WSEAS Transactions on Circuits and Systems
Print ISSN: 1109-2734, E-ISSN: 2224-266X
Volume 14, 2015
Response of GaAs Photovoltaic Converters Under Pulsed Laser Illumination
Authors: ,
Abstract: GaAs photovoltaic converters are useful for the conversion of monochromatic light into electrical power in numerous military and industrial applications. In these applications, high output voltages are often demanded. One approach can be used to match the required voltage requirements is single GaAs photovoltaic converter plus DC-DC converter. However, DC-DC converter runs on pulsed electrical energy naturally. Pulsed operation of photovoltaic converter has significant differences from operation under continuous illumination. Many issues must be addressed before high efficiency transmission of power by pulsed laser can be achieved in practical applications. In an effort to understand these issues, a series of studies are undertaken in this paper. The response of GaAs photovoltaic converter to monochromatic pulsed illumination at high intensity is modeled theoretically. As the simulation results showed, the conversion efficiency of GaAs photovoltaic converter to pulsed laser light is dependent on the converter minority carrier lifetime, the width and frequency of the pulses, and the incident power. In addition, three main circuit effects which decrease the efficiency of GaAs photovoltaic converter for pulsed illumination are discussed detailedly. Finally, some feasible approaches are proposed to solve these issues.
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Keywords: GaAs photovoltaic converter, pulsed laser, minority carrier lifetime, circuit effects, DC-DC converter
Pages: 19-23
WSEAS Transactions on Circuits and Systems, ISSN / E-ISSN: 1109-2734 / 2224-266X, Volume 14, 2015, Art. #3