-t-butoxysilane, γ-methacryloxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, γ-methacryloxypropylmethyldiethoxysilane, γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, γ-methacryloxypropyltriethoxysilane, γ-methacryloxypropyltriisopropoxysilane, γ-methacryloxypropyl-tri-t-butoxysilane, γ-aminopropylmethyldimethoxysilane, γ-aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane, γ-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, γ-aminopropyltriisopropoxysilane, γ-aminopropyl-tri-t-butoxysilane, γ-mercaptopropylmethyldimethoxysilane, γ-mercaptopropylmethyldiethoxysilane, γ-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane, γ-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane, γ-mercaptopropyltriisopropoxysilane, γ-mercaptopropyl-tri-t-butoxysilane, β-(3,4-poxycyclohexyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane, β-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltriethoxysilane, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         52 . The albedo protective composite of  claim 49 , wherein the resin comprises a fluororesin and wherein the fluororesin comprises polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl fluoride, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, ethylene/chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer, tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, perfluorocyclo polymer, vinyl ether/fluoroolefin copolymer, vinyl ester/fluoroolefin copolymer, tetrafluoroethylene/vinyl ether copolymer, chlorotrifluoroethylene/vinyl ether copolymer, urethane-crosslinked tetrafluoroethylene, epoxy-crosslinked tetrafluoroethylene, acryl-crosslinked tetrafluoroethylene, melamine-crosslinked tetrafluoroethylene, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         53 - 59 . (canceled)