• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.35.1-35.1
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• 2011

New photovoltaic (PV) materials and manufacturing approaches are needed for meeting the demand for lower-cost solar cells. The prototypal thin-film photovoltaic absorbers (CdTe and $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$) can achieve solar conversion efficiencies of up to 20% and are now commercially available, but the presence of toxic (Cd,Se) and expensive elemental components (In, Te) is a real issue as the demand for photovoltaics rapidly increases. To overcome these limitations, there has been substantial interest in developing viable alternative materials, such as $Cu_2ZnSnS_4$ (CZTS) is an emerging solar absorber that is structurally similar to CIGS, but contains only earth abundant, non-toxic elements and has a near optimal direct band gap energy of 1.4~1.6 ev and a large absorption coefficient of ${\sim}10^4\;cm^{-1}$. The CZTS absorber layers are grown and investigated by various fabrication methods, such as thermal evaporation, e-beam evaporation with a post sulfurization, sputtering, non-vacuum sol-gel, pulsed laser, spray-pyrolysis method and electrodeposition technique. In the present work, we report an alternative method for large area deposition of CZTS thin films that is potentially high throughput and inexpensive when used to produce monolithically integrated solar panel modules. Specifically, we have developed an aqueous chemical approach based on chemical bath deposition (CBD) with a subsequent sulfurization heat treatment. Samples produced by our method were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, absorbance and photoluminescence. The results show that this inexpensive and relatively benign process produces thin films of CZTS exhibiting uniform composition, kesterite crystal structure, and good optical properties. A preliminary solar cell device was fabricated to demonstrate rectifying and photovoltaic behavior.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.67-73
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• 2008

This study has been carried out to investigate the effect of vacuum on the thermal performance of a nonglass evacuated tube. A series of measurements are made indoors to monitor the temperature change of the absorber plate contained in the evacuated tube under different conditions of vacuum and heat fluxes. Those temperatures measured at the thermal equilibrium could be used to assess the heat losses to the ambient in link with the steady operation of non-glass evacuated tubes for solar exploitation.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.108-113
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• 2013

Chalcopyrite material $CuInSe_2$ (CIS) is known to be a very prominent absorber layer for high efficiency thin film solar cells. Current interest in the photovoltaic industry is to identify and develop more suitable materials and processes for the fabrication of efficient and cost-effective solar cells. Various processes have been being tried for making a low cost CIS absorber layer, this study obtained the CIS nanoparticles using commercial powder of 6 mm pieces for low cost CIS absorber layer by high frequency ball milling and cryogenic milling. And the CIS absorber layer was prepared by paste coating using milled-CIS nanoparticles in glove box under inert atmosphere. The chalcopyrite $CuInSe_2$ thin films were successfully made after selenization at the substrate temperature of $550^{\circ}C$ in 30 min, CIS solar cell of Al/ZnO/CdS/CIS/Mo structure prepared under various deposition process such as evaporation, sputtering and chemical vapor deposition respectively. Finally, we achieved CIS nanoparticles solar cell of electric efficient 1.74 % of Voc 29 mV, Jsc 35 $mA/cm^2$ FF 17.2 %. The CIS nanoparticles-based absorber layers were characterized by using EDS, XRD and HRSEM.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.619-625
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• 2021

Cu₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ (CZTSSe) based thin-film solar cells have attracted growing attention because of their earth-abundant and non-toxic elements. However, because of their large open-circuit voltage (V_oc)-deficit, CZTSSe solar cells exhibit poor device performance compared to well-established Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)₂ (CIGS) and CdTe based solar cells. One of the main causes of this large V_oc-deficit is poor absorber properties for example, high band tailing properties, defects, secondary phases, carrier recombination, etc. In particular, the fabrication of absorbers using physical methods results in poor surface morphology, such as pin-holes and voids. To overcome this problem and form large and homogeneous CZTSSe grains, CZTSSe based absorber layers are prepared by a sputtering technique with different RTA conditions. The temperature is varied from 510 ℃ to 540 ℃ during the rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process. Further, CZTSSe thin films are examined with X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, IPCE, Energy dispersive spectroscopy and Scanning electron microscopy techniques. The present work shows that Cu-based secondary phase formation can be suppressed in the CZTSSe absorber layer at an optimum RTA condition.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 2011

This research aims todevelopa compression/absorption hybrid heat pump system using an $NH_3/H_2O$ as working fluid.The heatpump cycle is based on a combination of compression and absorption cycles. The cycle consists of two-stage compressors, absorbers, a desorber, a desuperheater, solution heat exchangers, a solution pump, a rectifier, and a liquid/vapor separator. The compression/absorption hybrid heat pump was designed to produce hot water above $90^{\circ}C$ using high-temperature glide during a two-phase heat transfer. Distinct characteristics of the nonlinear temperature profile should be considered to maximize the performance of the absorber. In this study, the performance of the absorber was investigated depending on the capacity, shape, and arrangementof the plate heat exchangers with regard tothe concentration and distribution at the inlet of the absorber.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.11b
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• pp.199-204
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• 2001

This paper showed the study on the heat transfer into space by the aspect ratio of solar concentration absorber, and the purpose of this study is to obtain the optimum aspect ratio and tilt angle. The boundary conditions of a numerical model were assumed as follows : (1) The heat source is located at the center of absorber. (2) The bottom was is opened and adiabatic. (3) The top, right and left walls are cooled wall. The parameters for the study are the tilt angles and the aspect ratio. The velocity vectors and isotherms were dense at wall side and the heat source. The mean Nusselt number had a maximum value at Ar=1:1 and $\theta=0^{\circ}$ and showed a low value as the tilt angles were increased.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2002

This paper showed the study on the heat transfer into space by the aspect ratio of solar concentration absorber, and the purpose of this study was to obtain the optimum aspect ratio and tilt angle. The boundary conditions of a numerical model are assumed as follows : (1) The heat source is located at the center of absorber. (2) The bottom wall is opened and adiabatic. (3) The top, right and left walls are cooled wall. The parameters for the study are the tilt angles and the aspect ratio. The velocity vectors and isotherms were dense at wall side and the heat source. The mean Nusselt number had a maximum value at Ar=1:1 and ${\theta}=0^{\circ}$ and showed a low value as the tilt angles were increased.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.243-251
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• 2004

Absorption chiller/heater can utilize the unused energy of the daily life waste heat, the industry waste heat. the solar energy and the earth energy. These can contribute to energy savings. But the absorption chiller/heater has a demerit that the size of absorption chiller/heater is larger than that of the vapor compression type based on same capacity. In this study. the experimental apparatus of an absorber is manufactured as a plate. which is newly applied in an absorber. The experimental apparatus is composed of a plate type absorber. which can increase the heat exchange area per unit volume and thus facilitating to deeply investigate more detail features instead of that done by the existing type. i.e.. horizontal tube bundle type. The characteristics of heat transfer and refrigeration capacity are studied experimentally. The absorption enhancement by using surfactant is closely examined through the experiment and comparative figures are presented in quantitative and qualitative analysis.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.46-51
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• 2015

In this paper, we have developed numerical model for particulated flow through narrow slit using Eulerian-Granular method. Commercial software (FLUENT) was utilized as simulation tool and main focus was to identify the effect from various numerical options for modeling of solid particles as continuos phase in granular flow. Gidaspow model was chosen as basic model for solid viscosity and drag model. And lun-et-al model was used as solid pressure and radial distribution model, respectively. Several other model options in FLUENT were tested considering the cross related effect. Mass flow rate of the particulate through the slit was measured to compare. Due to the high volume density of the stacked particulates above the slit, effect from various numerical options were not significant. The numerical results from basic model were also compared with experimental results and showed very good agreement. The effects from the characteristics of particles such as diameter, angle of internal friction, and collision coefficient were also analyzed for future design of velocity resistance layer in solar thermal absorber. Angle of internal friction was found to be the dominat variable for the particle mass flow rate considerably. More defined 3D model along with energy equation for complete solar thermal absorber design is currently underway.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.36.2-36.2
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• 2010

A small amount of Na incorporated in $CuInSe_2$ (CIS) absorption layer has become widely accepted as a requirement for efficient polycrystalline CIS solar cells. However, there is ongoing argument on the role of sodium incorporated in the absorber. In this paper, CIS absorption layers have been deposited using the three-stage co-evaporation process on Mo coated non-Alkali glass substrates. The NaF was evaporated during the second-stage with various fluxes. This paper is focusing on differences of micro-structure and composition ratio of the absorber realized with different Na contents and the variation of electrical properties of the cells with the corresponding absorbers. The analytical results of x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and current-voltage characteristics will be discussed to investigate the effect of NaF flux on the CIS absorber formation and its cell performance.